2010-01-24 Hell

How many of you remember the billboard off of I-40 just east of Harrison that read, “Will you go to HELL or the Heaven after you die?” The sign was yellow with bold back letters with the word “Hell” much larger than the rest of the text. It seemed like a controversial sign, at the time anyway. I imagine many took offense to it. And honestly, many people should be slightly offended by it; that is if they do not know how to answer the question. I believe that was the purpose of the sign – make people think as a result of being offended. It was just offensive enough to catch people’s eyes.

Even though I know the answer to that question, I am still offended when somebody tells me to “Go to Hell.” Honestly, I believe that if the person really comprehended what they are directing a person to do, I do not believe they would make that statement. I personally wish for no one to go to Hell; cannot think of a single person in this world that I would impose that upon. Sure, thinking about it, I can come up with some names that might fit criteria for believing they deserve it, but who am I to judge? “Let he without sin cast the first stone”, and that surely isn’t me!

My point is: Hell is eternal damnation. According to The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, damnation is: Condemnation to everlasting punishment; doom; everlasting punishment. I cannot emphasize the “everlasting punishment” part enough. From what I gather from various studies, the punishment in Hell is far beyond human understanding – pain and suffering so great that a human body would be devoured in seconds, if not sooner; torture, darkness, cries, screams, and no communication. No relationship, or knowledge, of God. 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9 states, “He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power…” “Shut out from the presence of the Lord.” That is just scary.

As people that have accepted Christ into our lives as our Lord and Savior, the Son of God, the Incarnate, we are confident that our names will be found in the Book of Life and that we will be spared from eternal damnation. But what about our brothers and sisters that are not? What about those who just play lip service to God, but have not truly accepted Christ? These people are near us each and every day. These people can still be saved. They can still accept Christ into their hearts and ask for forgiveness of sins and learn to live rest assured that on the Day of Judgment their wrongs will be righted and all evil will be terminated. But what about those that do not find Christ? And those that reject God because we have failed to adequately convey the message, what about them? Are we dooming those people to an eternity in separation from God in utter damnation with no chance of salvation? What can you do to prevent this? What can I do to prevent this? What can we do as a body-of-believers in the Son of God do to prevent this?

Josh