God's Mercy and Grace Hell a Place of Torment
Hell or Hades is referred to as a place of torment, forever, darkness, fire, eternal without God, weeping and gnashing of teeth. Some say hell is not real, or hell is on earth, others say if there is a hell it is only for those who have done really bad things while here, and on and on it goes. What is the truth anyway. Should you be concerned to know the truth about hell, the Devil and Satan? Lets examine the evidence.
The Bible warns of a place called hell where all those who not believe in Jesus will burn. There are over 162 references in the New Testament alone which warns of hell and the reality of what is there. Over 70 of these references were uttered by the Lord Jesus Christ! John 3:36 ends by saying “he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” The wrath here references an ultimate destination in hell. Lets examine a few passages.
HELL IS A PLACE OF FIRE. In Luke 16:24 the rich man cries ‘I am tormented in this flame’. In Matthew 13:42, Jesus says: And shall cast them into a FURNACE OF FIRE: where there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. There are other passages that refer to fire such as Matthew 25:41, Revelation 20:15, Mark 9:46 to name a few.
Consider our senses such as:
Sight: Luke 16:23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments
Feeling: Luke 16:24 send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. Luke 16:28 For I have five brothers; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.
Permanence: Luke 16:26 between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.’
Hell is an everlasting fire: Matt:18:8, 25:41; everlasting punishment- Matt:25:46; unquenchable fire- Luke 3:17; blackness of darkness forever Jude 1:13; and on and on are other numerous scripture about hell.
In Matt: 5:29,30 Jesus Christ took hell so serious — He could say without the slightest hesitation — to remove your eye, cut off your hand or foot, if that would keep you out of hell!
The world tries to extinguish the cries and reality of hell — the truth of hell echoes throughout our world. Many desperately pretend to cover their ears and igonore the "screams, the weeping, the wailing, the gnashing of teeth" but it is still there. How many refuse to accept that such a place exists. Nothing we can do, nothing we can say, can erase the horror of hell.
The Truth about Hell is interesting to know that it was made for the devil and his angels: Matt: 25:41. God does not send anyone to hell, it is because we choose hell by rejecting the only one that can save us from our sins and keep us out of hell. It is a willful act on our behalf of refusing God’s love and forgiveness in the person of Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ gave a solemn warning in Matthew 7:21-23 that there would be many in that day that will think they are getting into Heaven because of things they have done and will be sadly mistaken. Jesus will say ‘depart from me, I never knew you.’ There are no amount of good works or deeds we can do that can earn us a place in Heaven. It is only by Gods grace and mercy that we can have eternal life with Him. Eph. 2:8,9 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.