Hot Place–Hell
Knowing the struggle my brain has to recall information stored away, I occasionally go back and read my column to keep myself from writing an article about the same thing again.
In this ritual I noticed something, not about the column I write, but about the page where it appears. The editor must have a sense of humor. Under Theological Thoughts is a request that reads: A Little Hot? Write a Letter to the Editor. This has happened more times than not.
Perhaps this was a vision from God. I should write about a hot place–hell.
Several years back after preaching a man walked up to me and thanked me for preaching about hell. He said he could not remember the last time someone preached on hell. Considering how many churches there are in the world and how many messages are preached daily and weekly, you would think the speakers or preachers would address the topic of hell from time to time.
Unfortunately, I agree with the man who complimented me on my sermon topic. I don’t hear a lot of preachers preaching on hell either, despite that it is a real place and a real destination for some. (My prayer is that it is the destiny for a small number and I am doing my part in helping myself and others avert it.)
In one of the books I use for sermon preparation I find 52 verses about hell. Would something mentioned 52 times in the Bible be insignificant? I think not.
Just as the Bible instructs us many times to pray and we do, we must also accept with equal importance that hell is real. We need to hear more sermons about hell and the outcome for those who will end up there.
If Christ came into the world to save us from such a destiny, then to not talk about hell devalues what Christ means to the world and what He has done through His sacrifice at and on the cross of Calvary. There was no need for Him to endure the suffering and humiliation on the cross, if hell was not a real destiny for all of us without His intervention.
As for me, I believe in hell, but I believe more in what Christ has, can, and will do to keep me and others out of hell, if only we try. Fortunately, I believe that my God is a loving and forgiving God. To keep me out of hell, he has to love me a lot and has to forgive me a lot, too—for I am forever sinning and forever seeking forgiveness. Knowing that you constantly sin and constantly need to seek forgiveness is a step in the right direction.
The Bible says that “if God did not spare the angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to pits of nether gloom to be kept until judgment…” do you think he would let us slip in any easier?
Heaven is real. Hell is real. Christ is real. Repent and seek forgiveness , daily, so that we all might see each other in heaven.
As those of us who know this as the season of Lent, may we be especially aware of the reason for this season as well.