You might think that me telling a fictional story could have no apparent affect upon a theology of Hell. I guess you will have to decide whether my story is fictional or not. With so much discussion about Hell lately, my thoughts are taken from contemporary writers on the subject and from the recent teaching of Ray Comfort's message, "Hell's Best Kept Secret". There are two points that I would like to make in this blog today.
First, that God intends to use the law differently than we use it. God uses the law as a guide for us to walk in a relationship with Him. However, we use the law to show how much God is a taskmaster or unfair.
Second, I would like to prove that that hell was created by God for the punishment of evil and not for the punishment of people. And, anyone who will end up in that punishment will have to get there by climbing over a mountain of grace that God has placed in front of mankind throughout human history.
Let me tell you a story. Buried in the halls of hell is a secret, that if released, could seriously damage Satan's plan to defeat Christianity. Something happened one day in hell 2,000 years ago when Jesus showed up one evening. Thinking that He was dead, the party had already started. The discussion and the conversations went something like this. You could break the thoughts into two categories: DECEPTION and RELATIONSHIP.
And when it was all over, Jesus walked out of hell with the keys to death, hell, and the grave.
Listen, if I choose to speed, or to break into my neighbors home, or to not pay taxes, is it the fault of the government for placing civil laws over us. Of course not. Every belief system must have a set of standards or truth that is not necessarily decided upon by the group. There is an important element in every society and in every faith. Supremacy. A ruler. And the problem with that in our culture is simply our refusal to accept absolute truth. But, without it, the community will live in chaos.
I know this with confidence, wherever hell is, the worst part about hell is not its location, and it is not the torture, or the beasts, or the demons that reside there. The worst of the reality of Hell is the absence of God and good and grace! The law brings conversion because it reminds us that we have broken our relationship with God and we need to ask for mercy. The point of all of this is that there is a real place created for the judgment of sin and evil…created for the devil and his angels. And not for us. A loving God is consistent in His character by using anything that He can and will to deter people from it. Even if He must use Hell to deter them.
First, that God intends to use the law differently than we use it. God uses the law as a guide for us to walk in a relationship with Him. However, we use the law to show how much God is a taskmaster or unfair.
Second, I would like to prove that that hell was created by God for the punishment of evil and not for the punishment of people. And, anyone who will end up in that punishment will have to get there by climbing over a mountain of grace that God has placed in front of mankind throughout human history.
Let me tell you a story. Buried in the halls of hell is a secret, that if released, could seriously damage Satan's plan to defeat Christianity. Something happened one day in hell 2,000 years ago when Jesus showed up one evening. Thinking that He was dead, the party had already started. The discussion and the conversations went something like this. You could break the thoughts into two categories: DECEPTION and RELATIONSHIP.
DECEPTION...
-"As long as humanity doesn't understand the ten words of God, we will be fine. But, if they ever know why God gave them these words, our efforts will be lost."
-"We must deceive them into thinking that He is a dictator and a judge who is angry with them."
-"We must color God as a hammer-wielding God who doesn't want them to have fun."
RELATIONSHIP...
-"In God's own words He is LOVE. How could love place people in a place of torment?"
-"God separates Himself from people through the law."
-"Delay His LOVE. They cannot know that behind all of the law is His love for them."
-"At the center of creation was His love for them. The reason they were created was simply to be with Him. When we use the Words of God to drive them away, we win."
-"Get the focus of everyone on rules, standards, and lists."
While the conversations continued, all of a sudden…KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK! It became eerily quiet and no one moved to open the door. This was rare. After a few awkward moments, the door swung open and in walked Jesus. It was just past midnight. His words were few. He didn't need to say much because His countenance depicted it all. Over in the corner was one soul who began to walk forward and in front of the others.
As he stood facing Jesus, he pointed at him and said, "You, the one on the cross next to me. I knew it. You are a liar." He looked around in the cavernous room and finished his thoughts. With his arms spread out wide, the soul simply said, "How could you have loved the people and created a place like this?"
Jesus looked him in the eye and said, "Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting FIRE prepared for the devil and his angels...For I am the way, the truth, and the Life...I am the resurrection and the life...and whosoever believes in Me will not perish but have everlasting life." (Matthew 25, John 14, and John 3)
And when it was all over, Jesus walked out of hell with the keys to death, hell, and the grave.
Listen, if I choose to speed, or to break into my neighbors home, or to not pay taxes, is it the fault of the government for placing civil laws over us. Of course not. Every belief system must have a set of standards or truth that is not necessarily decided upon by the group. There is an important element in every society and in every faith. Supremacy. A ruler. And the problem with that in our culture is simply our refusal to accept absolute truth. But, without it, the community will live in chaos.
I know this with confidence, wherever hell is, the worst part about hell is not its location, and it is not the torture, or the beasts, or the demons that reside there. The worst of the reality of Hell is the absence of God and good and grace! The law brings conversion because it reminds us that we have broken our relationship with God and we need to ask for mercy. The point of all of this is that there is a real place created for the judgment of sin and evil…created for the devil and his angels. And not for us. A loving God is consistent in His character by using anything that He can and will to deter people from it. Even if He must use Hell to deter them.
It will be every soul who chooses not to submit to His beautiful words that will seal their own fate. After climbing over a mountain of grace to deny His love.
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