ODJ: love & hell

Eat, Our Daily Journey | July 18, 2009 12:53 am

july181

July 18, 2009 


They will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life (v.46). 

READ: Matthew 25:41-46 

On an American ship, navy personnel crowded 
 around their chaplain and asked him, “Do you believe in hell?” He replied, “I do not.” The crew members quietly took in his response and fired this shot across the bow: “Well then, will you please resign? If there’s no hell, we don’t need you . . . and if there’s a hell, we don’t want you to lead us astray!” 


There are many believers in Jesus who are ashamed of the biblical doctrine of hell—viewing it as a blemish to be covered up by the cosmetic of divine love. This is way wrong, for Jesus taught more about hell than any other person in the Bible. 


So what did Jesus have to say about hell? Jesus said that hell is a place of eternal, conscious punishment and separation from God (Matthew 8:12, 25:46; Mark 9:43). He taught that hell is a place of suffering and darkness, emphasizing isolation from God and others. Hell is a place that was prepared for Satan and his angels (demons) and for human beings who also reject God (Matthew 25:41). When Satan and his crew fell from heaven, God prepared a place of punishment for them. If a person turns away from what God has provided in Jesus, he or she is actively rebelling against God’s perfect design. Finally, Jesus said that hell is for those who reject His Father and Himself (John 3:18; 
1 John 5:11-12). 


We need to grasp the reality that everyone—as eternal beings—will spend eternity in one of two places. Decision on this side of life will eternally influence the other. Each of us who follows Jesus plays a vital role in communicating the eternal life that He provides to all who believe in Him. 


Share the truth of hell with the people you know. It’s the loving thing to do.
 —Marvin Williams

NEXT
Who in my sphere of influence needs to hear about the wrath and grace of God? What role am I playing in helping them believe? 

Leave a Comment

Related

ODJ: dying for life
0

ODJ: dying for life

Recently, I saw a poster with these words: “When 
 you were born, you cried and the world rejoiced. 
 Live your life in such a way so that when you die, the world cries and you rejoice.” —Indian (Cherokee) Proverb
The story of Tabitha (Dorcas in Greek) is a sad one. Tabitha was a devout [...]

Published on September 23, 2009 12:55 am
Mid-Youth Crisis
6

Mid-Youth Crisis

Right now I’m in the middle of what I would call a “mid-youth crisis.” Nearing the end of my undergraduate degree, I am beyond confused about my next step. Should I gain work experience? Should I begin a Masters Degree Programme? These questions have boggled my mind practically every day this past week as I [...]

Published on August 10, 2010 12:03 am
same address
0

same address

A Japanese man living alone in the city of Fukoka
 noticed that food was disappearing from his 
 fridge. So he installed a security camera which showed someone moving around inside his house while he was away. When the police investigated, they found a 58-year-old woman that had been living in a tiny storage space [...]

Published on June 27, 2009 12:05 am
ODJ: when faith is weak
1

ODJ: when faith is weak

To say my Christian faith is unfappable would be untrue. It’s to the contrary. For even though I write devotions, engage in work on behalf of the poor in East Africa, and long for my confdence in Jesus Christ to be strong— often, too often, my faith is pathetically, embarrassingly weak. In the midst of [...]

Published on February 12, 2011 12:02 am