TEXTS:
I. INTRODUCTION--
A. Skeptics, and false teachers deny the existence of Hell.
1. Atheists and infidels eradicate it by "reasoning."
2. Christian Scientists deny it as improper thinking.
3. Universalists remove it by saying that all are saved.
4. Unitarians and others say we make our own hell on earth.
5. Jehovah's Witnesses have reduced it to annihilation.
6. Many Protestant churches take away concern about being in hell
through the Calvinistic doctrine of "once saved, always saved."
7. Catholicism has assured millions of their "baptized"
members that Hell is only for the "unbaptized," and
that with this minimum condition, their time in "purgatory"
can be reduced through masses read for the dead.
B. But the Bible is inspired, and teaches that Hell is real.
1. The "Hell" we are considering is "Gehenna,"
not "Hades" or "Tartarus" (other words which
the KJV translates "hell").
a. It was a place of abominable Canaanite style idolatry. Ahaz
and Manasseh (apostate kings of Judah) caused their children to
be "passed through the fire" there.
(1) 2 Chronicles 28:3 (Ahaz) "Moreover he burnt
incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and burnt his children
in the fire, according to the abominations of the nations whom
Jehovah cast out before the children of Israel."
(2)2 Chronicles 33:6 (Manasseh) "He
also made his children to pass through the fire in the valley
of the son of Hinnom; and he practised augury, and used enchantments,
and practised sorcery, and dealt with them that had familiar spirits,
and with wizards: he wrought much evil in the sight of Jehovah,
to provoke him to anger."
(3) God had forbidden this practice, Leviticus 18:21 "And
thou shalt not give any of thy seed to make them pass through
the fire to Molech; neither shalt thou profane the name of thy
God: I am Jehovah."
b. King Josiah, the great reformer, defiled it. 2 Kings 10
(The valley was called Tophet here.)
c. It became a burial site for idolaters. Jeremiah 7:30-33
"For the children of Judah have done that which is
evil in my sight, saith Jehovah: they have set their abominations
in the house which is called by my name, to defile it. 31 And
they have built the high places of Topheth, which is in the valley
of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daugh-ters
in the fire; which I commanded not, neither came it into my mind.
32 Therefore, behold, the days come, saith Jehovah, that it shall
no more be called Topheth, nor The valley of the son of Hinnom,
but The valley of Slaughter: for they shall bury in Topheth, till
there be no place to bury. 33 And the dead bodies of this people
shall be food for the birds of the heavens, and for the beasts
of the earth; and none shall frighten them away."
d. Finally, in Jesus' day it became the garbage dump of Jerusalem.
(Jesus gives an apt description of it in Mark 9:43-48.
"And if thy hand cause thee to stumble, cut it off: it
is good for thee to enter into life maimed, rather than having
thy two hands to go into hell, into the unquenchable fire. 44
where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched."
(This continues to cover the offending foot, and the offending
eye.)
II. LESSON--
A. Who goes to occupy this burning Hell (according to Scripture,
not man)?
1. All sorts of transgressors.
a.Those whose hatred leads them to insult others. Matthew 5:21-22
"Ye have heard that it was said to them of old time,
Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger
of the judgment: 22 but I say unto you, that every one who is
angry with his brother shall be in danger of the judgment; and
whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of
the council; and whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger
of the hell of fire."
b. Those with sinning hands, feet, and eyes, according to Mark
9:43-47.
d.Rebels against truth. Romans 2:8-9 "...but
unto them that are factious, and obey not the truth, but obey
unrighteousness, shall be wrath and indignation, 9 tribulation
and anguish, upon every soul of man that worketh evil, of the
Jew first, and also of the Greek."
e.Many other kinds of sinners. 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 "Or
know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom
of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor
adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with men,
10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor
extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God."
f.Tragically, those ignorant of God and His will. 2 Thessalonians
1:7-9 "The Lord Jesus (comes) from heaven with the
angels of his power in flaming fire, 8 rendering vengeance to
them that know not God, and to them that obey not the gospel of
our Lord Jesus: 9 who shall suffer punishment, even eternal destruction
from the face of the Lord and from the glory of his might,"
2. Many in the church of the Lord will find themselves in Hell.
a."Judgement begins at the House of God." 1 Pet.
4:17-18 "For the time is come for judgment to begin
at the house of God: and if it begin first at us, what shall be
the end of them that obey not the gospel of God? 18 And if the
righteous is scarcely saved, where shall the ungodly and sinner
appear?" (The "House of God" is the "church,"
1 Timothy 3:15.)
b. "Goat Christians," insensitive to the needs of others
will be there. Matthew 25:31-33, 41-46 "But when
the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the angels with
him, then shall he sit on the throne of his glory: 32 and before
him shall be gathered all the nations: and he shall separate them
one from another, as the shepherd separateth the sheep from the
goats; 33 and he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the
goats on the left..........41 Then shall he say also unto them
on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into the eternal
fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels: 42 for I
was hungry, and ye did not give me to eat; I was thirsty, and
ye gave me no drink; 43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in;
naked, and ye clothed me not; sick, and in prison, and ye visited
me not. 44 Then shall they also answer, saying, Lord, when saw
we thee hungry, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick,
or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? 45 Then shall he
answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did
it not unto one of these least, ye did it not unto me. 46 And
these shall go away into eternal punishment: but the righteous
into eternal life."
c. Christian hypocrites, also. Romans 2:3-6 "And
reckonest thou this, O man, who judgest them that practise such
things (sins mentioned in chapter 1), and doest the same, that
thou shalt escape the judgment of God? 4 Or despisest thou the
riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering, not
knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? 5
but after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up for
thyself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous
judgment of God; 6 who will render to every man according to his
works:"
B. The dual personality of God establishes His right to punish
the sinner in Hell.
1. His dual nature is His glory. Exodus 34:6-7 "And
Jehovah passed by before (Moses), and proclaimed, Jehovah, Jehovah,
a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in lovingkindness
and truth, 7 keeping lovingkindness for thousands, forgiving iniquity
and transgression and sin; and that will by no means clear the
guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children,
and upon the children's children, upon the third and upon the
fourth generation."
a. God had also stated the principle in His Law. Exodus 20:4-6
"Thou shalt not make unto thee a graven image, nor
any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is
in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.
5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them, for
I Jehovah thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the
fathers upon the children, upon the third and upon the fourth
generation of them that hate me, 6 and showing lovingkindness
unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments."
b. Jeremiah gives an example of this. Lamentations 5:7 "Our
fathers sinned, and are not; And we have borne their iniquities
(because we acted just like them)."
2. God's mercy and wrath are exercised selectively. Ezekiel
18:1-32
a. God finds no pleasure in the death of sinners. vs. 23, 32
b. This is confirmed in the NT. 2 Peter 3:9 (not willing
any should perish)
3. God's right to judge is based on Law, and just condemnation
of sinners.
a. "Sin is lawlessness (transgression of law)."
1 John 3:4
b. Spiritual death is the penalty for sin. Romans 6:23, 7:13
III. CONCLUSION--
A. In view of the dual nature of God, and His system of justice,
he gives no encouragement to those who try to ignore or deny the
existence of Hell.
B. In view of the inspiration of the Scripture, Hell must be considered
"real" (remember, spiritual things endure for eternity,
and are the only "real" existence).
C. God hopes that the knowledge of Hell will persuade us to be
righteous. Matthew 10:28 "And be not afraid of
them that kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but
rather fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell."
REMEMBER----IN THE DAY OF JUDGEMENT THERE WILL BE....
NO STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS WILL RUN OUT TO SAVE US
NO HIGHER COURT OF APPEAL
NO PLEA BARGAINING
NO COMMUTATION OF SENTENCES
NO CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION TO TAKE OUR DEFENSE
NO LOOPHOLES IN THE LAW
NO PROBATION
NO TRIAL BY PEERS
NO PERJURY POSSIBLE