A TRIP THROUH HELL
Imagine you have just entered hell... After a roar of physical pain blasts you, you spend your first moments wailing and gnashing your teeth. But after a season, you grow accustomed to the pain... not that it’s become tolerable, but that your capacity for it has enlarged to comprehend it, yet not be consumed by it. Though you hurt, you are now able to think, and you instinctively look about yourself. But as you look, you see only blackness. In your life back on earth you learned that if you looked long enough, a glow of light somewhere would yield definition to your surroundings. So you blink and strain to focus your eyes, but your efforts yield only blackness. You turn and strain your eyes in another direction. you wait. You see nothing but unyielding black ink. It clings to you, smothering and oppressing you.
As you come to realize that the darkness is not going to give way, you nervously begin to feel for something solid to get your bearings. You reach for walls or rocks or trees or chairs; you stretch your legs to feel the ground and touch nothing. Hell is a bottomless pit. However, you are slow to learn this. In growing panic, you kick your feet and wave your arms. You stretch and you lunge. But you find nothing.
Suddenly, with a scream you kick, twist, and lunge until you are again too exhausted to move. You hang there, alone with your pain. Unable to touch a solid object or see a solitary thing, you begin to weep. Your sobs choke through the darkness. They become weak, then lost in hell’s roar. Then it hits you — this is forever. Forever, you think, and your mind labors through the blackness until you ache. "Forever!" you whispers in wonder. The idea deepens, widens, and towers over you.. The awful truth spreads before you like endless, overlapping slats: When you put in ten thousand centuries of time here, you will not have one second less to spend here. "And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night," (Revelation 14:11) No rest day and night.
A WARNING...
But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God's wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. God "will give to each person according to what he has done." To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil... (Romans 2:5-9)
What more can be said? The wrath of God is a reality that all that have sinned against God will experience. God's wrath cannot be shunned or ignored. For He is bound to His word and no one shall escape this destruction. Psalm 7:11 says, "God is angry with the wicked every day."
WHY DO I DESERVE THIS?
One might ask what would kindle the anger of the Holy Righteous God against innocent man? Here's a test to find out. We will look at some of God's Laws - the Ten Commandments... Have you told lies in your life? If you have, that shows that your nature is to lie. “Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks” If you tell lies, it shows that your heart is corrupt. Have you ever taken something that didn’t belong to you? That shows in your heart that you’re a thief. The Bible says that no thief will inherit the kingdom of God. Have you ever murdered anyone? You may think you’re safe from that one, but Jesus said that if you even hate someone, you’re a murderer-at-heart. Here’s one more - have you ever committed adultery? You might say that you’re not even married. But Jesus said that even looking at someone with lust is the same as committing adultery with that person in your heart.
Can you see the problem? The Bible says “The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9) Since your heart is corrupt, the things that you do are corrupt and can never please God. For God to be just, Justice must be served. You broke His Law, and the fine must be paid. If the fine is not paid, your punishment for breaking God’s Law is eternity in hell.
WHAT IS THE WRATH OF GOD?
"...when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengence on them that no not God, and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His power;" (II Thesselonians 1:8-9)
God's wrath is not something to trifle with or think lightly about. The experience of Hell cannot be conceived by our finite minds. Luke 16:23 tells us that it is a place of torments. God has prepared a place of weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 8:12) This will be the experience of all who find themselves in this horrible place. Can you imagine the painful cries of the damned? Even now can't you imagine their terrible torments, can't you imagine the despair and confusion of those seeking even momentary relief, yet not find it? We have heard of many who have taken their own lives because they could find no rest for their weary minds here on earth.. only to find that there is no rest found in Hell.
HOW CAN I ESCAPE?
Know this friend, He has provided a way to escape this terrible wrath: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have ever lasting life." (John 3:16) You see, YOU broke God's Law... and the fine must be paid... The only way your fine can be paid is if God pays that fine himself. 2,000 years ago, God took on human flesh and came to this earth in the person of Jesus Christ. He was born of a virgin, and lived a sinless life where you and I could not. God’s wrath came down upon Him on the cross... Instead of on YOU. Then He proved he was God by rising from the dead. What you need is a new heart. God says “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.” (Ezekiel 36:26) There is nothing YOU can do to give yourself a new heart. GOD must give you one. Cry out to God to be merciful to you. Realize that there is nothing in you that can please God and then humble yourself before Him. Repent (turn from sin, and turn to God) and put your faith in Jesus Christ alone for your salvation. Cry out to God for a new heart - one that will please him.
So... What say you? Do you yet hold to your wicked ways and Slap God in the face, for that is exactly what you will do if you reject His gift. If you do not turn to God then there is nothing left but for God to visit you with His wrath. Please do not delay!
"But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." (Romans 10:8-10)
Thank you for reading this. If you have any questions or comments about what you’ve read, we’d love to hear from you.
