Hell

Hell is Real

Have you ever thought that some of the people you know are probably going to hell?

Do you think about that often? Probably not right? I mean, it’s pretty uncomfortable to think about. To be honest, a lot of people aren’t even comfortable with hell as a concept. We’re pretty good at shrugging our shoulders and saying that people are generally good, good enough at least. It’s not comfortable for us to think that there is a place set aside for eternal punishment and suffering. And more than that, it’s uncomfortable and audacious for us because we claim that there’s only one way to avoid that punishment and suffering.

It’s uncomfortable. The idea that people who don’t believe in Jesus and confess Him as Lord are going to hell.

It’s uncomfortable, and true.

The Standard

And see, here’s the thing, a lot of the arguments against these claims about hell and about people going to hell boil down to one thing - this idea that people are basically, mostly good. Like, no one has a problem if you say someone like Hitler is going to hell - he was a bonafide bad person. But the average person, who doesn’t do extraordinarily bad things, who mostly stays out of trouble, they’re not perfect, but the argument goes that they’re good enough. We think about the people in our lives, especially the nonbelievers, and we think “they’re definitely not bad enough to deserve hell.”

But that’s because our perspective is totally skewed by living in a sinful world. Our reading from Revelation is right on the money, “Lord God the Almighty, true and just are your judgement.” Our God is just and sin, any sin must be punished. It’s not a simple grade where if you can squeak by with a C- you can get into heaven, it’s a pass-fail and we’re all failing. There’s a clip from Parks and Rec with a guy listing off the things in his country that they put you in jail for (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eiyfwZVAzGw)

You are stealing: right to jail. You are playing music too loud: right to jail, right away. Driving too fast: jail. Slow: jail. You are charging too high prices for sweaters, glasses: you right to jail. You undercook fish? Believe it or not, jail. You overcook chicken, also jail. Undercook, overcook. You make an appointment with the dentist and you don't show up, believe it or not, jail, right away.

You are stealing - hell. Disrespect your parents - hell. Use God’s name in vain - hell. Look at someone with lust in your heart - hell. Harm your neighbor - hell. Don’t build up your neighbor when you have the chance to, believe it or not, hell.

The standard for heaven is perfection. And the standard is the standard, just because we can’t live up to it doesn’t mean it moves or disappears. We, all of us, believers and nonbelievers, deserve to go to hell for our sins of thought, word, and deed. Our God is just, and condemning us to hell is justice.

Get The Bigger Wrench

Don’t tune out now though, because if you tune out now you’re going to miss a pretty important part.

I want you to imagine for a second you’re convincing a kid to do something that’s good for them - let’s say you’re getting them to do their homework. At first you might ask them nicely, “hey, you should think about going and getting that homework done.” Then you might ask not so nicely, “turn off the electronics, go get your homework done.” Then you might take a more active roll, take the remote and turn off the TV, and lead them to their homework. If that fails, punishment might take place and the kid might be grounded or something.

Or if there’s a bolt, you might start trying to loosen it with your fingers. Then you might get a wrench. And if that fails you might get a bigger wrench. And if that fails you might get a blowtorch - and at that point there is no more bolt.

God works this way with some consistency. With the plagues of Egypt for example, the punishment of Egypt got worse and worse until Pharoah learned the truth of who God was and the world learned how deeply God cares for His people. That’s what we see in Revelation 16, these increasing plagues to get people to turn to Christ.

Experiencing the Gospel

Jesus interrupts this scene, promising to return and encouraging people to be ready. Because just as true as it is that we all deserve to go to hell, that God in His justice should send us there, He is also a merciful and gracious God who doesn’t give us what we deserve. God promises a way for us to be protected from all of these punishments and to spend an eternity with Him in a perfect new creation. And how do we receive this mercy, this incredible gift?

Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved (Mark 16), if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved (Romans 10). It’s not that you have to reach a certain standard or have a particular threshold met for good behavior - if you have faith in the Way and the Truth and the Life, Jesus Christ, you will be saved.

Talk to Someone

So go be the calm, quiet invitation for someone to receive that faith. God will work in people’s lives to bring them to faith, but better the Holy Spirit work through you than through some disaster, calamity, or plague. To go back to the kids metaphor - we can gently tell people to do there homework in hopes that God doesn’t have to use more dramatic measures. I want to ask you all - every single person here this morning - to reach out to someone in your life and meet up with them. Get coffee or dinner or beers, go golfing or bowling, just have them over to your house - I don’t particularly care but talk to them about faith. And I’m not even saying necessarily invite them to church, although that’s always a worthwhile thing to do, just talk to them about where they’re at with God. Do they believe He exists at all, are the resistant to the idea, are they open to it, or are they ready to jump in - in which case I hope to see them next Sunday?

Start the conversation, because we need salvation more than anything else, and there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. (Acts 4). Amen.