A Place You Don't Have to Go
Notes
Transcript
INTRODUCTION
We distance ourselves from the reality of Hell because it is unsettling. Some “preachers” don’t mention it. One to the first things we need to talk about it because it is the place God’s saves us from
Hell is a real place
Jesus talks about hell more than he talks about heaven and describes it more vividly. There’s no denying that Jesus knew, believed, and warned against the absolute reality of hell.
· A place of eternal torment (Luke 16:23), of unquenchable fire (Mark 9:43), where the worm does not die (Mark 9:48), where people will gnash their teeth in anguish and regret (Matt. 13:42), · Place of no return, even to warn loved ones (Luke 16:19–31). · a place of “outer darkness” (Matt. 25:30)
· A place of eternal torment (Luke 16:23), of unquenchable fire (Mark 9:43), where the worm does not die (Mark 9:48), where people will gnash their teeth in anguish and regret (Matt. 13:42), · Place of no return, even to warn loved ones (Luke 16:19–31). · a place of “outer darkness” (Matt. 25:30)
1. Why would a Good God Create Hell in the first place?
1. Why would a Good God Create Hell in the first place?
We can all agree that God is Good!
Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.
So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.
The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness,
Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.
At the same time we see in Scripture that God is holy and just
Yet you have been righteous in all that has come upon us, for you have dealt faithfully and we have acted wickedly.
He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?
The boastful shall not stand before your eyes; you hate all evildoers. You destroy those who speak lies; the Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.
and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
· YOU CANNOT HAVE MERCY WITHOUT JUSTICE AND YOU CANNOT HAVE JUSTICE WITHOUT MERCY
· “The character of God is the guarantee that all wrongs will be righted someday; when the ‘day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed’
· Mercy has no meaning
o Example: Offer love and mercy to anyone
o Does everyone deserve mercy
o Same with Justice
o God offers a path to his mercy (A place you don’t have to go)
2. Wouldn’t a loving God make sure everyone goes to Heaven (Universalism)
2. Wouldn’t a loving God make sure everyone goes to Heaven (Universalism)
· Does not reconcile with Scripture
· Heaven becomes compulsory
· Universalism denies the concept of Freewill – THERE IS NO FREE WILL
· God offers Heaven but does not force it - this is dignified Free Will. This is a loving God
· This is counter intuitive. What kind of place would Heaven Be
3. Why would a loving God send good people to Hell?
3. Why would a loving God send good people to Hell?
· One of the most popular objections
as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.”
· I’m a good person therefore I not going to Hell (good by whose standard?)
o There are no innocent people – by their nature people are evil
o Why does God require us to “train-up a child”
The standard is Christ - PERFECTION
· A loving God recognizes that we are not perfect yet offers us a pardon
Paul recognized he needed Christ
The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.
Cast away from you all the transgressions that you have committed, and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! Why will you die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord God; so turn, and live.”