KEEP HELL IN PERSPECTIVE

If your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.

If your right hand makes you stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to go into hell (Matthew 5:29-30 NASV).

Hell is a serious, sobering subject, so much so that Jesus said it is worth any sacrifice to stay out of it.  Still, there are those who refuse to take it seriously and use it as a common swear word in every-day language.

There are many theological positions taken on the subject of hell, and whatever position one takes will not change the reality of what actually is.  Jesus said there is a hell.  One has in this life the opportunity to decide his eternal destiny, there are no second chances.

Distilled to the essence, the different teachings about hell can be summed up in two doctrines.  One is that disbelieving, unrepentant sinners will spend eternity in unrelenting torment, or, number two, disbelieving unrepentant sinners will be annihilated in God's consuming fire.  Both punishments are eternal, but that is about all upon which the two sides can agree while each side accuses the other of false teaching and heresy.

I must reiterate, what ever position one takes will not change the reality of what is.  If it is possible, I take a middle position.  I know credible scholars on both sides of the subject that I trust.  It seems to me, however, that those who are invested in eternal torment think that fear of punishment will bring people to salvation more so than a loving God who gave His only begotten Son for us.  Though fear is a motivating factor for some, there are many more who are drawn by the love of God.

The day is coming when we will stand before the Creator of the universe and the One who loves us so much that He paid the price of our redemption.  What fools we would be if we threw away the eternal hope that we have in Him for the temporary pleasures of the flesh.  Earthly pleasures rather than eternity with God, our Creator, Redeemer and Friend--how stupid!

Hell will serve its purpose, do not make it more important than relationship with the One who truly loves us!

Our Father's Love,
Tom