HELL is Real

 Happy Sunday!

"And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; And in HELL he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.  And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame."(Luke 16:22-24 KJV).

At 5 years old I believed that Jesus came to save me.  Save me from what, you may ask?  Save me from Hell.  We were taught Romans 6:23, "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."(KJV).  A few years after that, while traveling from Missouri to California by car I was certain I wanted no parts of Hell.  We drove through the desert and the air conditioner fuses kept blowing.  If you have ever traveled in a station wagon you know the windows in the very back rarely open.  I felt as if I was going to suffocate and melt all at the same time.  While in California I don't think I could fully enjoy myself, since I was dreading the trip back home.

Jesus told the story of the rich man and the beggar, Lazarus.  This is not a parable.  Jesus never named names in parables. These two men actually existed.  The Dake Annotated Reference Bible says of these scriptures, "This is a literal story of two beggars - one who begged in this life, and one who begged in the next".  Jesus often spoke of Hell.  I believe we can definitely trust the words of Jesus.  Don't you?

What can we learn from these scriptures?  I'm so glad you asked.  First, Death is inevitable.  Hebrews 9:27 says, "Everyone must die once, and after that be judged by God."(GNT).  I know death is sad and shocking to us, but it happens.  Ecclesiastes 7:2 says, "It is better to spend your time at funerals than at festivals. For you are going to die, and it is a good thing to think about it while there is still time."(Living Bible).  Second, when we die we will be conscious. The rich man knew he was in a place of torment and he could feel it.  He could also see Father Abraham, and Lazarus in the distance.  In verse 26, Father Abraham told him, "...there is a big pit between you and us. No one can cross over to help you, and no one can come here from there."(Easy-to-Read Version).

Third, there are separate locations or destinations for the righteous and the unrighteous.  All dogs may go to Heaven, but all people do not.  As I have said many times, God does not send anyone to Hell.  Let that sink in.  People go to Hell by choice.  You may say, that's ludicrous!  But it's true.  When you reject Jesus, you are choosing Hell.  Jesus said, "The world’s sin is unbelief in me;"(John 16:9 Living Bible).  Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."(John 14:6 KJV).  Jesus is the only way to the Father, and the only way to Heaven.

There is hope.  If you are not certain of your final destination now, you can be in a matter of minutes.  Romans 10:8-11 says, "It is the secret of faith, which is the burden of our preaching, and it says, in effect, “If you openly admit by your own mouth that Jesus Christ is the Lord, and if you believe in your own heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” For it is believing in the heart that makes a man righteous before God, and it is stating his belief by his own mouth that confirms his salvation. And the scripture says: ‘Whoever believes on him will not be put to shame’."(Phillips).  That's Good News!

Love and prayers, Cynthia