HELL - The Place Which Kills The Body ,but not able to kill the soul

                             Hell and Judgment

“If a game is played, it must be possible to lose it.” C. S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain

When was the last time you heard a sermon on hell? I think I would not be wrong to state that for many, they have never heard a sermon on hell. Hell, like sin, has pretty dropped off the scope in most churches. Despite neglect of the doctrine, the subject of hell is taught in the Scriptures. I would venture that most people, if asked who spoke the most about hell, would name the apostle Paul. But they would be wrong. It is not a prominent subject for Paul. In fact, Paul never mentions hell. Hell is, however, a prominent subject for–and this is initially rather shocking–our Lord. Jesus taught more about hell and judgment than anyone in Scripture. This fact is less shocking when one recognizes that the Bible teaches that hell is a real place and that Jesus himself as Judge sends people there (John 5.22-29). Consider Jesus’ words:

“For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives live to whom He wishes. For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son, in order that all may honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him” (John 5.21-23).

Is this clear? Jesus is the judge of humanity. Hell is a real place. This is the reason Jesus warned men about it. The verses below demonstrate the consistent revelation of the doctrine of hell and judgment throughout Scripture.

Words For “Hell”

In the Old Testament the word for hell is “sheol” (Hebrews שְׁאֹול). It was the world of all the dead but not the permanent abode of the righteous (Psalm 16.10, 49.15; Hosea 13.14). The New Testament has three Greek words for hell: “Hades” (Gk. ᾅδης), ”Gehenna” (Gk. γέεννα) and “Tartaroo” (Gk. ταρταρόω).

The word “hades’ is used for the place of the departed spirits of the lost and is found inMatthew 11.23, 16.18; Luke 10.15, 16.23; Acts 2.27, 31; Revelation 1.18, 6.8, 20.13, 20.14.

The word “gehenna” is the place or state of the lost or condemned and is found inMatthew 5.22, 29, 30, 10.28, 18.9, 23.15, 23.33; Mark 9.43, 45, 47; Luke 12.5; James 3.6.

The word “tartaros” is the subterranean abyss of Greek mythology where demigods were punished. The pseudepigraphal book of Enoch mentions it as the place where fallen angels are confined. It is found only once in the Bible and only in its verbal form. Peter appropriated the word to describe God’s incarceration of fallen angels to a netherworld dungeon until the day of final judgment (2 Peter 2.4).

Hell is described in a number of passages: Matthew 13.42; Matthew 25.46; Philippians 3.19;2 Thessalonians 1.9; Hebrews 10.39; 2 Peter 2.17; Jude 1.13; Revelation 2.11; 19.20; 20.6, 10,14; 21.8. According to Revelation 20, hell will be absorbed into a place called the Lake of Fire. Hell is terrifying; it is a place of hopelessness and eternal imprisonment and torment.

The Love of God

God loves every person. He has done everything required to spare each person from hell. He has provided His Son, Jesus Christ, as Savior from sin and death. Jesus went to the cross, died for every sin you have committed or ever will commit, and rose from the dead. He did all the work necessary to prevent you from the penalty of hell. This is the good news! This is thegospel!

Most people believe one goes to hell because one has done bad things, i.e., because of sin. But the Bible teaches that an individual goes to hell because he has rejected God’s love–the Savior and His work on the cross. John recorded what he saw in the Lord’s revelation to him of the final judgment. He wrote:

“And I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. And death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire (Revelation 20.11-15).”

The biblical account of judgment is that only when one’s name is not found in the “book of life” is one judged for his works or deeds. The book of deeds contains a record of the works one did during his life. If one is not found in the book of life, that is, if no record exists of one having believed the gospel that Christ died for them and rose from the dead, then judgment is based upon ones “works”, i.e. one’s deeds–good works and evil works. This is what Jesus meant when he declared in John:

“He said therefore again to them, “I go away, and you shall seek Me, and shall die in your sin; where I am going, you cannot come” (John 8.21).

and

“I said therefore to you, that you shall die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am He, you shall die in your sins” (John 8.24).

Those at the final judgment, described in Revelation 20, are there because they have rejected Christ and His gift of salvation. As such, they only have their good deeds to depend upon for acceptance by God. But the Scriptures teach that no one has the necessary righteousness to meet the approval of God (Romans 3.20, 28). Paul wrote,

“Now to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor, but as what is due. But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness” (Romans 4.1-5).

Paul also wrote about Jesus as the Judge,

“For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness, and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them, on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus” (Romans 2.14-16).

According to the Scriptures, human works can never satisfy the righteousness of God. A person can do all the good deeds of a Mother Teresa or an Albert Schweitzer and go to the Lake of Fire (Romans 3.20, 28; Galatians 2.16). Consider: if one could make himself acceptable to God by works, why was it necessary for Christ to go to the cross? Does it make sense for God to send his Son to die for something we could do ourselves? It is preciselybecause man cannot save himself that Christ came to die and make an atonement for sin. Jesus warned of this very matter when he said,

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never know you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS’” (Matthew 7.21-23 cf. Luke 13.24-30).

When Christ died on the cross, he died for all. He died for every sin of ever person who will ever live, past, present, or future. He paid the penalty for man’s sin. He was the “lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1.29). The Scriptures teach that Christ died for all, not some (Romans 5.7-8; 1 Timothy 4.10; Hebrews 2.9; 1 Peter 3.18; 2 Peter 2.1; 1 John 2.2).

Christ’s death on the cross was the fulfillment of hundreds of years of God’s teaching Israel by means of the Levitical sacrifices. The animal sacrifices typified the true and final sacrifice of Christ himself. Those whose names are in the “book of life” are those who have recognized their inability to justify themselves before God and have accepted God’s free gift of salvation by trusting in the work of Christ. Jesus said in his conclusion to the parable of the lost sheep that more joy exists in heaven over one sinner who repents than over the ninety nine who need no repentance (Luke 15.3-7). Those at the judgment of Revelation 20 are the ninety nine–those who refused to repent. They made the decision to reject God’s mercy and rely upon their own goodness.

God requires absolute righteousness because he is holy. Such a standard is impossible for man to achieve. Since we are all sinners (Romans 3.23, 6.23) Jesus Christ is our only hope. No amount of good works one can do can satisfy the righteous demands of God. The only work satisfactory to God is the work on the cross of His Son for us. To believe that Christ has died and was raised from the dead, to trust in him and his work, ensures one that he will never face judgment and hell. Consider the words of Jesus:

“Jesus therefore answered and was saying to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner. For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself is doing; and greater works than these will He show Him, that you may marvel. For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom He wishes. For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son, in order that all may honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him. Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life’” (John 5.19-24).

Divine judgment of the human race will be done by Jesus himself. The Scriptures declare that all who believe in Christ will not face that judgment. Paul affirmed this truth when he wrote,

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8.1).

Every person in hell is there because of his own choice. He rejected God’s grace and the gift of his Son. God is merciful but will not force himself upon anyone. He has provided a way of escape through the death and resurrection of his Son. This is the good news, the gospel.

Do you wish to avoid the condemnation of God and have eternal life? Will you respond to God’s love for you or will you reject it? The choice is simple. Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead for your sins (1 Corinthians 15.1-5). Will you believe it? If so, God’s word ensures you that you have eternal life and that you will never come before God’s judgment. Forgiveness of sins and eternal life is a gift–because Christ paid the price for you.

An issue that always seems to come up in a discussion of hell is the matter of “those who have never heard”. The objection is, “How can God send anyone to hell, especially those who have never heard.” What about this? The Bible teaches that God is self-evident. Creation declares God’s existence (see Psalm 19.1-6 and Romans 1.18-2.16). God has provided each person with an innate ability to perceive Him. Every person knows God exists but most suppress this knowledge. As such, no one ever goes to hell who has not had a fair chance. God knows each heart and every circumstance. He is smarter, more loving, and more merciful than we. The objection falls flat when one considers the character of God.

C. S. Lewis wrote as clearly as anyone on the matter of hell and judgment. Lewis wrote in The Problem of Pain that “the doors of hell are locked on the inside.” We are rebels. It is precisely because a person will not lay down his arms and end his rebellion again God that he goes to hell. Jesus will pronounce judgment of the Lake of Fire but it is the individual who has judged himself. Jesus, in a real sense, honors each person’s rebellion and God “loses” because he has made the provision of salvation available to everyone. I also commend to the reader Lewis’ work, The Great Divorce. In this fiction, Lewis attempted to explain the choices individuals make which lead them to hell. In the final analysis, all in hell are there by their own free will. They have rejected God’s love and Christ’s mercy. No reality is more sobering than this.

Below are passages which deal with the reality of hell and God’s judgment. Hell is a real place and God’s judgment is certain.

Matthew 5.21-30, 7.13-23, 10.28, 11.20-24, 13.36-42, 18.5-9,23.29-39; Mark 9.43-48; Luke 12.4-5, 16.19-31; John 5.28-29, 15.6-6; 2 Peter 2.1-11;3.3-7; Jude 5-7; Revelation 1.17-18, 14.9-11, 19.19-21, 20.10-15.