This narrow way

As God allows America to slide deeper and deeper into the abyss of a Romans 1 depraved mind, something I find particularly disturbing is the flippant, irreverent way in which people regard Hell. What has reinforced this lately is a popular Tik Tok video in which a woman pleads with Christians to stop trying to save people and “please just let us go to Hell.” This is by no means a new or unique sentiment, just the latest example. We’ve seen performers on awards shows dressing as Satan, in the stereotypical red suit and horns carrying a pitchfork caricature, and I’m certain many Christians have heard lost people joking about getting together with their friends is Hell and throwing a party. I cringe hearing this and am reminded of the words of Jesus as he hung on the cross, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.”

In search of a cause for this casual disregard for a place the Bible vividly describes as a place of “eternal destruction” (2Thessolonians 1:9) and “unquenchable fire” (Isaiah 66:24) where “the smoke of their torment goes up forever” (Revelation 14:10,11) two things come to mind. First is the Great Deceiver at work. What else would Satan want people to believe except that, even if Hell is a real place to begin with, it’s a big social gathering with all your other non-believing friends? Much the same way he convinces people on the broad road they are on their way to Heaven, until they get to the end and hear, “depart from me, I never knew you.”

The second cause, unfortunately, can be laid directly at the feet of the modern church, even those who call themselves evangelical. Growing up in the Baptist church, what were known as fire and brimstone preachers and evangelists were pretty common. Try to find one now. Telling people they’re going to Hell if they don’t repent of their sins doesn’t build megachurches, happy talk from motivational speakers does. People want to hear about God’s love, which is certainly an integral part of the Gospel, but divorced from equal reference to God’s judgement, it is misleading at best and damning souls to Hell at its worst. The modern church’s devotion to not being offensive and judgmental has led too many preachers to avoid the subject of Hell altogether. But the Word of God, and in particular the words of Jesus do no such thing. The most detailed descriptions of Hell appear in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, and are spoken by Our Lord himself. Jesus wasn’t afraid of being accused of hurting people’s feelings and making them uncomfortable, just ask the religious leaders of his day. He was more interested in telling the truth about eternal damnation, regardless of whether or not those listening to his sermons would put something in the collection plate.

Probably the most well-known account of Hell, and the most graphic and disturbing, comes in Luke Chapter 16, verses 19-33, the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. Just as a brief synopsis, a rich man who had every worldly possession of the time, and a sore-covered beggar named Lazarus, both died. Lazarus was carried away to Abraham’s bosom (from the Talmud as a figure for heaven) while the rich man lifted up his eyes in Hell. The rich man sees Abraham and Lazarus far away and cried out Abraham to send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and touch it to his tongue, “for I am in agony in this flame.” Abraham denies this request so the rich man asks for Lazarus to be sent to his 5 brothers to warn them, “so that they will not also come to this place of torment.”

Agony, flame, torment. Doesn’t sound like much of a party, does it?

In Matthew 25:46, Jesus speaking of the final judgement where he separates the sheep from the goats says, “These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” Same Greek word used in both instances. If eternal life means eternal life, then eternal punishment means exactly that, eternal. What does eternal punishment consist of?       

“Unquenchable fire.” Matthew 3:12

“Disgrace and everlasting contempt.” Daniel 12:2

“Where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.” Mark 9:48

“A lake of fire and brimstone…and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.” Revelation 20:10

Outer darkness: “in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Matthew 8:12, 22:13.

Yes, my brothers and sisters in Christ, God is serious about his love for all mankind. He proved that to us on the cross. But God is also serious his judgement of the unrighteous and the unrepentant. We should be also.