Technically 'Hell' is a word that has several translations. I don't want to write about that today. I do want to ask the question 'why do people end up in that place prepared for the devil and demons?' Many have stated they prefer the thought of hell over heaven because they want to party and be around like-minded people rather than be in God's presence. In reality hell is the lake of fire that was prepared for angels who rebelled against God.
All mankind is bound for hell by default. Because of Adam we are born under Adam's sentence. But isn't that unfair? I didn't ask to be born with an eternal doom! However, everyone uses sin to their own advantage so everyone decides hostility towards God and thus becomes guilty as charged. "If I cannot help myself, how am I guilty? If I am infected with the sin curse, how am I to blame?" The Bible tells us we all know God exists. In our day we have had alternative explanations how the universe came about. These are lies. We know God exists because of what has been made. Yet we still willingly act out middle finger gestures to Him. Believing the lie of evolution is sinful because. as Romans Ch 1 predicted, you 'exchange God's truth for a lie.'
Every generation that has lived has had a way to solve this problem. The detail was different but the answer has always been faith in God. We happen to live in the generations where Jesus has accomplished his victory. The answer is to have faith in the atoning sacrifice of the promised Messiah. But we have a problem with this. People are Gods beloved prized possession. Satan has weaved into this world many schemes to take people's hearts and minds away from God and his salvation plan. Following the tactics of Satan, Jesus is mocked, God's name is profaned. Satan reduces people to short sighted pleasure addicts. That's why many are 'convinced' God does not exist. They just don't know the light is off.
If a person dies without having gone to Jesus for the solution, they have, by definition, chosen to reject Jesus. One atheist said to me, 'Iv'e asked God to save me and He did nothing.' The problem is going to God with a heart full of doubts, hostility, cynicism and unbelief. Willingness to have all these things replaced by faith is a prerequisite for God. We must come to him without reservation, condition, ill motive or duplicity. How do we get to that place, a place of being able to drop the dungeon heart?
God planned for all mankind to be able to access heaven and dodge hell. The way we can be moved from our dark position of unbelief is by observing what happened on the cross. The event when Jesus Christ was crucified is God speaking to everyone but also speaking to you personally. God allowed Jesus to stand in your place to be judged and have Gods wrath poured out upon Him. The plan was that Jesus would become sin. Then this having occurred, God would judge Him. The result was terrible suffering, crucifixion It had to be the shedding of blood that was required. Then, the part most people miss. Jesus was separated from His Father - because God cannot be around sin. The Earth turned dark for three hours as Jesus, for the first time in eternity, was alone. When the wrath of God was expended and the sin debt paid, Jesus gave up his own Spirit and died.
Rejecting this as God's solution is rejecting Christ... the rescuer. God wants to give a reprieve to all people but everyone has to believe in this saving plan, 'Jesus' - literally 'salvation.' When a person decides they will take a look at the cross and the rescue plan of God, the Holy Spirit is hovering over the 'waters' as we find in the opening verses of Genesis. The genuine enquirer will get something like an adrenaline boost of life from God to be able to see... "let there be light!" Once this occurs by an act of God, the person can choose to place their contrite heart in Jesus hands. The dead spirit in the person is brought to life and the now-believer can communicate with God. The believer has become part of Gods plan... to give people eternal life through Jesus Christ.
If a person will not seriously enquire of the central event of all history, they are ignoring the rescue plan. There are all sorts of diversions weaved into our lives why we should ignore the cross. The fact is, if we die not having the sin problem dealt with, we will be raised to spend eternity away from God. This is a reality and many blame God for this scenario. God has provided the answer yet people shun the answer! Everyone who end up in hell is their by their own decision to reject Christ.
And that is the only reason people go to hell... by rejecting Christ.
Gary Ward
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