“In answer to your inquiry, I consider that the chief dangers which confront the coming century will be religion without the Holy Ghost, Christianity without Christ, forgiveness without repentance, salvation without regeneration, politics without God, and heaven without hell.”- General William Booth
Had a few interesting talks with Doug Burr while he was here on Hell. It seems hell is becoming an 'optional' belief in some circles of the sally ann. It is tempting. How could a loving God reserve that sort of judgement for his own children?
C.S. Lewis suggested hell was reserved for those who were 'rebels to the end'. The sort of children who would not relent, not repent, and never, ever ask Jesus for anything.
I was wondering what Robert Picton's (Canada's worst serial killer on trial now in Vancouver) mother thinks of the trial. Would she want her son punished? Would she support justice, even if it meant the punishment of her own son? I don't know.
What I do know is that I trust God to make the decisions that I cannot. I trust God to decide the righteous and holy thing to do. I trust God to determine the eternal outcome of people's souls. I trust Him with my own.
A favourite saying of mine goes, "Heaven isn't a cash payment for following Jesus. It's just where the road goes."
If heaven is not a cash payment for following Christ, then maybe hell isn't a punishment for those who reject Christ; it's just where that road takes you?
'rebellion leads to death'.
Repent. Live. Follow Jesus. Trust God.
8 comments:
I agree. Hell seems just like the description of choosing "not God."
Grace,
Aaron
Im with ya! Love ya blog too!
Happy story: Wednesday I got to lead a satanist couple to Christ! They chose life over death! Hallelujah!
Keep up the great work!
Hello, my name is Jessie and I've followed you blog for a while and not commented yet...time to correct that. I have been inspired by your thoughts and insight, your perspectives and teaching, your heart and your preaching. God's activity is present in what you are writing about, who you are touching. I appreciate your reading list and have used it for further study and concentration.
Your statements and ideas about heaven and hell being a road and a final payment bring thoughts to me. Just like the Kingdom of God is present and future, the kingdom of evil is present and future. Walking on that road, to heaven or hell, eventually does lead to a destination, an eternal destination.
To eliminate hell from a believer's understanding will eventually eliminate an opportunity of heaven.
Reenting, believing will turn that journey a different way.
Good thoughts from your post today, thoughts I will carry with me throughout the afternoon.
Embrace and enjoy your day
Great post! As the road definatly leads to hell for those who reject Christ, I am reminded that hell is really eternal seperation from Him... Eternal seperation from a God of healing would be an eternity of sickness, seperation from eternal Peace would be eternal turmoil, rejection of everlasting Joy leads to everlasting suffering etc. The choice needs to be made now, for unfortunatly the choices on Earth echo for eternity...
Hell is the punishment for breaking Gods law...not simply the punishment for not knowing Jesus. We all need a Saviour because we can't keep the law...Jesus breaks the curse of the law. I'm sure you all know this, but it just came into my mind as I read.
Its a nice thought to remove Hell, but to remove Hell is to remove a God of Justice. He can no more distinguish Hell than he can or will remove Heaven.
grace
Andrew
hmmm.
great comments folks!
As Andrew suggests, Hell is a helpful reminder that we serve a Just God... that is the other side of justice isn't it... it's nice to think of justice in a new 'let's all get on board' way - but when you read some of the Psalmists versions of God as Just... and the apocalyptic literature of the New Testament - the Just God image is quite a hard read. Brings a fresh understanding of the 'fear of the Lord as the beginning of all knowledge'. To fear Him is to recognize who He is... so Hell will be full of people who do not fear God. hmm.
Jessie - your thoughts on the present and the future reality of the Kingdom... both good and evil are worthy of some real thought... I think another blog may be coming right up! thanks.
I've been spending three hours a day in our war room this month (comtemplating His various names and His character) - we will need forever just to know Him. Although it's helpful to keep Hell in the back of our minds... surely in the FRONT of our minds is heaven... now, there's some worthy discussion - what might THAT be like?
thanks for your comments - they are edifying!
Grace.
Danielle
Hell was created as punishment for Lucifer and those angels who chose to follow him and leave their place in heaven with God. We forget it was NOT created as a place of punishment for mankind. It's not God's plan that we go there.
However, if we choose to follow Satan we get what we want and we follow him to his own road's end. Unfortunately, that means we end up there too.
I can't imagine having to spend eternity in a place that was designed to punish angels! How much worse it must be for humans!
I don't think Jesus died and rose to keep us out of hell (although he does accomplish that), rather as a way to make sure we ended up where we were created to be- with him for all eternity. THAT'S awesome!
Great picture of Hell being where the road goes in the movie Scarface... final scene... Al Pacino is an immigrant who is after the american dream (at any cost)... 'the world is yours' says a friend as scarface starts his drug trading in America... the final scene of the movie is a huge shoot out in Scarface's mansion (he's filthy rich), just after he watches his wife trade him in for more cocaine (she's addicted) and his 'friends' turn on him to get away... he is all alone and goes out to face the swat team with guns blazing... the final scene culminates with Scarface being shot (several times) falling over the balcony of his mansion into a fountain on the main floor.... the fountain turns red from his blood and the camera pans up to the lit up sign on the fountain that reads, 'the world is yours'.
I guess the question is 'what world do you want'?
I want heaven. Let's boycott hell.
Great Grace.
Danielle
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