the harvest is plenty but the laborers are few

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Erasing Hell

Because Francis Chan could not put it any better, here is an excerpt from Erasing Hell that sums up what I have been learning through GOD's Word. 

Jesus chose strong and terrifying language when He spoke of hell.  I believe He chose to speak this way because He loves us and wanted to warn us.  So let's not miss the point:  He spoke of hell as a horrifying place, characterized by sufferring, fire, darkness, and lamentation.  I believe His intention was to stir a fear in us that would cause us to take hell seriously and avoid it at all costs. 
I was a bit surprised at how many harsh statements Jesus made about hell.  It probably caught me off guard because I am so used to people emphasizing His words of blessing, not His words of warning.  Some of His words may have shocked you, but I would like you to consider the following thought:
We are bound by the words of the Creator, the One who will do what is right.  The One who invented justice and knows perfectly what the unbeliever deserves.  God has never asked us to figure out His justice or to see if His way of doing things is morally right.  He has only asked us to embrace His Word and bow the knee, to tremble at His word, as Isaiah says (66:2) 
Don't get so lost in deciphering that you forget to tremble. 



I HIGHLY recommend this book.  It is BIBLICALLY referenced and has just left me in trembling awe of God.  It has made Hell, a place that I have mostly ignored, a place of reality in my faith.  Instead of pushing me away from God it has drawn me closer.  Hell is a scary place.  And our God loves us so much, that he gave us THE way out.  Jesus. 

See also:  Matthew 18, Matthew 25, Mark 9, Luke 16, Matthew 10:28, 2 Peter and Jude...  and oh my there are so many more...

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