Hey! Let’s Have a Chat About that Place. Yeah, the One We Hate to Talk About…

Okay, I’d really like to beat about the bush – ’would really really like to. But I won’t. I can’t, even if I tried. So in the spirit of going straight to the point, let’s talk about “hell”.

Yeah, I know you don’t want to hear about it. I mean, who wants to talk about such a horrible place, right? But think about it for a second, wouldn’t you like to know a lil somethin’ somethin’ about a place that you’ve heard being talked about since you were little as the most dreadful place that exists in the universe, especially as it is said that some humans will end up there? I don’t know about you; your curious-i-o-meter may be on zero, mine is way high up there, and if you will just twitch yours a little bit, I’d like you to join me on this.

I believe the Bible in and out. I believe the Bible completely – the things I don’t understand and the ones I do. So when the Bible mentions in several passages that there is a dreadful place called hell, I believe there is. Do not let anyone deceive you into telling you that there is no hell. The same God who has called you blessed, holy, righteous, just, and has promised you all the benefits of the earth, the same God has said there is a place of damnation reserved for the devil, his cohorts, and all sinners. Dear friend, if you believe God for His promises, believe Him also for His words about hell. Now, that settled (hoping we’ve all agreed on this one thing), let’s talk about that place. What does the Bible have to say about hell?

Well, for one, it is a place of total separation from God (2^nd Thessalonians 1:9, Isaiah 59:2). This simply means that everything that GOD gives to us freely – light, love, joy, peace, satisfaction, etc. – are all absent in hell. It is a place of total darkness and fear. I cannot imagine living without light or the sun. I cannot imagine life without love. Honestly, I just paused to try and imagine it, and I can’t. I don’t even know how it’d feel like without love, and I don’t want to know; and praise be to God through Christ, I will never know. Amen. But see, hell is that place – a place with no light, no love, and no joy; nothing good. It is a place of torment (Matthew 8:12; Luke 16:23-24; Matthew 13:50). Of course, a place of total darkness, hatred, sorrow, sickness, etc bad, will definitely be a place of torment. Jesus said the worms there do not die – Mark 9:48. It is a place of unquenchable fire (Mark 9:43-48; Revelation 19:20). Someone once told me that “theologians” or “scientists” have said that it is not actually real fire, but it’s gonna be so cold to the extent that it feels like fire. Temi says, “I don’t care what your analyses are. All I know is that it’s a horrible place with “unquenchable fire” and I don’t wanna go there. Full stop!” The Bible also says that it is a place of complete destruction (Acts 3:23; Matthew 10:28; 2^nd Thessalonians 1:9; Matthew 7:13). It is a place of everlasting punishment (Matthew 25:46) where God’s ultimate judgment will be meted out against sinners (John 3:36; Revelation 20:11-15).

Now, that said, I have heard people ask the question, “would a loving God send His creatures to hell?” If you’ve wondered so too, I have an answer for you: YES!!!!!!!!!! A loving, merciful, just, holy, and righteous GOD would permit those who want to go to hell to go to hell.

Why? Well, first of all, He is a holy and righteous Judge – 2^nd Timothy 4:8. If God doesn’t punish iniquity, He ceases to be holy and righteous; and God would never deny Himself – 2^nd Timothy 2:13. Being the holy God that He is, He has perfectly designed things in such a way that when this world is over, we can reign with Christ in a perfect “world” with no sin at all. Hell is the place where iniquity, wickedness, selfishness, and all who carry the sin nature in them are banished to.

GOD is indisputably a loving God. It isn’t His love that sends a person to hell. No, in His love and mercy, He gave His all – Jesus – so that we can escape the sorrow and condemnation of hell – John 3:16; 2 Peter 3:9. He is not delighted in the death of the sinner – Ezekiel 33:11. Still even then, because of love, He will not choose our eternal home for us. He did not create robots. He created man in His image to have dominion and authority. God has given us everything we need; it is left for us to decide what to do with it – Joshua 24:15. And that’s why I said He’ll permit those who want to go to hell to go there. Man has the power to send himself to hell.

Finally, the Bible clearly states that it’s sinners who will go to hell. No believing child of God can go to hell. I mean, you have Christ living on the inside of you; you cannot possibly take Christ with you into hell. Isn’t that good news? Even better news is that salvation is available to everyone. The jailer in Acts 16:30-31 asked Paul and Silas, “What must I do to be saved?” Paul replied, “Believe on the LORD Jesus Christ and you will be saved.” In their very same words, I say to you who has not accepted Christ as Lord, “Don’t let it wait any longer; believe on the Lord Jesus, repent of your sins and you shall be saved.” – Luke 13:3; Acts 17:30; Acts 3:19; Revelation 2:5.

To repent means to “turn from” – 2^nd Chronicles 7:14; Joel 2:13; Zechariah 1:3. Now if you say you believe in Jesus, you have to also turn away from your old ways to show that you indeed believe in Jesus. I mean, if your sin, wickedness, selfishness, etc. were what was going to take you to hell, doesn’t it make sense that when you get saved, you have to stop doing those things? Don’t believe those who say that you can be saved and still continue to sin. Paul asked the Romans, “How can you be dead to sin, and still live in it?” Romans 6:1-2. It doesn’t make any sense. I know we have been made the righteousness of God in Christ, and we are holy, blessed, sanctified. I know that’s what the Bible says. That is justification. Justification does not make us righteous, it only pronounces us so. An illustration I like to use is this: My cousin, Seun, is the music director in my church. My pastor named him so. Seun is the music director; there’s no argument about that. That's his position. However, in the actual sense, Seun cannot be considered a music director until he begins to act in the capacity of a music director. To be a music director indeed, he has to do all that is expected of a music director. In the same light, our position is “righteousness”, but until we begin to produce righteous fruits, there is nothing to show that we are righteous. You get that? An apple tree that produces oranges will never be considered an apple tree. Even Jesus Himself said, “By their fruits, ye shall know them.” (Matthew 7:16, 20). Now, don’t get me wrong. You cannot live a holy life by yourself; it is God who does it all in us. However, we must yield ourselves to God (Romans 6:13), so that He can work in and through us for His good pleasure (Philippians 2:13). And that also depends on us.

For you who are already in the faith, take seriously the counsel of our dear Apostle Peter – giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, and agape (love). For if you do these things, you will not be barren or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, and you will never fall – 2^nd Peter 1:5-10.

 ⁷He that overcometh shall inherit all things;
and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.

⁸But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable,
and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters,
and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth
with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

Revelation 21:7-8