A
friend who is fairly new in the faith asked that at my church the other
day. Also about the hypothesis of “other
lives” The pastor was not present and
the brethren who had taken over the class did not want to be drifted away from
the main theme due to the timely program and so he said to wait until the
pastor was back to get an honest answer. I am not an expert in the subject, but
I do know what I have read in the Bible and I also say like Paul in his second
letter to Timothy: “For I know whom I have believed” and that is Jesus, the
living Word, through whom “all things came into being” (John 1.3) and I belong
to His family, therefore I know Him well enough to testify about Him.
Some
pastors seem to dislike the subject of what does not build up. I imagine
because they might think it’s something bad for people to think in the
punishment and that they might end up there, and it’s better to “ignore” it
until someone brings it up, like it happened to us. Perhaps it is much better
to teach about the Grace of God available to all sinners. This person
concluded, then, he declared, that there is no hell. It is unpleasant to think
that a God of love can hate anyone enough to let him dwell in agony for an eternity.
I
used to think that when I was a child because I was so naïve I thought
everybody was good. But as I have lived, I’ve seen the horrors many people put
others through in the name of evil temptation. The results I do not even wish
for the devil himself, but he brought it upon himself and is making many fall
on his trap to go with him “wherever” to keep tormenting them.
Hell
is for real because it is in the Bible, and I believe in it “cover to cover”
even though many make their own interpretations. If I do not believe in it I
make Jesus a liar because He spoke of it when he told us the parable of the
Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke 16. 19-25) which is fiction, but if Jesus told it is
because it does exist and he is warning us so we do not have to go there. The
rich man, even in torment, wanted to keep on being in supremacy and wanted
Lazarus, who was in the bosom of Abraham, to come and pamper him to feel
better. But Abraham told him: “Child, remember that during your life you
received your good things and likewise Lazarus bad things; but now he’s being
comforted here, and you are in agony” (verse 25) Does that mean that if
we live well now we would go to agony?
Of course, not, but if we live well here due to making others miserable,
like the rich man did, we’ll end up like him. And so will the poor who want to
imitate him. (Read Mathew 18. 23-35)
Ever
since I decided to write about this I read, studied, heard many pastors in the
matter, even from different denominations and they all agree in the same thing:
we are immortal for good or for bad. We live only once. The author of Hebrews
said:
“. . . it is appointed for men to die ONCE and after this comes judgment . . .”
(Hebrews 9.27) The kingdom of
heaven is among us with our love for others but so is hell with its many
different names: Hades, Sheol, Lake or Furnace
of Fire, and with our hatred for others. If we learn to love and forgive one
another no mater if they are “right or wrong”, we are doing great because love
covers a multitude of sins. (1 Peter 4. 8b) If we accept the Grace of
God that is a gift for believing in Jesus, no matter how much we have sinned,
we will end up in the comfort of our Lord. For God so loved the world that He gave (sacrificed) his
only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him shall NOT perish. . . (John 3.16)
Some
people have mentioned their dislike of going to heaven to give praises to a God
they do not know or are not interested in. What I recommend those people is: Start to look and learn to love Him
because hell is for real and there’s no end to the torment. Only the faith in
Jesus can deliver us from it.
Therefore,
having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus
Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this
grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. (Romans
5.1-2)
Isn’t that a good enough
reason to be thankful for? Have a
happy thanksgiving!
