The Reality Of Hell

“There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; And IN HELL he lift up his eyes, being in TORMENTS, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and COOL MY TONGUE; for I AM TORMENTED IN THIS FLAME. But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art TORMENTED. And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of TORMENT. Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, IF THEY HEAR NOT MOSES AND THE PROPHETS, NEITHER WILL THEY BE PERSUADED, THOUGH ONE ROSE FROM THE DEAD.”

The subject of Hell needs to be addressed in this blog about salvation. One of the main reasons why so few people are saved today is because they do not see the need to get saved. Preachers have dropped the ball for God, refusing to preach about eternal judgment in the Lake of Fire. If preachers would preach the way they are supposed to against the awfulness of sin, and coming judgment from God, and the horrors of an eternal burning Hell, then many more people would repent of their unbelief and get saved. So with this truth in mind, I want to address the reality of eternal punishment for all unrepentant sinners, who die in their sins without Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. No one can go to Heaven who is not saved. That means the only other place to spend eternity is in the Lake of Fire (Hell).

Please notice in our text passage that Jesus did NOT say this was a parable in Luke 16:19-31; therefore, WE MUST ACCEPT IT AS LITERAL! Also, carefully notice that in all of Jesus’ parables that He always referred used vague terms, not proper nouns. Jesus would say things like: “a certain man” went off into a “far off country.” Jesus never used specific names in His parables. Albeit, Jesus used specific names in this account: Lazarus and Abraham. This is a factual story of something that happened. The word “TORMENT” is found mentioned 3 times in verses 23, 25 and 28. Just as today, A MAN IS ONLY AS GOOD AS HIS WORD. We must believe then that JESUS SAID WHAT HE MEANT AND MEANT
WHAT HE SAID!

The rich man was not a criminal; he was not a drug dealer; he was not a murderer; so what was it that kept the rich man from getting saved? The rich man lived for himself. He couldn't have cared less about the poor. Lazarus was very poor and diseased. The Bible says the dogs came and licked his wounds. Lazarus ate scraps from the garbage of the rich man. He was selfish and self-centered, but that’s not what sent him to Hell. He went to Hell because he never put his FAITH in Jesus Christ as personal Savior. He was guilty of the worst sin of all—UNBELIEF. He never stopped long enough to consider God. He despised the local preacher and ignored the inspired Word of God. Unfortunately, Hell became his new eternal home when he died in his unbelief. The only sin that can send anyone to Hell is unbelief. No amount of sins can keep a person out of Heaven who trusts the Son of God.

Most People Will Be Eternally Damned In The Lake of Fire

The Holy Bible teaches that most people will die in their sins and go to Hell forever. Very few people ever find the truth of the Gospel. Matthew 7:13-14, “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” Oh how many rich people are sadly in Hell right now? The Gospel is so simple. It is free. Getting saved is easy. That is why so many people pass right over it. The sinful nature wants something it can see and touch, which does not require faith. 

That is why the Roman Catholic religion has over one billion members. From the cradle to the casket, Catholicism has a religious package for you. In Catholicism, you go into a confessional booth and confess your sins to a sinful priest, who sinfully claims to have the power to forgive your sins. The priest then lies to you, assuring you that you're forgiven, but you are just as much still in your sins as when you entered into the confessional booth. What saith the Scripture? 1st Timothy 2:5-6, “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.” Only God can forgive sin, and He freely offers forgiveness through faith alone in His only begotten Son! No Lutheran minister or Catholic priest can forgive anyone's sins! The very idea is preposterous!!!

The Bible gives a special warning to rich people. James 5:1, “Go to now, YE RICH MEN, weep and howl for your MISERIES that shall come upon you.” Luke 18:25, “For it is EASIER FOR A CAMEL TO GO THROUGH A NEEDLE’S EYE, than for a RICH MAN to enter into the kingdom of God.” James 1:11, “For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall THE RICH MAN FADE AWAY IN HIS WAYS.” 

Do you take the Word of God SERIOUSLY, or do you take God’s Word lightly? Hell is a literal place of torment. Jesus said that Hell has fire! Let’s look at some more Bible verses about Hell. Jesus foretells of WEEPING and GNASHING OF TEETH, “...there shall be WEEPING and GNASHING OF  TEETH” (Matthew 8:12). Matthew 22:13, “Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be WEEPING AND GNASHING OF TEETH.” Matthew 24:51, “And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be WEEPING AND GNASHING OF TEETH.” Matthew 25:30, “And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be WEEPING AND GNASHING OF TEETH.”

“There shall be WEEPING AND GNASHING OF TEETH, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out” (Luke 13:28). “And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the FIRE THAT NEVER SHALL BE QUENCHED: Where their worm dieth not, and the FIRE IS NOT QUENCHED. And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the FIRE THAT NEVER SHALL BE QUENCHED: Where their worm dieth not, and the FIRE IS NOT QUENCHED. And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into HELL FIRE: Where their worm dieth not, and the FIRE IS NOT QUENCHED” (Mark 9:43-48). Hell has fire!

The Holy Bible has more to say about Hell than Heaven. If God allows suffering in this world, you'd be foolish to assume that there is no suffering in the afterlife for the wicked. Your only hope of escape is through Christ's sacrifice on the cross. Please don't take the risk of going to Hell forever. If you not sure, or still have doubts, that is okay, just act on what little faith you have and trust the Savior. This life will be over before we know it. Life is short, Hell is hot, and eternity is a very long time! God is offering you eternal life dear friend, completely free as a gift without obligation to you. 

God Doesn't Want Anyone To Go To Hell

2nd Peter 3:9b says God is “not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” All you have to do is believe what God has said in His inspired Word. Simply place your trust in the Son of God, who died on the cross to pay for all your sins. What a wonderful Savior!!! Come to Him as a needy sinner, believing that He resurrected from the dead after three days. Believe it Oh sinner and you are saved!!! God created Hell for the Devil and his angels, not for you! Matthew 25:41, “Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:” It has been said that the doors of Hell are locked from the inside, meaning that the people in Hell chose to be there. Is that your choice dear friend? It sure ain't mine! I chose to be in Heaven with my blessed Redeemer at age 13. The new birth is not a lifestyle to be lived, it is a gift to be received by faith.