The Place Called TOO LATE

We are continuing to meditate on the topic of eternity, and for the next few days specifically thinking about what the Holy Scriptures say about that awful place called Hell. Some would say that there is no place called Hell and we are not brought to account before the Judge of the living and the dead. Let me ask you a question: If you were standing in line to board an aircraft, and coming off the plane, you see an old friend who was the pilot. What if he were to tell you that there was only a one in six chance that the plane would get you to your destination, would you take the chance? Do you believe that there is a one in six chance that God is telling you the truth about a place called hell? Will you take the chance or respond today to the gospel? To believe in heaven but not in hell is to declare that there were times when Jesus was telling the truth and times when He was lying. Thomas Brooks wrote, "God has but one hell, and that is for those to whom sin has been commonly heaven in this world." Although it is hard for me to write about such things as hell, the love of Christ compels me to reach you before you are called to eternity at the end of your life. I do not want you, dear reader, to ever see that place where some say written over the gate are the words, TOO LATE.

While we wait for the return of Christ, our mission as Christians is to rescue people from Satan's control so that they should not be separated from God for eternity and sent to a place called Hell. Every man, woman, and child are deeply loved by God who does not want any to perish, but everyone to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). But what if they don't? What if they die without coming to know Christ? What if they are unresponsive to God's message of love and good news? At the Second Coming of Christ, He will separate the sheep (believers) from the goats (non-believers), and Jesus said twice that the punishment would be for eternity:

⁴¹Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. ⁴²For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty, and you gave me nothing to drink, ⁴³I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.' ⁴⁴"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?' ⁴⁵"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.' ⁴⁶"Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life (Matthew 25:41-46. Emphasis mine).

The Lord often talked about Hell, and He devoted several of His parables to the subject of heaven, hell, eternal judgment, and eternal rewards. If it were important for Him to tell His disciples about such things, then we need to give serious attention to the subject of eternity and what the Bible teaches about heaven and hell. We must also remember that Satan is a deceiver, the father of lies, and is called an angel of light. Some of the near-death stories we shared yesterday may glorify God, and they could be true. However, our faith rests in God and His Word. Satan seeks to counterfeit true accounts that give glory to God to dupe some into believing that all roads lead to God. We can only trust the Scriptures.

Taken from the series Insights into Eternity found in the box named All Studies on the Home Page. Click on the study The Truth About Hell. Keith Thomas