Is An Eternal Lake of Fire Reasonable?

Hell is too harsh. God is love, and He would never make a place like hell. Or so many people say.

But it’s God’s infinite love and goodness that makes hell reasonable and logical.

If God loves people, He hates murder. He has to punish murderers. If someone raped and killed your loved one, you would be angry. You should be. Rest assured that God would be angry, too. If God cares about justice, He would have to punish murderers. His place of punishment is hell.

God is so good, holy, and righteous that his justice extends beyond punishing murder. He’s going to punish rapists, thieves, and even liars. This is because God has laws, and breaking these laws, or sinning, violates his holy and righteous nature. For example, God says that if you’ve ever told a lie, you’ve broken the ninth commandment, and without Jesus, you will have your part in the lake of fire (Revelation 21:8), along with murderers. (By the way, most of us can’t even escape God’s murder charge. According to the Bible [1 John 3:15], if you’ve ever hated someone, you’re a murderer at heart.)

While many believe that the Bible is vague about hell, it is actually quite clear. Consider these Bible passages that refer to hell as:

• Shame and everlasting contempt (Daniel 12:2)
• Everlasting punishment (Matthew 25:46)
• Weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 24:51)
• Fire unquenchable (Luke 3:17)
• Indigation and wrath, tribulation and anguish (Romans 2:8-9)
• Everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord (2 Thessalonians 1:9)
• Eternal fire…the blackness of darkenss forever (Jude 7-13)
• He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone..the smoke of their torment ascended up forever and ever: and they have no rest day or night (Revelation 14:10-11)

Hell is scary.  Jesus said you should go to extreme lengths to avoid it, including even cutting off your hand or gouging out your eye if they cause you to sin (Matthew 5:29-30).  It’s better to go to heaven with one hand and one eye than go to hell with two hands and two eyes. 

However, God loves us so much that even though everyone born has sinned and thereby severed their relationship with God, He provided a way for justice to be served while also restoring our relationship to Him and opening the door to heaven. Jesus (who is God in the flesh) lived a sinless life. God punished Him on our behalf by His death on the cross. Amazingly, it pleased the Father to do this (Isaiah 53:10). He was raised from the dead on the third day. 

God is infinitely just—and He is infinitely full of love. You can take your punishment, or you can let Jesus take your punishment. If you repent (turn from sin) and put your faith fully in Jesus, the Judge will set you free.

People who think hell is unreasonable don’t understand that God has a set of laws, and if you break them, you have to be punished.  When they understand these laws, and how blatantly they have broken them, the idea of hell becomes much more reasonable.  The law is a schoolmaster that brings us to Christ (Galatians 3:24).

What’s so bad about telling the Good News?

I’ve seen the following quote on at least four different blogs. It’s been used to support the Christian authors’ claim that we shouldn’t witness to people; we should just show them love.  

It doesn’t matter whether you’re selling Jesus or Buddha or civil rights or ‘How to Make Money in Real Estate with No Money Down.’ That doesn’t make you a human being; it makes you a marketing rep. If you want to talk to somebody honestly, as a human being, ask him about his kids. Find out what his dreams are – just to find out, for no other reason. Because as soon as you lay your hands on a conversation to steer it, it’s not a conversation anymore; it’s a pitch. And you’re not a human being; you’re a marketing rep.

This was spoken in an R rated movie (The Big Kahuna) by Danny DeVito. He’s playing a salesman who was discouraging a Baptist character from witnessing.

I’m not surprised that someone in Hollywood doesn’t look highly on evangelism. The question I have is: Why would any Christian quote Danny DeVito, and use it as a justification to not witness?

Contrast that quote with this one: “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? (Romans 10:14).

How can someone get saved without understanding the gospel? Who is going to explain it to them? (If your answer is not me, that’s called disobedience.)

Let’s say you go to a doctor and he finds out you have a life-threatening illness. If he chooses not to tell you, he would do no good. You would never take the next step—receiving treatment—in order to be healed.

Like a good doctor, we need to share the gospel in a kind and compassionate manner. And like a good doctor, we need to explain it to others in a clear, straight-forward manner. This isn’t always as fun as talking about someone’s family or hopes and dreams. But it’s critical—and we’re commanded to do it.

An Atheist’s Objection

In the recent debate on ABC’s Nightline, one of Brian Sapient’s objections was this: Christians seem to be able to do whatever kind of evil they want, ask for forgiveness, and know that God will forgive them.  Sapient isn’t the first one to find injustice in this misconception; it even has a name: antinomianism.

But is someone who claims to be a Christian but doesn’t have the lifestyle to match truly a Christian? The Bible has a great deal to say about this.

First, God hates sin. The Bible compares those who practice sin to:

• Prostitutes (Ezekiel 16:25)
• Open graves (Romans 3:13)
• Filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6)
• A dog returning to his vomit (2 Peter 2:22)
• A pig wallowing in the mire (2 Peter 2:22)

And, 1 John 3:8–9 says, “He who does what is sinful is of the devil… No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God.”

Jesus said, “Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me.”

If someone claims to believe that Jesus was brutally tortured so that his or her sins would be forgiven, yet is disobedient to Jesus’ commands, he or she can hardly claim to love Him.

Why You Shouldn’t Invite People to Church

What Scripture passage tells us to invite people to church? (Don’t look too hard, because there isn’t one.)

The motivation behind inviting someone to church is good. We want them to hear the gospel, to get saved, and to follow Christ with the rest of their lives. Interestingly, however, the Bible tells us to do something else. Jesus told us to “go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation” (Mark 16:15).

While churches should preach the gospel, church is not an evangelism tool. The church was designed for believers. It’s where believers go to have their wounds healed through worship, fellowship, and teaching before they go back out into battle.

Every believer is responsible for explaining the gospel. If we just pass the entire responsibility over to our pastor, we’re shirking our duty to the Great Commission.

Christians Who Are Anti-Christian

Let’s say you’ve worked up the nerve to go out witnessing. You’ve chosen to overcome your fear of men in favor of being obedient to God and the Great Commission. You walk up to a stranger and start a friendly conversation. After a few minutes you turn the conversation toward spiritual topics, the gospel and the Bible. You’re soon relieved to find out that the person with whom you’re talking is already a Christian, and you’re happy that you have the privilege of meeting a brother or sister in Christ.

But things are about to turn ugly. This person doesn’t care for your methods at all and is more than happy to tell you how you’re all wrong.

Most Christians I’ve started to witness to say they think that I shouldn’t be hitting people over the head with the Bible. (Christians have even said this in the comments of this blog, and I’ve always wondered which Bible verse is too offensive to be quoted.) They go on to say that my method (explaining the gospel to people) is judgmental, and that they would much prefer to witness through their actions, or pray for people to get saved, or invite people to church.

If you’re not in the habit of sharing the gospel for one reason or another, and a Christian has the unmitigated gall to witness to you, please keep in mind that no one can tell that you’re a Christian just by looking at you.  Also keep in mind that they would appreciate encouragement and prayer rather than discouragement. Maybe you should thank God that a Christian is out witnessing rather than a Jehovah’s Witness or a dedicated member of another cult. 

Thank God the apostles didn’t just witness through their actions, merely pray for people, or simply invite a friend or two to church. They went out on the streets and preached, and they turned the world upside down.

Is the Bible trustworthy?

There is insurmountable evidence for the accuracy and authority of the Bible. Let’s look at a just a few of those evidences:

Manuscript Evidence:

Ancient writing	Number of copies	Years between writing and first existing manuscript
Tacitus (Roman historian)	1	700
Josephus (Jewish historian)	9	300
Homer’s Iliad	650	950
Caesar’s Gaelic Wars	10	1,000
The Holy Bible	5,750	30

As you can see, there is amazing manuscript evidence for the Bible. Since we generally accept the integrity of other ancient documents, and the Bible has far greater manuscript support, shouldn’t it enjoy at least the same historical respect?

Archeological Evidence: Many portions of the Bible have been proven to be true by archeological finds. Here are a few:

1. The Bible records that David captured Jerusalem by entering through a tunnel that led to the Pool of Siloam. The pool was believed to be outside city walls until a discovery in the 1960s confirmed the pool was inside the city walls.
2. The Bible lists Belshazzar as king of Babylon, but he isn’t found in any lists of Babylonian kings. Archaeologists later discover Belshazzar was appointed acting king by his father, King Nabodonius, for a period of a few years.
3. The Bible says that God made the walls of Jericho collapse when the Israelites marched around the city with the priests blowing trumpets. Because Rahab, a resident of the city, provided refuge for Israelite spies, they promised that she and her family would survive the battle if they stayed in her house built against the northern city wall. Archaeologists have found that all of the walls of Jericho fell, except the northern wall, confirming the biblical account.

Prophetic Evidence: The Bible foretold many future events (prophecies). Some prophecies that came true in the life of the Jewish Messiah (Jesus) were:

1. Messiah is to be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2). Jesus was born in this small town (Matt. 2:1–7, John 7:42, Luke 2:5).
2. Messiah is to enter Jerusalem on a donkey (Zechariah 9:9). This was fulfilled as people shouted to praises to Jesus while he entered the city on a donkey (Luke 19: 35, Matthew 21:6–11).
3. Messiah is to be sold for 30 pieces of silver (Zechariah 11:12). Judas, Jesus’ betrayer, was given 30 pieces of silver to hand Jesus over to His enemies. (Matthew 26:15, 27:3).
4. Messiah is to be executed by crucifixion as a thief (Psalm 22:16, Zechariah 12:10). Jesus died on a cross, hanging between two thieves (Luke 23:33, John 20:25).

Jesus fulfilled more than 100 other Messianic prophecies. The odds that just eight of these prophecies would be fulfilled randomly by any one person are one in 10 to the 17th power. To put that in perspective, imagine this: If Texas were filled with silver dollars one foot deep, you would have better odds of picking a marked coin than one in 10 to the 17th power.

Forty authors wrote the Bible in three languages over the course of 1,500 years, yet the whole Bible revolves around one theme—what God has done to save us from hell. Every one of us deserves that punishment, because we’ve broken God’s law (including the Ten Commandments). Have you ever told a lie, stolen, taken God’s name in vain, or looked at someone with lust? If you said yes to any of those, you’ll be guilty on Judgment Day. God, being infinitely just, must punish sinfulness. But Jesus, who lived a sinless life, was brutally tortured and crucified for you, and then he rose from the dead, defeating death. Jesus can take your punishment, or you can take your own punishment. The choice is yours. If you’d like to accept the gift of forgiveness He offers, repent (turn from your sin) and trust Jesus for this life and the life to come. Then, read the Bible daily to learn more about God and how to live for Him.

For further information on this topic, go to:
www.answersingenesis.org/home/area/faq/bible.asp, www.allabouttruth.org, www.needGod.com

Blossom Festival

In my hometown, the Blossom Festival, the annual celebration of the fruit trees blossoming in the spring, attracts thousands of people to attend the carnival, parade, craft fairs, concerts, band competitions, and plenty of other activities. It makes Canon City a great environment for witnessing.

Last Wednesday, three friends and I went to the opening night of the carnival. The weather was a little bit nippy, so there weren’t too many people there. I passed out million-dollar bill gospel tracts, and had some interesting conversations:

• One of the guys operating a ride claimed to have never looked at a woman with lust. I asked him if he’s a homosexual, and he insisted that he liked girls, but had never had a sexual thought about anyone besides his wife.
• A young couple said they attend church regularly. I asked them why God should let them into heaven, and they said He should let them in because they have lived such a good life. I went through the law with them, and explained the gospel. They said it made sense to them. They were very nice, and thanked me for talking to them. I’m somewhat familiar with the church they attend, and believe it’s a Bible-believing church. That just shows that sometimes the people that need to hear the gospel are sitting down the pew from you.

We went back to the carnival on Friday night, and it seemed like my friend, Norman, had great conversations with everyone. My conversations were a little bit more of a struggle, but that’s OK. There were three couples standing by the concession stand that were dressed like the Crips and the Bloods. He walked up to them, and started a conversation with them using an optical illusion tract. It’s so easy to approach even a large group of people with those, and at least start a friendly conversation. Norman took them through the law and the gospel, and they thanked him for talking to them. As we walked away, Norman mentioned that it seems like “gangsters” always seem to respond positively.

At Saturday’s parade thousands of people lined about 10 blocks of Main Street. My wife and I started at the end of the parade, and walked to the beginning, crossed the street, and walked back to the end. We only offered tracts to those who didn’t seem too intent on watching the parade. Before we reached the end, we had passed out all of the tracts we had (about 400).

After the parade was over, my wife and I noticed three teenage girls behind us on the sidewalk. We asked if they wanted a chance to win $20. This intrigued them, and so we told them that if they could name all of the Ten Commandments, they would get the money. They did better than I expected, naming four of them. I asked them if they had kept the law. One of the girls left, but the other two stayed, and we had a great conversation. Before we left, I gave them more in-depth tracts.

I thank God for the opportunities He gave me to spread the gospel. I didn’t get serious about witnessing until the end of last May, and I was excited to evangelize at the Blossom Festival for the first time.

Witnessing to My Ninth Grade Teacher

A friend and I recently walked the streets of our town to talk to people who were coming in and out of the bars about the gospel. We noticed that a restaurant, typically closed by the time we head downtown weekly, was hosting a party with a band. We stood in front of the restaurant for a little while (on public property), passed out tracts, and hoped someone might be interested in having a conversation with us. Finally, a lady came walking down the sidewalk in a bath robe—part of the restaurant’s pajama party.

Eventually, my ninth-grade gym teacher also walked out to where we were standing, and I greeted him. I could tell he didn’t recognize me, but I wouldn’t have expected him to after about 14 years. We gave him a tract, and had a few minutes of conversation. My friend started going through a few of the Ten Commandments with him, and my teacher admitted to being a liar (9th Commandment), a thief (8th Commandment), and an adulterer at heart (7th Commandment, and Matthew 5:27-28). At this point the conversation took a turn for the worse.

He said he had been a history teacher for 36 years before retiring (interesting, because he never taught history while I was in high school), and he knew the Bible was unreliable. My friend pointed out that if he doesn’t trust the Bible, he would have to throw out all ancient literature and history, because the Bible has many more manuscripts on record than any other ancient writing. Then, he claimed that Christians have misinterpreted the Bible, and what we were telling him wasn’t true.

We gave him a few other apologetics for the veracity of the Bible, but the more we talked, the louder he became. When my friend put his hand on the guy’s shoulder to try to calm him down a little bit, he grew even angrier. Even touching him, he said, is assault and battery, and if we touched anyone else, he threatened, he would call the police.

I was very disappointed that someone who should be a pillar in the community would act so immature. I don’t think he was drunk (but I’m not an expert at determining if someone is drunk). As far as his eternal soul, I’d be more worried if he seemed apathetic than if he reacted how he did. It brings to mind the old saying: When you throw a rock into a pack of dogs, the one that yelps the loudest is the one that got hit. All we can do is pray for him. And please do.