City Life Starter

I. The Word

“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. (Matthew 25:41)

They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might (2 Thessalonians 1:9)

But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” (Romans 10:8-15)

By Aisha Darwesh

Today I’d like to discuss the reality of hell as one of the main reasons for the urgency and absolute necessity to preach the Gospel and reach the lost.

Having an eternal perspective in this life is what helps keep us on God’s path with His purposes as our priority: “But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13-14 ESV)

One of the main criticisms of God I’ve heard not-yet believers say is “How can a loving God send people to Hell.”

What they don’t understand is that God does not want anyone to go to hell; He prepared hell for the devil and his angels, not humans (Matthew 25:41). Although it’s God’s will for all to come to repentance and be saved (2 Peter 3:9), He will not force anyone to choose Him. He loves us so much that He gave us a free will. He respects our free will to the point that if we choose not to have anything to do with God, then there’s a place where He has withdrawn His Presence and the glory of His might  (2 Thessalonians 1:9). That place is called Hell.

The New Testament often refers to Hell as “Gehenna” which was a valley outside of Jerusalem that was used for child sacrifices and idol worship. King Josiah put an end to the child sacrifices, and then the valley was used as a dumping ground for sewage and the refuse of the city. There were perpetual fires in Gehenna to burn the refuse.

It’s horrifying to think someone could spend eternity being burned like refuse, where the worm does not die and the fire is not quenched (Isaiah 66:24). As horrifying as it is to think on such things, it is absolutely vital that we grasp the reality of hell so we can realize the importance of preaching the Gospel and spreading the Good News that Jesus Christ has paid the price for our sins, so we don’t have to end up in hell.

Every human who has the breath of God has the eternal nature of God residing within. We can either choose to spend that eternity with God or without God. One thing is very clear from scripture: the only way to the Father is through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ: “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” (John 14:6).

Unless you make a personal choice to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you cannot come to the Father who is in Heaven. That may seem narrow to some, but it’s true all the same. “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it” (Matthew 7:13-14).

For those who have accepted Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior, let this be the reminder that before we knew Jesus, we were heading for hell. Think about how you came to know the Lord. Did it involve a trusted believer who pointed you to Jesus? Did it involve people who were diligently praying over you? Did it involve people who were bold enough to share the love and truth of God?

Every believer who has come to faith has been impacted by the message of the Good News being proclaimed whether it be at their local church, on the radio, an act of kindness, or by meeting a believer who had the boldness to share it with them, among other ways.

As believers, we can be a light in a dark place. Knowing about the reality of hell gives us all the more reason to rejoice over what Jesus has saved us from through His finished work on the cross and all the more reason to preach the Good News to every living creature we come in contact with!

Prayer

Lord, I can’t thank You enough for paying the ultimate price by sending Your Son to die on the cross, so I could spend eternity with You. I don’t want anyone I’ve encountered to go to hell. Lord, use me as a vessel of your love and truth. Empower me to speak Your word and ignite faith today! In Jesus Name, Amen.