“Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels…”
~Matthew 25:41
SCRIPTURE TELLS us in many places that all who trust in the Savior, Jesus Christ, receive all His benefits and one of the benefits of believing on the Lord Jesus Christ is everlasting life in the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus said in John 5:24 that everyone who believes in Him has passed from eternal death into eternal life. You see, the only people who go to Heaven are those who are washed from the filth of their sins by the blood of Jesus Christ, and this only happens when a person is united to Christ by true faith. The Apostle John, writing to the seven churches in Asia Minor, said in Revelation 1:5-6 that “Jesus Christ is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead and the ruler over the kings of the earth, who has loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood.” Heaven is where believers have perfect communion with God. It’s a place of everlasting rest for the saints where sin, sorrow, suffering, and death no longer exist.
BUT IN MATTHEW 25, Jesus not only speaks about Heaven, but He also speaks about Hell. And if you read the Bible, you will soon find out that Jesus spoke more about Hell then He did about Heaven. Jesus said that Hell is a place of everlasting torment of both body and soul in the lake of fire prepared for the devil, his demons, and all unbelievers, “where the worm does not die, and neither is the fire quenched” (Mark 9:46). “But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death” (Rev. 21:8). Does your heart tremble over the sobering truth of Hell? The world just laughs about Hell and speaks of it as a myth. Others say Hell is something in this life, and they refer to the suffering and miseries they go through in this life as Hell, and they call it “Hell on earth.” But when you come to God’s Word, you find out that Hell is a real place and it is not on earth, and it is certainly not something to joke about. As JC Ryle wrote, “Hell is truth known too late!”
HELL IS A PLACE of eternal torment for every man, woman, and child who would not trust Jesus Christ for the salvation of their soul. Hell is a truth from Scripture that ought to awaken everyone who reads the Word of God, the Holy Bible. Where will you awaken after you die, Heaven or Hell? “But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie” (Rev. 22:15). The ONLY way you can escape the eternal torment of Hell (and each of us deserves Hell because of our sins) and be ushered into the Kingdom of Heaven is by trusting Jesus Christ alone for the forgiveness of your sins and for the perfect righteousness needed to stand before God. So, the big question is, are you trusting Jesus? “Then he called for a light, ran in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. And he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household” (Acts 16:29-31).
Friday Devotional: July 19, 2024
In Christ,
Pastor S. Henry