I walked into the church with my eyes cast down, but I never expected that a sermon on hell would be the very thing the Lord would use to lift my head. I was at one of the lowest places I had ever been spiritually, and even before I walked into the building, the heavy hand of God was already on me. My life had wandered off course spiritually, and I had come to sit under the preaching of the word because I needed the grace of God. To my dismay, the sermon topic listed in the bulletin was eternal punishment.
Little did I know that topic was exactly what I needed to hear. It is all too common for preachers to avoid the issue of hell, and those who do, fail to recognize the disservice they are doing to the convicted sinner sitting in their midst.
As I sat there with the guilt of my sinfulness nearly crushing me, I knew what I deserved. If the preacher had stood and proclaimed a watered-down version of the wrath of God, it would not have comforted me. Had he brushed off the idea of hell by highlighting the love of God, I would have had only two options. Either this man is a false teacher, or God is unjust for not properly punishing sin.
The Holy Spirit had shown me the darkness of my soul, and the everlasting torment proclaimed by the pastor was the only proper response of a just God. I had sinned against him, and when a finite creature sins against an infinite God, only an infinite punishment will suffice.
With a calm but almost trembling voice, the pastor reminded us that hell is not a place where we are handed over to Satan and the demons so they can do their dirty work. The Lake of Fire is a place where God pours out his wrath. It is his work. Hell is the justice of God against sinners.
I was humbled further as the preacher presented Christ as our substitute. Jesus went to the cross to bear the wrath of God I deserved, to satisfy the judgment of God for all who place their faith in him. If the man of God had diminished eternal punishment, not only would it have violated scripture and not resonated with the conviction in my soul, but it would have diminished the cross as well.
Weak preaching on the wrath of God leads to weak preaching on the cross of Christ, and weak preaching of the cross leaves the convicted sinner wondering if he can find salvation. I walked out of that gathering with joy in my heart. God had lifted my head through his word. I knew what my sins deserved, and what I deserved found its answer in Jesus.
There was one other benefit the preaching of hell had on me that day. When I walked into the church, I was so low I wondered if I would ever be able to look another human directly in the eye again. However, as the word of God washed over me, I was reminded I was not alone in my condition. It is not as if I deserve hell and everyone around me deserves heaven. Sin has condemned us all. Instead of being judged by the Christian men and women around me, I realized I was surrounded by people just like me. They were people who deserved God’s wrath but found forgiveness in Jesus, including the preacher standing before me. He was not there to judge me but to point me to the Savior—the same Savior who saved his soul from sin and the hell he deserves. I found brothers and sisters who I could look in the eye because they understood me, and they could find a companion in me as well.
Pastor, with compassion in your voice, preach on hell with all your heart. Let the people know the deepest depths of God’s wrath so they can understand the highest heights of his mercy. It is what convicted sinners need to hear. It is the answer to their most significant problem, and when they find peace with God, welcome them to the family—a family of formerly hell-bound sinners who have been snatched from the flames by our good and gracious king, Jesus Christ.
-D. Eaton
The Fight of Faith 
The Holy Spirit cannot show you (or anyone) the darkness of your soul and Hell is not the justice of God against sinners.
1 Corinthians 2:14 KJV But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he knows them, because they are spiritually discerned.
John 3:27 KJV John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven.
John 6:44 KJV No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
How can the Holy Spirit show anyone the darkness of their soul when the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God? Jesus states it is God the Father who draws them.
Romans 3:24-26 KJV [24]Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: [25]Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; [26]To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
Matthew 12:31 KJV Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.
Jesus states in Matthew 12:31 that the only sin which could not be forgiven on the cross is the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit which is rejecting what Christ did on the cross for mankind. He’ll is not the justice of God against sinners. Hell will be occupied by those who rejected Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior but not for any sin because there is no sin during the age of grace imputed to mankind.
Romans 4:4-9 KJV [4]Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. [5]But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. [6]Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, [7]Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. [8]Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin. [9]Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness.
Sin has not condemned anyone. The rejection of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior is the only reason anyone will be condemned to Hell for eternity.
You, Sir, seem to be preaching another gospel.
Galatians 1:8-9 KJV [8]But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. [9]As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.
If God lifted your head through His word, you were not lost but only going through a valley in your life as a carnal Christian (1 Corinthians 3:1-3). Obviously, the words above are fiction intended to represent the way for those who are lost to find Christ. Only, the words do nothing to point those who are lost to Christ. You should try sticking to non-fiction buy incorporating the Romans Road into your posts.
You’ve just lost me as a subscriber to your channel. You may fool some of the people some of the time, but not all of the people all of the time. The difference between allowing others to feed and accept what they type as truth or reading the word for yourself with the Holy Spirit giving understanding day by day.
2 Corinthians 4:16 KJV For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.
Replies are welcome.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus Rev 22:20 KJV
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Your comment leaves me with many questions, but here are four that I think will most likely help me better understand your position.
1. Did Jesus satisfy God’s wrath for our sins on the cross? I assume your answer is, “Yes.”
2. If Jesus hadn’t died for our sins, what would be our destiny—hell or something else?
3. What exactly are we believing when we trust in Christ, and how does that make us right with God?
4. What are we rejecting when we reject Christ, and why does that deserve hell?
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Did Jesus satisfy God’s wrath for our sins on the cross? I assume your answer is, “Yes.” My answer is: Yes
If Jesus hadn’t died for our sins, what would be our destiny—hell or something else? There is only heaven or hell. If Jesus had not become the propitiation for the sin of mankind, every human who ever lived or will live would be destined for hell. Romans 5:8 While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Since Jesus willingly went to the cross and paid the penalty for our sins in our place, there is now during the age of grace no sin imputed to anyone (Romans 3:24-26; 4:8).
What exactly are we believing when we trust in Christ, and how does that make us right with God? Romans 3:24-26, 10:9-13; Ephesians 2:8-9 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
What are we rejecting when we reject Christ, and why does that deserve hell? Anyone who rejects Christ is committing blasphemy of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 12:31): the only sin which could not be forgiven on the cross.
What do you really want to know? This quiz is child’s play for me.
I was saved at 9 years old. I am now 73 and was widowed in Sept 2017 after46.5 years of marriage to one woman. I’ve only been married once.
I have absolutely no doubt about my salvation. I have the inner peace Jesus speaks of in John 14:27. I have comfort from above: 2 Corinthians 1:4 and I have a huge portion of the peace which passeth all understanding (Phillipians 4:7) so that I am no longer able to become angry. I have an inner peace that even I do not understand and it is absolutely amazing! This peace started being given to me about 4 years ago and was given to me in 7 separate episodes. I am continually full with the Fruit of the Spirit and am unable to become angry, seek vengeance and am continually able to give place to wrath.
I’ve never known such peace and contentment in my whole life. I never knew that this kind of peace was even available and know it is not within me to such peace with those who despitefully use me and persecute me (Matthew 5:44-48). And yet, I finally know how Paul was able to endure what he describes in 2 Corinthians 11:23-33. I’m not saying that I have the same level of peace which Paul was given but for the first time in my life, I know what it is like to have a peace that does not exist on this earth by earthly means. I don’t just have peace most of the time, it is with me from the moment I awake until I fall asleep each and every day. Even though I live alone, I am very rarely ever lonely or experience any depression from being alone. The peace within me is absolutely beyond all human understanding. I have no way to adequately describe it.
Is that what you really wanted to know? Whether I was really a Christian. The answer is a resounding YES!
I was allowed to know about 3 – 4 years ago that the rapture is imminent. 1 Thessalonians 5:3-9 will shortly become fulfilled prophecy. I strongly suspect that the rapture will happen before Donald Trump’s term is finished. I think Donald Trump is in the beginning process of America and maybe the whole world having Peace and Safety. When THEY say Peace and Safety, then sudden destruction cometh upon them. Just my 2 cents… not worth very much to anyone but me. Everyone else I’ve shared this with thinks I’m a half bubble off center. Time will tell. This coming May 14th is Israel’s 77th anniversary as a nation. The number 7 is “complete” in the bible. This year is 11 × 7 since Israel became a nation. The feeling is very strong within me for the first time in my entire life and stays with me as an almost constant unshakable thought. I am not prophesying and I certainly do not know a definite date. But the sense of the rapture being very close is always with me since the last few years. I’m continually looking for the eastern sky to roll up as a scroll and that blessed hope to be realized: Titus 2:13.
Have I been allowed to know time on earth is almost done? It certainly seems that way to me. Hebrews 9:26 – Jesus came once in the end of the world. Coming up on 2,000 – 7 (to allow for the tribulation) this year: 2025 – if Jesus was crucified in 32 AD.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus Rev 22:20 KJV
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