This past Sunday my pastor preached a message on Hell. I'll admit I was a little uneasy at first, but the sermon was really challenging and definitely left me affected. In fact, I realized that Hell is a lot more important to daily Christian life than I thought: It shows us our depravity, God's holiness, and the mercy of the cross. As Christians, we have been spared from the stark reality of Hell.
Along with this realization, I also found myself encouraged to be at a church where the bible is the sole authority and have a pastor who is willing to preach hard truth, yet do it in love. The fact is that Hell is a subject that no one really wants to think about--its a problem, as even Christian apologists readily admit, i.e., the "problem of hell." Nevertheless, it is a reality that scripture teaches and one that is vital that we not neglect. In my experience, American churches today tend to two unhealthy extremes when it comes to the doctrine of Hell: (1) one in which churches preach nothing BUT hell and neglect the good news, or (2) those who simply deny it or twist it into something that scripture doesn't teach (i.e.annihilationism). Today people are very flippant about hell, dismissing it as nonsense. I thought of lyrics from a Billy Joel song (and no I don't listen to Billy Joel a lot!).
"[T]hey say there's a heaven for those who will wait
Some say its better but I say it ain't
I'd rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints
the sinners are much more fun"
What my pastor made clear (and more importantly what scripture makes clear) is that hell is definitely not an endless party for sinners but a place of torment from a holy, wrathful, and just God. Many would see this image as barbaric, but it is what scripture teaches and our consciences confirm: Hell is what each and every individual on this planet deserves. God would be 100% just to send me to hell. As my pastor pointed out, "For God to punish sin is completely just, in fact for him to not punish it would make him unjust." When we deny hell or candy coat it into something else we distort the gospel into a different message.
At the same time, the Scriptural position on Hell is stage-setting for God's merciful intervention through Jesus Christ. Jesus came to earth to bear the wrath the we deserve. He endured hell for us. R.C. Sproul comments on the cry of Jesus on the cross: "[H]is cry was the cry of the damned FOR US." If you're not a christian you need to flee to Christ and trust in his atoning death for you. Everyone who calls upon his name, THEY WILL BE SAVED. God's love in preserving us from Hell is just as astonishing as his holiness is in requiring that there be a Hell. And the reality of this love demands a response. Like my pastor suggested, "We need to be asking, 'Why was I spared?'" Christian, have you marveled at this mercy? Before this past Sunday, I certainly hadn't! I need to! I am sure that considering the reality of Hell is linked to growth in compassion and joy. God has been more merciful to us than we can imagine, and we will spend eternity wondering why.
http://www.sgcsc.org/media/audio/e31397ba-c4a2-3034-2dfe-311da14a11bc.mp3
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