What a Person Might Say or Think

[Davies]

The below excerpt is what a person might say or think after heis judged and thrown into hell. I find this important to think about for atleast one reason. Having put my faith in Jesus Christ, I know I will not bejudged and thrown into hell, but it’s important to remember this is what Ideserve outside of Christ. This provides a better understanding of how greatGod’s grace is towards me, and anyone else for that matter. The conscience willremain alive forever with the soul, and annihilation never comes.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>

Matthew 25:46

King James Version (KJV)


<sup id="en-KJV-24055" class="versenum">46</sup>And these shall go away into everlasting punishment:

<o:p> </o:p>

“All this while, consciencetears the sinner's heart with the most tormenting reflections. "Ohwhat a fair opportunity I once had for salvation, had I improved it! I waswarned of the consequences of a life of sin and carelessness. I was told of thenecessity of faith, repentance, and universal holiness of heart and life. Ienjoyed a sufficient space for repentance and all the necessary means ofsalvation. But fool that I was—I neglected all, I abused all. I refused to partwith my sins. I refused to engage seriously in religion and to seek God inearnest. And now I am lost forever without hope! Oh! For one of those months,one of those weeks, or even so much as one of those days or hours I oncetrifled away! With what earnestness, with what solicitude would I improve it!But all my opportunities are past, beyond recovery, and not a moment shall begiven me for this purpose any more. O what a fool I was—to sell my soul forsuch trifles! To think so lightly of heaven—and fall into hell throughmere neglect and carelessness!"†– Samuel Davies, Resurrection of Damnation<o:p></o:p>
http://www.gracegems.org/Davies/resurrection_of_damnation.htm

 

[Davies]

Since this subject is on the most unpleasant of them all, Hell, why not include a statement that claims damnation is just. I know many Christians have a hard time getting their minds around eternal punishment.

"The proper dress for a sinner to go to Christ in is sackcloth and the rope. "Well," says one, "I never will acknowledge that I deserve to be damned!" Then you never will be saved. "Well," says another, "I never will take the language of a great sinner upon my lips." Then you shall never be saved, for unless you are willing to confess that God may justly damn you, God will never save you. But if you feel in your heart tonight that if He sends your soul to Hell, His righteous Law approves it well; if you wonder how it is that you are not in the pit, and marvel why such mercy should have been shown to you, come, brother, come. Come as you are, for you wear the true court-dress of a sinner. - Charles Spurgeon

The last sentence in the quote is another way of saying a person has given up the dirty rags of self-righteouness, and exchanged them for the pure white rob of Jesus' righteousness.

- Davies

 

[jasoncran]

Since this subject is on the most unpleasant of them all, Hell, why not include a statement that claims damnation is just. I know many Christians have a hard time getting their minds around eternal punishment.

"The proper dress for a sinner to go to Christ in is sackcloth and the rope. "Well," says one, "I never will acknowledge that I deserve to be damned!" Then you never will be saved. "Well," says another, "I never will take the language of a great sinner upon my lips." Then you shall never be saved, for unless you are willing to confess that God may justly damn you, God will never save you. But if you feel in your heart tonight that if He sends your soul to Hell, His righteous Law approves it well; if you wonder how it is that you are not in the pit, and marvel why such mercy should have been shown to you, come, brother, come. Come as you are, for you wear the true court-dress of a sinner. - Charles Spurgeon

The last sentence in the quote is another way of saying a person has given up the dirty rags of self-righteouness, and exchanged them for the pure white rob of Jesus' righteousness.

- Davies

refreshing to see that some do still think this way. i am worthy of death and hell but god saw fight to send his son to die for me. so that i can be forgiven.

 

[Davies]

jasoncran,

The Gospel is wonderful. I think learning how to apply the Gospel to our daily living is the great challenge, but it is the means of our victory already won. Praise God.

- Davies

 

[Davies]

I thought I would post these words of J.C. Ryle in this thread because, well, it's unpleasant. I think it confirms the goodness of God and the importance of keeping the Gospel in our eye. Jesus is good!

- Davies


A bugbear to frighten children and fools!

(J.C. Ryle, "Holiness, Its Nature, Hindrances, Difficulties, and Roots" 1879)

I believe that the time has come, when it is a positive duty to speak plainly about the reality and eternity of Hell. A flood of false doctrine has lately broken in upon us. Men are beginning to tell us that God is too loving and merciful to punish souls forever; and that all mankind, however wicked and ungodly some of them may be--will sooner or later be saved. We are invited to leave the old paths of apostolic Christianity. We are told that the views of our fathers about Hell, and the devil, and punishment--are obsolete and old-fashioned. We are to embrace what is called a "kinder theology"--and treat Hell as a pagan fable, or a bugbear to frighten children and fools!

Against such false teaching I desire, for one, to protest. I, for one, am resolved to maintain the old position, and to assert the reality and eternity of Hell.

It is a question which lies at the very foundation of the whole gospel. The moral attributes of God--His justice, His holiness, His purity--are all involved in it. Once let the old doctrine about Hell be overthrown--and the whole system of Christianity is unsettled, unscrewed, unpinned and thrown into disorder!

The Scripture has spoken plainly and fully on the subject of Hell.
If words mean anything--then there is such a place as Hell.
If texts are to be interpreted fairly--then there are those who will be cast into Hell.
If language has any sense belonging to it--then Hell is forever.

The drowning of the old world by the flood,
the burning of Sodom and Gomorrah,
the overthrow of Pharaoh and all his host in the Red Sea,
the judgment on Korah, Dathan and Abiram,
the utter destruction of the seven nations of Canaan--
all teach the same solemn truth. They are all given to us as beacons and signs and warnings--that we may not provoke God. They all remind us that there is such a thing as the wrath of God. They all tell us plainly that "the wicked shall be turned into Hell" (Psalm 9:17).

Settle it firmly in your mind, that the Lord Jesus Christ Himself has spoken most plainly about the reality and eternity of Hell. No lips have used so many words to express the dreadfulness of Hell, as the lips of Jesus.
Hell,
Hell-fire,
the damnation of Hell,
eternal damnation,
the resurrection of damnation,
everlasting fire,
the place of torment,
outer darkness,
the worm that never dies,
the fire that is never quenched,
the place of weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth,
everlasting punishment--
these, these are the words which the Lord Jesus Christ Himself employs! Away with the miserable nonsense which people talk in this day, who tell us that the ministers of the gospel should never speak of Hell!

He is the kindest friend--who tells me the whole extent of my danger!
The watchman who keeps silence when he sees a fire--is guilty of gross neglect!
The doctor who tells us we are getting well when we are dying--is a false friend!
The minister who keeps back Hell from his people--is a wicked and cruel man!

What is the use of hiding eternal punishment from the impenitent and the ungodly? Surely, it is helping the devil!

 

[childeye]

Paul said it is the goodness of God that brings a man to repentance and I find this to be true. To care for others and forego our own comforts in this cause is a pure righteousness through the Love that is Godly. To do it for the sake of escaping hell seems more like a
self serving motivation. How do we know that when Jesus or his disciples talk about hell, he is talking about those who don't believe in divine Love?

 

[Hitch]

Do over!

 

[Christ_empowered]

I think fear of Hell is a good thing.The reality of Hell and fear of suffering there often helps keep me in line. I'd love to say that I try to live a moral life only because I love God and He loves me, but that's simply not true. We are God's children,and like human children, we often respond to discipline and the prospect of severe punishment.

 

[Davies]

I think fear of Hell is a good thing.The reality of Hell and fear of suffering there often helps keep me in line. I'd love to say that I try to live a moral life only because I love God and He loves me, but that's simply not true. We are God's children,and like human children, we often respond to discipline and the prospect of severe punishment.

Hi Christ_empowered,

I found your words to be my own. I'm ashamed to say I'm not motivated to love God as I should, and sometimes I wish I feared Him more so I would be kept from sinning against Him. Fear is the beginning of wisdom. It's obvious the love of God is the best motivation for us all, but Hell serves it's purpose. I day-dreamed one day that God allowed me to stand at the precipice of Heaven with Hell directly below, and though I knew I was not condemned, Hell served as device to instill gratitude in me for what Jesus has done for me, because I knew I deserved what those who were in Hell were suffering. The smoke of the tormented that rises forever will be an ever means of grace for those in Heaven to remember what Jesus did for us, a testimony of His righteousness and justice. Jesus will be worshipped, even those who did not put their faith in Him with bended knee.

- Davies

 

[Christ_empowered]

i think its our fallen, human nature that makes occasional reminders about the reality of Hell necessary. Also, Hell is real, and Christianity is all about Absolute Truth. We can't just skip over the horrifying aspects of our God and emphasize all the things we like (miracles, resurrection, salvation, etc.). I think the reality of Heaven and Hell adds a bit of "bite" to my daily life. Its a constant reminder that my actions have consequences.

 

[Davies]

It's no wonder that every person in the Bible who came into the presence of God fell flat on their face with no strength to stand. The holiness of God is something to think about often. There is no malevolence in God, yet justice is never forsaken. Perhaps this is why it's difficult for us to understand the forgiveness found in Jesus. God willingly paid for our sin. It doesn't seem right to allow a guilty sinner to be forgiven and have the presence of God forever, but then that is exactly what He offers while upholding righteousness and justice on the cross, and His mercy is not diminished, on the contrary, it shines through.

- Davies

 

[childeye]

The way I see it, is that the #1 COMMANDMENT says to Love God with all your heart mind and soul. As we know Satan deceived mankind into doing the opposite, by painting for us an image of god that was corrupt. Sin defined as 'separation from God' then followed. This is made evident in that we were ashamed of our nakedness and hid from God. This would be a defiled conscience since before the knowledge of good and evil, we were not ashamed of who we were before God. It is no wonder that God says I cannot be in their presence for their sin is ever before me. For He sees us worshipping Him in fear of what He thinks of us, when He ever loved us as we were.

On the other side of the spectrum standing in the direction away from God and the fulfillment of the first commandment, and following sin in separation from Him, lies a burning fire of torment wherein there can never be found contentment and peace. The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom for the sake of repentance. That is, that apart from Him there is no good thing and hell is where those things that are not good come to and end.

Consequently, since the destruction of our being was set in this direction by a false image of god, it is my summation that we must come to know God for who He truly is before we can stand before Him holy and blameless. We must step into the light and accept the condition of our nakedness before Him by acknowledging our weakness in that we are flesh, and in pride quite wishing we were more.

I believe our defiled conscience can only be cleansed by the knowledge that God is merciful and understanding and so paid the price for our shortcomings. We undermine this when we judge others in their sin and expect them to be at least as good as ourselves when the fact is, we all fall short of God's glory. I believe repentance is to turn our hearts back toward God in a true worship and we must come to know Him as not one Who condemns anyone else for being lesser than Himself. And we should do the same to others if we are to worship Him in all sincerity and purity and stand before him without sin.

That is what I take away from the Gospel of the Christ. Am I wrong? If you love me, then show me where.

 

[Davies]

I believe repentance is to turn our hearts back toward God in a true worship and we must come to know Him as not one Who condemns anyone else for being lesser than Himself. And we should do the same to others if we are to worship Him in all sincerity and purity and stand before him without sin.

That is what I take away from the Gospel of the Christ. Am I wrong? If you love me, then show me where.

Hi childeye,

I just have a few minutes, but wanted to respond before going to work. Much of what you said, I think is good. I might word things differently, but each grows in the faith that God has given him. When it comes to God condemning people, you must remember that God is holy, and if a person rejects the means of his forgiveness, then that person remains condemned. We start out condemned.

John 3:17-18
New King James Version (NKJV)
17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

The reason we need to be saved is because we are already condemned. Matters of faith in God are life and death issues, and I don't mean physical death. God is fair in His judgment and we want to be standing in Christ when the Great White Throne Judgment comes.

Of course we shouldn't judge anyone ourselves, that is God's department, but even then, we will share in Jesus' heritage.

1 Corinthians 6:2
New King James Version (NKJV)
2 Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters?

- Davies

 

[childeye]

Hi childeye,

I just have a few minutes, but wanted to respond before going to work. Much of what you said, I think is good. I might word things differently, but each grows in the faith that God has given him. When it comes to God condemning people, you must remember that God is holy, and if a person rejects the means of his forgiveness, then that person remains condemned. We start out condemned.

John 3:17-18
New King James Version (NKJV)
17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

The reason we need to be saved is because we are already condemned. Matters of faith in God are life and death issues, and I don't mean physical death. God is fair in His judgment and we want to be standing in Christ when the Great White Throne Judgment comes.

Of course we shouldn't judge anyone ourselves, that is God's department, but even then, we will share in Jesus' heritage.

1 Corinthians 6:2
New King James Version (NKJV)
2 Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters?

- Davies

You made great points. All of which I agree. Thank you for your response. I would only address that the sentiment to judge others I was intending to descibe was a hypocritical type of judgement. There is of course a just type of judgment. Wording things right is always difficult.