Truth Bomb

There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out. (Luke 13:28)

Whether you believe He is the Son of God or not, Jesus is widely recognized to have been a great teacher. I have heard many non-Christians happily and tolerantly declare that they align with Jesus' teachings, but I usually sigh in disappointment upon hearing that because I know they couldn't possibly understand those teachings (or only know them in part). For if they did understand ALL of His teachings, they would be living much different lives as His committed followers. It's been preached...Jesus loves you...Jesus says to love your neighbor...Jesus died for your sins. There aren't too many people left in most parts of the world that haven't heard these things before. These things are true, but where is the context about hell? More than anyone else in scripture, Jesus warned more about hell and the eternal punishment that awaits those that have not repented and given their full heart to Him.

It is recorded in the Gospel of Matthew six times and once in the Gospel of Luke (see above) that there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth as people find themselves separated from God and bound eternally in hell. Not for 1,000 years, not for 10,000 years, and not for 1,000,000 years. ETERNAL, never-ending punishment. Let that sink in. You cannot escape hell. You cannot repent and be saved out of hell. You cannot plead with God to forgive you. The minute you die and leave this earth - if you have not done the Father's will, your new forever home is hell.

Now this is really heavy stuff and I'd be surprised if anyone has made it this far reading. Hell isn't real, right? It couldn't possibly be true...right? I think people in general do not want to think about this. Nobody wants to ponder hell or consider it is even an option a loving God would consider. I think churchgoers and Christians are the most guilty of turning their heads away from the subject. Christ's own followers should be most familiar with the reality of hell more than anyone, but we rarely talk about it, especially around the unsaved. I'm guilty of this and not proud. Instead, we "preach" as if Jesus is an added benefit to our earthly lives, giving us more hope, helping us get what we want, graciously forgiving our mistakes, and teaching us good life lessons along the way. But what about the truth that people who die in their sin perish forever in HELL?! You. Your kids. Your parents. Your family. Your friends. Your neighbors. The guy at Starbucks. The girl at Dunkin. They might live a nice, long life on earth. They might do good things for this world and avoid breaking any serious laws. But unless JESUS is declared your/their Savior and unless you/they actually do the will of God, you/they will suffer and be tormented with no end.

No end.

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23)

Where sin leads to death, Jesus is the hope of mankind for eternal life. True followers of Christ should always see it as a matter of life and death that we prioritize sharing the gospel. Salvation cannot be attained by any other way. Jesus declared in John 14:6 that He is the ONLY way to escape hell and spend eternity with God. Anyone that tries to enter into heaven any other way is a thief and robber (refer to John 10:1). But in today's society, we're told that we must be tolerant of others' beliefs. We're taught by society that we need to keep an "open mind." After all, the world is full of so many different ethnic peoples and religious groups. Would God really let them all just suffer for eternity?

People have tried to make a case to me before that God will judge those differently that didn't have a chance to hear about Jesus. Well, if that's the case, why would Jesus instruct His disciples to spread the gospel? If that's the case, why would God have gone to such great lengths to send His Son Jesus to suffer tremendously on the Cross as our substitute? Overall, if ignorance of Jesus Christ could spare people, then the worst thing we could do for others is to let them know about Him. In truth, the most important thing we could do for anyone is to point them to Jesus and the Cross on which He died as a sacrifice for our sins. We must share that everyone is born under judgment - real judgment - and that hell awaits unless we repent of our sin and join Jesus in fulfilling the Father's will. And the Father's will is this...

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9)

God desires that everyone would be saved which is why anyone and everyone can receive Jesus, no matter what they have previously done. That is why He literally gives us a single mission - to preach the gospel everywhere. This isn't a commandment given to pastors, priests and other clergymen. It's a commandment given to everyone that follows Him. I personally think more Christians would obey this commandment if they truly loved others and believed Jesus' warnings about hell. Think about it - how can you hear life-saving truth but not show any real interest in wanting to share it with others? I bet everyone in hell wishes they had a chance to share the gospel with their loved ones back on earth. Jesus shares in Luke 16 a story about a rich man that winds up in hell. This nameless individual (in hell you lose everything, even your name) pleaded with God to return to earth so he could warn his family of the torment that awaits unless they repent. Brothers and sisters, if we don't share this life-saving message now, we could end up in the same position as the rich man - in hell, begging to come back so we could warn others. I am no longer content pulling any more punches. The truth must be known. We must hold each other accountable to this. Just as much as hell is real, so is God's grace and we must share it with the world around us. We must be disciple makers.

“For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money.19 Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant.[c] You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.’ But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ (Matthew 25:14-30)