Rev 20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
Good morning, Reader! I will be starting a new series dealing with the topic of what excuses people use for not accepting Christ. But before I can start on that series, I feel it’s necessary to explain just what Hell and the Lake of Fire really are and why it’s so important to prevent yourself from going there! Please take a moment and let’s study the matter out together.
What is This Place Called Hell?
Hell is the place where the unsaved go after they die but it is not the place where they will spend eternity. Some refer to hell as the lake of fire but it is not. The lake of fire is the final punishment of all those who were released from hell to be judged at the Great White Throne judgment. (Matt. 22:13, Rev. 20:15) It is not a place where you go to “party with your friends.” There is no joy in hell. It is a place designed for punishment. It is not like prison where you will be provided with three meals a day, television and gym privileges. It is a place originally prepared for Satan and his fallen angels. (Matt. 25:41) But because man with his own evil deeds did not repent, he also will be cast there along with the devil and his demons.
Hell is outer darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Matt. 25:30, Mk. 9:47-48) Those in hell are separated from Christ, who is the Light! They will long to “take back” their rebellious lives and sin; longing to reverse their error in not accepting the Lord’s precious salvation! They will be endlessly crying over their circumstances; they will have inexpressible, irreversible and unending pain! If you’ve burned yourself, even the slightest, you know how painful a burn can be. This will be all over your body – not one spot left untouched.
In hell, the worm does not die and the fire is not quenched. This old English term, “worm,” is defined as:
Noah Webster’s 1828 Dictionary
- Remorse; that which incessantly gnaws the conscience; that which torments.
Where their worm dieth not. Mark 9.
In other words, one just doesn’t fall asleep when he dies. It is clear that the dead in hell will have memories and they will eternally regret not having accepted Christ’s salvation. (Rev. 14:10-11) Each lost soul will remember those times when someone tried to tell them about the Lord and the need for salvation. This soul will be tortured with regret for all eternity. Each soul will remember his family and will beg to have someone go warn them about what awaits them if they don’t repent of their sin. (Luke 16:19-31, specifically Luke 16:27-31)
Hell is a place of torment, not only mentally as we read above, but physically. Think of the worst pain you’ve ever had and imagine it never going away but staying with you for all eternity. (Matt. 25:41, 46) It’s difficult to imagine in our finite minds just how long eternity is. But do you really want to find out in this way? The Apostle James said in James 4:14 that life is a vapor – it lasts but for a moment and then vanishes. When one thinks about eternity past, present and future, our life is just that. Why would a person prefer to live with their sins in this lifetime (which is very short in comparison to eternity), and trade that life in for eternal punishment???
Who Will Go to Hell?
The Bible is very clear about salvation and what will happen to those who refuse to accept it. Everyone not found written in the Book of Life will be in hell. (Rev. 20:15) The Apostle Paul wrote in Phil. 4:3 that his fellow laborers’ names are in the book of life. Therefore, it stands to reason that anyone who is born-again will have his name in the Lamb’s book of life (Rev. 21:27) But those whose names are not found in the book of life will be judged according to their works which are recorded in books as well (Rev. 20:12). These are not works that gain one entrance into heaven. These are sins recorded that will keep you out of heaven; sins that you refused to repent of and these will be exposed at the Great White Throne Judgment. You will not be able to make excuses at this point. It will be too late.
Anyone who did not obey the Gospel of Jesus Christ will go to hell. (2 Thess. 1:8-9) It may astonish you but the fact that you’re delaying salvation reveals that you are willfully rejecting the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Your delay only goes to show what you think about eternity.
Anyone who doesn’t know God will go to hell. One can “know about” Jesus and yet not know Him personally. (2 Thessalonians 1:8) You may say you know God because you are of a certain religion. I was raised Catholic and I knew about God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. But I did not know them personally. You thought you knew your spouse when you first got married, but now that you’ve been married a few years, you really know your spouse. It’s no different with the Lord. The unsaved have heard His name and have used it in cursing. But they really don’t know Him at all.
The unjust will go to hell. The Apostle Peter makes it clear that if God can cast the devil and the fallen angels into hell, He will also cast those who did not accept His Son as Saviour. (2 Peter 2:4-9) The word unjust is anyone who acts contrary to the divine law. The just live by faith. (Hab. 2:4, Rom. 1:17, Gal. 3:11, Heb. 10:38) The unjust do not live by faith. They live according to the god of this world who has blinded them. (2 Cor. 4:4)
All the ungodly will be in hell. Much like the unjust, these are people who do ungodly things. Anything that goes against the Scriptures is considered ungodly. We see so much of this now. As well, anyone who did not accept Christ will be punished. Who are the ungodly? Revelation 21:8 outlines it beautifully!
Revelation 21:8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
Notice the first two listed as well as the last one. People have a tendency to categorize sin: the not so bad and the really bad. However, James 2:10 tells us that if you lied, you are guilty of all sins. Even one sin will keep you out of Heaven. That is the whole purpose of Jesus coming to earth and dying for our sins! (Col. 2:14) He knew we couldn’t go a day without sinning. However, once we are born-again and are forgiven of all of our sins, we have the power to say no to sin! So if you are fearful (afraid to receive salvation) because of what your family may think, you will go to hell. If you don’t believe in Jesus Christ, you will go to hell. If you lie, you will go to hell! The other sins listed are obvious ones and those who do such sins will go to hell.
But there is hope, my friend. Hell is not a laughing matter. You have no idea when you will die. No one knows. You could be in a car accident going home from work and be killed. You could have a heart attack and be gone in a split second! I want to be sure that anyone who reads the posts on this blog can know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are going to Heaven. Have you received Christ as your Saviour? If no, your sins are not covered by His sacrificial offering of Himself. You have not been redeemed by His blood. It is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!
