2nd Thessalonians 1:8-9, “In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power.”
The Bible says in our text passage of Scripture that when a person dies in their sins without having obeyed the Gospel, God takes vengeance upon them with flaming fire in Hell. This is not just fire, but “flaming” fire. The Greek word for flaming is “phlox,” which means: “(to 'flash' or 'flame'); a blaze.” It means a strong fire that burns intensely, producing intense heat and smoke. Revelation 14:11, “And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night...” Yet, in lieu of clear Biblical evidence that Hell is a literal place of intense fire, burning and torment, foolish people dismiss it as a fable.
Look again at our text Scripture. Interestingly, the word “PUNISHED” wasn't placed in front of God taking out His vengeance upon the wicked with flaming fire; but rather, the PUNISHMENT will be perpetual ruin “FROM THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD.” The worst part about Hell is not what you will GET, but what you DIDN'T GET! The worst part about Hell, will be the agony of knowing that you could have had a blessed eternal existence, in the presence of the best friend a human being could ever want, God Himself. People in Hell this moment are miserable, knowing that they rejected an omnipotent Savior Who wanted to give them everything to make them happy. Romans 8:32, “He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?”
A precious promise in the Bible is that God Himself will live among the saints in Heaven. There will be no more hunger, no pain, no thirst, no suffering and no health afflictions. Despite our abundance of food in America, many Christian believers in third-world countries don't have enough food. In Haiti, people commonly mix dirt and salt with cooking oil to form mud pies to survive. We are so spoiled in America! Whereas adversity built our once great nation, prosperity has ruined America. Albeit, the Bible teaches that in Heaven, there will be no shortage of water or food for anyone. Jesus Himself will provide our every need as believers.
God will wipe away every tear. Notice in the following precious passage of Scripture that it doesn't merely say there won't be any more tears; but rather, God Himself shall WIPE AWAY our tears. God is going to console and befriend us, personally and compassionately wiping our tears away. Revelation 7:15-17, “Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.”
The worst part about Hell is that you won't be able to live with God in Heaven. You'll have no one to wipe away your tears. You will be in eternal mental anguish, alone and destitute without any hope. What a terrifying thought. If you are foolish and wicked enough to brush aside the Bible's warning of an eternal Hell for all Christ-rejecters, then you will have no one to blame but yourself when you go there! 2nd Timothy 2:13, “If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.” Luke 24:25, “Then he [Jesus] said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken.” I believe, do you?
When all the foolish Christ-rejecters suffering in Hell, see all the wonderful blessings that they could have had, but willingly forfeited and will never enjoy, they will weep in bitter tears of sorrow, gnashing their teeth in regret. Luke 13:28, “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.”
And carefully notice from this passage that people who go to Hell have the ability to cry, feel and gnash their teeth. I read one Bible teacher's commentary concerning the statement, “Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched” (mentioned three times in Mark 9:44-48). He suggested that one possible interpretation is that people who go to Hell are turned into worms. He cited a scientific article about sea worms being found in volcanic vents on the ocean floor. Now I disagree with his exegesis, because as we just read in Luke 13:28, sinners in Hell will gnash THEIR TEETH (and worms don't have teeth). Worms don't cry. Worms don't wail. I'm not critiquing the man's exegesis, not at all, I'm just giving you my exegesis.
How does all the blessings promised by God to the righteous, compare to the Christ-rejecter's fate in the Lake of Fire? How does Heaven's happiness compare to Hell's hardships? Woe unto the wicked! Unrepentant sinners who die in their unbelief will be punished with separation from God for all eternity. Oh, my friend, please don't go to Hell. Billions of fools will one day weep in bitter tears of horror, as they behold the intense flames of the Lake of Fire where they will spend eternity, and realize that they could have had eternal blessing, happiness and the most wonderful heavenly family imaginable—all for free through faith in the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Millions of fools will look around for their atheist hero when they die, George Carlin. They'll look and see him bowing his knees and confessing that Jesus Christ is Lord, and then he'll be cast into the Lake of Fire forever. ...
One hard thing that most people learn as they grow older, is that life has a way of taking away the things that you worked so hard to earn in your youth. As many people have painfully learned, you spend the last half of your life losing all the wealth that you spent the first half earning. Ah, but there is one way to obtain sweet revenge against the whole corrupt system in America, and that is to take the Lord's good advice in Matthew 6:19-20, “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal.” I have decided to spend the rest of my earthly life investing all my time and effort into eternity, for the sake of the Lord Jesus Christ and the Gospel. Why amass treasures in this world, when you cannot take one penny with you into eternity? INVEST FOR ETERNITY!!!
I don't claim to understand it all, but we read in the Bible that people in Hell can see into Heaven. Luke 13:28, “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.” People in Hell will be able to see what they could have had, and it will cause them to weep, wail and grit their teeth together with inexplicable anguish and excruciating mental horror. The realization that they fool-heartedly rejected an incredibly loving, patient, generous, caring and compassionate God, Who wanted to be their best friend, will burn in their mind forever. Whereas they could have dwelt with God, and enjoyed the pure water from the river of life in Heaven (Revelation 22:1), they won't be allowed to have even a single drop of water to cool their intolerable thirst (Luke 16:19-31).
The worst part about going to Hell will be knowing that you could have had it all, but you rejected Jesus Christ as your personal Savior. People spend their earthly life laying up temporary treasures and security, while not giving any consideration to eternity, which lasts forever and ever. The world is filled with thousands of billionaires and millions of millionaires, 99% of whom will spend eternity burning in Hell without Christ. You can have all the money, fame and pleasures that this sinful world has to offer, just give me Jesus Christ!!! I wrote this article because I want you to enjoy Heaven with me. If you're reading this, it's not too late. God will save you, no matter what evil things you have done. Jesus died for the vilest sinner, because God loves YOU!
How does all the blessings promised by God to the righteous, compare to the Christ-rejecter's fate in the Lake of Fire? How does Heaven's happiness compare to Hell's hardships? Woe unto the wicked! Unrepentant sinners who die in their unbelief will be punished with separation from God for all eternity. Oh, my friend, please don't go to Hell. Billions of fools will one day weep in bitter tears of horror, as they behold the intense flames of the Lake of Fire where they will spend eternity, and realize that they could have had eternal blessing, happiness and the most wonderful heavenly family imaginable—all for free through faith in the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Millions of fools will look around for their atheist hero when they die, George Carlin. They'll look and see him bowing his knees and confessing that Jesus Christ is Lord, and then he'll be cast into the Lake of Fire forever. ...
Philippians 2:9-11, “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”The worst part about being in HELL is not being in HEAVEN. The most painful part about being in Hell with NOTHING, will be knowing that you could have had EVERYTHING. The most horrible part about being in the Lake of Fire with the DEVIL (who lived to ruin you), will be knowing that you could have spent eternity with JESUS (Who died to save you). Hell will be awful. Hell is a literal place of fire, torment, outer darkness and a bottomless pit; but the worst part about going to Hell is realizing day-and-night that YOU COULD HAVE ENJOYED ALL OF THE BLESSINGS OF GOD FOR FREE in Christ Jesus!!!
One hard thing that most people learn as they grow older, is that life has a way of taking away the things that you worked so hard to earn in your youth. As many people have painfully learned, you spend the last half of your life losing all the wealth that you spent the first half earning. Ah, but there is one way to obtain sweet revenge against the whole corrupt system in America, and that is to take the Lord's good advice in Matthew 6:19-20, “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal.” I have decided to spend the rest of my earthly life investing all my time and effort into eternity, for the sake of the Lord Jesus Christ and the Gospel. Why amass treasures in this world, when you cannot take one penny with you into eternity? INVEST FOR ETERNITY!!!
I don't claim to understand it all, but we read in the Bible that people in Hell can see into Heaven. Luke 13:28, “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.” People in Hell will be able to see what they could have had, and it will cause them to weep, wail and grit their teeth together with inexplicable anguish and excruciating mental horror. The realization that they fool-heartedly rejected an incredibly loving, patient, generous, caring and compassionate God, Who wanted to be their best friend, will burn in their mind forever. Whereas they could have dwelt with God, and enjoyed the pure water from the river of life in Heaven (Revelation 22:1), they won't be allowed to have even a single drop of water to cool their intolerable thirst (Luke 16:19-31).
The worst part about going to Hell will be knowing that you could have had it all, but you rejected Jesus Christ as your personal Savior. People spend their earthly life laying up temporary treasures and security, while not giving any consideration to eternity, which lasts forever and ever. The world is filled with thousands of billionaires and millions of millionaires, 99% of whom will spend eternity burning in Hell without Christ. You can have all the money, fame and pleasures that this sinful world has to offer, just give me Jesus Christ!!! I wrote this article because I want you to enjoy Heaven with me. If you're reading this, it's not too late. God will save you, no matter what evil things you have done. Jesus died for the vilest sinner, because God loves YOU!
Millions of churches worldwide today are full of deceit, false teachings and a damnable counterfeit plan of salvation; but the inspired King James Bible teaches that salvation comes only to the person who places their faith in Jesus Christ (apart from all works)...
Romans 3:21-26, But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 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; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.”
I am saddened to hear so many Baptist pastors today corrupting the simplicity of the Gospel. Whereas the Holy Bible repeatedly proclaims salvation through mere childlike faith in the crucifixtion, burial and bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ, you'll hear all manner of additional requirements from over 95% of church pulpits today. Here are some popular unbiblical requirements that you will hear in churches today:
- Make Jesus the 'Lord' of your life
- Become a Christ follower.
- Surrender 'all' to Christ
- Repent 'of your sins'
- Turn away from past sinful ways
- Turn from your sins
- Life a lifestyle of repentance
- Forsake a lifestyle of sinning
- Ask Jesus into your heart
- Invite Christ into your life
Der reader, you may do all of those things and yet never have been born again at all. Satan's greatest weapon is to con people into living the Christian life without ever being born again (Matthew 7:21-23). God never sent anybody to Hell who didn't choose to go there, by willfully rejecting Jesus' sacrifice on the cross as payment for one's sins. God has intentionally made getting saved easy, free and simple, so that even a small child can be saved. If you admit that you are a guilty sinner in God's sight, and see your need for the dear Savior, then just BELIEVE ON HIM and you will be saved. BELIEVE the facts that Jesus is the only begotten Son of God, the Christ (John 20:31). BELIEVE that facts that Jesus died on a cross to pay for your sins, He was buried and three days later He physically resurrected from the dead (1st Corinthians 15:1-4). John 6:47, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.”
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