Gospel
Question & Answer!
First, we have no interest in your money and will not ask you for support. Should you desire to correspond with us, we will not send you unwanted emails or sell your name to others. We have no products or services to sell to you but we do have free resources that you may want to take advantage of.
We're not interested in arguing with you but are happy to answer questions, provide counseling or help you in your search for truth.
Our motive is simply love for you and a desire to bring you the truth about the destination of millions of people who have found or will find themselves in Hell forever. It is a place that is much worse than we can imagine and where there is no possibility of escape. With all our hearts we want to warn you of the reality of a Hell to be avoided and show you that there is a Heaven to be desired above all that can be gained in this life.
Below, you will find a series of nine articles by eminent Bible scholars, most of who will speak to you from their graves since all but one died long ago. If you read them in sequence they will lead you through a vivid description of the real place called Hell, who goes there and what a horrible existence God says they will experience throughout eternity. But first I would speak to you as a living person who cares deeply that you avoid such a place.
Most people buy insurance to protect against loss, they fasten their seatbelts to avoid injury and buy vitamins to avoid sickness. Yet many have not dealt seriously with what will happen at the end of their life. No loss can compare with the loss of one's soul. Jesus said, "What is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses his soul? (Matthew 16: 26, New King James Version of the Bible throughout)
Likewise, although we fear loss and illness, we also have a human tendency to fear men but not the God who made us and before whom we must stand at our death. We may shudder when we see a police car with red lights whirling behind our car, and dread a call or letter from the IRS and yet have no fear of God. Jesus said, "And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." (Matthew 10:28)
Some have been soothed by thinking that God is "love" and therefore think of Him more like a cosmic Santa Claus who winks at sin and blesses everyone. But while God is perfect in love, He is also perfectly just and calls all men to repent (turn from rebellion against Him) and will pour out His wrath (furious anger) upon all unrighteousness. (Romans 1: 18). In Hebrews 10: 31 we read, "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." Do not be deceived by the opinions of others that conflict with the pure Word of God, nor be led to Hell by creating a god in your own mind and then basing your decisions about how the god you have invented and believed in will judge you.
We will shortly get to how wonderfully loving God is but first we must consider some of His other attributes. God is omniscient, meaning He knows everything about everything including our thoughts, every act we have ever done and every word we have spoken. We might wish that He was not omniscient since He is also perfectly holy and perfectly just and there is no "Statue of Limitations" on His justice.
We all want a God who is just - who will punish a Hitler or the man who has brutalized children or loved ones. God says, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay." (Romans 12:19) All His promises are sure and there will be no unsolved crimes or criminals that "get off" by hiring a silver-tongued lawyer. But what about you and me, have you ever broken God's law? God says that He will pour out His wrath on all unrighteousness (cited above) and in Matthew 13:41, 42 Jesus tells us, "The Son of Man (Jesus) will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth." Lawlessness refers to all who break God's Law as found in the Bible.
Here is a passage of Scripture which contains a short list of those people who will be cast into Hell, "But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable (perversion), murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death." (Revelation 21: 7, 8)
Do you think you will be found innocent when you stand before God? You may want to consider yourself in light of God's Ten Commandments. (Exodus 20: 1- 17)
1. "You shall have no other god before Me."
Is God first in your life? Do you love Him above all else?
2. "You shall not make for yourself any graven image."
While there are some who do make actual graven images and worship them, far more of us create a god in our mind and then believe on that imaginary god. Does your god love so much he would never cast anyone into Hell? Does he exist to bring you health and wealth? Does he not care about whether or not you obey the Bible because he "knows your heart"? Idolatry is also believing in a god of our own invention or that we have been taught about by false religions. The god of "liberal" denominations and cults also does not exist and those who fall into their grasp are taught idolatry.
3. "You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain..."
Have you ever done so, even once?
4. "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy."
God requires that one day in seven be set apart for His worship and acts of kindness. Have you used the Lord's Day as your day of play or chores?
5. "Honor your father and your mother."
No explanation may be needed but dare I say that no one has ever perfectly done so?
6. "You shall not murder."
Most of us can say, "At least I haven't broken that one!" But Jesus says if we get angry at our brother without cause we are in danger of judgment (Matthew 5: 22) and If we hate our brother, we are a murderer already in our hearts. (1 John 3: 14, 15).
7. "You shall not commit adultery."
Under this commandment also falls fornication - sexual acts performed outside of lawful marriage (1 Corinthians 6:9). Worse, even though we may say we have been faithful to our spouse and were married as virgins, yet Jesus said, "You have heard it said of old, 'You shall not commit adultery' but I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart." (Matthew 5: 27, 29). If you have ever lusted God's book has you down as having broken this commandment as well.
(Please don't be discouraged, there is good news coming!)
8. "You shall not steal."
Have you ever stolen anything - no matter how small in value? Have you ever gossiped and thereby stolen someone's reputation? Have you ever "goofed off" on a job or did less work for your pay than you were able? God knows.
9. "You shall not bear false witness."
Have you ever told a lie, even a "white lie"?
10. "You shall not covet."
Coveting is desiring what belongs to others. Wanting to have what others own, be it their house, their car or their spouse is sin. Coveting probably leads to all crimes against others since first we desire what is not ours and then we put action to our thoughts. But the thought itself is sinful before a holy God who knows the very thoughts of our mind.
How did you do? If we are honest, we will see that we have broken all of the Ten Commandments but it wouldn't be necessary to break them all. The Bible says, "For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all." (James 2: 10). No wonder the Apostle Paul should exclaim "For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it killed me. Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good. Has then what is good become death to me? Certainly not! But sin, that it might appear sin, was producing death in me through what is good (the law) so that sin through the commandment might become exceedingly sinful." (Romans 7:11-13).
You see, my friend, when Scripture says that if we break one law, we have broken the whole law, it means that a righteous judge will not hear an excuse from a man accused of murder that he only murdered one person and not all of the other billions of people on Earth. Nor would it help to say that he only broke the one law and not thousands of other local, state and federal laws. So it is with us, God's Word says that "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (Rom. 3: 23). And He says, "The wages (punishment) of sin is death (eternal death in Hell). (Romans 6: 23) But thankfully for you and me, He doesn't end there, for if He did we would all be without hope of ever standing before a judge that cannot be tricked or bribed.
Remember, God is just. That is bad news for us since all have sinned against Him and harmed others. If God would wink at our sins He would be unjust and that is impossible for God. Imagine if, as our Judge, He declared us "Not Guilty!" and others cried out, "But we know he is guilty, you are unjust!" For us to stand before God and be received into His Heaven we must either be sinless or He must be unjust - both are impossible.
But let me finish the quote from Romans 6: 23, "For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Have you heard that God is love? He is! By nature He is loving, merciful and just. But His love and mercy could not make Him be unjust. Therefore we read, "But God demonstrated His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified (pronounced just) by His blood (in our place) we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation." (Romans 4: 8-11).
Nearly everyone has heard the passage in John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."
At the cross of Christ, God poured out His wrath (justice) upon His own sinless Son who stood in our place. This was the plan from the fall of Adam in the Garden of Eden and was prophesied in minute detail by many of God's prophets. All we had gone astray, but the Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. (John 10: 11)
Do you believe? God calls all men and women everywhere to repent, meaning literally to turn around, head in a different direction. Without Christ, all men are headed down a road that leads to Hell. Jesus said, "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it." (Matthew 7: 13, 14). And, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." (John 14: 6).
If God has given you grace to believe, if you see what the Scripture says, "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.", then you may know with certainty that, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleans us from all unrighteousness. " (1 John 9)
It is my prayer for you that you will confess yourself to be a sinner before God. You need not follow a prepared prayer anymore than your children should write out a prepared confession to their parents when they have disobeyed. Simply tell God about your sin, confess it, express true sorrow for having done what you have done with your life and ask Him to forgive you for Christ's sake, believing that Christ suffered for your sins on the cross and rose again from the grave. "For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved." (Romans 11:13). Having received Christ as your Lord and Savior, endeavor to find a faithful church where you may learn and have fellowship with new brothers and sisters. Read a faithful translation of the Bible every day and get into the habit of bringing your cares to God in prayer. You may now enjoy the wonderful promises and benefits of those who are adopted as sons and daughters of God; casting all your cares upon Him for He cares for you (1 Peter 5:7); bringing your burdens to Christ (Matthew 11: 28-30); and having the privilege to "... come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:16).
I want to personally offer any assistance I can give as you start your new life. Should you need help finding a church, choosing a Bible or need counseling or prayer, please feel free to call or write. We have a free graded Bible study course that will teach you much of what you need to know about God and how He wants you to live. We also have included many sermons from faithful men of old on the subject of hell that you can read below. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Dan Gibson, Pastor/Teaching Elder
Covenant Reformed Presbyterian Church
Mail: P.O. Box 1547, Janesville, WI. 53547
Phone: (608) 743-0838
email: PastorDan@gospelQnA.org
Sermons: www.sermonaudio.com/crpcjanesville
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