Homily on the why you must be very careful about the excistance of Hell
"The Problem with Hell"
Revelation 19:1-5: "After this I heard what sounded like the roar of a great multitude in heaven shouting: 'Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, for true and just are His judgments. He has condemned the great prostitute who corrupted the earth by her adulteries. He has avenged on her the blood of His servants.' And again they shouted: 'Hallelujah! The smoke from her goes up for ever and ever.' The twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God, who was seated on the throne. And they cried: 'Amen, Hallelujah!' Then a voice came from the throne, saying: 'Praise our God, all you His servants, you who fear Him, both small and great!'"
Throughout the years, people outside the church have had problems with the doctrine of hell. They find the idea of eternal punishment unpalatable. For obvious reasons, they don't appreciate the thought that God will one day hold them accountable for the life they've led. They don't want to think about hell because they don't want to think about what eternity might hold for them.
Yet, what surprises me about the doctrine of hell is how many Christians have problems with it. Believers throughout the centuries have attempted to minimize and sometimes even deny the existence of hell. Even some theologians have had trouble imagining such a horrible place. Consider some of these quotes:
Clark Pinnock: "Let me say at the outset that I consider the concept of hell as endless torment in body and mind an outrageous doctrine, a theological and moral enormity, a bad doctrine of the tradition which needs to be changed... How can Christians possibly project a deity of such cruelty and vindictiveness whose ways include inflicting everlasting torture upon His creatures, however sinful they may have been?"
John Milton: "The concept of hell is inconsistent with the character of God revealed in Jesus Christ. It is an insult to the very being we are taught to love."
Nels Ferre: "Some have never seen how completely contradictory are heaven and hell as eternal realities...If eternal hell is real, love is eternally frustrated and heaven is a place of mourning and concern for the lost. Such joy and such grief cannot go together."
I have to admit, I understand their problems with hell. They make sense to me. It's hard to reconcile God's love with the existence of hell. It's difficult for me to imagine a place of such suffering and torment. I don't want to think that millions upon millions of people will spend their eternity paying the penalty for their sins. There's just something I find unpleasant about the whole thing.
Still, every time I feel the least bit apprehensive about hell, I turn to the teachings of a man who talked about it more than anyone else who ever lived. Indeed, you might even consider Him the expert on the subject. He is the source for almost everything we know about eternal punishment. Though others shy away from the topic, He met it head-on.
I'm talking, of course, about Jesus Christ.
As it turns out, Jesus talked about hell more than anyone. Most of what we know about this place of eternal punishment came from the lips of the Savior Himself. As Max Lucado pointed out in When Christ Comes:
"The New Testament is the primary storehouse of thoughts on hell. And Jesus is the primary teacher. No one spoke of eternal punishment more often or more clearly than Christ Himself. Think about these facts: Thirteen percent of the teachings of Christ are about judgment and hell. More than half of His parables relate to God's eternal judgment of sinners. Of the twelve times that the word gehenna - the strongest biblical word for hell - appears in Scripture, there is only one time in which Jesus was not the speaker. No one spoke of hell more than Christ did.... Are we to ignore these statements? Can we scissor them out of our Bibles? Only at the expense of a just God and a reliable Bible. Hell is a very real part of the economy of heaven."
Jesus was the world's foremost authority on the subject of hell. Though we sometimes shrink away from the subject, He had no such qualms. I find this significant for at least two reasons. First of all, it tells me that Jesus saw no contradiction between God's grace and the reality of hell. Jesus was the very embodiment of love. He came to show us the Father's heart towards His people. If the existence of hell was a stumbling block to God's love, Jesus would have been the first to mention it. He would have known if the Father's affection was incompatible with the doctrine of hell. The fact that Jesus spoke so often about hell shows us God's loving nature can be reconciled with eternal punishment.
More importantly, Jesus' words on hell tell me that hell is unquestionably real. Since Jesus spoke so often on the subject, we cannot deny hell's existence without denying His authority. How can we call Him a great teacher and not believe in one of His core teachings? How can we claim His Word is truth if we believe He was wrong about hell? If we deny the existence of hell, we make Jesus out to be a liar. Worse, we make Him out to be a fool. I say that because Jesus died specifically to save men from eternal punishment. If we believe hell isn't real, then the cross was a tragic mistake and Jesus died for nothing.
We may be tempted to deny that hell exists, but our Savior didn't. He lived proclaiming the truth of its existence. He died to make sure no one would ever have to go there. If we deny hell's reality, we trivialize His mission and jeopardize our own.
(Homily from a church in O'Fallon)
Revelation 19:1-5: "After this I heard what sounded like the roar of a great multitude in heaven shouting: 'Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, for true and just are His judgments. He has condemned the great prostitute who corrupted the earth by her adulteries. He has avenged on her the blood of His servants.' And again they shouted: 'Hallelujah! The smoke from her goes up for ever and ever.' The twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God, who was seated on the throne. And they cried: 'Amen, Hallelujah!' Then a voice came from the throne, saying: 'Praise our God, all you His servants, you who fear Him, both small and great!'"
Throughout the years, people outside the church have had problems with the doctrine of hell. They find the idea of eternal punishment unpalatable. For obvious reasons, they don't appreciate the thought that God will one day hold them accountable for the life they've led. They don't want to think about hell because they don't want to think about what eternity might hold for them.
Yet, what surprises me about the doctrine of hell is how many Christians have problems with it. Believers throughout the centuries have attempted to minimize and sometimes even deny the existence of hell. Even some theologians have had trouble imagining such a horrible place. Consider some of these quotes:
Clark Pinnock: "Let me say at the outset that I consider the concept of hell as endless torment in body and mind an outrageous doctrine, a theological and moral enormity, a bad doctrine of the tradition which needs to be changed... How can Christians possibly project a deity of such cruelty and vindictiveness whose ways include inflicting everlasting torture upon His creatures, however sinful they may have been?"
John Milton: "The concept of hell is inconsistent with the character of God revealed in Jesus Christ. It is an insult to the very being we are taught to love."
Nels Ferre: "Some have never seen how completely contradictory are heaven and hell as eternal realities...If eternal hell is real, love is eternally frustrated and heaven is a place of mourning and concern for the lost. Such joy and such grief cannot go together."
I have to admit, I understand their problems with hell. They make sense to me. It's hard to reconcile God's love with the existence of hell. It's difficult for me to imagine a place of such suffering and torment. I don't want to think that millions upon millions of people will spend their eternity paying the penalty for their sins. There's just something I find unpleasant about the whole thing.
Still, every time I feel the least bit apprehensive about hell, I turn to the teachings of a man who talked about it more than anyone else who ever lived. Indeed, you might even consider Him the expert on the subject. He is the source for almost everything we know about eternal punishment. Though others shy away from the topic, He met it head-on.
I'm talking, of course, about Jesus Christ.
As it turns out, Jesus talked about hell more than anyone. Most of what we know about this place of eternal punishment came from the lips of the Savior Himself. As Max Lucado pointed out in When Christ Comes:
"The New Testament is the primary storehouse of thoughts on hell. And Jesus is the primary teacher. No one spoke of eternal punishment more often or more clearly than Christ Himself. Think about these facts: Thirteen percent of the teachings of Christ are about judgment and hell. More than half of His parables relate to God's eternal judgment of sinners. Of the twelve times that the word gehenna - the strongest biblical word for hell - appears in Scripture, there is only one time in which Jesus was not the speaker. No one spoke of hell more than Christ did.... Are we to ignore these statements? Can we scissor them out of our Bibles? Only at the expense of a just God and a reliable Bible. Hell is a very real part of the economy of heaven."
Jesus was the world's foremost authority on the subject of hell. Though we sometimes shrink away from the subject, He had no such qualms. I find this significant for at least two reasons. First of all, it tells me that Jesus saw no contradiction between God's grace and the reality of hell. Jesus was the very embodiment of love. He came to show us the Father's heart towards His people. If the existence of hell was a stumbling block to God's love, Jesus would have been the first to mention it. He would have known if the Father's affection was incompatible with the doctrine of hell. The fact that Jesus spoke so often about hell shows us God's loving nature can be reconciled with eternal punishment.
More importantly, Jesus' words on hell tell me that hell is unquestionably real. Since Jesus spoke so often on the subject, we cannot deny hell's existence without denying His authority. How can we call Him a great teacher and not believe in one of His core teachings? How can we claim His Word is truth if we believe He was wrong about hell? If we deny the existence of hell, we make Jesus out to be a liar. Worse, we make Him out to be a fool. I say that because Jesus died specifically to save men from eternal punishment. If we believe hell isn't real, then the cross was a tragic mistake and Jesus died for nothing.
We may be tempted to deny that hell exists, but our Savior didn't. He lived proclaiming the truth of its existence. He died to make sure no one would ever have to go there. If we deny hell's reality, we trivialize His mission and jeopardize our own.
(Homily from a church in O'Fallon)
Hell is a choice that we all make!!!
"His Own Place"
Acts 1:21-25: "[Peter said], 'Therefore it is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus was living among us, beginning from John's baptism to the time when Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection.' So they nominated two men: Joseph called Barsabbas (also known as Justus) and Matthias. Then they prayed, 'Lord, you know everyone's heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen to take over this apostolic ministry, which Judas left to go where he belongs.'"
Hell has been in the news a lot lately. Since Rob Bell published Love Wins last year, it seems like you can't go a week without seeing some kind of commentary or discussion on the subject. Francis Chan published Erasing Hell (which was really good). Mark Galli and Randy Alcorn joined in the fray a couple of weeks later with their book God Wins (the rare book that gives a rebuttal right in its title). USA Today even got in on the action, publishing an article about the debate Bell's book brought about in the evangelical world. Hell has never been a hotter topic (Can you make a pun about hell?? Is that in bad form??)
Now, I'm not about to pretend I'm some kind of expert on the recent discussions about hell. I really don't even want to get involved in the firestorm surrounding the topic (too many pun opportunities). But, I was reading something the other day that made me think differently about the whole subject...
In Acts 1, it becomes apparent to the disciples that Judas' place of leadership in the church must be filled following his betrayal and death. So, Peter leads Jesus' early followers in finding the right person to assume his place among the Twelve. In the course of the discussion, Peter says something that has always bothered me just a little bit. Take another look at Peter's exact words in Acts 1:24-25:
"Lord, you know everyone's heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen to take over this apostolic ministry, which Judas left to go where he belongs."
I don't know about you, but I find Peter's language about Judas a little unpalatable. Peter rather forcefully insinuates that Judas went to hell - the "place where he belongs." Now, I know Judas did a bad thing - arguably the worst thing in the history of the world. I'm not arguing that he didn't deserve the punishment. It's just always struck me as odd that Peter would use that terminology in a prayer. It's almost like Peter is saying, "And God, I think we all know where Judas deserves to be right now..."
For years, Peter's tone in this passage has bothered me. This past weekend, however, I read something interesting about the phrase Peter uses here. In Darrell Bock's Commentary on Acts (which I'm reading for school... I don't usually read commentaries for fun!) he says this about Peter's words here:
"The idea that Judas went 'to his own place' suggests a choice to be separate from the Eleven and implies his judgment to hell. This is an early-church euphemism for where one ends up after death. To describe Judas as having gone 'to his own place' ... [signifies his] eternal judgment among the lost."
According to Bock, the phrase "to go where he belongs" literally means "to his own place." In my mind, that completely changes the tone of what Peter is saying here. Peter isn't so much saying that Judas deserved to go to hell; he's saying that Judas chose that path for himself. Hell was the natural end-result of Judas' disobedience.
The more I've thought about those words over the past couple days, the more it has started to reframe some of my thoughts about hell (and the current controversies surrounding it). When I think of hell, I think of a place people are assigned to, as if the choice is somehow made for them. Yet, hell isn't a place people are randomly sent to; hell is a place they choose. Sure, they may not make the choice aloud. It is, however, the end-result of sin. Their disobedience - their running from Him - puts them on a course that naturally ends in hell. When all is said and done, hell is the result of our sin. It wasn't part of God's original design in the Garden. It wasn't something He created for us (or created us for, for that matter). Unfortunately, our rebellion against Him made a place like hell a reality. It is the place for people who decide they don't need God. Hell is, in a sense, just the place where God leaves them to their own devices. He withdraws from them, and gives them what they've wanted all along - a world without Him. Those who decide they can live this life without God ultimately spend eternity without Him.
As C.S. Lewis said in The Great Divorce:
"There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, 'Thy will be done,' and those to whom God says, in the end, 'Thy will be done.' All that are in Hell, choose it. Without that self-choice there could be no Hell. No soul that seriously and constantly desires joy will ever miss it. Those who seek find. Those who knock it is opened."
To be sure, hell is a tricky subject. It's not something we should delight in or even enjoy talking about. It is, however, part of the reality we live in. If we don't warn people about it, we're leaving them to a future "in their own place" - a place far apart from Him.
(Homily from a church in O'Fallon)
Acts 1:21-25: "[Peter said], 'Therefore it is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus was living among us, beginning from John's baptism to the time when Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection.' So they nominated two men: Joseph called Barsabbas (also known as Justus) and Matthias. Then they prayed, 'Lord, you know everyone's heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen to take over this apostolic ministry, which Judas left to go where he belongs.'"
Hell has been in the news a lot lately. Since Rob Bell published Love Wins last year, it seems like you can't go a week without seeing some kind of commentary or discussion on the subject. Francis Chan published Erasing Hell (which was really good). Mark Galli and Randy Alcorn joined in the fray a couple of weeks later with their book God Wins (the rare book that gives a rebuttal right in its title). USA Today even got in on the action, publishing an article about the debate Bell's book brought about in the evangelical world. Hell has never been a hotter topic (Can you make a pun about hell?? Is that in bad form??)
Now, I'm not about to pretend I'm some kind of expert on the recent discussions about hell. I really don't even want to get involved in the firestorm surrounding the topic (too many pun opportunities). But, I was reading something the other day that made me think differently about the whole subject...
In Acts 1, it becomes apparent to the disciples that Judas' place of leadership in the church must be filled following his betrayal and death. So, Peter leads Jesus' early followers in finding the right person to assume his place among the Twelve. In the course of the discussion, Peter says something that has always bothered me just a little bit. Take another look at Peter's exact words in Acts 1:24-25:
"Lord, you know everyone's heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen to take over this apostolic ministry, which Judas left to go where he belongs."
I don't know about you, but I find Peter's language about Judas a little unpalatable. Peter rather forcefully insinuates that Judas went to hell - the "place where he belongs." Now, I know Judas did a bad thing - arguably the worst thing in the history of the world. I'm not arguing that he didn't deserve the punishment. It's just always struck me as odd that Peter would use that terminology in a prayer. It's almost like Peter is saying, "And God, I think we all know where Judas deserves to be right now..."
For years, Peter's tone in this passage has bothered me. This past weekend, however, I read something interesting about the phrase Peter uses here. In Darrell Bock's Commentary on Acts (which I'm reading for school... I don't usually read commentaries for fun!) he says this about Peter's words here:
"The idea that Judas went 'to his own place' suggests a choice to be separate from the Eleven and implies his judgment to hell. This is an early-church euphemism for where one ends up after death. To describe Judas as having gone 'to his own place' ... [signifies his] eternal judgment among the lost."
According to Bock, the phrase "to go where he belongs" literally means "to his own place." In my mind, that completely changes the tone of what Peter is saying here. Peter isn't so much saying that Judas deserved to go to hell; he's saying that Judas chose that path for himself. Hell was the natural end-result of Judas' disobedience.
The more I've thought about those words over the past couple days, the more it has started to reframe some of my thoughts about hell (and the current controversies surrounding it). When I think of hell, I think of a place people are assigned to, as if the choice is somehow made for them. Yet, hell isn't a place people are randomly sent to; hell is a place they choose. Sure, they may not make the choice aloud. It is, however, the end-result of sin. Their disobedience - their running from Him - puts them on a course that naturally ends in hell. When all is said and done, hell is the result of our sin. It wasn't part of God's original design in the Garden. It wasn't something He created for us (or created us for, for that matter). Unfortunately, our rebellion against Him made a place like hell a reality. It is the place for people who decide they don't need God. Hell is, in a sense, just the place where God leaves them to their own devices. He withdraws from them, and gives them what they've wanted all along - a world without Him. Those who decide they can live this life without God ultimately spend eternity without Him.
As C.S. Lewis said in The Great Divorce:
"There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, 'Thy will be done,' and those to whom God says, in the end, 'Thy will be done.' All that are in Hell, choose it. Without that self-choice there could be no Hell. No soul that seriously and constantly desires joy will ever miss it. Those who seek find. Those who knock it is opened."
To be sure, hell is a tricky subject. It's not something we should delight in or even enjoy talking about. It is, however, part of the reality we live in. If we don't warn people about it, we're leaving them to a future "in their own place" - a place far apart from Him.
(Homily from a church in O'Fallon)
The Rich Man and Lazarus
"Eternal Suffering"
Luke 16:19-26: "There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.' But Abraham replied, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.'"
A couple of weeks ago, I had the singular pleasure of going to the dentist. Now, I have to admit that I am not the biggest fan of the dentist's office. In fact, I really, really, really hate going to the dentist. My wife practically has to beg me to go. I don't know if it has more to do with the two years I spent in braces or the fact that most of the teeth in my mouth were filled during adolescence. Either way, the mere mention of a dentist's appointment sends me into a full-on panic mode. It's not a pretty sight...
Anyway, it turns out I had a small cavity on one of my back teeth. Nothing too big, the dentist assured me, but if it wasn't dealt with soon it could become something major. Since I had cleared off most of my morning for the appointment, I decided to go ahead and have it filled then and there.
That's when the dentist said the words I'll never forget: "You know, that cavity is just on the surface of the tooth. I don't think we'll have to numb it."
I'm not even sure words can rightly express the cry that went through my mind in that moment. I mean, I'm not the biggest fan of Novocain, but I know what it's good for. I know how important it is when you're having any kind of dental work. Having your teeth drilled on is uncomfortable enough with drugs; I didn't want to imagine trying it without them. So, it was with a bit of trepidation that I eased back in the dentist's chair.
Sensing the concerned (scared? freaked out?) look on my face, the dentist did his best to reassure me. The cavity wasn't that deep; filling it was going to take two minutes, tops. The drilling would be over in 20 seconds flat. Everything would be fine if I could just grin and bear it for less than half a minute. And you know what? He was right. Though having my tooth drilled on was an odd sensation (not quite painful, but still not pleasant), it wasn't that bad at all. In fact, part of what made it so easy was knowing how quickly it would end. I was able to endure the hurt because I knew it would be over in a moment.
None of us enjoy pain, but I'd be willing to bet that most of us can deal with it if we knew it wouldn't last long. Think about some of the medical tests you've had. They didn't feel pleasant. Some of them may have even hurt quite a bit. But, you were able to endure them because you knew they wouldn't last forever. We can tolerate almost any amount of pain so long as we know that pain is temporary.
As we've seen this week, the Bible says quite a bit about the pain of hell. Unfortunately, the New Testament passages on the subject indicate that the pain of hell is anything but temporary. Take a look at some of these passages (emphases mine):
Mark 9:43: "If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out."
II Thessalonians 1:9-10a: "They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of His power on the day He comes to be glorified in His holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed."
Jude 7: "In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire."
Revelation 14:9-11: "If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on the forehead or on the hand, he, too, will drink of the wine of God's fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of His wrath. He will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment rises for ever and ever. There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and his image, or for anyone who receives the mark of his name."
The Bible again and again reminds us that the punishment of hell is eternal. It's not some temporary pain to suffer through. Neither is it some brief detour. The pain of hell is real and it is eternal. It never ends. Those who pass through hell's gates will suffer its torment and pain for ever and ever with no relief in sight. The punishment of hell, then, represents the worst kind of pain - a pain that is both unrelenting and never-ending.
Hell is real. Its punishment is both real and severe. As God's people, we need to make sure we're doing all we can to prevent anyone from experiencing its everlasting pain.
(Homily from O'Fallon)
Luke 16:19-26: "There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.' But Abraham replied, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.'"
A couple of weeks ago, I had the singular pleasure of going to the dentist. Now, I have to admit that I am not the biggest fan of the dentist's office. In fact, I really, really, really hate going to the dentist. My wife practically has to beg me to go. I don't know if it has more to do with the two years I spent in braces or the fact that most of the teeth in my mouth were filled during adolescence. Either way, the mere mention of a dentist's appointment sends me into a full-on panic mode. It's not a pretty sight...
Anyway, it turns out I had a small cavity on one of my back teeth. Nothing too big, the dentist assured me, but if it wasn't dealt with soon it could become something major. Since I had cleared off most of my morning for the appointment, I decided to go ahead and have it filled then and there.
That's when the dentist said the words I'll never forget: "You know, that cavity is just on the surface of the tooth. I don't think we'll have to numb it."
I'm not even sure words can rightly express the cry that went through my mind in that moment. I mean, I'm not the biggest fan of Novocain, but I know what it's good for. I know how important it is when you're having any kind of dental work. Having your teeth drilled on is uncomfortable enough with drugs; I didn't want to imagine trying it without them. So, it was with a bit of trepidation that I eased back in the dentist's chair.
Sensing the concerned (scared? freaked out?) look on my face, the dentist did his best to reassure me. The cavity wasn't that deep; filling it was going to take two minutes, tops. The drilling would be over in 20 seconds flat. Everything would be fine if I could just grin and bear it for less than half a minute. And you know what? He was right. Though having my tooth drilled on was an odd sensation (not quite painful, but still not pleasant), it wasn't that bad at all. In fact, part of what made it so easy was knowing how quickly it would end. I was able to endure the hurt because I knew it would be over in a moment.
None of us enjoy pain, but I'd be willing to bet that most of us can deal with it if we knew it wouldn't last long. Think about some of the medical tests you've had. They didn't feel pleasant. Some of them may have even hurt quite a bit. But, you were able to endure them because you knew they wouldn't last forever. We can tolerate almost any amount of pain so long as we know that pain is temporary.
As we've seen this week, the Bible says quite a bit about the pain of hell. Unfortunately, the New Testament passages on the subject indicate that the pain of hell is anything but temporary. Take a look at some of these passages (emphases mine):
Mark 9:43: "If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out."
II Thessalonians 1:9-10a: "They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of His power on the day He comes to be glorified in His holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed."
Jude 7: "In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire."
Revelation 14:9-11: "If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on the forehead or on the hand, he, too, will drink of the wine of God's fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of His wrath. He will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment rises for ever and ever. There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and his image, or for anyone who receives the mark of his name."
The Bible again and again reminds us that the punishment of hell is eternal. It's not some temporary pain to suffer through. Neither is it some brief detour. The pain of hell is real and it is eternal. It never ends. Those who pass through hell's gates will suffer its torment and pain for ever and ever with no relief in sight. The punishment of hell, then, represents the worst kind of pain - a pain that is both unrelenting and never-ending.
Hell is real. Its punishment is both real and severe. As God's people, we need to make sure we're doing all we can to prevent anyone from experiencing its everlasting pain.
(Homily from O'Fallon)
