Would He Create fleas, lice, and Poisonous Snakes?
I believe in hell for the same reason I believe in heaven: Its Biblical, and Jesus believed in it. He warned religious hypocrites
of damnation in hell in Matt.23:33 "Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?" Who am I to contradict Jesus? That alone would prove I was not a true Christian.
of damnation in hell in Matt.23:33 "Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?" Who am I to contradict Jesus? That alone would prove I was not a true Christian.
There are four different Hebrew and Greek words translated "hell" in the Bible representing four different aspects of that word. They are Sheol, hades, Gehenna, and Tartaus. I will explain the differences another time. The total uses of the word "hell" in the Bible is 53 times. Most of those in reference to a place of burning.
The only reason to believe in a literal heaven or hell is scripture. If one believes in heaven and not hell, he is inconsistent if he believes the Bible is God's word. And if he doesn't believe God's word he isn't a Christian. "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness...." 2 Tim.3:16.
However, whereas hell is mentioned 53 times, "heaven" is mentioned 777 times, approximately. All this proves is that God is focused on the positive of drawing sinners to Christ and heaven, not the negative of their rejection by which they condemn themselves to hell automatically by unbelief.
It is important to note here that God did not create hell for people. We were, originally created in His image but fell, by choice, from our original innocence. Thus God was moved to provide a means of our redemption through Christ, but we still had a free-will choice to receive it or reject it. Jesus revealed hell's original purpose in Matt.25:4. "Then shall he (God) say unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels." This reference to hell, like many others, does not mention the word "hell", but "everlasting fire". Now, if Jesus believed in hell, as "everlasting fire", I suggest that every believer in Christ does too …. or they are not true believers. God's original purpose for hell was not for us but for Lucifer and his rebellious, fallen angels. But those who allow him to turn them away from God's will to Satan's will, as Adam and Eve did, will pay an awful price if they do not repent and believe. So a holy, righteous, Almighty God, who wants willing, obedient children, not slaves or puppets, had to create a place for rejecters like Lucifer and his angels. Since human creation, people who walk in Satan's tracks will end up in the same place as he and his fallen angels who followed him did .... hell.
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