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Satan’s
Grand Lie:
There Is No Hell By
John Waddey Satan
convinced the first couple that God's word was not to be taken seriously. They
could sin with impunity (Gen. 3:1-6). The result was the greatest catastrophe in
human history. Today, Satan's servants are still trying persuade humanity that
God's word on the subject of "hell" is not to be believed. Pastor
Rob Bell of the Mar's Today
we face the same kind of challenge that confronted Adam and Eve. Christ tells us
"...be not afraid of them that kill the body, but are not able to kill the
soul: but rather fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in
hell" (Matt. 10:28). He tells us at judgment angels shall "gather out
of his kingdom all things that cause stumbling, and them that do iniquity, and
shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be the weeping and the
gnashing of teeth" (Matt. 13:41-42). "And these shall go away into
eternal punishment: but the righteous into eternal life" (Matt. 25:46). But
men like Mr. Bell are shouting "There is no hell!" Many others say the
same thing. Our skeptical, unbelieving media loves the story and has elevated
Mr. Bell and his book to celebrity status. Multitudes of folks will believe the
lie and plunge headlong into wickedness, thinking the fear of eternal punishment
has been removed. The
lie comes in different wrappings. Some say that the wicked will be annihilated,
or consumed in an instant, thus no everlasting punishment. Others say the misery
experienced in this life is hell. Still others claim hell is the haunting pangs
of a guilty conscience. Some say the word "hell" should be understood
only as poetic imagery. The most arrogant of unbelievers declared that such a
thing as hell does not exist. Some opine hell is the inventions of Christians to
intimidate sinners. At the root of most of the above views is the latent wish
and hope that God will grant universal salvation for all men. Desiring to appear
more charitable than Christians, religious skeptics declare that all, regardless
of the religion or lack thereof, regardless of their conduct, will enjoy a home
with a loving God in eternity. They seek to camouflage their lie under God's
love. Sinful
Motives prompt men to deny what God has said about hell. They want heaven, but
not hell. They want to live with God but not have to obey him. Christ is the
savior of all who obey him (Heb. 5:9). They want the reward Jesus promises the
righteous, but they do not want to deny themselves, take up their cross and
follow Jesus (Matt. 16:24). Their
Faulty Reasoning. These nay-sayers assert that everlasting punishment in hell
makes God a monster. They taunt Christians, "Would you burn your enemies to
death, would you burn your disobedient child?" But they must answer,
"Is it not unjust to all to allow the vicious monster who has inflicted
great harm on others to go unpunished? Would they give the mass-murderer the
same reward as the innocent child? Do they also renounce the reality and need
for justice?" They are sinful, finite creatures who presume to pass
judgment on God's sovereign will and reign. God's ways are not our ways. As the
heavens are higher than the earth, so are his ways above ours (Is. 55:8-9). Their
Guilt is Obvious. To deny the reality of hell is to deny the teaching of Jesus.
He tells us that his words will judge us in the last day (John 12:48). Faith
come from hearing the word of Christ (Rom. 10:17). Those who deny hell, hear his
word on the matter and deny that it is true. That is the action of an
unbeliever. Those who do not believe in Christ will die in their sins (John
8:24). It is both arrogant and presumptuous for the creature to challenge the
wisdom and teaching of their Creator (John 1:3).God does not take man's
presumption lightly (Num. 15:30). The
Destructive Consequences of Denying Hell. Those who say "There is no
hell" contradict Jesus and discredit his wisdom and teaching. If he was
wrong on the subject of hell, can we be sure of anything he taught? They
discredit the Bible's testimony. If we cannot believe the Bible on this point,
how can we be sure of its message on any other topic? By destroying man's belief
in hell, one of the most powerful motivations for avoiding evil and sin is
removed. If there is no penalty, why should a wicked man restrain his passions? God
wants no one to suffer the punishment of hell (II Pet. 3:9). He wants all to be
saved (I Tim. 2:4). He has warned us that the wages of our sin is death (Rom.
6:23). He gave heaven's best (Jesus) to save man from hell (John 3:16). He
created us with volition so we could choose our eternal destiny (II Cor. 5:20).
If you pay for your sins in hell you will be able to blame no one but yourself. When
you hear any person deny the reality of hell, be he clergyman or atheist,
criminal or hedonist, remember Paul's exhortation, "Let God be found true
and every man a liar" (Rom. 3:4). As Satan rejoices and wicked men
congratulate themselves that they no longer have to fear judgment and hell, we
can still hear the words of Jesus, "How can you escape the judgment of
hell?" (Matt. 23:33). &
On
What Day of the Week Was Jesus Crucified? By
Bob Myhan Traditionally,
Jesus was crucified on Friday and resurrected two days later on Sunday. However,
many sincere brethren are skeptical of this view, affirming either a Wednesday
or a Thursday crucifixion. The main problem they seem to have with the
traditional view is the time span between the two events. But what does the
Bible teach? First,
Jesus said He would "be killed, and be raised the third day" (Matt.
16:21; 17:23; 20:19; Mark 9:31; 10:34; Luke 9:22; 18:33; 24:7; 24:46). Second,
Peter said, "Him God raised up on the third day" (Acts 10:40). Third,
Paul wrote, "He rose again the third day" (1 Cor. 15:4). Any position
that is inconsistent with these statements is error! According
to Mark, Jesus said that He would "be killed, and after three days rise
again" (Mark 8:31). But Matthew tells us Jesus said He would "be
killed, and be raised the third day" (16:21; see also Luke 9:22). Thus,
"after three days" and "the third day," were used
interchangeably. The Jewish rulers took “after three days” to mean “the
third day” (Matt. 27:62-64). Some
argue that this could not be "three days" because it is fewer than
seventy-two hours. But in Acts 10:30, Cornelius called a period of seventy-two
hours "four days." Jesus
further said He would "be three days and three nights in the heart of the
earth" (Matt. 12:40). But this cannot mean "three full twenty-four
hour days," because this would result in His being raised on the fourth
day, rather than the third day! In order for Jesus to have been in the grave
"three days and three nights," and to be raised "after three
days," and on "the third day," "three days and three
nights" must be a figure of speech for a period of time less than
seventy-two hours in length. The
Bible specifically says, Jesus "rose early on the first day of the
week" (Mark 16:9). On this day, two of His disciples said, "today is
the third day" (Luke 24:21). Since "the first day of the week"
(Sunday) was "the third day," the seventh day of the week (Saturday)
must have been the second day, and the sixth day of the week (Friday) must have
been the first day—the day of the crucifixion! If
Jesus had been crucified on Wednesday, Sunday would not have been the third day
but the fifth day. But, if He had been crucified on Thursday, Sunday would have
been the fourth day. Therefore, He must have been crucified on Friday, rather
than on Wednesday or Thursday! “But,”
some ask, “Wasn’t Jesus standing before Pilate at the sixth hour and
crucified at the third hour? How then could He have been crucified on the same
day He was sentenced?” (John 19:14; Mark 15:25) John
was writing to non-Jewish readers and referencing time as did the Romans, who
counted days from midnight to midnight. Mark, however, referenced time as did
Matthew, who was writing to Jewish readers (compare Mark 15:33 and Matt. 27:45).
Jews counted the twenty-four hour day from sunset to sunset and the twelve-hour
day from sunrise to sunset. Thus, Jesus was sentenced at six a.m. (sixth hour
from midnight) and crucified at nine a.m. (third hour from sunrise) on Friday
(Preparation Day), during the Feast of Unleavened Bread. & |