I will warn you right away that this will be my last blog for a while and therefore it is very, very long.
I am heading off to Texas again, this time to visit my son for a few days. It will be a long trip, however, as I am driving there and back. That in itself requires 7 full days being 2,000 miles in one direction alone. I will not be blogging on this trip, as I tried to do on my last trip earlier in the year. I will be taking a little sabbatical from blogging, in order to take time to hear from the Lord about a couple of things that I believe He has laid on my heart to do. One of them was birthed by the book I referred to yesterday in my post.
If you have not gone to that website (http://www.gfa.org/) and asked for the free book "Revolution in World Missions" yet, I hope that you will. You don't have to be someone that the Lord has called specifically to work in the missionary field to receive something of lasting value from the book.
I have gone on missions trips: to Kosovo (mostly Muslims)and to Mexico (mostly a superstitious mystical version of Catholicism). I plan, Lord willing, to go back to Mexico again this October. And I have a heart for those in other countries who are not saved. But I want to have a bigger heart for those in this country who are not saved, and I'm not sure my heart is where it should be in that regard. Yes, I want to see people saved, beginning in my immediate family, especially. But I don't seem to be doing a lot about it, other than praying. That is not to discount prayer. We can do nothing without prayer, without help from the Lord to whom we cry out for such help; to Him who always answers with His mercy and His grace. (Yes, always! No matter how long it takes!)
But James warns us not to be hearers only, but to be doers of what we have heard the Word of God tell us to do (James 1:22). I don't see all that much "doing" in my life in terms of the lost. And I think it is because I am beginning to lose my vision of hell.
And it's no wonder, as very little is said about hell these days, whether from the pulpits or from television and radio teachers. We want people to be drawn in to the churches because we have "loved" them in, showing the "love" of Jesus Christ to them. But Jesus spoke so much about hell, punishment, suffering….an eternity of suffering. He showed the multitudes how much He loved them by warning of the danger to come. He did not try to spare them by avoiding discussion of unpleasant things to come as we so often do in our churches today. He loved Peter even though He rebuked Peter at times. We equate love with "nice" words, rather than with truth…the WHOLE truth. And if we speak the hard parts of truth, we are accused of not speaking in love, when in fact, it is exactly because of love that we speak the hard truth when necessary. In our country and our churches, where all are comfortable and very few suffer for the kingdom, I think the time has come to speak the hard truths. Such as: "This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." (Matthew 15:8 -9). This is a clear case of men following men, rather than men following Jesus.
Perhaps part of the problem is that we have a difficult time understanding what hell is. This often happens when we "reason" our way around things. I believe that man's "reasoning" of the things of God is highly overrated and can actually get you to hell faster than you can say " hell". Perhaps as a result of man's "reasoning", we Christians have different views of what hell really is. We are not united in even this doctrine; and here in America many no longer believe there is such a place.
Some believe that all references to hell are not literal but metaphorical; in other words, hell is a very real but very different form of punishment than that which is actually stated in the Bible. Among the proponents of this view are Calvin, Luther, and Billy Graham. Surprised? [Calvin: "We may conclude from many passages of Scripture, that it [eternal fire] is a metaphorical expression"; Luther: "It is not very important whether or not one pictures hell as it is commonly portrayed and described"; Billy Graham: "I have often wondered if hell is a terrible burning within our hearts for God, to fellowship with God, a fire that we can never quench."]
Some believe hell to be a "conditional immortality"; in other words, souls will suffer this real place, but only for a period of time, after which God will destroy them completely and they will experience nothing. They will be annihilated by God once and for all. All others have gone straight to heaven. It is either hell (which ultimately leads to annihilation) or eternity in heaven. C.S. Lewis called hell "the outer rim where being fades away into nonentity" in his book "The Problem of Pain". An early, and very important, Christian statement of doctrine [the Didache] supports annihilation.
Many believe it to be a literal place, with literal descriptions provided in the Word of God. Their view is very black or white. They see one of two places to be occupied after death: either heaven or hell; there is no in-between or interim place. There is no possibility of suffering after death unless you are sent to hell. It is either all joy or all eternal suffering. Dante's Inferno not only envisioned everlasting torment but gave a picture of the saints in heaven relishing the torment of the wicked; not a completely unscriptural view, by the way. Jonathan Edwards, 18th century theologian and author of the sermon "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God", supports the literal view of everlasting torment.
Then there are the Roman Catholics who believe in both hell and also in a sort of "holding" place between death and the final judgment, that place being called purgatory. According to Roman Catholic theology, purgatory is the place every soul must enter at death for a period of "suffering"; the quantity of suffering to be determined by the life that was led prior to death. Those who suffered courageously in martyrdom for the sake of the kingdom will suffer little or none; those who chose not to suffer at all (what we would call "armchair Christians") will suffer very much more simply because they did not follow in Christ's footsteps, which no matter which way you look at it, must involve suffering. Augustine argued that it was better to be cleansed in this life than the next, for the cleansing process will be much more severe in the next life than anything experienced in this life. Purgatory, then, is seen as a sort of outer court of heaven where nominal Christians are prepared (purified) prior to being allowed to enter into the presence of a holy God.
Before you condemn the dogma of Purgatory completely (even though I do believe it is scripturally incorrect, a misinterpretation of the scriptures on which this dogma is founded), remember that Christian theology throughout the ages and scripture itself has always implied that after death there are rewards as well as lack of rewards that have nothing to do with hell, for they are not punishment. God does not "punish" His children, but He does "chasten" them. That chastening can be unpleasant as well, but we know that all chastening is temporary and for our good (Hebrews 12:11). Still, we could view "chastening" as a form of suffering. When a child is sent to his room in isolation from the family for an offense, does he not suffer in some way? They certainly never seem to go off to their rooms with smiles on their faces! How much more would we suffer knowing that we let down our Lord and Savior? How terrible would our regret be to know what we could have accomplished for the kingdom if we had not let the cares of this world, and our own selfish desires, distract us from being "doers" of the Word. How terrible would that regret be knowing that we cannot turn back the clock? How many of the twelve disciples and Paul will suffer from those regrets? How many of us will?
I think we will know the answer to that when the Lord returns to establish His millennial kingdom here on earth. He will be the light of that kingdom, but right on the fringe of the light there is still darkness. Will the faithful receive the rewards of living and ruling right beside the Lord for that 1,000 years, while the unfaithful are placed further and further from the Lord, out on the fringes of His light, as a temporary chastening for their "armchair" unfaithfulness?
We see examples of this in the parables of Jesus and in the words of Paul. Remember the unprofitable servant who was cast into outer darkness where there was weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 25:30)? He was considered a servant of the Lord, but an unprofitable one…perhaps an "armchair" servant. Why is he cast into what we have always called "hell"? Or is it something other than hell? Why does the "outer darkness" put me in mind of the "outer court" of the temple?
And what about the children of the kingdom who are also cast into outer darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 8:12)? The kingdom referred to is the kingdom of God; who then are the children of the kingdom and what then would cause these children to be cast out of the kingdom? Matthew 13:38 tells us who the children of the kingdom are (they are not the Pharisees and religious leaders that Jesus so often rebuked). Is this weeping and gnashing of teeth a permanent thing or a temporary thing?
In 1 Corinthians 3:11-15, Paul speaks of the fire that will test each man's work. Fire, symbolic of judgment, will "prove" the works. For the man whose work does not survive the fire "he shall suffer loss; but he himself shall be saved: yet so as by fire." What is the loss that he will suffer, and does the Word really mean "suffer"? I think it does. "As by fire" implies purging or purifying which implies some sort of discomfort at best. These are hard truths that we have to be aware of and take seriously, rather than gloss over them.
Beware of the tendency to make light of the things of God: "But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise….but when the king heard thereof, he was wroth" (Matthew 22:5-7). Even this parable again speaks of outer darkness and weeping and gnashing of teeth. Could the weeping and gnashing of teeth be caused by a terrible sense of loss and regret; of being able to see that glory of the Lord but not enjoy it for some period of time, all because they chose comfort instead of suffering? It is interesting that whenever the phrase "outer darkness" and "weeping and gnashing of teeth" occurs, it is always related to servants of the kingdom, not necessarily the lost; while other terms like the "worm that never dies" and "unquenchable fire" don't seem to be used related to servants of the kingdom, but to those who reject God completely. Perhaps the "outer darkness" is just beyond the walls of the millennial kingdom, while the "unquenchable fire" is hell.
But the point of all of this is not to determine here and now which doctrine is right; although much study should be given to these points by any faithful Christian. The point here is to recognize that our works are vitally important. That we need to have a biblical vision of hell as well as that biblical vision of "suffering loss". The first will propel us forth to reach the lost (something I confess that I have not been very faithful in); the second will propel us (as has been on my heart for many years now) to reach those in the church who are not building properly or not building at all on the foundation of Jesus they have received from God. While the Lord might have in mind for me to continue to reach those in the church who are not building with fire-proof materials, still, I believe He would have me sharpen my vision of hell for those that are lost as well. Both visions will keep us faithful in "doing" and will cause us to be building with fire-proof materials that will stand in the coming judgment.
Regarding all of these things and more, I hope to hear from the Lord specifically on my trip to Texas….and perhaps a bit longer. Signing off for a bit, but keeping you in my prayers.
Limitations on space make my response be in several posting....
ReplyDeleteI have been contemplating your blog regarding Hell for a while now...so much information and so many avenues to take. I will do my best to address as many as possible.....I believe, based on biblical versus, the version that Hell does exist is corrected. The version where it is a real place, where suffering will occur and that pain and torment will go on for an eternity.
The Bible speak of Hell and from this we know that it was not created for mankind. Matthew 25:41 "Then he will say to those on his left, depart from me you who are cursed, into eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels". Here we learn that those who are cursed or unbelievers, the ones on the left, will be punished and thrown into an eternal fire. We also learn Hell, not being made for man, was created for those fallen angels who choose Lucifer instead of God. Lucifer believed he would "ascend to heaven and raise his throne above the stars of God, making himself like the "Most High". Pride in himself lead to Lucifer's fall. Isaiah 14:12-15 says "How are thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the dawn, how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou has said in thine heart, I will ascent into heaven...Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit." It appears that Lucifer was one of God's "chosen" angels, or at least an archangel like Michael and Gabriel. The reference to dawn, or as in some bibles a reference to "the morning star" makes me believe Lucifer might have had some responsibility having to do with light or acknowledging the beginning of a new day. From what I can find out, Lucifer derives from the Latin term lucem ferre; bringer or bearer of the light. Being careful with internet posting, I am not sure if this is true, but it appears in Roman astronomy, Lucifer was the name given to the morning star, what we know as Venus, and this posting goes on to say the morning star appears in the heavens just before dawn, heralding the rising sun. From this, can we determine as angels, they either possess or have the ability to display God's light at will? Maybe, Lucifer decided he liked this ability too much, believing the power of the light gave him the ability to be placed higher than God? Not sure, but something to ponder.
Back to our discussion of Hell. Other versus speak to it being a physical place, where pain and torment will be unceasing. Matthew 25:46 "Then they (the goats) will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life. And, in Rev. 20: 10 "The devil ...shall be tormented day and night forever and ever. Joni Ericson Tada says that Jesus' teaching of hell is meant to strike terror into our hearts. Warning us that if heaven is better than we can dream, hell is worse than we can imagine. Hell warns us to seek heaven and turn away from the fleshy desires.
I do agree with you when you say God does not punish His children, but he does "chasten" them. In Rev. 3:19 "those whom I love I rebuke and discipline". We are children of God and as such, when we disobey and do not follow His word and choosing instead to follow our selfish desires, as a parent God sternly encourages our gathering back into His fold by ways of getting our attention focused back on Him and Him alone. I believe in our darkest hours are when we are closest to God. When things are good in our lives, we throw a wink and a nod in God's direction and give him a passing glance as we head out the door on to a day full of nonsense an things that over a lifetime result in nothing more than "filler time". I liken it to the word "uh". When your brain is moving kind of slow and you can't think of the next thing to say...you say uh. Not to bring politics into this discuss, but President Obama uses this word all the time. It is distracting and makes following a conversation hard for the listener.
ReplyDeleteI think when we are so low with the happenings of the world or personal experiences we are facing, being so low forces us to look upwards....up toward the one who gives life, the breaths you take, the next heart beat; the One...God.
When there is a references to the "kingdom" in the two passages used, I see this reference being made to the unfaithful. In Matthew 8:12, Jesus describes a banquet where individuals will come from the East and the West. He is speaking to an audience of Jews and being such, they see themselves as the "children of Abraham", sort of a "birthright" mentality. I think here, when the phrase the "subjects of the kingdom" is used, it refers to the Jews who do not accept Jesus as being the Savior. Jesus tells them some will be outside and unable to join the celebration...in darkness and crying and with regret; "outside into the darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth". I am not sure if the reason they are weeping and gnashing teeth is because they can see the heavenly banquet or if it is because they are in perpetual darkness, but one thing is for sure, part of their despair is because they are separated from God and thus light.
God also wants a decision from us. Yes, things are black and white, right and wrong...in God's realm there is no gray or in between. He wants us to choose Him and not the path of sin and evil aside. Rev. 3: 15-16 "I know your deeds that you are neither cold nor hot, I wish you were either one, one or the other. So, because you are lukewarm - neither hot nor cold - I am about to spit you out of my mouth." I like my food hot, not too hot, but hot just the same....eating something that is lukewarm --ugh! This analogy of spitting out something that is "neither hot nor cold", I can related to. We are to be on fire for God and we are to have a heart for the lost. Those in our family and those who are strangers to us, but not to our Heavenly Father. He has created us all to be in His family, all we have to do is choose. GW
GW:
ReplyDeleteOnce again you have provided such valuable information and insight into scriptures! Your comments about the stars and the angels reminds me of Jude 1:13 which refers to "false teachers" as "wandering stars". Seems that the stars are one of God's mysteries to us at this time; something we can't quite comprehend that probably has depth we couldn't fathom.
Thank you for all of your comments. Many times as I have read your comments, I have thought that you should be writing a blog. Have you thought about doing a blog yourself? I think I'd find your blog very interesting. You are anointed I think in both your writing and in your ability to search out scriptures. Without a doubt.