Lake Of Fire Series

— Lake of Fire —

You may, as I did for a long time, have had casual thoughts that ‘Hell and the Lake of Fire’ were the same. They are not. Neither is each meant to receive the same class of sinners. Many folks mindfully merge them into one godforsaken penal colony where human sinners are automatically cast, upon dying, among the withering demons where all are damned to an eternity of punishing sufferings and untold agonies. That is not Biblically accurate. Also, would you believe me if I told you that during the Old Testament times that no matter if people were good or bad, they went straight to Hades? Hades and hell are two different places. God created Hades as the temporary realm for both good and evil people who died. Old Testament people referred to the good part of Hades as 'paradise.'

We therefore need to differentiate between these environments, one from the others, and describe, as clearly as possible, their intended, God ordained use, hostile or not.

1 Corinthians 6:9-10, ERV reads: Surely you know that people who do wrong will not get to enjoy God’s kingdom. Don’t be fooled. These are the people who will not get to enjoy his kingdom: those who sin sexually, those who worship idols, those who commit adultery, men who let other men use them for sex or who have sex with other men, those who steal, those who are greedy, those who drink too much, those who abuse others with insults, and those who cheat.

Galatians 5:19-21 says, The wrong things the sinful self does are clear: committing sexual sin, being morally bad, doing all kinds of shameful things, worshiping false gods, taking part in witchcraft, hating people, causing trouble, being jealous, angry or selfish, causing people to argue and divide into separate groups, being filled with envy, getting drunk, having wild parties, and doing other things like this. I warn you now as I warned you before: The people who do these things will not have a part in God’s kingdom.

Corinthians covers a multitude of sins in two brief readings, doesn't it? The sins they spoke of happen every day and night all across the world. But before we traipse through studying the deep, dark depths of 'Hell' or sear our thoughts over 'The Lake of Fire,' I'd like to set aside the fire and brimstone to offer the most significant, rock-solid, eternal promises of from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Romans 10:9-10 relates this warm, comforting passage. If you openly say, “Jesus is Lord” and believe in your heart that God raised him from death, you will be saved. Yes, we believe in Jesus deep in our hearts, and so we are made right with God. And we openly say that we believe in him, and so we are saved. John 3:15 says that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. John 17:3 adds, And this is eternal life: that people can know You, the only true God, and that they can know Jesus Christ, the one you sent.

Whether reading from the Old Testament or the New Testament, God's promises are reinforced throughout. A moderate selection of examples follow: Deuteronomy 33:27, God lives forever. He is your place of safety. His power continues forever! He is protecting you. Psalm 49:15, But God will pay the price to save me from the grave. He will take me to be with him. Selah!

Ecclesiastes 12:7, Your body came from the earth. And when you die, it will return to the earth. But your spirit came from God, and when you die, it will return to him.

Isaiah 60:15, “Whereas you have been forsaken and hated, so that no one went through you, I will make you an eternal excellence, A joy of many generations.

Matthew 19:16, 25, 26, and 29, Jesus Counsels the Rich Young Ruler Now behold, one came and said to Him, “Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?” Yes, I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter God’s kingdom.” The followers were amazed to hear this. They asked, “Then who can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “This is something that people cannot do. But God can do anything.” “And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life.”

Matthew 25:44-46, Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty? When did we see you without a place to stay? Or when did we see you without clothes or sick or in prison? When did we see any of this and not help you? “The king will answer, ‘The truth is, anything you refused to do for any of my people here, you refused to do for me.’ “Then these evil people will go away to be punished forever. But the godly people will go and enjoy eternal life.”