THOMAS HOOKER, THE GREAT PURITAN LEADER AND FOUNDER OF THE COLONY OF CONNETICUT, ONCE WROTE THIS OF HELL:
“CONCEIVE THIS MUCH, IF ALL THE DISEASES IN THE WORLD DID SEIZE ON ONE MAN, AND IF ALL THE TORMENT THAT ALL THE TYRANTS OF THE WORLD COULD DEVISE, WERE CAST AGAINST HIM;
AND IF ALL THE CREATURES IN HEAVEN AND EARTH DID CONSPIRE THE DESTRUCTION OF THIS MAN; AND IF ALL THE DEVILS IN HELL DID LABOR TO INFLICT PUNISHMENT UPON HIM, YOU WOULD THINK THIS MAN TO BE IN A MISERABLE CONDITION. AND YET ALL THIS IS BUT A BEAM OF GOD’S INDIGNATION. IF THE BEAMS OF GOD’S INDIGNATION BE SO HOT, WHAT IS THE FULL SUM OF HIS WRATH WHEN IT SHALL SEIZE UPON THE SOUL OF A SINFUL CREATURE IN FULL MEASURE?”
IT HAS BEEN AN UNQUINCHABLE CURIOSITY OF HUMANITY TO UNDERSTAND THE CONCEPT OF HELL. WRITINGS, ARTWORK, AND MUSIC, FOR GENERATIONS, HAVE ALL TAKEN A SHOT AT DESCRIBING HELL’S HORRIFIC AND DETESTIBLE EXISTENCE. NO MATTER HOW GRAPHIC WE ARE IN TRYING TO DESCRIBE IT, WE CAN EASILY CONCLUDE THAT THIS PLACE FOR THE DEAD IS A PLACE FILLED WITH INDESCRIBABLE TORMENT, TORTURE, AND AGONY.
THE HEARTBREAKING TRUTH ABOUT HELL IS THAT THOSE WHO FIND THEMSELVES THERE NOW ARE ALREADY AWAKENED TO A CHANGE OF HEART. IN THE SPLIT-SECOND OF THEIR ARRIVAL, THEY ARE AWAKENED TO THE REALITY THAT IT WAS THEIR CHOICE, IT WAS PREVENTABLE, BUT NOW IT IS TOO LATE.
THE RICH MAN IN OUR SCRIPTURE PASSAGE TODAY HAS FOUND THE TORMENT OF HIS DISPOSITION TOO MUCH TO BEAR. HE BEGS AND HE PLEADS FOR RELIEF, BUT HIS REQUESTS ARE DENIED FOR HE LEARNS THAT IT WAS HIS EARTHLY DECISION THAT KEEPS HIM ANCHORED TO THE ETERNAL REALITY OF HIS FATE.
SADLY, IT IS STILL A DESTINY THAT MANY SUFFER TO THIS DAY. THIS STORY DEPICTS A TRAGIC AND SERIOUS REALITY. THE COMING JUDGMENT IS FIXED AND PERMANENT FOR THOSE WHO REJECT GOD. THE MOMENT OF OUR DEATH WITHOUT SALVATION THROUGH JESUS CHRIST COMES THE IMMEDIATE AND PERMANENT REALITY OF RECEIVING AND ENDURING AN IRREVERSIBLE FATE.
ETERNAL TORMENT IS IN STORE FOR THOSE WHO KNOW THAT GOD EXISTS BUT HAVE MADE THE CHOICE NOT TO RESPOND TO HIM IN THIS LIFE. SUFFERING AND BEING IN CONSTANT TORMENT WILL BE SET AND FINAL. THERE WILL NOT BE ANY NEGOTIATING OR AQUITTALS. ONCE ENTERED, ONE CANNOT ESCAPE OR BE SET FREE.
THIS PARABLE IS AMONG THE MOST TRAGIC AND SERIOUS WARNINGS IN THE BIBLE. IT TELLS US THAT WE ARE TO LOVE GOD AND OTHERS AS OURSELVES. THAT REAL JOY IN THIS LIFE DOES NOT COME AT THE EXPENSE OF OTHERS.
THE RICH MAN REMAINS NAMELESS SO THAT WE CAN PLACE OURSELVES IN HIS POSITION TO ENSURE WE DO NOT LIVE OUR LIVES RECKLESSLY AND IN NEGLIGENCE OF OTHERS.
GOD BLESSES US ACCORDING TO HIS RICH MERCY AND GRACE. WE MUST NOT SQUANDER THAT GIFT ON “SELF” BUT BE FOUND GENEROUSLY INVESTING ALL WE HAVE FOR THE SAKE OF OTHERS.
THE RICH MAN’S LUXURY AND SPLENDOR WAS LUDICROUS. IN FACT, BY STATING HE WAS “DRESSED IN PURPLE AND FINE LINEN” INDICATES THAT HIS DISPLAY OF WEALTH WAS OVER THE TOP AND QUITE FLAMBOYANT. THE MAN HAD DAILY BANQUETS THAT WERE SO ELABORATE THAT WHAT WAS LEFT OVER AND THROW IN THE TRASH WAS MORE THAN ENOUGH TO PROVIDE FOR LAZARUS.
THE RICH MAN WAS NO LONGER MOVED WITH COMPASSION AS HIS DAYS WERE FILLED WITH PLEASURE AND SELF-INDULGENCE. HIS ABUNDANCE CATERED ONLY TO HIS PERSONAL PLEASURE, EVEN THOUGH HE HAD ABOVE AND BEYOND THE CAPACITY TO MAKE A TREMENDOUS DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF THOSE AROUND HIM. NO GENUINE LOVE FOR GOD. NO CARE OR CONCERN FOR HIS NEIGHBOR.
NOW…. BOTH MEN ARE DEAD AND THE TABLES ARE TURNED. THE PERSON OF ABUNDANT PRIVILEGE NOW CRIES OUT FOR JUST AN OUNCE OF PITY. HE IS FULLY AWARE THAT HE IS SEPARATED FROM GOD, IN REAL PAIN, FILLED WITH REGRET OF A LOST OPPORTUNITY TO DO THE RIGHT THING WHICH NOW CAN’T BE REVERSED.
THIS REALITY IS EXCRUCIATING AS IS THE PAIN THAT HELL IS A REALITY THAT INCREASES THAT SUFFERING. THE MAN WAS IN TORMENT. THE WORD FOR “TORMENT” IS PLURAL WHICH MEANS HIS TORMENT WAS MORE THAN JUST THE FIRE. HIS AGONY IS NOW A FULL, NON-STOP-REALITY THAT ALL HE IS NOW EXPERIENCING MENTALLY, PHYSICALLY, AND SPIRITUALLY FOR ALL ETERNITY WAS NOT ONLY SELF-INFLICTED, BUT TOTALLY PREVENTABLE.
THE MAN WHO DENIED THE BEGGAR EVEN WHAT WAS THROWN AWAY IN THE GARBAGE WAS NOW DENIED EVEN A DROP OF WATER TO ALLIEVIATE ANY HOPE OF TAKING AWAY OR CURING HIS AGONY.
THE CHOICES HE MADE ON EARTH HAVE BEEN JUDGED FAIRLY IN ETERNITY AND HE IS SERVING OUT HIS SENTENCE. THE RICH MAN IS IN HELL NOT BECAUSE OF HIS WEALTH, BUT BECAUSE HE WAS SELFISH AND WAS SO CONCERNED ABOUT “SELF” HE MADE NO ROOM FOR OTHERS AND GAVE NO TIME TO HIS NEIGHBOR.
WILLIAM BARCLAY WROTE, “THE SIN OF THE [RICH MAN] WAS THAT HE COULD LOOK ON THE WORLD’S SUFFERING AND NEED AND FEEL NO ANSWERING SWORD OF GRIEF AND PITY PIERCE HIS HEART; HE LOOKED AT A FELLOW HUMAN BEING, HUNGRY AND IN PAIN, AND DID NOTHING ABOUT IT. HIS WAS THE PUNISHMENT OF THE MAN WHO NEVER NOTICED.”
THE RICH MAN HAD IT WRONG ALL ALONG. HIS WHOLE CONCEPT OF “RICH AND POOR” WAS BACKWARDS. IN THE DAYS OF JESUS, THE PHARISEES LOOKED UPON WEALTH AS A SIGN OF FAVOR AND BLESSING FROM GOD.
TO THEM, POVERTY WAS A SIGN OF GOD’S DISFAVOR AND CURSE. THE END RESULT WAS THE SQUANDERING OF THEIR WEALTH WHILE MAKING NO ATTEMPTS TO BRIDGE THE GAP THAT SEPARATED THEM FROM THE POOR SUCH AS LAZARUS.
ONE OF THE POINTS IS CLEAR: WE MUST MAKE A CHOICE OF ACCEPTING OR REJECTING JESUS. GOD DOES NOT SEND ANYONE TO HELL. PEOPLE SEND THEMSELVES TO HELL BY CHOOSING TO REFUSE GOD’S INVITATION TO BELIEVE ON HIS SON, JESUS CHRIST.
WHEN WE STAND BEFORE GOD, HIS JUDGMENT WILL BE MADE SOLELY ON THE CHOICE WE MADE HERE ON EARTH AND THAT DECISION WILL BE IRREVERSABLE THE MOMENT OF OUR DEATH.
LEON MORRIS WROTE: “GOD HAS NO NEED OF MARIONETTES. HE PAYS US THE COMPLIMENT OF ALLOWING US TO LIVE WITHOUT HIM IF WE CHOOSE. BUT IF WE LIVE WITHOUT HIM IN THIS LIFE, THEN WE MUST ALSO LIVE WITHOUT HIM IN THE NEXT.”
THE STARK REALITY IS THAT GOD DOES NOT WANT YOU TO BE BANISHED FROM HIS PRESENCE TO PERISH AND SUFFER IN TORMENT FOR ALL ETERNITY. IT WAS NEVER GOD’S PLAN TO MAKE HELL FOR US. HE MADE HIS KINGDOM FOR US.
BILLY GRAHAM WROTE, “HELL WAS NOT PREPARED FOR MAN. GOD NEVER MEANT THAT MAN WOULD EVER GO TO HELL. HELL WAS PREPARED FOR THE DEVIL AND HIS ANGELS, BUT MAN REBELLED AGAINST GOD AND FOLLOWED THE DEVIL…HELL IS ESSENTIALLY AND BASICALLY BANISHMENT FROM THE PRESENCE OF GOD FOR DELIBERATELY REJECTING JESUS CHRIST AS LORD AND SAVIOR.”
2 PETER 3:9, TELLS US “THE LORD…IS LONGSUFFERING TOWARD US, NOT WILLING THAT ANY SHOULD PERISH BUT THAT ALL SHOULD COME TO REPENTANCE.”
THE FACT THAT GOD IS LONGSUFFERING MEANS THAT EACH OF US HAS BEEN AFFORDED SUFFICIENT OPPORTUNITIES TO HEAR AND UNDERSTAND THE GOSPEL WITH ADEQUATE TIME TO RESPOND TO THE CALL OF GOD IN OUR LIVES. THIS LIFE IS THE TIME FOR REPENTANCE; THIS WORLD IS THE PLACE FOR PREPARING OUR SOULS FOR THEIR ETERNAL DESTINY.
WHATEVER THAT RESPONSE MAY BE TO GOD’S GRACE, THE TIME WILL COME WHEN IT WILL BE OVER AND SEALED, ONCE-AND-FOR-ALL, FOR ETERNITY. THIS IS WHY THE TIME FOR RESPONDING TO GOD’S GRACE IN FAITH IS NOW WHILE YOU HAVE THE CHANCE.
OUR SOULS ARE IMMORTAL AND WE MUST REALIZE THAT EARTHLY, MORTAL DEATH DOES NOT END OUR EXISTENCE. DEATH JUST SIMPLY CHANGES THE NATURE OF OUR EXISTENCE.
NO PERSON, ONCE THEY’VE STEPPED ACROSS THE LINE MARKED BY DEATH, CAN CHANGE THEIR SPIRITUAL STATE OR PLACE OF ETERNITY. THE WORD “CHASM” IN THIS PARABLE REFERS TO AN “UNBRIDGEABLE SPACE” INDICATING A PERMANENT AND UNCHANGEABLE SITUATION.
THE QUESTION THEN REMAINS: ARE WE PREPARED TO CROSS THE THRESHOLD OF DEATH THAT LEADS INTO ETERNITY? BEING PREPARED IS REALIZING OUR SINFULNESS HAS BROKEN OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD.
IT IS KNOWING THAT WE MUST SEEK FORGIVENESS OF THOSE SINS THROUGH CONFESSION, AND TO WELCOME JESUS CHRIST INTO OUR LIFE AS SAVIOR SO HE CAN POUR OUT HIS HOLY SPIRIT UPON US TO WORK IN US TO HELP US GROW IN FAITH AND BECOME MORE LIKE HIS SON, JESUS.
MARK 8:36, “FOR WHAT SHALL IT PROFIT A MAN, IF HE SHALL GAIN THE WHOLE WORLD, AND LOSE HIS OWN SOUL?” LET US LEAVE HERE READY TO NOT ONLY LIVE TODAY, BUT TO LIVE FOR OTHERS, FOR THE SAKE OF THE GOSPEL AND TO GOD’S ULTIMATE GLORY. MOST IMPORTANTLLY, MAY WE ALL PREPARE OUR SOUL TODAY TO LIVE ETERNALLY IN GOD’S KINGDOM! IT REALLY IS OUR CHOICE!
