Matthew 13:49 So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, 50 And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

The doctrine of hell is one of the most neglected doctrines in all of Scripture. When hell is mentioned today, it is generally ridiculed, as if the whole idea of hell were so old-fashioned that only the naive and ignorant would really believe that such a place actually exists. Natural men hate the idea of being held accountable for their lives to a holy God, because they love sin and do not wish to part with it. The carnal mind throws up objection after objection to the idea of hell because it does not want to face the reality of it. Men live their lives thinking that maybe if they ignore a difficulty long enough, it will go away. Even religious leaders are now attacking hell. Let men do what they will; the objections of the foolish will not do away with hell.
He who is the essence of infinite love- describes “Hell” the place of punishment

THE NECESSITY OF A PLACE CALLED HELL

Why is there a Hell?

A. Hell is a place where God will deal righteously with the devil
John 8:44 The Devil, was a murderer from the beginning and has always hated the truth. There is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies.
Matthew 25:41 Everlasting fire was prepared for the devil and his angels:

B. Hell is where God will deal righteously with the dammed
John 5:29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.
Hell was created for the Devil and his angels. When man fell, he also became subject to eternal judgment; thus, the wicked went also to hell.

1. Triune God wants no one to go to Hell
2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is long suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

2. The devil wants everyone to go to Hell
John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

3. Man will sentence himself to hell
2 Thess. 1:7 When the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, 8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: 9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; Matthew 25:41 Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels

THE NATURE OF A PLACE CALLED HELL

What will Hell be like?

A sinners endless torments in hell is described:

1. A place filled with unimaginable fear
Repeatedly Jesus spoke of outer darkness, where there will be wailing, weeping, and gnashing of teeth. This gnashing of teeth- demon possessed – Mark 9:18 And whenever this evil spirit seizes him, it throws him violently to the ground and makes him foam at the mouth and grind his teeth and become rigid.

2. A place filled with unquenchable fire
Jesus associates hell with “fire” as “hell fire.” In Mark 9:46 and 48 hell is described as a place where the fire is not quenched.” Jesus describes hell as a furnace: cast them into the furnace of fire: The Book of Revelation describes hell as “a lake of fire burning with brimstone” (Rev. 19:20)

3. A place filled with intolerable filth
In Mark 9:46 Jesus described hell as a place where “their worm does not die
In the time of Jesus the Valley of Hinnom was used as the garbage dump of Jerusalem. Into it were thrown all the filth and garbage of the city, including the dead bodies of animals and executed criminals. To consume all this, fires burned constantly. Maggots worked in the filth. When the wind blew from that direction over the city, its awfulness was quite evident. At night wild dogs howled as they fought over the garbage.

Jesus used this awful scene as a symbol of hell. In effect he said, “Do you want to know what hell is like? Look at Gehenna.” So hell may be described as God’s “cosmic garbage dump.” All that is unfit for heaven will be thrown into hell.

Because of the symbolic nature of the language, some people question whether hell consists of actual fear, fire and filth. The reality is greater than the symbol. The Bible exhausts human language in describing heaven and hell. The former is more glorious, and the latter more terrible, than language can express.

The sinners eternal time in hell is described:

The most terrifying aspect of all about hell is its length or duration. Hell is eternal. Hell will last forever. Can you comprehend eternity? No mathematical equation or formula can explain it. Your mind cannot conceive of eternity, but it is nonetheless real. This aspect of hell alone should cause men to cry out in repentance.

Revelation 20:10 “shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.”

What could communicate the duration of hell better than the expression “forever and ever?”
Charles Haddon Spurgeon said: “In hell there is no hope. The dammed have not even the hope of dying–the hope of being annihilated. They are forever–forever–forever lost! On every chain in hell, there is written “forever”. In the fires there, blaze out the words, “forever”. Above their heads, they read, “forever”. Their eyes are galled and their hearts are pained with the thought that it is “forever”.
Christopher Love says “This is man’s misery in hell, he shall be in no more hope of coming out after he hath been there millions of years, then he was when he was first cast in there; for his torments shall be to eternity, without end, because the God that damns him is eternal- “Everlasting punishment” (2 Thess. 1:9) involves banishment from the presence of God and Christ forever—a fate made vivid by the image of eternal fire (Rev. 19:20; 21:8).

THE NEED BECAUSE OF A PLACE CALLED HELL

A. We need a new name to be printed in the book of Life
Revelation 20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
God gives the new name: Isa. 62:2, Rev.2: 17, Rev. 3:12
How God gives the new name: John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

B. We need the new nature that was purchased by the blood of the Lamb
When a man is born again God gives him a new nature after his likeness:
Ephesians 4:24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

This new nature is the product of the new birth and results in a new creation. The new man is created after God and in the family likeness of God. The brand new man is known by the Christlikeness exhibited day by day in living out the new life. Righteousness refers to his new conduct toward his fellowmen. Holiness refers to his new conduct towards God. These two are the essential qualities and the evidence of the new man in Christ.

Colossians 3:9 You have stripped off your old evil nature and all its wicked deeds. 10 In its place you have clothed yourselves with a brand-new nature that is continually being renewed as you learn more and more about Christ, who created this new nature within you.

1. The new nature has a reverential fear of God and his Word
Matthew 10:28 And fear not them, which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him, which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

2. The new nature has a righteous fear of Sin and its wickedness
I would not have you to be more afraid of hell than of sin. Sin is your real enemy. Sin is worse than hell because sin gave birth to hell.
“If your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out, and throw it from you. It is better for you to enter life with one eye, than having two eyes, to be cast into the fiery hell” (Matthew 18:9).

Conclusion:
Hell is a real place with real punishment & pain- We hope this horror convince you that you don’t want to go there.

Contributor: Mark Ainsworth