Hell

Today's subject is a bit complicated. Bear with me.


I no longer want to use the phrase, 'Go to Hell' on anyone. Indeed, if you believe in Heaven, then you must also believe in Hell. If you believe in the wonder and beauty of Heaven, then you must also believe that the pit of eternal damnation exists for Satan and his suckers.

A visionary's description of Hell scares the crap out of me. Apparently, there are even people who preached the Word of God there. That was thought provoking for me. I mean, I heard the narrative of the burning pits, the burning people, the tormented remnants of what used to be people but all I really picked up was the fact that supposedly holy people were there too. Wow.

Does a Christian go to Hell? In my opinion, just because you claim to be a Christian, doesn't mean you won't die and wake up an find yourself in Hell. Just because you're a preacher, doesn't mean you won't end up there either.

Our Lord Jesus knows the truth about our hearts. You can run from Man but you cannot hide from the Son of Man. You cannot hide from God. What if you claim to be a man of God, spout scripture but you commit terrible sins behind everyone's back, including what you think is God's back? Would you still make it to the Pearly Gates? I doubt.

I'm not a theologian but as a layman, this is what I think. Should I believe that grace alone saves us all? No. It's a nice thought but no. I believe Jesus died so that we may live and God also gave us the will to choose or reject His Son as our Saviour AND THEN live a life as He wanted us to live as a Christian. If we claim to be Christians and yet live a life of sin, then all the more we'll be damned to Hell. I feel certain that if a human exists who knows not about Christ and lives a good life, he or she will not face the wrath of God as much as a Christian who knew Christ and yet rejected Him.

So will there be non-Christians in Heaven? Probably, but that is not to say that you, a non-Christian, who has heard and rejected Christ, will be saved just because you have lived a 'good' life. The point is while you lived on earth, you 'rejected Him'. Rejected Him. Rejected Him. Rejected Him.

So put it simply, how do we secure a place in Heaven?

John 14:6 "Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."



We must believe in Jesus Christ. We must accept Him as our Saviour and then, we must turn over a new leaf and live a life pleasing to Him. There are no two ways about it. If your life is not pleasing to Him, then how are you living the way, the truth and the life of Jesus?

Believe me, when I tell you all this, I am reminding myself. It is SO DIFFICULT to be a good Christian. It is way easier to live a life of sin, is it not? It is so much easier to say, 'To heck with it! Life is short. I'm leading my life the way I want to. Even if it doesn't please God'.  You are not alone. I struggle with it all the time. But prayer is a good weapon. Keep praying to keep yourself on your toes.

Satan sends his soldiers out to lead us into temptation all the time and yet so few of us have this awareness. If only we were more aware of the presence of evil, then we would be able to ward it off with the love of God. May I remind you once again that Satan does not need look like something out of a Halloween horror movie. They walk invisible, tempting us, every which way we turn. They delight in our despair, they delight in our darkness, they delight in our downfall. They despise our closeness to God. They abhor it and we are the ones they want. That alone should speak something to you about the Glory of God.

Therefore, hold on to your prayers. Talk constantly with God. Ask Him to protect you. To empower you so that you may not fall into sin. So that He may lead you out of temptation. I never knew how to do this. Growing up in Catholic schools, I learnt prayers by rote. It is a good thing for a beginner. Jesus himself taught us to say the Lord's Prayer. But as we grow, we should go beyond rote and really pray with understanding.

Before LISS, I'd never felt the compulsion to have conversations with God. I learnt that God listens. Jesus listens. Holy Spirit listens. If only we would speak from our hearts. Try it. You don't need to have fancy prayers. You don't need perfect English. Just speak as though you would a friend and tell Him your weaknesses, tell Him your needs. Ask Him to strengthen you so that you may be able to handle your trials. Ask Him for protection against the evil one. Then you yourself would have to try your best to stay on track to do what's pleasing to God. Read the Bible. Understand what your read. Practise what you understand. Listen or Sing praise and worship songs. Spend time doing wholesome activities. Live life the way He would want of you.

If we stay on this path, we cannot stray far and at the end of our journey, the awesomeness of God will let us know that it was all worth it. Hey, as I said in my previous post, dogs in Heaven. How awesome is that?