Mark 9:49 Everyone will be salted with fire.
I recently watched an animated version of the classical poem Dante’s Inferno. It depicted all of the excesses of medieval man’s imagery of hell. Souls were tormented and demons were diabolically cruel. The sign above the gates of hell told the whole story: “Abandon Hope All Ye Who Enter Here.”
These days, not many people believe in hell. They see it as an invention of religious fanatics who used it to control society, especially when the Church seemed to be all powerful during the Middle Ages. Post modern people reject such a notion, after all, why would a loving, creative, and gracious God permit such a hateful, destructive, and cruel place to exist?
The problem about hell for me is this: Christ believed it existed and He willingly died for us in order to save us from hell. If I deny hell’s existence, then I reject Christ’s beliefs. If I reject what Jesus said, then how can I be sure of my salvation? As usual, there’s no compromise. Either Christ told the truth or He lied.
Holy Week sees the end of Lent and the beginning of Christ’s passion (suffering) for the world. At the end of the week, He overcomes sin and death, and even hell. Hope is not abandoned, but it abounds. In Jesus, we can have the joy of salvation and the promise of heaven, but only if we accept Him as our One True and Only Savior.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, not one of us is comfortable with the existence of hell. We want to cast it aside and think about something pleasant. However, hell was real to You, so who are we to question Your words and ways, Your message and truth. Teach us this week that You can save us from hell and restore us to heaven. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.
John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville , Tennessee
Today’s image is one of John’s 2010 Holy Week drawings. It’s called “Bloody Sunset” and depicts Christ on the Cross outside of the walls of Jerusalem
No comments:
Post a Comment