What is Hell?

SaintMarco said:

The whole point in punishment is that you learn something from it. How can you learn anything by being tortured for all eternity, except "I wish i'd accepted Christ, too late now, I'm screwed".

Click to expand...

SaintMarco said:

Nobody should have to choose God merely because they are afraid of Him.

God gave us free will, what's the point in having it if we will go to Hell for using it? The fear of Hell means we don't really have a choice at all, do we?

Is God really so cruel that he says "follow me or you will face eternal torment"?

It's God we're talking about, not Saddam Hussein.

Click to expand...

It's not really "turn or burn" like you seem to think. If I tell a child he can put his hand on the stove, but he will get burned, he still has the freedom of choice to either do what's best for himself, or something that will hurt him. And what's best for us is a relationship with God.

God has set up a penalty for the violation of his law. "The soul that sins shall die." "The wages of sin is death."

Each person has sinned.

God's law enforcement policy shall operate upon the non-believing sinner up if he doesn't have faith that it operated upon Christ in his place. There is a punishment for sin. A sentence imposed upon the infractor.

The penalty is no less infinite than the judge who established the law enforcement policy and renders the punishment.

This is what the Bible says, you either believe it or not. But if you don't believe in a penalty for sin, God will render it upon you.

I don't know if hell is burning fire. I think it is more of a place without God.

mnmcandiez said:

I don't know if hell is burning fire. I think it is more of a place without God.

Click to expand...

Yes. But it is important to recognize that this divorce is imposed as an infinite penalty for the violation of God's law. Not all who wish to be united to God will be (for example, Muslims will not be) but only those who trust that Christ took the punishment for their sin on the cross.

Immortality

"To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life" (Rom. 2:7). [We could not seek for immortality if we already had it.]
"Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting" (1 Tim. 6:16). [God is here declared to be the only one who has immortality.]
"But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel" (2 Tim. 1:10). [If we already have immortality, Jesus did not bring it to light.]

The Wicked to Be Reduced to Ashes

"I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire." "Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee" (Ezek. 28:16, 18).

"And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the LORD of hosts" (Mal. 4:3).

"And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly" (2 Pet. 2:6).

The punishment for sin involves eternal conscious suffering. God does not simply leave the non-believing sinner in oblivion, he raises them and judges them.

Sodom and Gomorrha an Example of Hell Fire

"For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment." "And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly" (2 Pet. 2:4, 6).

"And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire" (Jude 6, 7).

[Sodom and Gomorrha are used as an example of what the great white throne judgment and the lake of fire will be like. Eternal fire reduced them to ashes.]

SaintMarco said:

I often think about Hell and wonder what it is. The bible claims that in Hell you are burned permanentely over a scalding fire. I can't image that, as the pain would just be too unbearable to take.

I wonder if this is true...

Perhaps Hell is a terrible state of mind and not a place where you endure physical pain?

Click to expand...

YEs it is and its is on earth !!! . Come to middle east in July or August [ Specially during the humid days] when the temeprature is 56*C in the shade and you will get the taste of hell.

SaintMarco said:

I do not believe that God is so cruel as to send people to an eternal torment. ...

Click to expand...

Hell is going to be awful, just hideous and dreadful. Eternal justice with no way out.

That is why God is being very very patient, giving folks an opportunity to repent through the gospel message YOU are to give to them.

2 Peter 3:9 NIV
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

So go and tell people the good news of the gospel:


John 5:24

24"I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.


This is the only way to avoid condemnation- Jesus Christ. You dont want someone on the day of judgement to turn and say to you 'Why didnt you tell me' as they are sent to just torment?

color coded for the slow

"And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire" (Jude 6, 7).

And just what does eternal fire do? What is the example God wants us to see?

"And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly" (2 Pet. 2:4, 6).