Some people do not believe hell exists. And, there are some who believe that everyone, including the fallen angels, will be redeemed in the end and taken to heaven. Both are in error. There is a literal hell.
Once it is established that there is a literal hell ... the question always arises, "How could a good God send anyone to hell?" Especially since God IS LOVE. He not only has love for mankind, or has the attribute of love, He IS love. Out of that love, He created humanity to know Him and have fellowship with Him. But, we must realize that He also created mankind (men and women) with a free will. We are not as animals or plants. We have an eternal spirit and a free will to choose or reject our Creator. Scripture says that HE is not willing that any should perish...but that all should come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9)
While we acknowledge that God IS love, we must also recognize that God IS holy. Unholy behavior and sin cannot enter heaven. We have magnified the LOVE of God while minimizing the HOLINESS of God. Hebrews 12:14 says, "Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord..." Obviously, since sin cannot enter heaven - there must be a place that accepts the sinner! That sound harsh, doesn't it? But, it is the truth! That place is called hell.
Hell is the eternal dwelling place for those who refuse salvation through Jesus Christ ... hell is consequence of choosing a life of sin. Can you imagine Adolf Hitler (who committed suicide after committing one of the greatest atrocities that the human race has ever seen - 6 million Jews exterminated) .... can you imagine an unrepented Hitler getting away with it and making heaven his home? NO, I can't, either. So where do the 'Hitlers' of this world spend eternity? Not heaven.
Vance Havner was questioned after he preached on hell ... "Why don't you preach to us about Jesus, meek and mild....instead of all this Hell stuff?" Havner answered: "Oh, that's interesting, that's where I got all my information on Hell from!"
If we believe what Jesus said about Heaven,
then we have to believe what He said about Hell.
Back to the question, "IS HELL CROWDED?" One verse of scripture may provide the answer for this question.
Isaiah 5:14, "Therefore hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure."
This verse in the Amplified Bible states: "Therefore Sheol (the unseen state, the realm of the dead) has enlarged its appetite and opened its mouth without measure; and [Jerusalem's] nobility and her multitude and her pomp and tumult and [the drunken reveler] who exults in her descend into it.
Hell's desire after the dead is insatiable and one of those things which are never satisfied, or have enough ... the grave welcoming and craving those who are in sin and without repentance and forgiveness.
There are no boundaries to Hell's cravings and desires. The regions of Hell are obliged to "enlarge" themselves in order to receive the lost ... those who have exercised their free will in rejecting Jesus Christ and the price He paid on the cross to save us from our sins.
Habakkuk 2:5 speaks of a proud man with an appetite that is large like that of Sheol and [his greed[ is like death and cannot be satisfied...
Is Hell Crowded? No. There is always room for one more. But you don't have to go there.
In the United States one day, in the Senate, Vice President Calvin Coolidge was the presiding officer that day, and one senator told another senator in a heated row: 'Go straight to Hell!', that's what he said. Of course there was a furore, and the offending senator along with the victim was brought into the presiding officer's office, and the two of them sat down before the desk. It seemed that Calvin Coolidge had a rulebook on the table before him, and it was as if he was flicking through the rules to see what to do, and the two of them were still at one another's throats. Then he interrupted them in the midst of their bickering, and he said: 'I've been looking through the rulebook' - and then they noticed it was the Bible - 'I've been looking through the rulebook and, gentlemen, you don't have to go there'. The rulebook teaches that you do not have to go to Hell. It is real, Jesus warns us of it, but you do not have to go there.
You do not have to go there. How do you escape Hell? Very simply:
1. Recognize that you are a sinner
2. Ask Jesus Christ to forgive your sins and wash you clean by the blood of Calvary
3. Turn from your sins - and walk in holiness with the Lord
If you need help making the conversion from sinner to saint .... then sincerely pray the following prayer.
"Dear God,
I know I’m a sinner, and I ask for your forgiveness.
I believe Jesus Christ is Your Son. I believe that He died
for my sin and that you raised Him to life.
I want to trust Him as my Savior and follow Him as Lord,
from this day forward. Guide my life and help me to do your will.
I pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen."
Did you pray this prayer?
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