Q: Is hell real?

Q: Is hell real?

A: The Bible is filled with references to a literal hell and a literal lake of fire. It’s very real. Here is a list of scriptures that can be of help as you study the subject:

Deuteronomy 32:22
Job 26:6
Psalm 9:17
Ezekiel 32:27
Matthew 16:18; 18:9
Luke 16:23
Acts 2:27; 2:31
2 Peter 2:4
Revelation 1:18; 19:20; 20:10, 13-15

The Bible makes it clear, hell was never intended for mankind. It was created for the devil and his angels: “Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons’” (Matthew 25:41).

The only reason man can be subject to hell is if he has taken the devil as his lord.

This happened in Adam, who by an act of his own free will, chose the devil when he ate the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

With that act of disobedience, he changed who was lord of his life and he died spiritually.

All of Adam’s descendants (excluding Jesus) were born into this world having a sin nature (Romans 5:12-14).

Due to our sin nature, Satan doesn’t have to give any effort to persuade us from serving God. That comes naturally.

What he puts his energies into is deceiving our minds from ever receiving the gospel message of salvation through Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 4:4).

Jesus made a way out. Jesus went into the region of the damned and spent three days and nights there to pay the sacrifice required to free all of mankind from the penalty of sin (Matthew 12:40; Ephesians 4:8-9).

Then He took the keys of hell, death and the grave, and literally made a show of Satan in his own domain, stripping him of his authority over mankind (1 Corinthians 15:55-57; Colossians 2:15; Revelation 1:18).

The price for your sins and for all the sins of the world has been paid in full. Now mankind can be restored to the direct access and relationship with God Adam severed through disobedience.

What it comes down to is a choice. When a person chooses to receive Jesus as Lord of their life, they become a brand new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Being born again in the image of God is the choice that replaces the sin nature with God’s nature once again and assures us that we will spend eternity in heaven with Him.

It is not God’s will for anyone to go to hell, but people will only go as a result of their own free will by refusing to accept Jesus into their lives.

Send your questions today, and I will reply you by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit within me.

+2348126401351

Thank you.

Coming shortly...

Are there times when abortion is the right option?

Q: Are there times when abortion is the right option?

A: Many Christians are clear on the immorality of choosing abortion as a means of birth control.

A structured survey in 2004 reported that the top reasons given by 1,209 abortion patients for choosing to have an abortion were that:

(1) having a child would interfere with a woman’s education, work or ability to care for dependents, (2) she could not afford a baby now, or (3) she did not want to be a single mother or was having relationship problems.

But what about such situations as rape, incest or a possible threat to the life of the mother? To answer if there is a situation for which abortion is the right option, let’s begin with a fundamental biblical teaching.

Throughout the Scriptures the value of every human life is clearly established. For example, God’s Word declares that many are set apart to God for ministry even while in their mother’s womb (Jeremiah 1:5 and Galatians 1:15).

Psalm 139 indicates that God knows each person before their body ever takes shape, and He has a plan for their life.

“For you formed my inmost being. You knit me together in my mother’s womb.... I am fearfully and wonderfully made....

My frame wasn’t hidden from you, when I was made in secret, woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my body.

In your book they were all written, the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there were none of them. How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them” (verses 13-17)!

As the author of life, God considers an unborn child to be an eternal being from the moment of its conception.

To deliberately destroy that life before birth would be as much premeditated murder as taking the life of any other innocent person.

In His great love, God Himself urges us to choose life for ourselves and our children (Deuteronomy 30:19).

In the natural, the decision to choose life can seem more difficult in cases such as those involving rape or incest.

Despite the circumstances, God has a plan for the unborn child. If the mother will value the life of the child, God can empower her or adoptive parents to raise the baby in the nurture and admonition of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4).

Another concern once frequently voiced was threat to the life of the mother. But that has been almost completely alleviated through modern medicine.

Choosing life is not always easy or convenient, but it is always the best path to take. As believers we can have faith in God’s love for us and His faithfulness to do what He's promised.

Send your questions today, and I will reply you by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit within me.

+2348126401351

Thank you.