By Tope Banso
“If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire” (Matthew 18:8-9 New King James Version).
Hell is real though these days it appears more people are living in denial of it. Many don’t believe its existence. Sometimes, because of their disappointment at the behavior of some Christians, preachers inclusive, many wonder if Christians actually believe the existence of hell they’ve so much preached about.
They’re asking that If we actually believe there is hell fire, why are we doing what will take us there? Why are we not running away from sins that will qualify us for hell fire?
Hell is such a very terrible place that Jesus said in the scripture above we should take drastic actions and do away with whatever (and whoever) is dear to us, just like the parts of our body, that will cause us to sin, and lead us to hell fire. That’s the meaning of what he said in Matthew 18:8-9, 5:29-30 and Mark 9:42-49. He wasn’t talking about literally cutting off your hands or legs or removing your eyes.
You must avoid living your life as if hell fire is a literary creation or fiction or a figment of preachers’ imagination. You must not follow those who argue that the loving God can’t be so wicked to send to hell fire human beings that He created in His own image.
But the mistake they make is that God doesn’t send anyone to hell; people go there by their choice! God didn’t make hell for man; He made it for the devil and the fallen angels (Matthew 25:41). God has placed before you life and death and has asked you to choose what you want (Deuteronomy 30:15, 19; Jeremiah 21:8). Will you choose life or hell?
Features of Hell
1. Hell is a place where their worm (maggot) does not die and the fire is not quenched (Mark 9:42-49; Isaiah 66:24).
2. Hell is a place of perpetual torment (Revelation 20:10).
3. Hell is a place of darkness, wailing, weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 8:12, 13:41-42, 22:13, 24:48-51, 25:30; Luke 13:27-29).
Why should anyone choose to go to hell? For those who believe that they’ll only believe there is hell when they see it, I pity them. It will be too late then to avert going there. It is only your decision here on earth that can make you avert hell, not when you see it.
“But suppose after l die and leave this earth l find out there is no hell,” someone asked. Then you wouldn’t have lost anything. It’s safer to discover later there is no hell than to find yourself standing at the gate of hell being welcomed in. You would have lost everything! But the truth is HELL IS REAL!
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16 NKJV). So simple! Why should anyone reject this simple offer of God and go to hell? Hell is real!
●Banso, an Abuja-based minister can be reached via cedarministryng@gmail.com; on Tel No: +2348155744752, +2348033113523; and on
WhatsApp No: +2349081295947