Today I would like to talk to you about hell. First, we will see what hell is, according to the Bible. Then I will present the 5 most common misconceptions about hell and what it surely is not. I pray that those of you who are in Christ, would appreciate more the beautiful act of infinite mercy and grace that God showed by saving you. For those who are today condemned and heading towards eternal damnation, I hope this message would become a call to seek God’s forgiveness through Jesus Christ, the only one who has the power to save you. I love you all and I do not want you to head for destruction and to end up in hell. But before we dive into the details, let us consider why people are condemned. We read in the gospel message today, that:

“And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.”     Gospel of John 3:19

When I do gardening I frequently have to mix various composts in a large pot to create the perfect potting mix for my plants. One day when I was doing that, I discovered that a moth had made herself a shelter in one of the bags. Moths hate the light. When she ended up in the pot, she was tormented by being exposed by the light of the day. She tried desperately to hide herself, but there was no hiding and she was unsuccessful. One could only watch how she was struggling and unable to find peace being blindfolded by the overwhelming brightness.

Moths are very interesting creatures, which I think make a very good illustration to today’s gospel text. Have you seen a moth at night? Despite hating light, she is strangely seduced by it. She will come to all sorts of light sources. As if a strange force was bringing her to that which she hates.

Satan is the biggest deceiver of all times. The greatest lie is put in the hearts of unbelievers, who deceive themselves into a misconception of the reality of hell. They think that hell will be some sort of a massive party of likeminded, God hating, lustful, sin-loving fellows, where Satan will be strolling around his gang of followers giving them high fives and everyone will indulge themselves in the sins they always loved. This is a LIE. Make no mistake, there is no joy in hell. Today, I want to kick down this falsified illusion and see what hell is like in the light of the Word of God.

What hell is?

Hell is the inevitable destiny of the devil and of all the people who are condemned. It is the expression of God’s anger which is rightly kindled by their sins. God’s righteousness demands that His anger falls upon all who disobey the commandments of the Creator. Let us take a look at the verse of the Bible in which hell appears for the first time:

“For a fire is kindled in mine anger, and shall burn unto the lowest hell, and shall consume the earth with her increase, and set on fire the foundations of the mountains.” Deut. 32:22

Hell is the place where all the darkness is inevitably destined. The book of Revelations speaks about the lake of fire in which the devil will end.

“But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” Rev. 21:8

“The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.” Ps. 9:17

What hell is not?

1) A Hiding place from God.

One may think that darkness is a hiding place from God. Yet the Bible teaches us that God is everywhere, even in hell.

“If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.” Ps. 139:8

Those who end up in hell will be like that moth, who can find no peace in the brightness of light. All sins will be exposed in hell, brought to daylight every single moment. It will be like standing naked in the burning fire of God’s eyes. “For our God is a consuming fire.” Hbr. 12:29

“Hell is naked before him, and destruction hath no covering.” Job 26:6

Destruction had no covering. There is nowhere to hide in hell.

2) A place where everyone is indulged in the joy of their sinful activities.

Another blatant lie of Satan is that if you love your sin in this lifetime on earth, hell will simply be eternity of doing the same thing. The Bible is clear that it is not so. Hell is a place of torment.

“And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.” Rev. 20:10

The sins in which you enjoy yourself will become the source of pain and torment in the eternity if you do not turn to God seeking His forgiveness.

3) Community of likeminded sinful souls.

There is no community in hell. You suffer on your own. When you go to hell, you perish for all the eternity. You are on your own. Devils work is not to gather, but to disperse.

“The thief cometh not, but to steal, to kill, and to destroy. […]” J. 10:10

“He that is not with me is against me: and he that gathereth not with me scattereth.” Lk. 11:23

Scattering is the opposite of gathering. There is no friendly community of lost souls in hell. You are scattered. You are alone.

4) you WILL BE respected for your rebellion to God.

Some people seem to make the impression they think they will find the best companion ever in the presence of Satan. So let me ask you this, how would you find a friend who constantly lies to you? Remember that the devil is a liar from the beginning.

He is the adversary, he is your enemy. He is the one who will put his finger towards you with all sorts of accusations against you. He is the one who wants to destroy you. He HATES you.

This is what awaits you in hell. Lies, hatred, evil. Infinite torment. And well justified!

5) A place where you can still obtain God’s mercy.

Perhaps the biggest illusion is this thought that you can obtain God’s mercy anytime: “I will wait and see if there is any fun in hell and if I do not like it, I will call to God, please save me and he will take me from there. God is merciful, right?”

Not to those who are in hell. For them it is too late. It is an eternal punishment. There is no repentance in hell and there is no mercy in hell. Remember the parable of Lazarus and rich man, who can find no comfort despite crying out to heavens for a bit of relief from his torments.

Luke 16:23-26

Remember the Bible tells us that now is the time of your salvation. Now is the time to turn to God. See how merciful God is giving you so many opportunities in your life to turn to Him? But that will not last. One day, one breath will be your last. All this will be over.

“Let death seize upon them, and let them go down quick into hell: for wickedness is in their dwellings, and among them.” Ps. 55:15

If you love darkness and hate light today, this verse is all about you. The reality of hell is wide open before you. What will you do about it? The gospel message we read tells us you are condemned. But you are still alive! And while you are here, God is showing you mercy. Do you hear his calling?

Let me remind you, that God is ready to accept you as you are. He is willing to accept you with all your sins, with all your darkness. This is how much He loves you. “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.” 1 Tm. 1:15

Oh you poor, lost soul, who had been so deceived by the lies of the devil. Why will you not come to Him who can heal your wounds and save you?

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16

Do you believe that? Do you believe that Jesus died for your sins? That He suffered for you? Do you know that He rose from the dead? He is the victor over sin and death. The only thing that keeps you in darkness is your unbelief. Do not be deceived. Leave the darkness and come to see the glory of Christ in the kingdom of heaven. Trust in the Savior Jesus Christ. Come to Him, now.