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Hell And Arrogance

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Categories: Church of Christ Bulletin Articles

The most effective way to encourage people not to take something seriously, is to trivialize it. In recent decades, such has been done not only with Satan, but with the eternal domain which the Bible terms “hell.” It’s unfortunate, but this word has been introduced into everyday conversation and used so frequently, that it has just about lost all meaning. While it is still used today to indicate an eternal punishment (Matthew 25:46), it is also used in ways to indicate the exact opposite.

According to a 2001 Gallup poll, seventy-one percent of the public believe in hell. Unfortunately, it is not causing significant positive changes in people’s behavior. This percentage is high now, but without any emphasis from pulpits across the land, how long will it take for that number to fall significantly? With people preferring entertainment to the Scriptures, ignorance will soon prevail, which always proves fatal (cf. Hosea 4:6).

In churches across America, hell is being frozen out as preachers find themselves increasingly hesitant to present sermons on this “sensitive” subject. Hell’s fall from fashion indicates how key portions of Christian theology have been influenced by a secular society that stresses individualism over authority and the human psyche over moral absolutes. Our culture is influencing Christianity rather than being influenced by it.

The generation that grew up defying authority (police, teachers, and parents), is now defying God. Apparently, they think that since they could treat other authority figures in such a manner without consequence, God will also tolerate their insolence and forego holding them accountable, but they are in error! (Matthew 22:29 KJV). No amount of rhetoric or human ingenuity will be able to circumvent the judgment (Romans 14:11-12).

Satan must be applauding those who imagine they are stronger than the Creator. The father of lies (John 8:44) is an “expert” at getting people to believe his fantasies — perhaps because he tells them what they really want to hear in the first place (cf. Isaiah 30:8-10).

Have we ever wondered that if the mere mention of hell is too negative, what will being sent there be like? On the day of judgment, how will God view those who arrogantly whine, “You can’t send us to hell — it’s too negative there.” How pompous is that statement!

Folks, God’s truth does not change simply because people dislike it. Obviously, these “positive only” people are deluded into believing that concentrating on positive thoughts will cause hell to cease to exist. How many who disregarded Noah’s preaching as too negative avoided drowning? How many remaining in the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah escaped the negative fire and brimstone God cast down upon those wicked cities? (Genesis 19:24).

No one had to believe Noah’s negative preaching for it to be true. No one needed to regard Lot’s warning for it to be fulfilled. If the whole world mocks the doctrine of hell, their attitude will not prevent even one soul from abiding there eternally. Truth has never required anyone’s “approval” in order to be valid.

It is understandable that religious denominations are trying to appeal to people for membership; but Jesus did not design His church to see how many people He could “coax” into it. In fact, He plainly stated that the majority of people are going to be lost (Matthew 7:13-14).

If people are not motivated by love to obey Him and by fear of hell to despise Satan, presenting 15-minute messages full of positive pabulum, followed by a drama group and a rock band, is not going to inspire anyone to take up his cross and follow Him (Matthew 16:24; Luke 24:27). The Hebrew writer never wrote: “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, or you will miss your weekly entertainment” (cf. Hebrews 10:25).

Some bleeding hearts reject hell, because it seems too cruel and inconsistent for the character of a loving Being. They question whether a merciful God would be so cruel as to condemn an individual to an eternity in the fires of hell.

We need to understand that sin offends the holy nature of God. He cannot fellowship one who is evil (cf. 2 Corinthians 6:14-18). He does tolerate the existence of evil for the time being, but He never fellowships it (Acts 17:29-30; Habakkuk 1:13; James 1:13-14), and will not tolerate it in eternity (Revelation 21:8; Revelation 21:27).

When we sin, we deserve to be separated from God (Isaiah 59:1-2; Romans 6:23). The question is, How badly do we want salvation — enough to come humbly before God begging for the forgiveness of our sins? (Luke 18:13).

How arrogant for the creature to say to the Creator: “We know more than You do on this matter. We do not think we are bad enough to deserve hell, and You cannot send us there!” Who do we think we are? Just as Satan convinced Eve that God was holding back something from them that they deserved to have, so we have fallen prey to thinking that God cannot help giving us eternal life because we deserve it. Folks, by law, God is not required to grant entitlements (Proverbs 24:12; Romans 2:1-6; 2 Corinthians 5:10).

If we fully understand God, we will not be so arrogant as to call Him cruel. Our God is a loving God, demonstrated by the sending of Jesus to endure real cruelty so that we could be saved from sin (John 3:16-17; Romans 5:6-10; Ephesians 1:7).

Dear reader, we hate ourselves if we fail to take advantage of God’s love and grace. Hell is the absence of God, goodness, holiness, and love. When people prefer ungodliness to the beauties of heaven, they have only themselves to blame — not God.

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