Sermon on Eschatology | Why I Want to Go to Hell

Why I Want to Go to Hell

Why I Want to Go to Hell

If there is no hell, we should live as we please. “If the dead do not rise, let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!” (1 Cor. 15:32). If there is no resurrection, no afterlife we are foolish to live as Christians–There is no need to concern ourselves with righteous living if there is no hell.

If there is a hell, we need to chart a course which will keep us far from hell. We need to be sure that we are walking the narrow way which leads to life (Matt. 7:14). We need to be sure that we obey the Gospel, for when Jesus is revealed, he will execute vengeance on those who do not obey the Gospel (2 Thess. 1:8).

As hell is described in Scripture, it is a horrible place.

Hell is a place of torment

The rich man was in torment when he saw Abraham and Lazarus in his bosom (Lk. 16:23). Hell is a place of fire—At the end, the wicked will be cast into the “furnace of fire” (Matt. 13:50).

Hell is an eternal place.

Jesus said that the wicked would go “away into everlasting punishment” (Matt. 25:46). There is no way of escaping from hell—It is eternal. In Dante’s Divine Comedy, the inscription above hell read, “Abandon all hope ye who enter here.” Hell is a place without hope because it is eternal.

Hell is a place of pain.

Hell is described as a place of weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matt. 8:12)—That is a picture of individuals in pain.

Hell is a place of no rest

Those in hell have no rest day or night (Rev. 14:11).

Hell is a place of remembrance.

The rich man could remember how he had good things and Lazarus evil things (Lk. 16:25). Throughout eternity, those in hell will remember their lives. You will remember all the invitation hymns you heard. You will remember all the admonitions to do right.

Yet, that is only part of the picture—Hell can be a very good place.

We will discuss hell and little differently this morning than we have in the past. We usually beg people to obey the gospel, be saved, be faithful, and to go to heaven. However, many have no intentions of doing this. The majority will go through the wide gate and the broad way (Matt. 7:13).

This morning, we are going to give sound reasons for going to hell:

No Unbelievers Will be in Hell

Those who do not believe in this life will be lost. Whoever believes in Jesus will be saved (Jn. 3:16)—This implies that the one who does not believe will be condemned. The one who does not believe in Jesus will die in his sins (Jn. 8:24).

Although those who disbelieve in this life will be in hell, they will not be unbelievers in hell—They will believe. When Jesus returns, every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (Phil. 2:11). In order for the mouth to confess something, the mind has to conceive it as the truth. When all confess faith in Christ, everyone’s mind will acknowledge that he is the Lord. Even the demons believe (Js. 2:19)—If even the demons believe, surely those with souls will believe in hell.

It Requires No Effort at All to Get There

We generally think of horrible people going to hell (child molesters, murderers, and rapist, and they do!).

Yet, there is a much easier way to get to hell—Do nothing. “To him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin” (Js. 4:17). There are many things we know we need to be doing: Talking with friends about Jesus, worshipping regularly, and giving of our means. Yet, do nothing and you will go to hell. Matthew 25:41-45—If we want to go to hell, we can just turn a deaf ear to those who need us and do nothing. In the Parable of the Talents, the man with one talent was lost because he did nothing (Matt. 25:24-30).

Someone has rightly said, “The road to hell was paved with good intentions.” We might intend to do any number of good works, but never get around to them. You might intend to be baptized and become a Christian. You might intend to get rid of some favorite sin. If we do nothing at all, we can go to hell.

You Can Associate Freely with Bad Company There

In this life, evil company can corrupt. “Evil company corrupts good habits” (1 Cor. 15:33). Scripture contains examples of those who were corrupted by evil company. When Solomon was old, his pagan wives turned away his heart from God (1 Ki. 11:4). Ahab sold himself to do wickedness, because Jezebel his wife “stirred him up” (1 Ki. 21:25).

In hell, it won’t matter with whom you associate; you will all be lost.

In fact, you will be able to associate with some well-known people. You can ask Judas why he killed himself instead of turning back to Jesus. You can associate with an endless list of well-known individuals.

You Won’t Have the Constant Watchful Eye of God Over You

In this life, God watches over us and knows what we do. No one can hide himself in a secret place so that God will not see him (Jer. 23:23-24). When Jesus met the Samaritan woman at the well, he knew she had been married five times (Jn. 4:18).

But God will not be in hell. Those who are lost will be punished “from the presence of the Lord” (2 Thess. 1:9). You can do whatever you want in hell—God won’t see it.

You Won’t Be Expected to Attend Bible Study or Worship

Some become agitated that we discuss the importance of Bible study and worship. In this life, Bible study and worship are vitally important. God has commanded that we come together (Heb. 10:25).

But, in hell, you won’t be expected to attend Bible study or worship—ever!

You Won’t Be Expected to Give of Your Possessions

God has commanded that we give of our means (1 Cor. 16:2). Some people don’t like the idea of God expecting them to give of their possessions. I’ve heard people say, “If the preacher preaches on giving, I’m leaving”—In order to be biblical, the preacher must preach on giving.

Yet, in hell you won’t be expected to give of your possessions—you won’t have any! The rich man had nothing in hell (Lk. 16:19-31). The rich fool had so much that he was going to take life easy, but his life was demanded of him. God asked, “Then whose will those things be?” (Lk. 12:13-21).

Purity and Goodness Will Not Be Expected of You

In this life, we are expected to be pure and good. Because God is holy, we are to be holy in all our conduct (l Pet. 1:15). Timothy was to keep himself pure (1 Tim. 5:22).

Yet, in hell, there will be no need to be pure.

There Will Be No Elders, Preachers, and Church Members Nagging You to Be Faithful to the Lord

Some individuals resent being encouraged to be faithful to the Lord. If you resent being encouraged to be faithful, hell is just the place for you. There will be no encouragement to do right in hell.

This is not to say that there will be no elders, preachers, and church members in hell. But they will not have the time or reason to bother you.

No One Will Ever Ask for Your Help

In hell, there will be no one calling you to Christian service. You won’t be asked to teach a class. You won’t be asked to evangelize.

In hell, you can sit back and do nothing.

There Will be No Worry Over Judgment

Judgment Day is coming! Jesus is going to return to this earth to judge the living and the dead. God has appointed a day on which he will judge the world through Jesus (Acts 17:31). All nations will be gathered before Jesus and he will separate the sheep from the goats (Matt. 25:32). Many get nervous thinking about Judgment Day—As Paul reasons about Judgment, he made Felix afraid (Acts 24:25).

There will be no worry over judgment in hell–that day will be history.

You Won’t Be Lonely

The majority of people will be lost (Matt. 7:13).

Your family and friends who followed your example will be there, too. Those who love family more than Christ won’t obey (Matt. 10:37). Parents have influence over their children; a little leaven leavens the whole lump (Gal. 5:9). If you haven’t lived the Christian life, you have influenced your children not to live the Christian life. If you haven’t put the Lord first in your life, you have influenced your children to do the same.

Are your friends and family following you to hell?

After the 1933 earthquake that struck Southern California, W. C. Fields said, “We’re crazy to live here, but there sure are a lot of us.” The same thing is true about hell.

Conclusion

This morning, we have presented some sound reasons to go to hell. If you want to go to hell, now, at least, you have some sound reasons for doing so.

We could ask all those who want to go to hell to come forward this morning. But that really isn’t necessary because your actions speak loudly. If you continue to neglect your salvation, you will go to hell.

If you don’t want to go to hell, we invite you to come as we stand and sing.


This sermon was originally preached by Dr. Justin Imel, Sr., at the Owingsville church of Christ in Owingsville, Kentucky.

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