Eternity?
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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.
Does Hell Really Exist?
Does Hell Really Exist?
Hell is real. Jesus, the Son of God, came from heaven to teach us the way to heaven. He promised that he would give eternal life and raise from the dead everybody who believes in him (John 6:34-40). At the same time, nobody in the Bible warns so often about hell as Jesus does.
Unbelievers go to Hades
Unbelievers go to Hades
Jesus taught in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus that immediately after death unbelievers go to Hades. There they are “in torment“, and the rich man complains that he is “in anguish in this flame” (Luke 16:23-24).
And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
“Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.’
These are the states that we often think of as hell and heaven, and that we go there immediately after death. That is not totally wrong, but we should realize that these are temporary states, waiting for the judgment of the last day, when Jesus will return. Only then the full glory of heaven and the full terror of hell will be revealed.
The Torments of Pershing
The Torments of Pershing
And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake,
Some to everlasting life,
Some to shame and everlasting contempt.
weeping (Matthew 8:12)
wailing (Matthew 13:42)
gnashing of teeth (Matthew 13:50)
darkness (Matthew 25:30)
flames (Luke 16:24)
burning (Isaiah 33:14)
torments (Luke 16:23)
everlasting punishment (Matthew 25:46)
Jesus says in Matthew 25:41,
“Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels:
The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
All these verses make clear that there are two elements to the punishment of the unbelievers.
It is a punishment without end, ‘eternal’.
It is also a severe punishment
“For whosoever believe in Him, will not PERISH but have EVERLASTING LIFE.”
What about Everlasting Life? What is that all about?
What about Everlasting Life? What is that all about?
When the Bible speaks of eternal life, it refers to a gift of God that comes only “through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23).
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
This gift is in contrast to the “death” that is the natural result of sin.
The gift of eternal life comes to those who believe in Jesus Christ, who is Himself “the resurrection and the life” (John 11:25).
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.
The fact that this life is “eternal” indicates that it is perpetual life—it goes on and on and on, with no end.
You may not realize this, but eternal life can be thought of as something that Christians experience now. Believers don’t have to “wait” for eternal life, because it’s not something that starts when they die. Rather, eternal life begins the moment a person exercises faith in Christ. It is our current possession. John 3:36 says,
He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”
Note that the believer “has” (present tense) this life (the verb is present tense in the Greek, also).
The Bible links eternal life with the Person of Jesus Christ. John 17:3 is an important passage in this regard, as Jesus prays,
And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.
Here, Jesus equates “eternal life” with a knowledge of God and of the Son.
This life-giving knowledge of the Father and the Son is a true, personal knowledge, not just an academic awareness. There will be some on Judgment Day who had claimed to be followers of Christ but never really had a relationship with Him.
To those Jesus will say, “I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!” (Matthew 7:23).
In regards to Heaven it is described as the New Jerusalem, the apostle John sees a river flowing from “the throne of God and of the Lamb,” and “on each side of the river stood the tree of life. . . . And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations” (Revelation 22:1–2).
And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
In Eden, we rebelled against God and were banished from the tree of life (Genesis 3:24). In the end, God graciously restores our access to the tree of life. This access is provided through Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29).
Right now, every sinner is invited to know Christ and to receive eternal life: “Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life” (Revelation 22:17).
And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.
END WITH THE ROPE ILLUSTRATION FROM FRANCIS CHAN
How can you know that you have eternal life? First of all, confess your sin before our holy God. Then accept God’s provision of a Savior on your behalf. “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13). Jesus Christ, the Son of God, died for your sins, and He rose again the third day. Believe this good news; trust the Lord Jesus as your Savior, and you will be saved (Acts 16:31; Romans 10:9 –10).
John puts it so simply: (1 John 5:11–12).
And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.