Do You Believe Hell Is Eternal?

God is Holy & pure & there is no darkness in Him. 

This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.
1 John 1:5 NASB

It is fully just for God to punish for eternity (Jude 1:7; Hebrews 6:2; Matthew 25:46). 

Every one of us deserves His wrath. The wonder is that He chooses to save any of us wretched rebellious sinners. We are all guilty (Romans 3:10-20).

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 6:23 NASB

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,
Romans 1:18 NASB

The problem is that some want to project their own ideas of what is fair onto God by thinking that eternal punishment isn't fair. 

That is making an idol and actually cheapening who God is - to His being less holy than He is. If murdering a man deserves death (and it does), then how much more are we guilty when our sin is against God Himself? 

Some may question that Hell will have fire, but I won't give up the fact that Hell has fire & brimstone. When the plain sense makes sense, we need not seek any other sense.

Even in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16:23-24, the man in Hades was in torment and wanting coolness on his tongue due to there being fire.

"Outer darkness" or "black darkness" which is also mentioned in scripture likely refers to being away from/abandoned by God (a kind of spiritual darkness) and judgment because otherwise there is a very consistent description in Scripture of there being fire & torment (and not just in a parable or allegorical setting).

The question is, do people believe in the authority of Scripture? 

Do they believe Sola Scriptura (if someone professes faith in Christ)? 

The Scripture is clear that Hell is as eternal as Heaven. 

Give up the eternality of Hell and you give up the eternality of Heaven.

Scripture is God's Word and is always true, so whether you believe in Hell or not, it still exists.

Every professing believer should examine the Scriptures to see if their church is actually teaching what the Scripture says (about Hell, the Gospel, Creation, etc.).

“If your eye causes you to stumble, throw it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, than, having two eyes, to be cast into hell, where THEIR WORM DOES NOT DIE, AND THE FIRE IS NOT QUENCHED.

Mark 9:47-48

And these will go away into eternal punishment; but the righteous into eternal life."
Matthew 25:46

These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power,
2 Thessalonians 1:9 NASB

Eternal punishment=Eternal destruction

God's wrath is just, but He loved enough to send His Son to die on a cross & take on the sins of any who repent & trust Christ & His death for them. 

Christ Jesus experienced the wrath of God and died shedding His blood. 

He did this as an atonement for those who were His enemies, so that they might be brought near and have His righteousness laid to their account, and they then become forgiven adopted children to receive an eternal inheritance with Jesus (the Son of God/God the Son). It is a mercy undeserved.

Those who receive the Lord receive the Spirit (God is one yet He is revealed in Three distinct Persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). 

He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
2 Corinthians 5:21 NASB

All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him.

Isaiah 53:6 NASB

Finding Hope When The Wicked Increase

The world seems to be in chaos with terrorist attacks, blatant immorality and scorn for those who don't accept it, many people murdered every day (and some of it government approved), open rebellion to God, and the political and judicial landscape is looking very bleak indeed.

Christians are being killed, imprisoned, fined, and ostracized around the globe.
It seems like terrible things are happening more and more frequently, and it's easy for people (even Christians) to get anxious and discouraged though we shouldn't.

It is okay to have righteous anger, but it isn't okay to sin in our anger.

It's okay to plead our cause, but it's not okay to disobey God in how we do it.

Righteousness exalts a nation, But sin is a disgrace to any people.  Proverbs 14:34 NASB

When the righteous increase, the people rejoice, But when a wicked man rules, people groan.  Proverbs 29:2 NASB

When the righteous triumph, there is great glory, But when the wicked rise, men hide themselves.  Proverbs 28:12 NASB

The wicked plots against the righteous And gnashes at him with his teeth. The Lord laughs at him, For He sees his day is coming.  Psalm 37:12-13 NASB  

Psalm 37 has a lot of encouraging verses...about not fretting about the evildoers...even those who are violent  (Psalm 37:7-10).

God will bring salvation to the righteous and will be their strength.
God will bring about justice, and those who are His will be preserved forever.
The wicked will be cut off.

Our soul waits for the LORD; He is our help and our shield.  For our heart rejoices in Him, Because we trust in His holy name.  Psalm 33:20-21

In the New Testament, we are even encouraged to rejoice in our suffering and in persecution  (Matthew 5:11-12 ; Romans 5:3 ).

Jesus caused the blind to see and the deaf to hear, and one day there will be increased rejoicing of the afflicted.  While we see wrong decisions made by judges and courts in this world, God will bring about perfect justice and vindicate His true children.

And on that day the deaf shall hear words of a book, And out of their gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind shall see.  The afflicted also shall increase their gladness in the LORD, And the needy of mankind shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.  For the ruthless will come to an end, and the scorner will be finished, Indeed all who are intent on doing evil will be cut off; Who cause a person to be indicted by a word, And ensnare him who adjudicates at the gate, And defraud the one in the right with meaningless arguments.   Isaiah 29:18-21 NASB

If not for God's mercy in sending Christ to die for the sins of those who repent and believe the Gospel, all would be condemned.
If it wasn't for Christ's righteousness placed on believers, our sin would condemn us still.   Because we still struggle with sin, we still need to confess sins (Psalm 38 ; 1 John 1:9).

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;  Ephesians 2:8 NASB

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,  Romans 5:1 NASB

While there is time, the lost need to hear the Gospel, and God is still saving those He has chosen from before the beginning of the world.

This post is for me as well as for those who may be encouraged by it.
As someone who is struggling with feeling down, I need to constantly feed on Scriptural truth.  There is hope in no one but the Lord.