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

Encouragement for Biblical Pastors and Church Leaders

I was looking at a notebook from many years ago that had a collection of things from when I was much younger.  A little bit was from junior high, while most of it was from high school and some beyond.   They were mostly connected with Grace Community Church.  What was written was anywhere from very serious to amusing.  One of the things that stood out was a prayer that I wrote in a discipleship group paper from junior high.  Sometimes it is amazing looking back and being reminded of the struggles, and yet see traces of grace in what I was learning.
Pastors, Sunday School teachers, and even small group discipleship leaders -
Don't think that your time is wasted.   I also learned Bible verses as a child (and some as an adult too, of course), and some of that has stuck with me.   While people forget quite a lot, if the foundation is continually built on with Biblical truth - God can still use it in the lives of those you are pouring yourselves into.


Dear Lord,  please help me to realize that I will have hard times in life and that I should cling to you.  Please help me to realize there is  a price to pay.  In Jesus name, Amen.  

Much of what was in the notebook was when John MacArthur was doing a series on Charismatic Chaos along with a lot of notes from Scott Ardavanis' teaching (he was the college group pastor who now pastors another church)...and there were other bits of odds and ends.  Here's a small sampling (not entire notes of the messages), and obviously I editorialized my notes here and there at that time.

 What we think about God will shape our lives.
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Don't think you can handle things you really can't.  It's only your pride that says you can handle it.
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A small sampling of  my notes from during some of John MacArthur's messages on Charismatic Chaos: 

Matthew 7:15-23
False prophets in sheep's clothing, but are ravenous wolves.
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Hagan is a nutty guy who is supposed to have been in a glory cloud I think.
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In Corinth there was chaos because of mis-use of the gifts, plus all sorts of other horrible things. They weren't lacking gifts, just perverting them.  This is a lot like what is going on today.
Can you imagine seeing someone dancing on air like that lady did (as said Hagan)? Ha! Ha! Hee! Hee! How creepy!

Biblical.  Check with the Word, and use your mind and reason God has given you.
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Miracles do not necessarily produce faith in an unbelieving heart. 
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Faith comes from hearing the Word of Christ not by signs and wonders.  Mark 1:38
They promise a Biblical orientation.  Why would God authenticate a person with bad theology?
(Some punctuation added & corrected.)
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From Scott Ardavanis: 

God doesn't have a standard.  He is the Standard.  
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Do not engage in any business that you can't ask God to bless.
Do not engage in any pleasure that you cannot give thanks to God for.
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1. We should be filled with awe how infinitely great God's knowledge is.
2. This should draw us to the fear of God.
3. It should give us great comfort.
Psalm 103:14
We are but dust.
(I had messed up the reference, and I added punctuation.)