Now That's Scary!

As we approach Halloween, there are countless people who are excited about dressing up in scary costumes, visiting haunted houses, telling spooky stories, going trick-or-treating, and eating tons of candy. But I’m here to tell you there’s something even scarier than all of that. What might that be? The fact that hell is a real place and there are countless people who are going there. I don’t know of anything scarier than that.

The Bible tells us a lot about hell.

·      Hell was not created for man. It was created for the devil and his angels (see Matthew 25:41).

·      All who don’t experience a second birth will experience a second death (see Revelation 21:8).

·      If your name’s not written in the Book of Life, you will be thrown in the lake of fire (see Revelation 20:15).

·      While most people will wake up the morning after Halloween and all the scariness from the night before will be over, those who wake up in hell will be tormented day and night forever and ever (see Revelation 20:10).

·      If you think being in the presence of a man dressed up in a costume is scary, what about being away from the presence of the Lord forever (see 2 Thessalonians 1:9)?

You may be thinking, “Well, I’m saved. I don’t have to worry about that.” But what about all the people in your sphere of influence that are not? Are you satisfied with allowing them to go to a place of eternal damnation? And if that’s not scary enough, hear what Jesus says to us in Matthew 7:21-23:

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. Many will say to Me on that day [when I judge them], ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, and driven out demons in Your name, and done many miracles in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them publicly, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me [you are banished from My presence], you who act wickedly [disregarding My commands].’

Can you imagine being deceived to the point where you believe you’re going to heaven after you die only to find yourself in hell? Now, the thought of that is outright terrifying! But here’s the good news:

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. God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God (John 3:16-18).

Don’t find yourself on the wrong side of this verse. Accept Jesus Christ as your Savior. Live your life with Him as your Lord. Consistently do the will of the Father. Because trust me… Living for all of eternity in hell – now that’s scary!

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