The Road to Hell

Many years ago, when I was a student in Bible School, one of the founding men, Mr. Marshall, said something I never forgot to this day.  The class he was teaching was appropriately called, “False Cults.”  Warning us about cults, in his gentle, persistent way, he said, “A text out of context is a pretext.”  What does this mean?  He explained that when you take a single text out of the Bible and fail to interpret it in the context in which it is given (this includes the surrounding verses before and after, other chapters in the same book, as well as other texts in different books in the Bible which will refer to it), you have the makings of being led astray.  When the Bible is properly read and studied, every student of the Bible who sincerely seeks to know God and His Word, will discover that certain texts are mentioned more than once, and that the Bible, as a whole agrees with itself.  There are no glaring contradictions, or at least ones that in any way question the character of God, and the truth about Him found only in His Word.

Sadly, today there are many people who are paving their own road to hell because they fail to interpret Scriptures correctly.  People who do not want to believe in hell (universalists) are convinced that everyone will “eventually” make it through the doors of heaven, regardless of whether or not (and here is the key), they “know” the Lord Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior.  How can we be assured that we “know” Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior?  Clearly this is not something you can know in the flesh, or because you have university degrees or someone else telling you that you are a Christian; it is only something that you can know once it’s been revealed by God Himself.  Here is what Scripture says about it:

Rom 8:14  For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

Rom 8:15  For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

Rom 8:16  The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

Rom 8:17  And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. KJV

1Jn 3:23  And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.

1Jn 3:24  And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us. KJV

According to Scripture, not everyone belongs to the Lord as some would think:

2Ti 2:19  Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. KJV

In Jesus own words: 

Mat 7:21  Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

Mat 7:22  Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

Mat 7:23  And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

The “kingdom of heaven” referred to in verse 21 is a future time, when we all stand before the judgment seat of Christ, and give an account of our lives that we lived here on earth.  And here is another passage:

Rev 20:12  And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

Rev 20:13  And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.

Rev 20:14  And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

Rev 20:15  And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

If we look at verse 15, the “whosoever” means anyone who physically dies without first having become a child of God through the finished work of Jesus death on the cross, is lost forever without God.  If we read the rest of the Bible in the proper context, these verses will verify that anyone who does not know Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior is on a sure road to hell, and will be lost forever without God.  Here are many more references to the reality and surety of hell: 

Luke 16:19-31; I John 5:10-12 (those who have life, those who do not); John 3:15-21; Matthew 5:22,29-30; 2 Peter 2:1-22 (mentioned in a previous blog – No Fear of Hell); Matthew 8:11-12; Matthew 13:37-50; Mark 9:42-48; Matthew 25:41-46; Isaiah 5:14; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9; Rev. 21:7-8; Psalm 91:7; I Cor. 6:9-10; Rev. 14:9-11; Luke 12:4-5, 9-10; Matthew 23:33; Revelation1:18.

I challenge you to read the above verses with understanding and revelation from God.  Do not shrink away from what the Bible clearly warns about it.  Allow these verses to go deep into your heart because if you are not saved, now is the time to turn to the Lord, the only One who can save you.  If you have relatives and friends who are not saved, pray for them more than you’ve ever prayed before. Now is the time.  Many of the references to hell were made by Jesus Himself.  He did not die for us in vain, and we can only be eternally saved while we are still alive here on this earth, from the One who conquered death and hell for us, and that is Jesus Christ, God’s only Son.