eFax of Life from CBMC Heartland
A Weekly Inspirational Thought from Ken Korkow
Ugly as Hell
Hell! Hell No! Hotter than hell.
Ugly as hell. Go to hell! What the hell?
Helluva deal/day/shot. Mad as hell.
Strange. Seems people that don't believe in God - talk more about 'hell' than Christians do. Maybe it's because the hell-talkers don't know what they are talking about - whereas those with some understanding of hell are so overwhelmed they either don't believe it - or simply can't deal with such a shocking reality.
The following is taken from 'That Hideous Doctrine' by John Thomas, printed in Moody Magazine, Sept. 1985
Hell is a place of darkness (Matt. 8:12). Imagine the person who has just entered hell - a neighbor, relative, co-worker, friend. After a roar of physical pain blasts him, he spends his first moments wailing and gnashing his teeth. But after a season, he grows accustomed to the pain, not that it's become tolerable, but that his capacity for it has enlarged to comprehend it, yet not be consumed by it. Though he hurts, he is now able to think, and he instinctively looks about him. But as he looks, he sees only blackness.In his past life he learned that if he looked long enough, a glow of light somewhere would yield definition to his surroundings. So he blinks and strains to focus his eyes, but his efforts yield only blackness. He turns and strains his eyes in another direction. He waits. He sees nothing but unyielding black ink. It clings to him, smothering and oppressing him.
Realizing that the darkness is not going to give way, he nervously begins to feel for something solid to get his bearings. He reaches for walls, for rocks or trees or chairs: he stretches his legs to feel the ground and touches nothing.
Hell is a 'bottomless pit' (Rev. 20:1,2 KJV): however, the new occupant is slow to learn. In growing panic, he kicks his feet and waves his arms. He stretches and he lunges. But he finds nothing. After more feverish tries, he pauses from exhaustion, suspended in black. Suddenly, with a scream he kicks, twists, and lunges until he is again too exhausted to move.
He hangs there, alone with his pain. Unable to touch a solid object or see a solitary thing, he begins to weep. His sobs choke through the darkness. They become weak, then lost in hell's roar.
As time passes, he begins to do what the rich man did (in Luke 16) - he again starts to think. His first thoughts are of hope. You see, he still thinks as he did on earth, where he kept himself alive with hope. When things got bad, he always found a way out. If he felt pain, he took medicine. If he was hungry, he ate food. If he lost love, there was another love to be found. So he casts about his mind for a plan to apply to the hope building in his chest.
Of course, he thinks, Jesus, the God of love, can get me out of this. He cries out with a surge "Jesus! Jesus! You were right! Help me! Get me out of this!" (Nothing but silence.)
He tries again, "I believe. Jesus! I believe now! Save me from this!" Again, the darkness smothers his words. (Nothing but silence.)
Our sinner is not unique. Everyone in hell believes. When he wearies of appeals, he does next what anyone would do - assesses his situation and attempts to adapt. But then it hits him - this is FOREVER. Jesus made it very clear. He used the same words for 'forever' to describe both heaven and hell. Forever, he thinks, and his mind labors through the blackness until he aches.
"Forever!" he whispers in wonder. The idea deepens, widens, and towers over him…
Thoughts of this happening to people we know, people like us, are too terrifying to entertain for long. The idea of allowing someone to endure torture for eternity violates the sensibilities of even the most severe judge among us. We simply cannot bear it.
But our thoughts of hell will never be as unmanageable as its reality. We must take this doctrine of hell, therefore, and make sure we are practically affected by it.
A hard look at this doctrine should first change or view of sin. Most believers do not take sin as seriously as God does. We need to realize that in God's eyes, in his actual plan, sin deserves eternal punishment in hell.
We can actually learn, by comparison, to hate sin as God hates it. As the reality of hell violates and offends us, for example, so sin violates and offends God. As we cannot bear to look upon the horrors of hell, so God cannot bear to look upon the horrors of sin. As hell revolts us to the point of hatred for it, so also God finds sin revolting. The comparison is not prefect, but it offers a start.
Second, the truth of hell should encourage our witness. Can we ever hear a sigh of weariness, see a moment of doubt, or feel pain without being reminded of that place? In all honesty, can we see any unbeliever, watch his petty human activities…and not be moved with compassion? It encourages us to witness in word and in deed.
That hideous doctrine may grip our soul in dark terror and make us weep, but let us be sure it also prompts us to holiness and compassion."
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CBMC Heartland, 01/10/03
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