Hell, Hellfire, Damnation and the Christian Experience -- Are We Preaching Our Way There Ourselves?

Where Exactly is This Heaven and Hell You Speak Of?

Rodney Southern, Yahoo! Contributor Network
Apr 17, 2008 "Share your voice on Yahoo! websites. Start Here."

Hell has been portrayed a number of different ways in our culture. The Bible is pretty straightforward about it, but still leaves room for debate with all of the imagery and symbolism used throughout its pages. Given this, how do we know where hell actually is? How do we know if it is a place where we will burn eternally by a flame that is never extinguished? Is this an accurate portrayal of the literal Hell that God and the Bible speak of? More importantly, are we creating Hell right here on Earth?

Suppose for a moment that you were a God fearing man that is killed in a head on collision with another car. You lived a life that God approved of, and went to heaven to be with him. The man in the other car did not live a life that God approved of, and denied Christ up until the end. What about him?

The Bible states that you will be forced to live alone and separate from God and his grace if you do not follow him in life. There is little scientific doubt that our spirits continue after we die. There is plenty of research that even most Atheists do not argue that says that there is life after death. Given this, one would surely be aware of what is out there. If there is a Heaven and Hell, and you are separated from Heaven, God, your loved ones, and all that eternal happiness and instead are forced into an eternity of solitude, would that not be Hell?

With the symbolic nature of the scriptures, one must realize that Hell could actually be a number of things. Being thrown into the lake of fire for example, could be referring to a lake of fire in our soul. It could also mean that there is a literal burning lake of fire somewhere. The point is, we do not know, and God intended it that way.

The one certainty we can be sure of is a separation from God, and solitude. Eternal solitude. Hell takes many forms here on Earth does it not? There is the homeless man on the street that we ignore on the way to dinner. There is the abused child down the street that is hidden from safety by an abusive parent. There are the serial killers of the world that are walking examples of Hell on earth, spreading death and destruction everywhere they go. We are never at a loss in our society for examples of this Hell we are speaking of. Maybe Earth is Hell. Maybe when the new Heaven is raised up on a new Earth, this Earth will be relegated to Hell status. We are certainly off to a good start in some areas.
The point is, we should be very careful about stating what is literal from scriptures. Do not get me wrong on this. I do believe in studying the Bible, and preaching the word to welcome ears. I believe that spreading the story of Jesus Christ is as important today as it was in the days following the Gospels. But we have an innate need as people to understand and control that which is larger than us.

The Bible and the concepts of the literal Heaven and Hell are beyond our comprehension. We know for certain that Heaven is where we wish to go for a number of clear reasons. We know that Hell is not. Short of that, we are on God's good grace about the exacting details. How then, do we stand in front of our fellow man and preach hellfire and damnation? Are we not showing the ultimate arrogance in our fervor over this passionate topic?

As Christians, we do not fully understand some things in perfect detail. God wants it that way to keep our souls searching. Searching for Him, His words, His understanding, and His Grace. Do not abuse that tool of power that the Lord has given you as a believer. Do not proclaim to know that which is holier than we are. Love your fellow man, and give him what you do know. That Jesus loves them, and wants them to read it for themselves. That he wants to come into their hearts and remind them of what it is like to feel again. God wants those souls to be happily joined with him, not coming to him out of fear of Hell.

Finally, preach love, not Hell. You are not equipped with the knowledge to do so. Remember you will be judged too. Do you want to stand before God and explain why you preached false information? Do you wish to tell God that you were so smart as a human being, that you had the entire Bible figured out and that you had overcome his eternal challenge for mankind. Maybe you could sit down and make a few suggestions for our Lord while you are at it. Of course not. If you truly want to make a difference in the world, hug someone. Love them and let them know that Jesus loves them too. Jesus is the expert and will find a willing heart where there is one. Simply plant the seed, free of any human toxicity. He will do the rest.

Published by Rodney Southern - Featured Contributor in Sports

My name is Rodney Southern and I have a lovely wife, Julie, and two beautiful twin daughters, Brooke and Valerie. Also, I was the 2008 Ultimate Call for Content Winner, and awarded a Top 100 badge for Associ... View profile

Hell, Hellfire, Damnation and the Christian Experience -- Are We Preaching Our Way There Ourselves?

Where Exactly is This Heaven and Hell You Speak Of?

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