Day 196 "The only fear we need have of hell is ending up there."

Day 196 Matthew 23:33-36 “Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell? Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men, and scribes: some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city, that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. Assuredly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.” The words Jesus is speaking in Matthew 23:33-36 are just as pertinent today as they were at the time of His speaking them in the temple. Things really have changed very little since then. The burning question being, "How can you escape the condemnation of hell?" When I was a young child growing up in the Pentecostal Church of God, I became scared to death of going to hell. I didn't know a whole lot about Jesus, but I did know a lot about hell. Things like eternal fire, gnashing of teeth, wailing, and so on–that stuff is scary–that fear kept me from intentionally missing the mark. However, later in life I got enlightened, and it was no longer about hell, it became all about love, grace, and mercy. As I began to focus and be taught more about the love of Jesus, the grace of the Father, and the mercy that Christ's death provided me, the less concerned I became about hell. As a matter of fact, I was no longer worried about it at all. Why should I be? Jesus gave me the way out and, therefore, like many others, I began to abuse the gift of grace. It suddenly became far too easy to ask forgiveness than it did to ask for permission; easier to do things and repent than to wait upon the Lord for direction; easier to ask forgiveness for doing what my flesh wanted, reaping the reward of it; and then avoiding the punishment by repenting at first light. You see, it wasn't until I fell in love with the Lord that I felt the pain of sin; no longer did I care about hell or grace or even mercy. Oh sure, I am thankful for them, but none of that is any longer the point. The only point now is that I love Jesus, and He is my ticket out of hell. When did we get all caught up in not wanting to talk about hell anyhow? Was it the free-love movement of the '60s, the drug-infested bash of the '70s, or maybe the who-cares movement of the '80s? No matter when it was, it happened, and it shouldn't have. If the same message could be spoken to the people of today that Jesus spoke in Jerusalem, why aren't we? I know it's not politically correct; I know people don't want to hear it; yes, I know some won't listen; and, yes, even some will think we’re crazy, just like they did with Jesus. Let's face it, the fear of hell has saved many a man from spending eternity in its grasp, and a message of endless grace to be received by willful disobedience could allow hell to tighten its grasp on many as well, so which is better? The truth spoken in love can never go wrong. After all, if it worked for Jesus, it just might work for us; the only fear we need have of hell is ending up there. By the way, where are you in all of this, hopefully, not feeling too warm? Daily Prayer: Father God, help me not to become so familiar with Your grace and mercy that I forget about Your judgment and truth. Draw me closer, Lord, and teach me truth I pray. In Jesus’ name I ask, Amen. "The only fear we need have of hell is ending up there." Gene Burroughs, Pastor