Modern evangelism methods are not faithful to God if they do not let the sinner know of the coming Judgment Day. The reason Jesus Christ died on the cross was to save us from the wrath to come (1 Thessalonians 1:10). That is the primary message of the gospel, but in many churches across the country, there isn’t even a mention of Hell’s existence.
Instead of preaching the good news that sinners can be made righteous in Jesus Christ and escape the horrible wrath to come, we have settled for a “modern gospel” that implies that God’s primary purpose in saving us is to unfold a “wonderful plan” for our lives; to solve all our problems, make us happy, make us healthy, give us a wonderful marriage, bring us financial prosperity and protect us from the hassles and stress of this life.
Oswald J. Smith said, “Oh my friends we are loaded down with countless church activities, while the real work of the church, that of evangelizing and winning the lost, is almost entirely neglected.” We have been gazing to the heavens while sinners are sinking into Hell.
People who make a commitment to Jesus Christ without the Law may do so because they are seeking true inner peace and lasting fulfillment. They come to fill a void in their lives. There is no trembling. There is no fleeing from wrath of God. There is no fear at all. To them, God is a loving father figure, not a holy God of wrath, but a God that only wants to take care of them and make them happy. Without the Law, they haven’t been stripped of self-righteousness. They don’t truly believe that their just reward is eternal damnation in Hell. Even most professing Christians believe they are basically good and are headed to heaven when in reality they are doomed to spend eternity in Hell.
Charles Spurgeon said the Law serves “a most necessary purpose” and that sinners “will never accept grace until they tremble before a just and holy Law.”
False converts have never “crucified the flesh with its passions and lusts” (Galatians 5:24). Therefore, like the pig, their natural inclination is to go back to wallowing in the cool dirty mud. Pigs need to wallow in the mud to cool their flesh. So it is with false converts. They never truly repented, and their flesh is not dead with Christ. Instead, their flesh is still burning with unlawful passions, lust, wicked thoughts and perversions. The heat of lust is too much for a sinful heart; the false convert (sinner) will always return to the filth in the cool mud. These people will die in their sins and spend eternity in Hell.
When someone is truly and soundly saved, you will have trouble keeping up with them. Someone who is soundly saved will desire the sincere milk of the word and cannot get enough of it. They’ll discipline themselves to do what is right in Gods eyes. They have a burning desire to share their faith to all who will listen. They have a burning desire to crucify their flesh and stop sinning in order to please God.
Where will you spend eternity, in Hell or Heaven?
Charles Spurgeon said there is a real fire in hell, as truly as you know you now have a real body -a fire exactly like that which we have on earth in everything except this -that it will not consume, though it will torture you.
Thomas Vincent said your bodies shall be tormented in every part in the flames of hellfire. The pains of hell fire will be a thousand times more horrible and tormenting. Your bodies cannot now endure much pain without expiring. But hereafter God will strengthen your bodies to endure; they shall have quicker sense and so much more capacity for pain. Your bodies shall roll and tumble in flames, and burn with horrible pain and yet never be consumed. I believe that the space of one quarter of an hour in Hell will seem longer to the damned than a whole life of misery in this world.
Matthew 13:41-42
41The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, 42and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth
