話題 4：讀者的經常提問及解答
4-8. Does hell really exist?
The answer is "Yes."
Some insist that God cannot create hell. They argue that God is love, and that hell does not agree with the idea of a loving God. They may unfold their sophism by appealing to terminology, saying, "In this expression of the Apostles` faith, the word `Hell` just means the `nether world`, the abode of the dead, `Sheol` for the Hebrews, `Hades` for the Greeks, "inferno" for the Latins. That is where the Lord went after His death to meet with the dead, according to the contemporaneous writers."
However, the Lord Jesus clearly says each and every sinner must be judged and go to hell fire on account of his/her sin (Matthew 18:9, Mark 9:43).
Of course, God the Father gave us His unconditional love through His Son Jesus. However, this love does not mean a blind love but the love of truth (2 Thessalonians 2:10). He loves us in His truth of salvation, that is, the gospel of the water and the Spirit. Jesus Christ had blotted out all our sins with His baptism and crucifixion. And now He gives eternal life to anyone who believes in Jesus within this true gospel. His unconditional love says, "For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ`s, then you are Abraham`s seed, and heirs according to the promise" (Galatians 3:27-29).
You have to pay attention to the fact that God is just. He clearly announces, "the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23). You surely know that this "death" means the second death, the eternal sufferings in the lake of fire (Revelation 20:14). In Luke 16:19-31, Jesus teaches us that there are two kinds of eternal lives after our physical death: One is of Heaven, and the other is of eternal suffering in hell fire. And Revelation chapters 20 to 22 also describe in detail everything concerning to the first resurrection of the saints, the Millennial Kingdom, the second resurrection of all sinners for the Last Judgment, and the eternal destination of the two group of people-Heaven and hell.
All men are born sinners because of one man Adam. But, God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. However, to the ungrateful ones who reject God`s love of truth with their stubbornness and unrepentant hearts, God the Just will sentence to eternal death of hell fire. They deserve it.
So, you have to remember this passage: "And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell" (Matthew 10:28).
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