TOPIC 45 OF 47
Eternal Hell
A solemn warning against rejecting the God who seeks to save.
THE MAIN TRUTH
The unrighteous, who persistently reject Christ Jesus and turn their backs on the life-giving God of love, will bring eternal death upon themselves in hell.
The teaching
From the book · pages 137–139
The unrighteous, who persistently reject Christ Jesus and turn their backs on the life-giving God of love, will bring eternal death upon themselves in hell. God is a consuming fire of holy and just love who purifies those who embrace him by faith in Christ. But those who turn away from him will experience him as a destructive fire.
Scripture portrays hell in paradoxical images of outer darkness and unquenchable fire, where there is both grief and anger. Hell is an eternal, conscious punishment and is also described as an eternal death and destruction, like the rubble of a ruined city. Those who willfully spurn God’s saving grace in Christ exclude themselves from the bliss of God’s heavenly presence and experience the loss of all the good that made them human in God’s image.
There is mystery in the nature of hell. Yet the horror of this reality should warn everyone not to complacently reject the Good News of Jesus. God does not want anyone to perish but seeks to bring all people to faith and to be saved.
Scripture foundations
All Scripture excerpts from this topic are presented below in the book’s order. Ellipses and bracketed explanations follow the manuscript. Select a reference to read the surrounding passage in the EHV.
Reading these passages together
Read the passages’ images of judgment with seriousness and humility. The book preserves both the reality of eternal loss and God’s desire that sinners turn to Christ and live.
14 Scripture excerpt groups
SCRIPTURE 01
1 John 4:8-9 ↗
“. . . God is love . . . God has sent his only-begotten Son into the world so that we may live through him.”
Book page 138
SCRIPTURE 02
1 John 5:12 ↗
“The one who has the Son has life. The one who does not have the Son does not have life.”
Book page 138
SCRIPTURE 05
Malachi 3:2-3; 4:1 ↗
“But who can endure the day when he comes? Who will remain standing when he appears? For he will be like a refiner’s fire . . . He will be seated like a refiner and a purifier of silver. He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and like silver.” “Look! The day is coming, burning like a blast furnace. All the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble. The day that is coming will set them on fire, says the LORD of Armies.”
Book page 138
SCRIPTURE 06
2 Thessalonians 1:7-9 ↗
“When the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his powerful angels, he will exercise vengeance in flaming fire on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. Such people will receive a just penalty: eternal destruction away from the presence of the Lord and from his glorious strength. . .”
Book page 138
SCRIPTURE 07
Matthew 25:41,46 ↗
“‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire, which is prepared for the Devil and his angels’ . . . And they will go away to eternal punishment. . .”
Book page 139
SCRIPTURE 09
Jude 7,13 ↗
“. . . to suffer the punishment of eternal fire . . . for whom the gloom of darkness has been reserved for eternity. . .”
Book page 139
SCRIPTURE 10
Matthew 25:30 ↗
“Throw that worthless servant into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
Book page 139
SCRIPTURE 11
2 Peter 2:6,12 ↗
“. . . God condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction, by turning them into ashes when he made them an example of things to come to the ungodly . . . like unreasoning creatures . . . they too will be destroyed as a consequence of their destructive activity.”
Book page 139
SCRIPTURE 13
Hebrews 2:1,3 ↗
“Therefore, we need to pay attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away . . . how will we escape if we ignore such a great salvation?”
Book page 139
SCRIPTURE 14
2 Peter 3:9 ↗
“The Lord . . . is patient for your sakes, not wanting anyone to perish, but all to come to repentance.”
Book page 139
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture passages are from the Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version (EHV), copyright 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission, as noted in the manuscript.
PERSONAL REFLECTION OR GROUP DISCUSSION
Reflect and pray
What do the different biblical images communicate about the gravity of rejecting God?
Why should this teaching lead to humility rather than speculation about particular people?
How can concern for the lost move us toward compassionate Gospel witness?
A prayer
Merciful God, keep us from despising your saving grace. Lead the lost to Christ and make us patient, compassionate witnesses to the life you freely give. Amen.