No ignorance in hell

Every soul knows it needs a Savior. Every single person knows what is true. There will be no ignorance in hell. How do I know? Well, many ways.

For one, the Bible tells me that everyone makes a choice. In order to make a choice, you have to know that there is one true God and decide not to choose Him but to choose yourself instead. You have to know there is a tree in the garden that isn’t for you in order to choose not to eat from it but to eat from what is for you instead.

In another instance, I can witness little children barely able to talk, look at a picture of Jesus and excitedly exclaim; “Jesus!!” as they point to Him. Sure, their parents have told them who He is but you can’t teach the admiration and excitement you see bursting from their eyes and face as their soul recognizes its Creator.

The Word says in John 20:29; “blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” The Word also says in Jeremiah 17:5; “Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who draws strength from mere flesh and whose heart turns away from the LORD.” That verse might as well say “cursed is the one who sees and doesn’t believe.” This is a person who has seen the goodness of God in their life but doesn’t believe it is from Him. It is very possible for one to believe half a truth but not the whole. I am here to tell you that if you only believe Christ died on the cross but refuse to believe and trust in the strength and goodness of God in your life then you are not believing a whole truth and leaving yourself wide open to being deceived.

Many years ago I proclaimed Christ as my Savior. I knew what He had done on the cross. I knew He had done something huge. I had been taught that and I believed and accepted it as truth. But that huge act didn’t do what I needed done. Yes, I know how that sounds but as God showed Elijah through strong wind and earthquakes, those big acts isn’t where we all find God.

For many years I was stuck between John 20:29 and Jeremiah 17:5. I knew that big act God accomplished through Jesus on the cross. But it didn’t change me. I didn’t believe in the goodness of God in my life. I saw the act but not the heart behind it. I knew the power of God but not His heart.

I had lived my life believeing in a Savior but didn’t allow myself to be saved. I believed that I made the good in my life. That I had to make good decisions and depend on others in order for good to happen. I had to obey others and their worldly advice so they would stick with me and I wouldn’t be alone. I had to please them. What good was I if someone thought bad of me?

When I realized it was impossible to constantly please others I decided to please myself instead. I became a totally different person. I was looking out for number one. But, I was still giving others what they wanted so they wouldn’t leave me. And many took big advantage of that. I wasn’t giving to others because I loved them. I was giving myself away so they would love me. There is a big and dangerous difference in those two statements.

I ran to all the things of this world to give me comfort. It is a long list of horrible things that seemed to make sense in the moment. Have you ever heard the saying; “It seemed like a good idea at the time.”? That might as well have been my motto. I had no wisdom at all. I just did what seemed good or felt good in the moment. My moral compass was pointing to the temporary pleasures of this world.

But then I started hearing this small voice in my heart calling to me. It was a voice I knew I had heard before and had shoved away so many times. I can’t tell you why I chose to stop and listen this time, but I can tell you He wasn’t letting up until I did. He let me know that I was about to go too far. He talked straight to my heart in such a gentle way and told me that the choices I was making was about to lead me down a road that I would never leave. He told me I would lose Him. Not because He chose to leave me but because I was going to choose to leave Him. The road I was on was going to lead me to rejecting Him completely and I would not be coming back.

Then it was as if my whole life played out before my eyes. I could see Him there. Always there. Even in my most darkest moments He was there making a way for me. Comforting me. Protecting me. Rescuing me. Even before I chose Him, He was choosing me and pursuing me. He was drawing me to Him. I finally saw that anything good in my life had come from Him and that anything that was good in me had come from Him. Even where sin had wrecked my life He was there holding me together and picking me up off the floor. Time and time again. I realized He had been the only constant thing in my life.

I couldn’t lose Him! I realized how much I love Him and how much He loves me and I couldn’t lose the only thing good I ever had in my life! I wanted Him more than the road I was on! It was in that moment that I literally hit my knees physically and spiritually. I bowed as low as I could go before my Father with my face in my hands and I begged Him to put my feet on a solid rock. I chose Him that day. And I have never regretted that decision.

I have never regretted leaving that road behind. I am so thankful that God sent that warning and He showed me all the ways He has loved me. I am so thankful I chose to believe what I had seen so I could truly believe in what I couldn’t see. Which is the healing and redeeming power of Christ’s work on the cross, the Holy Spirit Christ sends to us that changes our hearts which changes our behavior and character because it is impossible for us to do so on our own, and the Father whose great plan has been fulfilled so a sinner like me could be made new and be set on a solid rock while surrounded by a world of sinking sand.

What He has done for me He can do for you. Listen to that still small voice and choose Him! You will not regret that you did.

He isn’t there

The commadments of God bring so much conviction. It used to make me run from God. How could I ever be so perfect?! How could He ever require so much from me and know I can’t fulfill it?! Why even bother putting me on this earth when He knows I’ll just end up in hell because I cant do anything right?!

But what I was missing was Jesus. Now I see the actual gift of Jesus and how big and wide that it is! What I was missing also was seeing that Jesus is the heart of the Father. Jesus didnt come to satisfy a mean God’s wrath. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit had a plan before earth was even born. God knew sin would enter the world. He still made us because He loves us. He loved us before we were even born. He wants to spend eternity with us.

So, they had a plan. Jesus would willfully lower Himself from heaven into the womb of a virgin woman. Coming into this world as a poor boy and quietly raised as a carpenter’s son. Then in His due time He began His ministry of sharing a truth that had been so horribly faltered by the religious elite.

They found His deep love and understanding of God so odd that they persecuted Him for it. Setting Him up for the sacrifice that all the prophets of the old testament had predicted 100’s of years before. They could predict it because God had spoken it to them all those years ago. Proving the plan was always in place.

What the religious elite didn’t know is that every blow and strike they aimed at Jesus would not kill Him. Only sin brings death. Jesus, being fully God and fully man, was the only sinless human to ever walk this earth. Without sin He could not die. His flesh was brought to the edge of death without being able to cross the line.

Then, again, at the appointed time, our sins poured on Him as He hung on the cross. His Father turning His countenance from Him in that moment. Jesus received the wrath of God so we who believe will never have to. You see, the wrath of God is not what you may think it is.

Hell is not just a fire filled place full of torment and anguish that God made for punishment of those that didn’t choose Him. No. It is a place for those that decided they didnt want God to govern their lives so they also chose to not have Him in eternity. Hell is a place God isn’t. He isn’t there.

He doesn’t look upon it throwing bolts of lightening and encouraging torture as punishment for not choosing Him. He just simple isn’t there.

He isn’t there to hold back any of the evil. He isn’t there to provide any kind of comfort. He isn’t there to love you even when you didn’t want to acknowledge Him. He isn’t there at all. That is hell.

Hell’s fire is the least of your worries when any glimpse of hope for a better tomorrow is removed from your eternity.

And that is what Jesus saved us from. Once we accept Jesus as our savior AND Lord of our life then we are saved from an eternity without God. We are also saved while here on earth by the Spirit opening our eyes to exactly how much God loves us and how gentle He is and how much He desires to guides us away from our sin that harms us.

He doesnt make a bunch of rules just to sit back and watch us fail. He simply says, “this is the way, walk in it.” And when we stumble or get off track then the Spirit reminds us of what Jesus accomplished at the cross and all we have to do is return to Him. We are washed clean with new mercies and grace every single day. A living stream that never runs dry.

“fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Hebrews 12:2

“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”
2 Peter 3:9

“If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
Romans 10:9

“Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”
Isaiah 30:21