Articles by Ed Ross

Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and

his angels": Mat 25:41

And [the unbeliever] shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the

presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: And the

smoke of their torment ascends up for ever and ever.." Rev 14:10-11

And fear not those who kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but

rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." Mat

10:28

Perhaps the first biblical teaching to be rejected by most people is the doctrine of hell. It seems so

inconceivable that a God of love and mercy would assign someone to eternal suffering. Indeed, even some

good and godly men have struggled for a season with the reality of hell before surrendering again to the

authority and clear teaching of the scriptures. This difficulty reveals two great misconceptions that we hold by

nature: a misconception of the very character and nature of God, and a misconception of the character and

nature of fallen mankind.

“Holy, holy, holy” is the eternal proclamation of the angels in His presence. The crystal perfection of infinite

purity is ever attended with the effulgence of consuming glory. “Our God is a consuming fire” (Heb.12:29; Deut.

4:24).

“Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?”

(Isaiah 33:14). His holiness demands perfect moral righteousness and absolute justice in all of his creation.

Contrasted with the character of God is the corrupted nature of fallen man. Having been created in the very

image and moral perfection of God, man, in Adam’s rebellion, has become a vile worm, defiled by sin in every

aspect of his being. Though God’s restraining grace prevents the full outworking of inner corruption, yet the

evidence of man’s moral depravity is abundantly clear in his utter failure to fulfil the very purpose for which he

was createdhe does not exist to the praise of God’s glory. There is none righteous, no not one (Rom. 3:10). All

have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23). Every person by nature is dead in trespasses

and sins and is the object of God’s wrath. (Eph.2:1-3) Every offence against an infinitely holy God is an infinite

transgression deserving an infinite response. The wrath of God hangs over the sinner (John 3:36). He is angry

with the wicked every day (Psalm 7:11).

As God still manifests his benevolent mercies, making the sun to shine and the rain to fall on the just and

unjust alike (Mt.5:44-45; Lk.6:35), we fail to apprehend the magnitude of such mercies bestowed upon vile

rebels. We are ignorant of the fact that the very goodness of God is supposed to lead us to repentance

(Rom.2:4). We take these things for granted and thus treasurer up wrath against ourselves to be revealed in

the day of wrath (Rom.2:5). On that day the unrepentant sinner shall have taken away even that which he

seemed to have (Lk.8:18). All of the supposed meritorious attributes and good works once held up for self-

justification will be shown to be only the result of God’s merciful restraint of the evil within the heart. Then even

that restraining grace shall be removed and the awful corruption of dead souls shall be fully revealed forever.

“He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he who is filthy, let him be filthy still…”(Rev. 22:9). And for them,

the presence of God is the last place they will want to be. “Depart ye cursed into everlasting fire…”

Merciful God, It pleased you to lay upon your eternal Holy Son the vile corruption of sinners, and to crush Him

beneath the just wrath of your infinite holiness (Isaiah 53). Open hearts to the reality of the Lamb that takes

away sin. May sinners flee for refuge to the cross, casting their lives into the shelter of Christ’s loving arms.

Beneath the Blood of Calvary,

Amen

Tuesday's Touch …#18: What About Hell

...from Pastor Ed ...May 26, 2009

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