We know that Scripture teaches that hell will be a place of misery. This week, we have talked about the truth that hell is a place of physical agony and mental torment. The physical and mental anguish will not be the most gut-wrenching and painful parts of hell. You see, hell will also be a place of spiritual torment, where people will experience eternal separation from God.
The apostle Paul explained that hell will consist of a reality completely void of God. In this passage of Scripture, he wrote about the judgment to come when Jesus returns. When Jesus returns, Paul explained, “He will come with His mighty angels, in flaming fire, bring judgment on those who don’t know God and on those who refuse to obey the Good News of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with eternal destruction, forever separated from the Lord and from His glorious power” (verse 9). Notice the punishment that Paul described will take place for those who have not placed their faith in Christ in hell. It will be a place where those there are “forever separated from the Lord and from His glorious power” (verse 9). What a dark, bleak, lonely reality.
The spiritual torment that comes from being completely separated from God will be excruciating, but it is not too late for those who are still living here on this earth. There is still a chance for them to turn away from their sin and to turn to Christ instead. We have the privilege of reaching out to the lost and making the most of every moment we have to share the hope of Christ with them. Who will you share the hope of Christ with today?
One way to have conversations about Christ and faith with those who are lost is to ask spiritual questions. These are questions that remind others that there must be more to life than just simply living for ourselves. Take a few moments to review the questions below. Memorize them. Your challenge is to use one of these questions over the next week and ask that question to someone who is far from Christ. Here are the questions:
1This letter is from Paul, Silas, and Timothy.
We are writing to the church in Thessalonica, to you who belong to God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
2 May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.
Encouragement during Persecution
3 Dear brothers and sisters, we can’t help but thank God for you, because your faith is flourishing and your love for one another is growing. 4 We proudly tell God’s other churches about your endurance and faithfulness in all the persecutions and hardships you are suffering. 5 And God will use this persecution to show his justice and to make you worthy of his Kingdom, for which you are suffering. 6 In his justice he will pay back those who persecute you.
7 And God will provide rest for you who are being persecuted and also for us when the Lord Jesus appears from heaven. He will come with his mighty angels, 8 in flaming fire, bringing judgment on those who don’t know God and on those who refuse to obey the Good News of our Lord Jesus. 9 They will be punished with eternal destruction, forever separated from the Lord and from his glorious power. 10 When he comes on that day, he will receive glory from his holy people—praise from all who believe. And this includes you, for you believed what we told you about him.
11 So we keep on praying for you, asking our God to enable you to live a life worthy of his call. May he give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do. 12 Then the name of our Lord Jesus will be honored because of the way you live, and you will be honored along with him. This is all made possible because of the grace of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ.
