Is There a Literal Hell ?
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Y subject tonight is, “Is There a Literal Hell?” I wish that the things that I am going to preach to you tonight were not true. God wishes so, Loo. “ The Lord,
believe that men and women who sin in the present life and who die impenitent and unsaved will be punished to some extent at.least in the life that is to come. They believe that whoever sins must suffer, and that the suffering which sin1 causes will not be limited to this present life. But, while almost all intelligent people who believe in a future life at all believe that there is some kind of future punishment, there are many that do not believe in a literal hell, that is, in a place of awful and unutterable torment. Is there a hell? Isi there a place to which impenitent men and women will go sometime after death and suffer agonies far beyond those that any one suffers here on earth? Some say, “yes,” there is a hell. Many, even including not a few supposedly orthodox preachers, say, no, the only hell is the inward hell in a man’s heart.” How are we to settle this question? How are we to determine who is right?- We cannot settle it as some are trying to settle it by “Counting noses.” Majorities are not always right. Especially is it true that majorities are not always right in science and in philosophy and in theology. What the majority of scientists firmly believed a century ago the majority, of scientists laugh at today. What the" majority of philosophers once believed, the majority of philosophers today regard as
is. longsuffering to usward, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." (2 Peter 3 :9.) But God has made us in His own image, with a moral nature, with a capacity for self-determina tion, with a power of choice, and men can if they will choose darkness instead of light. They can choose to trample God’s i saving love under foot. They can choose to reject the One who was wounded for their transgressions and'bruised for their iniquities, and upon whom :the chastise ment of their peace Was laid, and some will so choose.. I am sorry that they will. I would be willing to die to save them. The Lord Jesus did die to save them. But they spurn Hipi. So these things that I am to. speak tonight are/true and I am going to preach them in order that you may know them, and in order that you may be sure of them. I am going to preach about hell to keep as many of'you as. possible from going there. My subject tonight is, “Is There a Literal Hell.” Almost all intelligent people who believe that there is a future life at all,
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