Seeker-Friendly HELL
“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” John 14:6
I had just finished another rigorous walk loving, praising, worshiping God and seeking His face, basking in His nearness as I reached out to Him with my usual fervor in my heart, enjoying the mist of sweat in the oppressive heat, taking my dog Abigail off her leash when the thoughts started coming. This is how often subjects for devotionals and messages come to me. One thought here. Another there. Seemingly scattered. Then coming together, piece by piece, until there’s a message. Like this.
Seeker-friendly HELL. Will hell be seeker-friendly, I wondered even as I ponder it further now? As the flames of tormenting fire burning people who could have been with God forever in heaven but refused to repent and turn to Him and now entering into everlasting torment apart from God enjoy the free coffee, with all its flavors, the yummy donuts, the free mugs and pens and coupons for local restaurants, the other gifts and comforts and oh, yes, the special seat-yourself-in-the-café during services offerings of palatable, comfortable, safe, and secure, stay-as-you-are, check us out, oh yes, did you fall for the marketing ploys and oh yes, isn’t that that preacher over there being burned, yes, the one who taught you about waving your magic wand and prospering on earth with money and luxuries galore, yes, the one who owned multiple private jets while his congregation turned in more and more of its money to him, oh my, yes, seeker friendly – HELL? The Bible doesn’t describe hell like this, does it?
But herein lies the message. America is jam packed with seeker-friendly churches that cater to every wish, desire, whim, and lust imaginable, making newcomers and oldcomers alike as happy and comfortable as possible by picking and choosing joyful scriptures in the Bible, twisting them around to get just the right effect, handing out free this and free that and offering during-the-service seating in the first-class café, all the while leaving out the whole Truth and nothing but the Truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and God’s Word just to be sure nobody runs out the door. I fell for false teaching for a good long while until God’s Spirit shook me awake, led me to repentance, took me by the heart and hand into His Word, and began to teach me the whole Truth. Hell is for real. The same hell that won’t be so seeker-friendly after all. The hell that will be bursting at the seams with people who refused to repent of their sins, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, turn to God and His ways, and live for Christ and spend eternity with God in heaven. Following Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven. And there’s nothing seeker-friendly about a life of self-denial and learning to live for God for eternity.
Choose life. Choose Jesus Christ.