Jesus Christ: The Supreme High Priest

Numbers 16:47-48 Then Aaron took it as Moses had spoken, and ran into the midst of the assembly, for behold, the plague had begun among the people. So he put on the incense and made atonement for the people. 48He took his stand between the dead and the living, so that the plague was checked.

Hebrews 5:4-5 And no one takes the honor to himself, but receives it when he is called by God, even as Aaron was. 5So also Christ did not glorify Himself so as to become a high priest, but He who said to Him,“YOU ARE MY SON, TODAY I HAVE BEGOTTEN YOU”;

Comparing Aaron (the Old Testament High Priest) and Jesus Christ 
Throughout the book of Hebrews we are treated to comparisons between Old Testament people and events to that of Jesus Christ.  One of those Old Testament figures that Hebrews uses to picture the person and work of Jesus Christ is Aaron.  Whenever a person, event or situation is used to illustrate Christ or a doctrine in the New Testament - we call that manner of illustration "typology".  A "type" or "typology" refers to a foreshadowing, a pattern, a form.  The person or doctrine that is being pointed to is what Bible teachers call "an anti-type". 

We see then in the above two scripture passages, Aaron, Israel's first high priest,  as a "type", and Christ, the eternal high priest, as the "anti-type".  Aaron's life, ministry and characteristics have points of commonality that point to the fuller and rich life, ministry and characteristics of Jesus Christ.  Aaron is the shadow, Christ is the substance.  With that said lets look at how the book of Hebrews uses Aaron to illustrate Jesus Christ, the Supreme High Priest.

1. Hebrews 1:3 refers to Jesus Christ having "provided purification for sins"

2. Hebrews 3:1 calls Christ the "High Priest of our confession"

3. Hebrews 4:14 calls Jesus the "High Priest who has passed through the heavens

How Jesus Christ is shown Supreme compared to Aaron and Melchizedek
These first three references use the title "High Priest" to describe Jesus Christ in His office as the believer's repesentative before God the Father.  This title of course would had reminded the Jewish readers of the high priestly office of Israel.  Of all the High Priests in Israel's history - none were considered greater than Aaron.  However as you go further into Hebrews, you will discover that the author will use the mysterious figure Melchizedek (who is perhaps none other than Jesus Himself) to illustrate a superior priesthood to that of Aaron's, with Jesus then revealed to be greatest!  

4. Hebrews 5:1-4 refers to Jesus as being "the appointed high priest", a desgination shared by Aaron in Hebrews 5:4.  With Hebrews 5:4 being the clearest statement of Aaron being "a type" of Jesus Christ the Eternal High Priest, the book of Hebrews also uses another figure, Melchizedek, to reveal how Christ is superior to Aaron. Melchizedek was a priest that ministered to Abraham in Genesis 14, some 600 years before Aaron.  With Aaron as the main figure of comparison, and Melchizedek the secondary figure, the writer of Hebrews weaves for us a rich tapestry of how Jesus Christ is the Eternal High Priest.

5. Hebrews 6:20 tells us that Jesus is "high priest forever"

6. Hebrews 7:5, 11-22 we see Christ's eternal priesthood being unlimited by death, whereby Aaron's priesthood changed from one generation to the next due to death.   

7. In Hebrews 7:23-28 we see Christ the high priest who "is able to save to the uttermost".  As the comparison between Christ and Aaron proceeds (with Melechizedek as background comparison), the differences between both starts to exceed their similarities.

8. Hebrews 8:1-6 reveals how both Aaron and Christ represent not merely two priesthoods, but two completely different covenants - Old (Aaron) and New (Christ).  The point of Hebrews 8 is to show how Aaron's priesthood was temporary, whereas Christ's priesthood is a permanant priest hood.

9. Hebrews 9 and 10 finishes out the typology of Aaron and Christ by noting that Jesus alone could ascend and enter into heaven on behalf of the saints.  Israel's priesthood (the Levitical priesthood, led by Aaron) was limited to service in the earthly tabernacle of the Old Testament, bring into that sanctuary the blood of sheep and goats.  However Christ was able to enter the heavenly sanctuary with His own blood, cleansing the consciences of those who by grace through faith believed on Him.  Neither the Aaronic priesthood nor the Old Covenant system could cleanse the conscience of the worshipper. (Hebrews 9:14)

Jesus Christ, the Supreme High Priest
In all nearly 30 verses in Hebrews provides the powerful analogies between Aaron and Jesus.  Through it all we learn that Jesus Christ is the believer's Supreme High Priest, ever able to mediate between God and man.  Jesus Christ is the Eternal High Priest who passed through the Heavens, having sat down at the Father's right hand after providing purification for sins. (Hebrews 1-3)  He is the
Eternal High Priest, able to save to the uttermost, forever being the source of salvation to all who believe, world without end. (Hebrews 4-10) 

Experiencing Heaven on Earth

Hebrews 12:18 For you have not come to a mountain that can be touched and to a blazing fire, and to darkness and gloom and whirlwind

Hebrews 12:22 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels,

Experiencing Heaven on Earth in a dirt floor house
I'll never forget the time I went to visit a family at a broken down cinder-block shack.  On a dirt road on the outskirts of town lived a man, his wife and their four children in a house riddled with beer bottles, broken furniture and windows.

The house was a one bedroom with one mattress and a dirt floor.  It had one room with working electricity and no backdoor.  Over a period of weeks this family had been attending the nearby church and I had occasion to meet them in my travels.  The family was the poorest family I had ever met.  They each had one outfit, the husband had an amputated arm and the mother was on food stamps.  After several weeks of talking to the family, I went for a visit one Sunday afternoon.  I shared the Gospel with them.  The father was non-receptive, however the children (ages 6-12) were very receptive. 

I asked if they would like to pray to the Lord Jesus for the forgiveness of their sins and trust Him as their Savior, Lord and treasure.  In the presence of the father and mother, sitting on the broken, mouse-eaten couch, the children and I knelt down on that dirt-floor living room. The Holy Spirit orchestrated the work in their hearts.  That day, as those children prayed with me in unison, outloud, we were experiencing a moment where Heaven came down to earth.  The dirt floor of that old run down shack became a mansion of salvation for those kids.  Hebrews 12:18-22 describes the miracle of salvation, and how the hopelesseness of the human condition can be reversed by the life changing power of Jesus Christ received by grace alone through faith alone.

Salvation is as much about Heaven coming down to me as me having the promise of someday going to Heaven
When I read Hebrews 12:18-22, I see salvation being described as involving two mountains, one valley and one miracle. 

Salvation's two mountains
On the day those children prayed to receive Christ, they made a journey from the slopes of Mount Sinai to Mount Zion.  Heaven came down to them, and through the cross they were by faith brought into the blessed hope of salvation. 

In Biblical history Mount Sinai was the mountain about which the nation of Israel was situated following their Exodus from Egypt. (Exodus 19-20)  God revealed His Law in a cloud of thunder and lightening on top of the mountain.  The people were not allowed to touch the Mountain, lest they die.  Mount Sinai is pictured as the Mountain of God's justice.  No hope, only judgment. 

Mount Zion is another name for the Heavenly Jerusalem or the abode where God is.  Both of these mountains are mentioned in Galatians 4:25-26 "Now this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. 26But the Jerusalem above is free; she is our mother."

The Miracle of salvation
Quite literally the miracle of salvation is about the power of God in salvation coming down to us. Heaven's reality comes to me, through faith, by which I receive and believe on Christ.  I'm told that I must abandon the quest of trying to get to God through keeping the law.  This is the fool's errand of those camped around Sinai.  They think they can get to the God of the mountain, however He is too holy and they are too sinful. 

The Cross in the valley
The law of Sinai points to the cross of calvary.  Once I identify with Christ in His death - I die.  According to Romans 6:4-11, I'm buried and then raised with Him.  I have crossed the valley between these two mountains.   Between the mountain of God's justice and the mountain of God's grace lies a valley wherein the cross stands.  Lest the sinner by grace through faith leaves the slopes of judgment at Sinai to be declared dead at the cross and raised, they will never know the glory of Mount Zion. 

In the Old Testament the God of the Mountain came to dwell among the people.  In the New Testament the God dwelling among the people brings the people to the Mountain
So what results when the miracle of salvation has occured?  Notice the seven-fold description given by Hebrews 12:22-23:

1. Change of Address.  "But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God. The heavenly Jerusalem".  I am now viewed as a citizen of heaven, and look forward to Jesus Christ's return.  (Philippians 3:20-21)

2. Change of spiritual environment. "And to myriads of angels".  Hebrews 1:14 tells us the angels of heaven are sent to serve and aid those who are believers in Christ.  I'm no longer under the power of the Kingdom of Darkness. (Ephesians 2:1-2)  The Kingdom of Heaven characterizes the disposition of my heart, with the Spirit's leading characterizing how I approach life. (2 Peter 1:3-4)

3. Change of identity. "To the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven".  As a Christian I have been seated in the heavenly realms in Christ and am an heir of God, a co-heir of Christ, a child of the King! (Romans 8:14-16; Ephesians 2:4-9)

4. Change in relationship to God. "And to God, the Judge of all,"  Once I was separated from God, now I am reconciled through Christ, by faith, to be brought unto God. (1 Peter 3:18) 

5. Change in spiritual condition.  "And to the spirits of the righteous made perfect".  This of course is speaking of those saints who have went on before us. Our spiritual condition is changed to partake in the same promises of salvation as they. (2 Peter 1:3-11)

6. Change in how I view Jesus. "And to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant." Jesus Christ is more precious to me, my Savior, Lord and treasure.  (1 Peter 1:8; 2:1-9)

7. Change in the basis of my confidence. "And to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel."  My confidence in God lies not in what I have done, but His accomplishment, His righteousness and His blood cleansing me from the guilt and shame of my sin. (Ephesians 1:7; 1 John 1:9; Hebrews 9:14) 

In sum, we can close out today's blog with these words from a hymn entitled: "Heaven Came Down": "Heaven came down and glory filled my soul.  There at the cross the Savior made me whole.  My sins were washed away, and my night was turned to day.  Heaven came down and glory filled my soul". 

D.L Moody's thoughts on the Bible

Job 23:12 “I have not departed from the command of His lips;
I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food."

Today's blog is going to feature a statement about scripture written in the flyleaf of the Bible of famous 19th century evangelist D.L Moody.  It is so wonderfully encouraging and edifying that I felt it necessary to share it with you today dear reader.  Enjoy!

The Bible: The Book of Books

by D.L Moody

"The Bible reveals the mind of God, the state of man, the way of life, the doom of sinners and the happiness of believers.  Read it to be wise.

 

It gives light to direct you, food to support  you and comfort to cheer you.  It is the traveler's map, the soldier's sword, the Christian's chart

 

In the Bible paradise is restored; heaven is opened; and the gates of hell are described.  Christ is its theme, our good its design and the glory of God its purpose.

 

The Bible should fill our memories, rule our hearts and guide our feet.  Read it slowly, frequently and prayerfully.

 

It is a mine of wealth, a paradise of glory, a river of pleasure.  It is given to us in life; it will be open in judgment and remembered forever.  It involves the highest responsibility, rewards the greatest labor and condemns all who trifle with it.

 

The Bible sets forth two things: the cross and the throne.  The Old Testament points toward the cross.  The Gospels tell the story of the cross.  The Epistles point toward the throne.  The Book of Revelation tells the story of the throne.

 

The Old Testament tells us what sin leads to and ends with: 'Lest I come and smite the earth with a curse'. (Malachi 4:6)

 

The New Testament shows the way out of sin and ends like this: 'The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all'. (Revelation 22:21)"





Worse than hell

Revelation 20:14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.

For the past several days we have been exploring the terrible but true doctrine of hell in the Bible.  We have discovered the following about this place:

1. It is a place of unquenchable fire Mk 9:13; Ps 106:17-18

2. It is a place of everlasting fire Mt 18:18

3. It is a place of outer darkness Mt 25:47; Jude 11

4. It is a place that has gates or influence Mt 16:18; Ps 9:13; Is 38:10

5. It is a place were unbelievers are conscious Lk 16:25-28

6. It is a place of wailing & gnashing of teeth Mt 8:12; 13:42, 50; 22:13; 24:51; 25:30; Lk 13:28

7. Place of constant burning and stench Mt 5:22, 29-30, 10:28, 18:9, 23:15, 33, Mk 9:43; Lk 12:5

These are most of the references we find in the New Testament regarding the current destination of unbelievers.  In the Old Testament the word translated "hell" or "grave" is the Hebrew "Sheol" which points primarily to the realm of the dead.  In the New Testament the Greek word "hades" is used and we see a more nuanced understanding - lending itself to the progressive nature of God's revelation of topics in the Bible.  The word "hades", in addition to referring to the realm of the unbelieving dead, also carries with it the idea of being a "holding place" until judgment day. 

The Holding Cell until judgment day
In most of the places of the Old Testament and New Testament, we come to understand that unbelievers go to a place that the scripture commonly translates as "Hell".  However there is another place that though often lumped in with the current holding place until judgment, is actually a worse place. 

Think of the difference between a county jail and a state penitentury.  The county or local jail is often used to hold offenders until the final details of their sentence is handed down by the judge.  Once the legal system has sentenced the offender, they are taken to a high security facility that will house them for years, decades or life.    County jail is no doubt a horrible place, however the "State Pen" is even worse.  

For the past several days we have been focusing only on the holding cell - Hell.  Both Jesus and scripture reveal a far worse reality - the Lake of Fire.

The Lake of Fire - Worse than hell
In Matthew 25:41 we get a hint of this far worse place, wherein Jesus speak of the final judgment having unbelievers going into a place of unquenchable fire.  In Matthew 25 we see Jesus presiding over the final judgment, separating the "Sheep and the Goats".  It is here that we really get the sense of the awful truth of an even worse place.

In the Book of Revelation, the Apostle John describes the Lake of Fire as a separate reality.  In the opening verse we quoted today at the beginning of this blog, "death and hades" are cast into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:14).

The Book of Revelation describes this Lake of fire in the following ways:

1. Revelation 19:20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that worked miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.

2. Revelation 20:10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

3. Revelation 20:14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

4. Revelation 20:15 And whoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

5.Revelation 21:8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and fornicators, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.



Why there are times the Bible makes Hell and the Lake of Fire sound the same
Jesus will sometimes use the same descriptions in his references to both the current holding place and final place of judgment for unbelievers.  One of those images is that of a stinking place where the fire burns and the worm dies not.  This intense imagery utilized a well-known trash dump outside the city limits of First century Jerusalem known as "Gehenna".  It was a constantly burning place where people would dump trash, dead bodies and sanitation waste.  Worms and maggots would crawl through the flame scorched, smoke intoxicating trash heaps, lending further to the real-life imagery.  In fact this place had been around for centuries and had been also the site of human sacrifices in the Old Testament times.  Jesus of course alludes to this in passages such as Mark 9:44.  Quite frankly these references by Jesus could be used to describe the current holding place and the future final place of the condemned, being that the former will be cast into the latter.  (Revelation 20:14)

The first mention of the Lake of Fire
The Lake of Fire imagery of course invokes the vision of Daniel in Daniel 7:9-11 “I kept looking until thrones were set up, and the Ancient of Days took His seat; His vesture was like white snow and the hair of His head like pure wool. His throne was ablaze with flames, Its wheels were a burning fire. 10“A river of fire was flowing and coming out from before Him;  Thousands upon thousands were attending Him, and myriads upon myriads were standing before Him;  The court sat, and the books were opened. 11“Then I kept looking because of the sound of the boastful words which the horn was speaking; I kept looking until the beast was slain, and its body was destroyed and given to the burning fire."

This worst of all places reveals ever more the urgency and greatness of the Gospel
Whenever we look at the most well-known passage of John 3:16, we should see even more how marvelous of a passage it is.  Not only is the promise of "not perishing" referring to faith in Jesus Christ as providing immunity from the wrath of God suffered in the current holding place of Hell, but also from the worse place of judgment - the Lake of Fire. 

Let the reader think back over the past couple of days in which we have covered the fairness of hell and the problems that can arise if Christians deny the doctrine.  Those arguments apply even moreso to this biblical teaching on the lake of fire.  

We should as Christians have a greater burden to see our loved ones, neighbors and co-workers won to saving faith in Christ.  As Christians, we should also be humbled and ever more thankful to the fact that God in His love and mercy decided to extend saving grace to us, to send His Son and to Sovereignly have His Spirit convict sinners such as us to freely believe on Jesus Christ.    May we go and tell others about Jesus Christ, so that they may believe and escape the wrath of God that is already on them, and that is coming. (John 3:36; 1 Thessalonians 1:10)


 
 

 

Why Hell is fair

Romans 9:14 What shall we say then? There is no injustice with God, is there? May it never be!

We most recently looked at seven major problems that can arise when one denies the existence of hell.  Today we want to deal with an even more difficult issue: the fairness of hell. Jesus' account of the Rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16 helps us to understand the difficult, but nonetheless true teaching about hell. Most of the blog today will be interacting with that text.

IS HELL TOO SEVERE OF A PUNISHMENT?

When we see the attitudes and words of this rich man in Luke 16, we can say with sadness that he got what he deserved. A brief study of that text yields to us three traits of not only that rich man but all of those who are currently suffering in Hell:

1. The rich man remained unrepentant. Luke 16:24
He wanted relief, he wanted comfort, however he was neither repentant nor did he confess any wrongdoing to God.

2. The rich man had re-occurring memories. Luke 16:25
Father Abraham reminds the rich man of how good he had it when he was on the earth.  The rich man furthermore still recalls his brothers' and father’s house.

3. The rich man still is rejecting God’s word. Luke 16:30
Just as he had done while on earth, he does all the more in Hell – namely reject God;s Word.  At Abraham’s statement about the Law and Prophets the Rich man screams out “No!”.  The rich man is still manufacturing his own version of salvation to prevent his brothers from coming to hell.    

We can say with sadness that the rich man is not repentant and that he is getting justice.  However many will ask: is it too much? is the punishment too severe? Consider the thoughts below:

 
1. Consider the Nature of the Offended
To deny the fairness of hell as punishment, as well as its eternal duration, is to not grasp the nature of the sinner's offense against God.  We have got to remember that all sin is ultimately an assault on God’s very character and reputation.   

Whenever an adult experiences a crime, society has set certain laws and punishment for the offender.  However have you ever noticed when a crime is committed against a child how society demands stricter punishment? Why?  Because the nature of the child is that of innocence, and the injustice is understood to be more offensive due to the nature of the child.  Think about God.  He is infinite and infinitely Holy. When we look at the concept of justice and punishment, the punishment of the offender always fits the nature of the offense committed against the offended.
 
 2. The nature of the offended party determines the nature of the punishment
If the offended party is a finite creature, then a finite punishment would be warranted. However, God is not finite, but infinite. To do violence to His reputation in any form is sin. Being that His reputation (His glory) is without limit, then any attack against Him is regarded an infinite attack. Humanity’s problem is two-fold – we minimize the enormity of sin and minimize the being and character of God. 

3. God is Just and Loving
Romans 9:22-23 reveals that it will take eternity to put on display the glory of God's justice and mercy. Heaven was created for the redeemed, since God through them will be displaying the glory of His mercy. Hell was created for the devil and his angels.  All of those who follow the enemy and die without Christ will end up there as well. Thus God will be displaying the glory of His justice for all eternity. So when we consider those three points above, we can only conclude that in light of the attack that sin is on God's infinite Holy character, Hell, sadly but truly, is not an unfair punishment.

IF THERE WAS NO HELL, WE WOULD NEVER KNOW IF GOD WAS A GOD OF JUSTICE When Christ suffered on the cross, He suffered God's wrath in the place of all who would ever believe on Him. He also suffered in the place of the rest of humanity to give them space and time for repentance - thus Christ's death in the historical sense was for all men.  In the eternal sense His death is to be applied to all who would ever believe. Thus God displayed His justice and grace in the cross. For those who die rejecting Christ, they will suffer in hell because they never took advantage of the grace poured out at the cross. (John 3:36) Thus as difficult as the doctrine of hell is, without it we could never say God is Just and fair. In order for God to be a good God, He has to be a Just and Loving God.

Four more big problems in denying Hell's reality

Mark 9:43 "If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life crippled, than, having your two hands, to go into hell, into the unquenchable fire"

Yesterday we consider three big problems that can arise if we deny the existence of Hell, namely we would have to deny: God’s Justice, God’s Love and the Cross.  I’ll admit the difficulty of writing of these particular blogs, since thinking on the subject of eternal punishment causes grief over the destiny of those who die without Christ.   With that said, the doctrine of hell and eternal judgment has the positive effect of making the Christian be more greatful for their salvation.  It is for that reason that we should warn loved ones and all people alike to escape the wrath of God and be reconciled to Him through Jesus Christ.  In today’s blog we continue on discussing four more big problems that can arise from denying Hell’s reality. 

In other words, if we were to deny the reality of hell, what else would we have to deny?

1. To deny hell is to deny the need for missions
What is the primary burden of all missionary work? Be saved from the wrath of God, repent of your sins! In Matthew 3:7 John the Baptist states - "But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, "You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?" Or how about 1 Thesslonians 1:10 "and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead--Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath." (NIV)

The urgency of missions would be lost if we were to wholesale deny the existence of Hell. Look at other movements who have made such a decision. All mainline denominations who have went liberal in their theology - (meaning the denial of the supernatural, the miraculous and unseen aspects of the Christian faith - including the destiny of unbelievers) - are either doing very little or no missionary work. To not do missions is to disobey a fundamental command of the Lord Jesus Christ - the Great Comission of Matthew 28:18-20. To do that would be to deny what makes Christianity Christianity.

2. To deny Hell would be to deny the Bible's inerrancy
Jesus mentions Hell and its reality 17 times. As a biblical doctrine it is mentioned some 95 times. If Hell is not real, and is nothing more than a "state of mind" or "other people" or "me just having a bad day", then we would have to deny the Bible as being without error and without authority. Closely related to inerrancy is the Bible's infallibility - meaning its inability to lead anyone astray.  If the Bible is wrong on Hell, and if Hell is not a place, then the Bible is fallible - it is no better than any other religious book.  Jesus states in John 10:35 that the scripture cannot be broken - thus infallibility.  Proverbs 30:4-5 states that the Bible is pure - free from error.  You lose far more than you ever hope to gain if you deny the reality of hell. 

3. To Deny Hell would be to Deny the existence of Heaven
Heaven was created at the same time as earth. (Genesis 1:1). When Lucifer rebealled and led 1/3 of the angelic hosts astray, the Bible states that Hell was created originally for the Devil and his angels. (Isaiah 14:12-14; Ezekiel 28; Matthew 25:41; Revelation 12:3-7).  From what we can discern, Lucifer's rebellion took place shortly after the creation week, meaning Hell was made separately.  This is a crucial point - since Genesis 1 states seven times that all that God made was "Good". 

Lucifer and some of the demonic hosts are roaming to and fro over the face of the earth, aggrevating and tormenting people. (1 Peter 5:8).  If Hell did not exist, what would become of the demonic realm and the future judgment of Satan?

The Bible indicates nowhere of Satan nor the demonic realm being restored or repenting. The current place called "Hell" is the holding place for unbelievers and some of the demonic realm who had rebelled. (2 Peter 2:4) Thus without hell and the even worse lake of fire spoken of in the book of Revelation, they would have to go somewhere.

Without a place to demonstrate the justice of God, in an ironic but true sense - the reality of Heaven would have to be denied. Think about it - Habakkuk 1:13 for example tells us that God cannot stand to look upon sin in His sight. Historically when Hell's existence has been denied, Christianity has become more centered on "this world" and less on "the world to come". The Eternal perspective that marks out true biblical Christianity is lost - reducing Christianity to another self-help philosophy to survive this life. The nineteenth century liberalism of Germany is a prime example of this fact.

4. To Deny Hell would be to Deny Human responsibility/free will
If all people, demons and Satan himself are going to be saved no matter what - then in reality our responsibility to repent and believe is nothing more than a mirage. In Rob Bell's book "Love Wins", he states that giving enough time - people will learn to love God, since His love for them will win them over. In attempting to assert the Sovereignty of God, Bells over plays his hand and ends up denying the biblical teaching of human responsibility.

In ways we may not fully comprehend, but nonetheless can know - the Bible asserts the compatibility and dual truths of Sovereignty and Human responsibility. If I deny Sovereignty - I have fallen into the ditch of proclaiming a message devoid of God's grace in the Gospel. If I deny human responsibility - I affirm fatalism, which teaches that man is but a chess piece on God's Chess board.

All who believe on Jesus Christ and go to heaven do so because of God's grace calling them and setting them free to choose Jesus. Whereas all of those who die and go to hell do so because of their freedom to reject. (Compare Acts 13:46-48).

Three big problems of denying hell's reality

Revelation 20:12-15 And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. 13And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. 14Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

For the past couple of days we have been focusing on the doctrine of Hell, noting the man who went to hell (Korah, Numbers 16); the man suffering in hell (The Rich man, Luke 16) and the man who avoided it through faith in Jesus (The thief, Luke 23). The Bible clearly asserts its reality and awful nature.  In today's blog I want us to think about the consequences that denial of hell can have on core doctrines of the Christian faith. 

In other words, if we were to deny the reality of hell, what else would we have to deny?

1. To deny Hell is to deny the Justice of God.
The prophet Habakkuk says these words in Habakkuk 1:3-4 "Why do You make me see iniquity, and cause me to look on wickedness? Yes, destruction and violence are before me;  Strife exists and contention arises. 4Therefore the law is ignored And justice is never upheld. For the wicked surround the righteous; Therefore justice comes out perverted."  To deny the doctrine of final judgment or hell would mean denying final justice and judgment.

If there is no final way of judgment, then in the realm of this life, evil will truly prevail, and God's justice in the visible realm could never be upheld.  Without Hell, scriptures such as Psalm 89:14 would not be true: "Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne;
Lovingkindness and truth go before You." Clearly if Justice is not fundamental to God's character, then there is no basis for objective morality nor truth. 

2. To deny Hell is to deny the love of God
This point may sound truly shocking, since many of those today who deny hell's existence claim that they are upholding the love of God.  Rob Bell, a one time evangelical pastor, shocked the world of Christianity earlier this year with his controversial book entitled "Love Wins".  In the book he proposes that in the end, God's love will triumph and all beings, even satan, will be saved.  That heresy, called "universalism", has been around since the second century of the church.  Ironically, when we deny the reality of hell and judgment, we also have to deny the love of God.

Consider the passage I quoted earlier, Psalm 89:14 - "Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne;
Lovingkindness and truth go before You."   The Bible clearly shows that because God is a Good and righteousness God, He is also fair.  Because He is a fair God, He knows what is proper to love.  Since He is a truthful God, He also knows what is proper not to love (i.e sin, injustice).  God's Wrath is not out of control anger as popularly believed.  Rather wrath is His holiness expressed negatively towards what is opposite of His goodness; whereas His love is His holiness expressed positively toward what He deems to be in allignment with His goodness.  If God loved everything, He would have to also love sin.  Hell, whether people like it or not, demonstrates the reality of God's justice.  Without Him being a Good and Just God, He could not also be the loving and fair God revealed in the Bible.

3. To deny Hell is to deny the need for the cross
Why did Jesus come to die?  To suffer the wrath of God and to save all those who would believe on Him from such wrath. (Romans 5:6-10).  On the cross, Jesus Christ bore the wrath of God, so that all who by grace through faith believe on Him would not have to.  Consider John 3:36 “He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” 

If there were no such place as Hell, then we could simply conclude God was going to save everybody.  The meaning of the cross would radically change, since Christ's death would no longer be about fulfilling the demands of justice or prolonging the wrath of God.  John 3:16 would be emptied of it reality and truth.  The possibility of perishing would be nothing more than Divine saber rattling. 

Universalism, the belief that all creatures will be with God in eternity, including the unrepentant and the demonic realm, is an incoherent theology when it tries to proclaim the cross.  This is why all forms of universalism throughout church history have been deemed heretical.  This is why Universalism has never been considered true to the character and heart of of the Gospel.

I know that these truths are heavy - my own heart breaks at writing these blogs.  To think about all of those dying without Christ, and the reality of Hell, is no doubt difficult to imagine.  However to deny such truth leaves Christianity in far greater jeopardy than when we affirm it.  May we be spurred onto renewed urgency to share Christ with those who need Him.