Imagine what it would be like, to be in Hell for an hour! What a sobering call to reflection! Even a fleeting thought of an eternity under the wrath of Almighty God, ought to arrest our hearts and awaken our consciences. Hell is not a metaphor or a scare tactic--it is a real place, a place of justice, a place prepared for the devil and his demons, and for all who die outside of saving union with Christ.
To be in Hell for an hour, would be to taste the outer darkness where there is weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth! (Matthew 22:13)
It would be to feel the full force of God's holy hatred for sin, without a drop of mercy to soften the blow. In this life, the wicked sip from God's kindness, sunshine, breath, family, pleasure. But in Hell, all these common graces are forever withdrawn. It is to be shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of His power (2 Thessalonians 1:9) to face the righteous punishment for every evil thought, word, and deed!
One hour in Hell, how unbearable! Yet Scripture speaks not of one hour, or even one lifetime, but of eternity. The punishment does not purify; and it does not end. It is "eternal destruction" (2 Thessalonians 1:9) "eternal fire" (Jude 7) and "eternal punishment." (Matthew 25:46) The worm never dies. The fire is never quenched. (Mark 9:48) And the soul, still conscious, bears the weight of God's vengeance, without hope of relief.
[Charles H. Spurgeon]
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Why did Spurgeon urge us to imagine such a thing? Not to cause despair, but to magnify the Gospel. When we glimpse even faintly, the horrors from which we have been rescued the grace of Christ shines all the more brightly. Jesus endured the wrath of God at Calvary so that His people would never taste a single second of Hell. He drank the bitter cup of damnation to the dregs. He was forsaken, that we might be brought nearby.
Christian, you will never know what it is to be in Hell for an hour not even a minute. Because your Substitute suffered once for all you will be forever in Heaven with the Lord. Let such mercy humble you. Let it fuel your worship, deepen your repentance, and compel your witness to the lost.
"Lord, awaken my heart to the dreadful reality of Hell, and to the infinite worth of Christ who delivers from it. Thank You for saving me from what I deserve. Give me a deeper love for Your mercy and grace. Let the shadow of the cross remind me daily of the judgment I have escaped and stir my soul to worship You with trembling joy. Amen."
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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.
1 Thessalonians 5:9–10 ... For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. ❤
