hell is not the answer



How life-changing it would be if we could somehow be transported in our minds to stand, as it were, on the perimeter of that rocky crag on the outskirts of Jerusalem where the ancient Romans frequently carried out public executions, to observe the events that transpired there on a certain day.  Jerusalem was especially filled with people, on that day.  Jews from all over the then known world had come to keep the Feast of Passover.  The Romans must have seen it as a fortuitous opportunity to demonstrate their dominate power over that region (the Jews had long been a thorn in Rome's side, so to speak).  In fact, on that very day, Barabbas, the ring leader of a recently failed Jewish rebellion, was to have been publicly executed by the most brutal means of crucifixion.  But God had other plans....

By reason of what surely seemed to everyone as some unplanned, last-minute circumstances (though in fact it was God's plan from the foundation of the world), instead of Barabbas, it was God's own dear Son whom the Romans ended up crucifying, on that fateful day.  What a day it was!  For some inexplicable reason, from about the height of noon until several hours later, the light of the sun "turned black as sackcloth of hair"; at the same time, there was a great earthquake; as the blood ~ and with it the life ~ of the sinless Lamb of God poured out upon that stony ground.

Among his very last words, on the cross, Jesus cried out: "My God! my God..., why hast thou forsaken me?"

Who can possibly understand what Jesus endured on the cross?  Perhaps infinitely more than the physical torment of his crucifixion, what might the Son of God have experienced within his own soul whilst he hung there dying?  We are given, in Scripture, a glimpse of what anguish he suffered the night before his crucifixion, as he wrestled in prayer concerning his impending death: he literally 'sweated', as it were, "great drops of blood".

The cross was by no means the whole of Jesus's suffering.  Prior to his crucifixion, Jesus had been subjected to such abuse, which in many other cases men did not survive.  Why?  Why was God willing to allow His "only begotten Son" to suffer so, to be tortured to death?   Why was Jesus willing to submit himself to insufferable physical pain and unsearchable torment in his soul?  Why?

Do you suppose (as some do!) it was so that God could be justified in sending untold millions, or perhaps billions, of souls to hell?!!  Is that what Calvary was about?  Is that why God was willing to suffer?  O! Who can imagine that God has ever suffered?  God suffered at Calvary.  But that was not the only time in history that God has suffered.  God was the first one to suffer ~ in Eden.  I believe His suffering is not yet over.  The apostle Paul wrote: "I Paul . . . rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church" (Colossians 1:23-24).

Do you suppose God is OK with untold millions of souls He himself created, to ~ what? ~ be separated from Him for ever?  God told us that He takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked.  In fact, here is the passage:

"Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?"  (Ezekiel 33:11)

The expression, "As I live," is intended to give strong emphasis ~ almost as if God were taking an oath.  Whom is God willing that they should live?  The WICKED! that's who.  No, of course I do not mean that God is willing that the wicked may live and persist in their wickedness.  But God is more than willing that the "wicked" MAY live.  And how may they live?  By humbling themselves to God, IN REPENTANCE.

Yet, the whole of humanity is fallen, alienated from God; it is not in man's nature to repent.  How then can anyone come to repentance?

Everywhere that one may go in America, the complaint can be heard: that America has turned its back upon God; that people don't want to hear the Gospel anymore; that things are just going to get worse and worse until Jesus comes; etc.  Many ~ including most Christians ~ suppose that what may be needed in order to bring America (in any significant measure) back to God, is some or another great calamity, some great natural disaster, or some kind of unprecedented economic collapse or other kind of terrible crisis.

But consider the current situation, if you will.  Is this not a real crisis?  Doubtless things could get worse in America.  The so-called pandemic might grow beyond anyone's ability to contain, much less to eradicate, it.  Every school in the nation is shut down.  A great number of businesses are closed.  Entire states have lately issued "stay at home" orders.  Grocery stores' shelves are largely emptied.  Things really are quite bad already.  Yet, I don't see anything like a real movement in America (or anywhere else) toward God!  I don't see any indication that widespread repenting is going on!  I don't even see the churches coming together for the purpose of repenting.

No, neither pandemic, nor storm, nor earthquake ~ not even death itself ~ can by any means quicken the soul of men to realize their need of the Savior.  The one and only thing that has any power whatsoever to awaken men's conscience to their own sin and to the reality of Christ, is the power of the Holy Ghost.  The only power in the Universe that can convict men of sin, and make the saving grace of God real to their minds, is the Holy Ghost.  Jesus said: "No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him" (John 6:44).  Jesus furthermore declared it belongs to the Holy Ghost to "reprove [convince, convict, rebuke] the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment" (John 16:8).  It is the ministry of the Holy Ghost, to do such things for "the world".

If we are waiting for God to shake the nations by means of plague or some other disaster, or by means of man's own folly, then we are waiting for the wrong thing.  Nor should we ever suppose that unsaved persons will of their own accord turn unto God for salvation; that will never happen.

God does have a powerful, wonderful, effectual plan whereby one ~ or many ~ may come to Jesus Christ and be saved: The Lord Jesus Christ ~ through the Person and power of the Holy Ghost working in and through the Body of Christ to manifest the holy and merciful God in the earth; that is God's plan!  It has rightly been said that "We can do nothing without God; God will do nothing without us". 

God is greatly desiring to move.  How do I know?  Has the message not yet entered into your heart?  God sent Christ to be the Savior ~ not the destroyer ~ of the world.  HELL IS NOT THE ANSWER; Jesus Christ is the answer.

I say again, God is greatly desiring to move.  "The eyes of the LORD run . . ."  ". . . seeking . . .".

Seeking, what?  "To shew Himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him" (2 Chronicles 16:9)  Notice, it does not say "in the behalf of him" (singular), but "them".  If such a thing as possessing a "perfect heart toward God" were not possible, then would the all-wise, all-truthful God do so foolishly as to search continually throughout the earth ~ for something He knows were not even a possibility?  But, indeed, God's eyes "run", as He searches for such persons to whom He can demonstrate His power ~ on their behalf!

God ~ according to His own sovereign will ~ is seeking for some who will so yield themselves to God that God can fill them and use them for His own purpose and glory; which, ever is to save! to give life!  Church! God is waiting for US to repent, and for US to set our face to seek the Lord in intercessory prayer.

For Revival.  That is God's will.  That is God's plan.  That is God's promise.