Matthew 13:41-42
“…all
who cause others to sin and all evildoers (will be thrown) into the fiery
furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.”
Sheol… Hades… Gehenna… Hell… Inferno. I doesn’t matter how you call that
place. It doesn’t matter what the
temperature would be in that place.
These are words that few really understand, yet most people will go
there. It is usually considered the
location for the incorrigibly wicked. It
might be used to express anger or frustration.
It may be used as a destination to assign to those you do not like. However, the hell that is described in the
pages of the Bible is a very real place. You may be surprised to learn who goes
to that location!
We live in a world that includes the good
and the wicked. But like it or not, God
has always made it clear - we must do the right things, by His standards, in
order to achieve salvation. What Jesus
reveals to us in this passage though, is even more specific. Not only are
evildoers condemned, but “all who cause others to sin” as well. It’s not always clear who are the weeds and
who are the wheat, and God has given us the freedom to change between the
two. What is clear is that those who
strive to serve God, while trying to lead others to Him rather than away from
Him, stand a much better chance in the afterlife.
God’s gift of time is beyond measure.
It is truly priceless and there will be a day when we will be asked to account
for our time spent on this earth. At the
end of time, the believers in Christ will be gathered together to be brought
into the storehouse, where they will experience eternal life in the Kingdom of
Heaven; however, the tares or weeds shall be separated and bound together to be
thrown into the flames. These represent
those who refused the invitation to repent and believe. The “barn” or the “burning”, it is your
choice. But still, please, choose the
former!
Almighty Father, we beseech You to deliver
us, by Your eternal power, from all the tyranny of the infernal spirits, from their
snares, their lies and their furious wickedness. Grant us Your powerful protection and to keep
us safe and sound. May Your Spirit grant
us a loving and merciful heart as we live in You through Jesus Christ Our
Lord. Amen +
Merciful and gracious is the LORD, slow to anger, abounding in kindness.
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