HELL

TEXT: Mat 25:41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
Luke 16:22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;
Luke 16:23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

INTRO: The denial of an eternal, fiery place of torment is wishful thinking on the part of those who are either damned or deluded. Most who believe this, still believe in heaven, but if there is no hell to shun, there can be no heaven to gain, since we get them both from the Bible.
1 Cor 15:19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. [Because we would never know anything but a life controlled and surrounded by sin.] If, in this life only, man has fear of punishment, he is most content to remain in sin.

I It was NOT PREPARED for sinful man, since it was prepared before man was created.
"into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:"

II. It is everlasting. The word ‘everlasting’ is the same as that in these verses.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
John 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life:
John 6:40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.
If the torments of hell are but fleeting , then so are the pleasures of eternal life!
Rev 14:11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.

III. It is a FIERY torment.
Luke 16:24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.
Rev 14:11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: (where there is smoke there is fire!)
Rev 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.

Some have said the account of the rich man and Lazarus [Luke 16] is a parable. Remember, A parable is always lesser, by its very nature, than the real thing. That means the fiery torment of the rich man was even worse than it sounds!
If one wishes to argue against the reality of hell, he must stand ready to debate God.

IV. Source of the fire is the vile corruption of Satan, himself.
Ezek 28:18 Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffic; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee.
We might say that hell is the result of the fever of the sickness of sin.
The blood of Christ is the answer.