Eternal Regret and Eternal Rejoicing – September 20, 2019

“There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out. People will come from the east and west and north and south and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God.”
Luke 13:28,29

Eternal Regret and Eternal Rejoicing

There are many misconceptions about hell. False ideas are all over television, social media, and the internet. Some will say that hell is not a real place. Others argue that it is a place reserved only for the terribly bad people and most of us don’t have to worry about it. A recent Twitter discussion argued that hell will be a lot more fun than heaven. Some will even say that hell is an invention of the church made up to scare people into doing what the church tells them.

In Luke, chapter thirteen, Jesus tells us the truth about this awful place. Contrary to what many in this world believe, there is a hell and people can end up there. Hell will not be a big party. Jesus says, “There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth.” Scripture is clear about the intense pain, suffering, and torment that those in hell will experience. But, the worst part of hell won’t be the heat, pain, or suffering. The worst part will be the eternal regret of knowing that you had a chance to believe in Jesus and chose not to.

Thankfully, those who believe in Jesus will never have to worry about that. There will be a large crowd of people going to heaven. “People will come from east and west and north and south and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God.” Through faith in Jesus, we will never have to face eternal suffering in hell. Rather, through his life, death, and resurrection, we will be with him forever in his kingdom, enjoying all that heaven has to offer.

Prayer:
Dear Jesus, thank you for winning heaven for me. Help me to keep my eyes focused on the heavenly goal. Help me encourage others to put their faith in you. Amen.