The Problem of Hell: Ultimately with R.C. Sproul

Why do some of us struggle so much with the Bible’s teaching about hell? Today, R.C. Sproul explains that it’s not because we have a higher view of justice than God does.

[del]

The lake of fire in hell is a very real place... where the fire is not quenched. It's not symbolic. May God have mercy on our souls🕊

[friendyadvice]

The possibility of God sending me to hell, is utterly terrifying. I often worry about it sometimes laying in my bed at night. I also worry about anyone being there as well, but I know we are all deserving of hell. I throw myself at God's mercy, and fall at his feet and ask for forgiveness. I really do.

[bettyh]

The best place, but without Jesus, is Hell. I don’t want to be anywhere that Jesus is not.

[lalaland]

My mom believed it was "just" separation from God, but even if it is, I never want to be separated from Him, not for one minute.

[johnvandommelen]

As for all the warnings in Scripture, this is by far the scariest of them all....to take this warning with disregard or disbelief is at your own peril because God is not a is as serious as it gets! Our Savior was sent to save us from this inescapable judgment....believe and be saved from it.

[andrewt.]

Hell will always be hell as long as God is God. "Depart from me, you cursed into everlasting fire." Hell is forever, just as heaven is.

[marjieyoung]

It's important to note eternal separation from God is not a complete absence of God. People in Hell no longer experience God's grace and mercy, but definitely experience God's wrath for all eternity. No one should breathe a sigh of relief at that. Difficulty with the concept of Hell stems from a low view of God and a high view of self. We don't rightly view the seriousness of sin but instead trivialize it. Because of our sin natures we are constantly fighting against our bent to make everything about ourselves and our own desires and wills. We tend to be "inward" instead of "outward" toward God. It makes the reality of Hell hard to accept.

[kvsartist]

Glory to God. RC has shown me my problem as I've been struggling with the concept of hell this week. I think at some point I found myself too excited about the prospect of sinners burning in hell, then I became compassionate towards trying to point them to the one who saves, Jesus

YHWH knows I need to be more convicted. My view of self is getting in the way. Holy Spirit lead us to the truth, and protect us from our heart's own bent to deception. God bless and Shalom

[franciscoluciopereira]

I just praise the Lord when I hear Dr. Sproul teaching me the marveless things of the Bible. As it's written: "The justified one, even been dead, still testify".

[robertjasso]

Hard sayings that must be said, a faithful man who wrestled with the tough issues of life.

[goshareyourown]

I'm no scholar. But, hell is literally the lake of fire, darkness forever. So it is written in the Bible, so it is. May God grant us a heart to reach the lost, in Jesus' name, amen.

[tomm]

Fortunately, and contrary to Christian popular opinion, ...

"I will not contend forever, nor will I always be angry; for the spirit would grow faint before me, and the breath of life that I made." (Isaiah 57:16)

The Total Victory of Christ

[newyorknight]

This is the only time when being narrow minded is a good thing.
Enter in by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter in by it.
Matthew 7:13

[lesnasserden]

I have been reading and studying the Bible for nearly fifty years, and this is the most succinct summary explanation of "hell" that I have ever come across. I am thankful for R.C. Sproul's ministry.

[Soli_Deo_Gloria_.]

What is the chief end of man ?
Man's chief end is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.

Seek Christ Jesus the Redeemer

[Redeemed.of.YHVH.thru.Christ]

Eternal separation from my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, for all eternity, is a far greater agony, for me, to imagine than burning in the lake of fire for eternity. Nothing I can do myself can prevent me from going to eternal damnation in the lake of fire, no works, no matter how great they are, and no matter how well I keep the law, none of it is good enough in God’s eyes to grant me the sinless, perfect righteousness that I need to go to eternal life in Heaven. But God, because He loves us, sent His Son, the exact image and nature of YHVH manifest in the flesh, our Lord Jesus Christ, to fulfill the law for us, and the wrath our sins earned us, was poured out on our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, on the cross, so that everyone who believes they have been justified on the cross of Christ, who know their sins have all been washed away by the bl00d of the Lamb, and who believe that God raised Jesus from the dead the 3rd day, they will all go to Heaven for eternity, given the sinless righteousness of Christ by the grace of YHVH, because they believe that Jesus Christ was the propitiation for their sins, as a gift from Abba YHVH.

I will never end up in HeII, because God’s Word has promised me eternal life, and He has sealed me with the Holy Spirit until the day of redemption. Jesus took my sins, and He clothed me in His righteousness, and I have been reconciled to my Heavenly Father forever, because the Holy Spirit baptized me into death with Christ on the cross, and made me spiritually alive in Christ, and I am dead to sin, and dead to the law, and it’s no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. I’m justified by the shed bl00d of Jesus Christ, I’m being sanctified daily by the Holy Spirit, and on the day of redemption I will be glorified, and this corruption will put on incorruption, in the twinkling of an eye. Praise and glory to YHVH, who manifest Himself visibly through our Lord Jesus Christ. He gets all the glory, and all the praise, for all eternity. “Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to EVERYONE WHO BELIEVES”, Romans 10:4. Do you believe you have been justified already, by the bl00d of Christ? Or are you still trying to justify yourself by the law? You can’t mix law and grace, because if you believe you have to do something other than trusting the gospel of Christ, in order to ensure your salvation, then you don’t understand the gospel, and you’re trying to justify yourself by your own works. You can’t do that, because if salvation comes by the law, then Christ died in vain, Galatians 2:21.

It’s either grace, or works, and if it’s works, then it’s no longer grace. I see far too many people who are frustrating God’s grace, and telling people they have to keep the law to be saved, even the dietary laws. That’s why Jesus Christ told the Pharisees that they couldn’t avoid HeII, because they actually thought they were sinless in keeping the law, and they completely ignored the huge sin of their UNBELIEF in the grace and mercy of YHVH. Not believing completely on the shed bl00d of Christ for your justification, apart from any works of the law, is a sin. “What must we do to do the work of God” the people asked Peter in the book of Acts, and Peter replied “This is the work of God, THAT YOU BELIEVE ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, whom YHVH sent”. That’s the work we must do for salvation, believe on Christ. And YHVH even gives us the faith to believe.

Justification IS salvation, and we’re justified by FAITH ALONE on the redemptive work of Christ on the cross, and His resurrection the 3rd day. That’s the gospel of Christ. The just shall live by FAITH. Justification by trusting on the finished work of Christ for our redemption must precede the sanctification by the Holy Spirit. We have to first be saved and born again through faith, before Christ can produce works through us. He is the vine, and we are the branches, and apart from being in Christ, we can do nothing. People get that completely backwards, and believe that they are doing works, that if they keep the law, and if they keep the feast days, and if they tell others to keep the law too, they will be qualified for salvation, and all of it is DEAD WORKS, because it’s apart from Christ. Anyone who says that you can’t be saved if you don’t keep a 7th day Sabbath, or if you don’t keep the 10 commandments you can’t be saved, is believing in their own works for salvation, and they will be condemned by the law they’re trusting in for salvation.

Everyone who is under the law is under the curse of the law. The whole purpose of the law was to show us our sins, and how we can never be good enough to receive salvation by keeping the law, because no human has ever been able to keep the law as perfectly as God demands, because we’re all fallen. That’s why NO FLESH will be justified by the deeds of the law. We are so far from the sinless, holy, perfect righteousness of God, because everything we do, no matter how perfect we think it is, is nothing but filthy rags to YHVH. This is why the Pharisees couldn’t avoid HeII, because they underestimated the sinless righteousness of YHVH, and they overestimated their own righteousness, actually believing that they had the same sinless righteousness of YHVH by their own works of the law. Our flesh will never be righteous. And our soul is only made sinless and righteous through faith on the finished work of Christ and being born again of the Holy Spirit. Once we’re born again, we have 2 natures, the sinful nature of the flesh, the “old man”, and the sinless nature of the soul that has been quickened by the Spirit of Christ and given His righteousness, the “new man”. And these 2 war against each other.

Let me tell you what you must do to be saved. You must believe that Jesus Christ took all your sins upon Himself on the cross, and the wrath of Abba YHVH against your sins was taken out on the body of Christ on the cross as the propitiation for your sins, and by the grace of YHVH, He gave you the righteousness of Christ because you believe the shed bl00d of Christ justified you and took away all your sins, and you believe you will be resurrected to eternal life, because God resurrected Jesus Christ from the dead the 3rd day, and this is all a gift YHVH has given you, and when Jesus Christ said “Tetelestai”, PAID IN FULL, “It is finished”, that’s exactly what He meant. It’s the faithfulness of Christ all the way to the cross, and our trusting in HIS FINISHED WORK for our redemption that justifies us. You cannot add ANYTHING to the perfect shed bl00d of Christ.

[stephenlomsdalen]

With a high view of God.and a high view of scripture, we see our sin as it is.

[georgelugenalt]

Dunno why anyone would say Hell is not a lake of fire. Technically it's not, its just a fire and the smell of sulphur (ugh) and the Lake of Fire, the eternal hell, is a literal lake of fire. I love RC. He seems to be saying hell isnt real at first, but keep listening, he nails it completely, just let him make his point.

[lawrence]

Hell is not separation from God. Hell is the experience of being in the presence of God without being one with Him.

[kathyheavner]

I don't have a problem with hell when I see the evil in the world.
God is Holy
Thankful for His Son who saved me