“We Preachers Do Not Preach Hell Enough” — J. Gresham Machen
“We preachers do not preach hell enough, and we do not say enough about sin. We talk about the gospel and wonder why people are not interested in what we say. Of course they are not interested. No man is interested in a piece of good news unless he has the consciousness of needing it; no man is interested in an offer of salvation unless he knows that there is something from which he needs to be saved. It is quite useless to ask a man to adopt the Christian view of the gospel unless he first has the Christian view of sin.
But a man will never adopt the Christian view of sin if he considers merely the sin of the world or the sins of other people. Consideration of the sins of other people is the deadliest of moral anodynes; it relieves the pain of conscience but it also destroys moral life. Many persons gloat over denunciations of that to which they are not tempted; or they even gloat over denunciations, in the case of other people, of sins which are also really theirs. King David was very severe when the prophet Nathan narrated to him his sordid tale of greed. ‘As the Lord liveth,’ said David, ‘the man that hath done this thing shall surely die.’ But Nathan was a disconcerting prophet. ‘And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man.’ (II Samuel 12:5, 7) That was for David the beginning of a real sense of his sin. So it will also be with us.”
- J. Gresham Machen
taken from: Sin’s Wages and God’s Gift.
Amen!
Amen and Amen!
Hell can’t possibly be a literal place where billions of people are suffering for failing to experience God in Christian terms. You’re telling me that a God of love is perfectly content to banish most of humanity to eternal pain and torment? No way. I don’t care what you think the Bible says about it, I think the Bible has been misinterpreted and mistranslated so much over the years that it’s impossible to interpret it in any literal fashion. God is not going to sit in Heaven with a select few who managed to “accept” Jesus while everyone else who has ever lived burns in Hell. What happens if a missionary is on his way to preach the word to a lost tribe, and his car breaks down? And what happens later that day when that tribe is set upon by an invading tribe and everyone dies? They all go to hell? If only the missionary had taken the car in for a checkup before the start of his trip! The poor tribe will now perish forever, and God is okay with that? It’s all hypothetical of course, but the question must be answered. The focus shouldn’t be on preaching hell at all, but on how God’s grace extends to everyone – Muslin, Jew, Catholic, Hindu, Buddist – ALL of creation.
Jack:
God’s grace does extend to everyone! (Matthew 5:45)
You wrote: “You’re telling me that a God of love is perfectly content to banish most of humanity to eternal pain and torment”
He is also a God of justice and wrath to those who disobey and reject His glorious gospel; (Rom.1:18) He must punish sin! Would a honest judge in a courtroom dismiss a rape or murder case just because the man on trial said he was sorry and wouldn’t commit the same crime again? I think not!!
“Hell can’t possibly be a literal place where billions of people are suffering for failing to experience God in Christian terms”
Please see Heb. 9:27, 1Cor. 6:9-10 and Rev. 21:8. You obviously don’t understand scripture or else you would be familiar with the depravity of man. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God!” He has provided His dear Son as a payment for your sin! Will you accept the free gift He offers you? If so, repent of your sins and put your complete trust (faith) in Christ! (Acts 3:19) The call for repentance is echoed throughout the new testament!
God bless you, Jack-
You are correct, I do not understand scripture. It boggles my mind that, according to the scriptures, the majority of people who have ever lived are suffering in hell at this moment. Are you saying that every single non-Christian person who ever lived is burning in a literal place called hell? Native American Indians, 4 year old children who perish in house fires, the severely mentally disabled, Ghandi, etc. Are you content to believe that this wrathful angry God has no problem watching creation suffer in hell? So a 10 year old kid could perish in hell because his parents nor anyone else in his life ever discussed religion with him. This child burns for eternity? Please help me understand how a God of love can watch a young child suffer in pain forever because he never heard of Jesus.
Additionally, you wrote “He is also a God of justice and wrath to those who disobey and reject His glorious gospel.”
How can it be considered disobedience if the disobeyer is unaware of the wrong? You seem to be operating on the assumption that every person who ever lived has had the same opportunity to hear about Jesus, and then made a conscious choice to accept or reject the “truth”.
Hi Jack,
Thanks for taking the time to comment and ask questions.
First, let me say, the Bible sets the standard for what is right or wrong – just or unjust. It is the Word of the living God we are talking about – not the words of men. And so, yes, according to Scripture there is a literal hell for those who reject salvation in Jesus Christ:
“Then the King will say to those on His left, ‘Depart from me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels.’ …These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” (Matthew 25:41, 46)
The word for eternal means just what it says it means. It is eternal. For those who reject Christ, hell is their portion. And, eternal life in the presence of God for those who who come by the narrow door (Luke 13:24; Matt. 7:13) in humble repentant faith acknowledging their sin, and trusting to Christ alone
“Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28).
These are undeniably hard truths and Scripture makes that clear.
Can God be loving and send people to hell? Steve is right. God is love, but He is also holy and just. He can never do anything that is unjust.
So, in Steve’s court room scenario would a judge be right in letting a murderer go free? Of course not. In the same way, every person has committed treason against the infinite Judge of the universe. And, it requires an infinite penalty. Sin will be judged. Hell is real. Eternal punishment is real.
But, there is hope in Christ.
The living God became flesh in the person of Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:23; John 1:14). HE paid all the sins for everyone who would ever believe. Jack, you need not go to hell. If you reject Christ you have no one to blame but yourself. It is not as though God is saying: “You need to do a bunch of good deeds all your life to get to heaven, but guess what, that will never happen, because even your good works are a sinful abomination.” No, He says, “Yes, not only are your sins an abomination in my sight. Even your supposed good deeds are sinful as well (Isaiah 64:6). But, Christ, in infinite love and mercy has paid a debt you could never pay, and offers eternal life – not by your works but by Christ’s work on your behalf, and received only by grace alone.” It is for those who will lay down their weapons and cease fighting God and come to Him in repentant faith.
I will not soften the hard edges of the truth. That does no one any good. Would you come to Christ and know freedom from sin – the guilt of sin and the power of sin and feel the joy of forgiveness? I will be praying that the Lord will open your eyes to see the truth and that you will come to Him.
Below are some resources I think you will find helpful in answering some of your questions:
What Happens to Babies Who Die?
http://www.gty.org/resources/Sermon-Series/269
What happens to infants who die? The need for an answer
http://thecripplegate.com/what-happens-to-infants-who-die-the-need-for-an-answer/
What happens to infants who die? The OT answers
http://thecripplegate.com/what-happens-to-infants-who-die-the-ot-answers/
Will People Who Never Hear the Gospel Be Held Accountable?
http://www.gty.org/resources/bible-qna/BQ122010/Will-People-Who-Never-Hear-the-Gospel-Be-Held-Accountable
Jack, I am nobody special. I am just one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread. I was once a rebellious sinner. But, I was shown mercy by Christ. You say you are unaware that you have sinned? No your not. All our guilty. No one is innocent, and to top it off EVERYONE knows their guilty. We try to suppress that innate knowledge but Romans 1 makes clear everyone’s guilt and everyone’s knowledge of their guilt:
“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.” Romans 1:18-21
Jack:
If you read the quote by Machen three or four times, it will hopefully provide solid footing for what I say. I don’t want to give you my opinion but want to provide you with the truth of scripture as it is the final court of arbitration.
You wrote: ” Are you saying that every single non-Christian person who ever lived is burning in a literal place called hell?” No, I’m not but scripture is! The people described in 1Cor. 6:9-10 and Rev. 21:8 are people who will “not inherit the kingdom of God!” If you don’t inherit His kingdom you will inherit hell. Jesus said, “Anyone who isn’t with me opposes me, and anyone who isn’t working with me is actually working against me.” (I used The Living Translation because in our case it reads easier.) So, we see here that if you are not walking as Jesus would have you walk you are actually working against Him.
Maybe you say, “but I go to church on Christmas and Easter and I’m a good person, so why would He send me to hell?” Gal. 2:16 b says; “so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified.” Works are your good deeds apart from the leading of God’s spirit. (ESV) Nobody enters the kingdom of God apart from faith in Jesus Christ. You may ask, “but what about those who have never heard of God?” Romans 1:19-20 states; “For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.” God will guide those who acknowledge Him through conscience! In the words of Helen Keller, “I always knew He was there, but I didn’t know His name! Man is sinful and his bent in life is to do it as Frank Sinatra did, “my way,” not God’s!
You asked “How can it be considered disobedience if the disobeyer is unaware of the wrong?” As I said, you have a conscience, you know right from wrong – good from bad! Somebody once said that “character is what you are when nobody is looking.” Jack, have you ever stolen, lied, used Gods name as a cuss word or looked at a woman with lust? We both know you have, and so have I! You’ve broken four of God’s commandments; you’ve transgressed His holy law and according to His righteous standards, are worthy of death. As I wrote before, God has provided a way of escape through His son Jesus Christ; repent and believe the gospel today.
I hope I’ve touched on a few things of significance and would love to continue if I’ve left certain topics untouched! Until next time, may God guide you in the way of truth!
Steve-
Jack, you say: “You’re telling me that a God of love is perfectly content to banish most of humanity to eternal pain and torment?” The problem is that you have defined God by only one of his attributes. If you are going to do that you should use the one which is most used of him in Scripture. God is holy! As the Bible explains it that means he is absolute justice as well as absolute love. But, he cannot be just and allow an unrepentant sinner to escape the punishment due for his sins. So, let us first agree that those who are going to be punished for their sins will be justly punished. And, in case you are forgetting the Bible makes it clear that every single human being is guilty of sin (except the only-begotten son of God). So all of us is guilty and deserving of the full punishment of God’s Law.
Secondly we are not told what it is which constitutes the pain and torment of Hell. We are given pictures – “where the worm does not die and the fire goes not out.” It is called a “lake of fire” into which the wicked are cast. So the concept of pain and torment seems to fit the picture — but what if you know that God is sustaining your life, even in the place where you desire to be because there you (you imagine) won’t have to be in his presence. And what if the illusions we place in front of our eyes in this life are removed in that place? And what if all the restraints are removed that operate in this life which make it tolerable for living together IN SPITE of sin? It seems to this thinker that would be pain and torment enough to last a lifetime — without any other punishment which God may have set aside for the Devil and his angels (those who do Satan’s will).
Thirdly, how do you know the majority of the human race is going to go to Hell? First, the Bible never says how many will go to heaven but it does say there will be a great number, such that it will be impossible to number them. Second, the number of people who (according to our limited experience) are Christian is impossible to tell because we cannot discern the heart. Many more could be Christian than we designate as such. Third, the world has not ended yet and the Bible says there will come a time when “at the name of Jesus, every knee shall bend and every tongue confess him as Lord.” We have no way of knowing how long such a period will last — it could be for thousands of years. So to make your claim is, somewhat presumptuous. And last who, do you think, decides the outcome of our missionary endeavors? Who decides whether we go to heaven? We certainly make it clear (by our rebellion against God) that we want nothing to do with him — so, left to ourselves, we are on the way to Hell. That is all of us, Muslim, Jew, Catholic, Hindu, Buddhist, Protestant every one of us without exception.
THAT’S why we have to preach Hell. People do not want to escape from danger unless they see it. The gospel (as Machen so rightly says) is only good news to those who see the danger. And eternal punishment in Hell is the danger. Did you ever read Peter’s sermon in Acts 2 carefully? He says nothing about repenting and being baptized until the sermon is finished. And then (if the language means anything) only to those who stay behind to beg him to show them how to escape the wrath due to their treatment of GOD’S Messiah. Or how about Stephen’s speech to the Sanhedrin in Acts 7 — he leaves them in now doubt that they were condemned by their actions (before they set out to stone him to death). And Paul’s speech on Mar’s Hill in Athens (Acts 17) is exactly the same (designed for Gentiles as opposed to Jews). If we take these as examples of how to preach the gospel — there is something lacking in the preaching of those who major on the “God of love” approach. I believe it was to such preachers Machen referred in the article quoted.
You’re all very kind to reply but I remain throughly unconvinced 1) Hell is real, and 2) that the only way to experience Heaven is by acknowledging Jesus as they only way to get there. Let’s say 200 years ago, there was a man who grew up as far removed from modern culture as possible, lived in the mountains, had virtually no human contact throughout his life. But he has a profound understanding of something larger than himself, something divine, something mysterious. He looks to the sky and prays and worships in his own way. But he doesn’t call it God, he just knows he is not alone and experiences deep peace and love. According to your interpretation of the scriptures, God will turn this man away from Heaven for failing to use the words “I accept Jesus into my heart.” NO WAY. The universe and God is too vast and mysterious to have limited access to Heaven in such a way, regardless of how you interpret the Bible. And could someone please, please answer my question about the hypothetical 10 year old who dies before his time? I would assume infants, who are unable to think for themselves would get a free pass, but what’s the age cutoff? 4? 6? At what point does God say “Repent or burn, small helpless child”. I’ve never heard a straightforward answer to this question. And by the way, I consider myself post-Christian, having grown up in the evangelical church/Christian summer camp/Christian school, and I’m happier and more at peace now with my understanding of God than I ever was growing up.
Hi Jack:
Thanks for continuing the dialog! Let me touch on something you wrote.
” Let’s say 200 years ago, there was a man who grew up as far removed from modern culture as possible, lived in the mountains, had virtually no human contact throughout his life. But he has a profound understanding of something larger than himself, something divine, something mysterious. He looks to the sky and prays and worships in his own way. But he doesn’t call it God, he just knows he is not alone and experiences deep peace and love.”
I made mention of conscience in a previous reply and used Helen Keller as an example. She stated, “I always knew He was there, but I didn’t know His name!” If you know the story of this lady you can certainly see how it fits into and even goes beyond your example of total alienation from society! From the words written in Rom. 1:19-20, God certainty gives everyone the opportunity to see his glory!
“I consider myself post-Christian, having grown up in the evangelical church/Christian summer camp/Christian school”
Unfortunately Jack, many “christian” schools don’t hold fast to accurate biblical interpretation (use of commentaries by scholarly men as one example) and therefore the truth of God’s word is never really able to touch the heart as it otherwise might!
Well, just a couple quick thoughts from me. Have you had a chance to open the links that Eric posted. I’m familiar with some of them and I know you will find them helpful!
Until next time, God bless you!
Steve-
The late Dr. John Gerstner explains from the Bible:
Doctrine of Hell 1/3 (Everlasting Torment, Burning, Fire, Punishment, and Darkness for Unbelievers, Hypocrites, and the Lawless), John Gerstner
http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=1116071535342
Who is in Danger of Hell? 2/3 (Everlasting Torment, Fire, Punishment, and Darkness for Unbelievers, Hypocrites and the Lawless), John Gerstner
http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=1116071547470
How to Escape Hell 3/3 (And the Everlasting Torment, Burning, Fire, Punishment, Hopelessness, Death, and Darkness, for Unbelievers), John Gerstner
http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=11160716454
Thanks for the links, Steve!
Dear Jack B.,
I want to straight to the point, Hell is real even you believe or not. Scripture tells us that it is a place of torment. It’s very clear!. Even someone preach it or not, hell will remains hell! It will not change the fact. It will not change by any human reasoning. God cannot lie according to the scripture. There were some of your questions which are difficult to answer and the bible didn’t told us word for word what happen to the infants, whether new babies, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 yrs old, or etc. If you believed that the bible is the Word of God, then you will understand. We are not here to answer all your theory or reasoning. We are here to tell you what the bible says. Actually all your questions were already pup-up to my mind, but the great God has an answer to that which we didn’t and cannot know and understand. Do not forget that you are merely a human and not God. His ways are higher than our ways, His thought are higher than our thoughts. Who can compare with Him?! Our thoughts are limited and His unlimited. I believed that God designed our thoughts enough only to know that he was and he is there and to become clear of His love by sending His son Jesus for those who will believe in His name. Why there is Salvation? Why there is Wrath of God? Why there is teaching of repentance? Why Jesus Christ come to the world of sin and died upon cross?..
There is only one answer which the scripture is telling us. “God want to keep us out of Hell!” Hell is the Wrath of God!..for those who will not attain salvation, for those who did not repent of their sins and for those who did not believe in the Son of God.
I advice you to read more diligent the scripture, Pray to God to open your eyes to see the truth. And pray for regeneration by the Holy spirit into your heart.
Hell is real whether you believe it or not! Jesus said, the prophet said, the scripture said, Hell is Real!.. There is no other explanation for this but to accept the fact that Hell is real!.
-nestor-
Good reminder! Jesus preached more about hell than about heaven – so we have to do the same, don’t we? In love, of course, as He did.
Great post and awesome dialogue folks! God bless you!