How does the devil make the road that leads to hell attractive to Christians? If we don't know, we may be on that road happily!
With
great subtlety, he makes hell completely irrelevant to their minds. How?
The
single most attractive idea that is popular but a subtle lie is that he makes
them believe that no Christian shall ever go to hell; they also gladly claim, "Jesus has died and suffered to save us from hell."
The devil has blinded them to the distinction between hell in the intermediate state (between death and the general resurrection at the end of time) and the lake of fire in the eternal state.
Consider
the following:
Undeniable
Fact 1: Hell and the lake of fire are distinct; the former is temporary, the
latter is eternal.
Revelation
20:14 KJT — And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the
second death.
Undeniable
Fact 2: Christ solemnly warned His own disciples to take drastic measures
against personal sins to avoid being cast into hell:
Matthew
5:29 KJT — And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from
thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and
not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. 30 And if thy right hand offend
thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one
of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into
hell.
Undeniable
Fact 3: Hell shall surrender all its captives to Him who holds the keys of hell
and of death (Rev 1:18) on the great judgment day, at the end of time. The
emptied hell shall be cast into the lake of fire. Hell lasts as long as time
lasts; it's restricted to the intermediate state in time.
Revelation
20 KJT — 13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell
delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man
according to their works. 14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of
fire. This is the second death.
Undeniable
Fact 4: The lake of fire is the eternal destiny of sinners not redeemed by
Christ, i.e. those whose names are not found written in the book of life.
Christ redeemed His people from the lake of fire; thus, there is no warning
against it to His disciples.
Revelation
20:15 KJT — And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast
into the lake of fire.
Undeniable
Fact 5: Satan deceives many to believe these popular lies:
-
hell and the lake of fire are the same,
-
Christ redeemed them from hell.
That's the way the subtle serpent makes the road that leads to hell so attractive, even completely irrelevant to them.
