If you love others, you’ll warn of God’s judgment

I have been criticized for writing to scare and frighten or “fire and brimstone” type articles.
I will not back down from sharing the true unfiltered message regarding the reality of hell and God’s wrath.
God hates sin so much that he had to look away from his own son dying on the cross who became sin as a propitiation for us (Matthew 26, Mark 15.)
Our society or culture promotes self-worth. The Bible promotes selflessness. The Bible over and over describes hell and judgment.
Regarding those who do evil, Matthew 13:42, “They will be thrown into the fiery furnace where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
Folks, hell and judgment are very real. In Matt Chandler’s book “The Explicit Gospel,” he writes, “If a man or woman who teaches the scriptures is afraid to explain to you the severity of God, they have betrayed you, and they love their ego more than they love you. In the same way that it is not loving to coach your children on the dangers of the street and the dangers of the swimming pool, so it is not loving to warn men and women about the severity of God. God is love, the thwarters of God’s severity say. Of course he is, but the Bible tells us that is the same Bible that prescribes eternal punishment to the rejecters of his love.”
The prophet Jeremiah spent 40 years of his life begging and lamenting the people of Judah to listen and change their ways. Jeremiah 2:19,
“Your wickedness will punish you, your backsliding will rebuke you. Consider then and realize how evil and bitter it is when you forsake the Lord your God and have no awe of me.”
Was Jeremiah warning of no judgment and no hell? Of course not.  
Jesus mentions hell (Ghenna) 12 times in the gospels Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Folks, hell is very real and true believers are comforted to know that Jesus paid the price to free us from having to suffer the wrath we deserve.
Our often watered down forms of Christianity allows us to believe we can all make it to heaven and God will not judge us severely, which is completely false.
“The horror of hell is an echo of the infinite worth of God’s glory.” – John Piper.

Jess Thompson is a resident of Lawrenceburg and faith columnist for The Anderson News.