A Study on Hell

I can never hope to aspire to the same level of literary eloquence as the great theologians of the past. After much painstaking research, followed by awe-inspiring learnings and intellectually stimulating worship, I shall relay their thoughts on the matter.

The nature of Hell: 

"When we use the imagery of the Old Testament in an attempt to understand the forsakenness of the lost, we are not speaking of the idea of the departure of God or the absence of God in the sense that He ceases to be omnipresent. Rather, it’s a way of describing the withdrawal of God in terms of His redemptive blessing. It is the absence of the light of His countenance. It is the presence of the frown of His countenance. It is the absence of the blessedness of His unveiled glory that is a delight to the souls of those who love Him, but it is the presence of the darkness of judgment. Hell reflects the presence of God in His mode of judgment, in His exercise of wrath, and that’s what everyone would like to escape."

- R.C. Sproul (The Truth of the Cross)

The justice of Hell:

A crime is more or less heinous, according as we are under greater or less obligations to the contrary. ... The fault of disobeying another, is greater or less, as any one is under greater or less obligations to obey him. And therefore if there be any being that we are under infinite obligations to love, and honour, and obey, the contrary towards him must be infinitely faulty... Our obligation to love, honour, and obey any being, is in proportion to his loveliness, honourableness, and authority; for that is the very meaning of the words. ... But God is a being infinitely lovely, because he hath infinite excellency and beauty. ... His authority over us is infinite; and the ground of his right to our obedience is infinitely strong; for he is infinitely worthy to be obeyed himself, and we have an absolute, universal, and infinite dependence upon him. So that sin against God, being a violation of infinite obligations, must be a crime infinitely heinous, and so deserving of infinite punishment.

 - Jonathan Edwards (The Work of Jonathan Edwards)

The inhabitants of Hell:

On the other hand, hell is certainly the world of disobedience. ... Jesus said there are fire and worms in hell, but that is not the reason it is hell. You might endure worms and fire, but for a moral creature to know and realize that he is where he is because he a rebel - that is the essence of hell and judgment. It is the eternal world of all the disobedient rebels who have said, "I owe God nothing!" ... We have no basis to believe that we can come casually and sprightly to the Lord Jesus and say, "I have come for some help, Lord Jesus. I understand that you are the Savior so I am going to believe and be saved and then I am going to turn away and think about the other matters of lordship and allegiance and obedience at some time in the future." ... We have owed Him obedience ever since the second we cried out to Him for salvation, and if we do not give Him that obedience, I have reason to wonder if we are really converted!

- A.W. Tozer (I Call it Heresy!)

Our reaction to Hell:

Etiquette nowadays often demands of a Christian that he should not 'intrude' his religion on company. Out with such etiquette! It is the etiquette of hell! True courtesy to my fellow's soul makes me speak to him, if I believe that his soul is in danger. How many, my dear friend, were you ever the means of bringing to Jesus? You believe that they must eternally perish unless they have faith in Christ. How many have you prayed for? How many did you ever break your heart about? You believe that they must love Christ or be damned. How many have you ever talked to concerning him who is the only Savior? Are you satisfied to remain silent? Are you content to let those around you sink to hell? What! Never tell of Christ's love? What! Never tell of salvation? Can this be right? In God's name wake up! Oh my brothers and sisters in Christ, if sinners will be damned, at least let them leap to hell over our bodies and if they will perish, let them perish with our arms about their knees, imploring them to stay, and not madly to destroy themselves. If hell must be filled, at least let it be filled in the teeth of our exertions, and let not one go there unwarned and unprayed for.

- Charles Spurgeon (Various sermons put together)

No one expects to go to Hell, no one.

Spurgeon's Heart

I'm going through old notes that I've written on Facebook, way back when I used to write about God so often. Here's one about one of my favorite preachers:

My Evangelist

by Tony Chuang on Friday, April 6, 2007 at 5:09pm 

Charles!!! You in my head!

Charles Spurgeon is an amazing person in terms of his perspective on things. He sees this world as it actually is and knows what is needed of Christians. He says things better than I can so I shall just quote him to show what I believe.

"Listen for one moment to the ticking of that clock! It is the beating on the pulse of eternity. It is the footstep of death pursuing you! Each time the clock ticks, death's footsteps are falling on the ground close behind you!" "Heaven and hell are not far away. You may be in heaven before the clock ticks again it is so near. Oh, that we, instead of trifling about such things because they seem so far away, would solemnly realize them, since they are so very near! This very day, before the sun goes down, some hearer now sitting in this place may see the realities of heaven or hell."

"You want to honor Him, you desire to put crowns upon his head, and this you can best do by winning souls for Him. These are the spoils that He covets, these are the trophies for which He fights, these are the jewels that shall be His best adornment." "Etiquette nowadays often demands of a Christian that he should not intrude his religion on company. Out on such etiquette! It is the etiquette of hell. True courtesy to my fellow's soul makes me speak to him, if I believe that soul to be in danger." "Having joined the church of God, are any of you satisfied to be silent? Are you content to let those around you sink to hell? What! Never tell of Christ's love? What! Never speak of salvation to your own children? Can this be right? In God's name, wake up! What are you left on this earth for? If there is nothing for you to do, why are you in this sinful world?" “No sort of defense is needed for preaching out-of-doors; but it would need very potent arguments to prove that a man had done his duty who has never preached beyond the walls of his meetinghouse.”

"You cannot stop their dying, but, oh, that God might help you stop their being damed! You cannot stop the breath from going out of their bodies, but, oh, if the Gospel could but stop their souls from going down to destruction!" “Lost! Lost! Lost! Better a whole world on fire than a soul lost! Better every star quenched and the skies a wreck than a single soul to be lost!” "If we had to preach to thousands year after year, and never rescued but one soul, that one soul would be full reward for all our labor, for a soul is of countless price." “I would sooner bring one sinner to Jesus Christ than unravel all the mysteries of the divine Word, for salvation is the one thing we are to live for.” “To be laughed at is no great hardship to me. I can delight in scoffs and jeers. Caricatures, lampoons, and slanders are my glory. But that you should turn from your own mercy, this is my sorrow. Spit on me, but, oh, repent! Laugh at me, but, oh, believe in my Master! Make my body as the dirt of the streets, but damn not your own souls!”

“If then, you will be damned, let me have this one thing as a consolation for your misery… that you are not damned for lack of calling after; you are not lost for the lack of weeping after, and not lost for the lack of praying after.” “If sinners will be damned, at least let them leap to Hell over our bodies.” “And if they will perish, let them perish with our arms about their knees, imploring them to stay. If Hell must be filled, at least let it be filled with the teeth of our exertions, and let not one go there unwarned or unprayed for.”

“Have you no wish for others to be saved? Then you are not saved yourself. Be sure of that.” "The saving of souls, if a man has once gained love to perishing sinners and his blessed Master, will be an all-absorbing passion to him. It will so carry him away, that he will almost forget himself in the saving of others." "If you never have sleepless hours, if you never have weeping eyes, if your hearts never swell as if they would burst, you need not anticipate that you will be called zealous. You do not know the beginning of true zeal, for the foundation of Christian zeal lies in the heart. The heart must be heavy with grief and yet must beat high with holy ardor. The heart must be vehement in desire, panting continually for God's glory, or else we shall never attain to anything like the zeal which God would have us to know."


Think about this, then act. Evangelize. Let no one see hell if we can help it. Show caring, not indifference; love, not complacency.

Acts 16:31

I was challenged on the interpretation on a verse today, and I am happy. I'm also proud of the person who challenged me, and thankful too. We teachers should be held accountable and if we are wrong, we better be corrected! Now... about the verse:

Acts 16:31
And they said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household."

You're right in saying that Paul was more talking about the fact that the jailer's family can get in on this whole salvation business too. And I do think it's more of a localized promise rather than something general that is "do A to get B". However, I think we CAN apply this directly. When a person believes, he will show change in his life. Change should be so apparent that non-Christians should not be able to ignore it. And for one's family, the ones who are in contact with the person the most, they are going to feel the impact of the change the most. In addition, that person should not be able to shut up about God. That person, if truly saved, will most definitely want the same thing for his family too. A changed life combined with a passionate desire for others to experience Jesus the same way equals power, power to move the hearts of those close by.

Yes, ultimately it is still God who saves. But if God asked us to be laborers for the lost (Matt 9:37) and even uses us to reach lost souls (Rom 10:14), it only makes sense that a Christian can quite likely influence his family for Christ. On a more personal note, I've seen this for my dad. My Dad! But not for my grandpa, who has already passed away. So I guess I was a bit misleading. Though the fact remains that we are powerful tools in the hands of God, tools to reach our family. This verse, even if it doesn't promise that, reaffirms that through example.

Purity During a Relationship

This word has become a relic of days past in today's overwhelmingly sensual society. From the flamboyant displays of human flesh (male and female alike) to the changing definitions of friendship, we have fallen quite far from what God wanted and (even if you aren't Christian) what I believe is healthiest in a relationship.

Why is it that people are supposedly more attractive the less they put on? From an utilitarian point of view, why should we incite lust in people when that has such a strong correlation with crime? From an evolutionary point of view, isn't it ironic that we are regressing back to the caveman days when we were scantily clad when the whole point of clothing is to provide protection from the cold and from the sun?

As for the second thing I mentioned, that regarding friendship, I think we have made it closer to romantic relationships than they were supposed to be. If you're a guy, what is the difference between going out with a girl (ie. shopping) versus going out on a date with your girlfriend? To most people I've spoken to, it's in the mentality. Well, I think that's idiotic. Is holding hands less symbolic if you don't think anything of it? Is kissing meaningless and thus okay if you treat the other person as a friend only? And if you're a girl, does emotional intimacy mean nothing? Confiding always and spending so much time with your best friend (who happens to be a guy) is not as harmless as one might think. I'm sure that most people agree that physical intimacy should be reserved for a romantic relationship, but somehow emotional intimacy should be allowed free reign? Is it not often even more dangerous than the physical and its wounds deeper?

As for those already in relationships, is it now okay to do whatever you want? My Christian friends will most likely respond "no" to this question, or at least I hope. In our world today, people in relationships "touch" each other, be it holding hands or caressing hair or kissing, having sex, etc. But where do you draw the line? Does the Bible say anything about dating? Nope. But about relationships it does. And about purity it does. And about holiness, well, are you holy (different, set apart)  in your relationships? Are you different from your non-Christian friends in how close you get to your boyfriend/girlfriend?

I'm learning. I want to be pure. I'm not just talking sexual abstinence, I'm talking something far more than that. I don't want to do what everyone else does. I don't want my mind to be occupied with carnal desires. I want a focus on growth, growth towards God and from that intimacy with each other. I do admit that this is often in conflict with my flesh, very often in fact. But aren't we call to deny ourselves and pick up the cross daily?

Girlfriends and Relationship with God

I had originally wanted to write about my girlfriend, but God came out instead. Figures. It’s not entirely unrelated though. People sometimes don’t understand how Christians can be so fanatic about their God. But how can you not be fanatic about someone that wonderful? God is real, very much so. It’s not one of those things you proof, but it’s one of those things that is quite obvious once you have experienced it, kind of like a girlfriend.

People say girlfriends take up a lot of time and money… and patience, compromise, commitment, blah. It doesn’t take up a lot of money if you are smart about it (and fair). Plus, what’s a few bucks compared to seeing her happy? As for time… That’s true, it takes up a lot of time. But it’s all worth it! Why wouldn’t I want to spend all day with the girl that I like? It’s something that makes me happy. It’s the exact same with God. Why wouldn’t I want to spend all day with someone who not only makes me happy, but loves me so much more than I love Him?

You can say he’s not real and that he’s a crutch for those that can’t get through life. I challenge those who know me to say that. My faith is not blind, I have actual reasons for believing. And my God is not a crutch, I feel the happiest and most at peace when I’m praying or reading the Bible or just plain conversing with God. You want happiness? Pursue God. You want peace, have a relationship with Him. Like a girlfriend, you can think of a million reasons why it is disadvantageous. But once you step into that relationship, if it’s the right girl, those become non-issues. It’s the same for God.

Original: http://tcfish.blogspot.com/2011/07/what-my-girlfriend-taught-me-today.html

True Bachelor

After living alone for a few months, here's what I realized are things applies to a lot of bachelors out there. I'd like to clarify that the following may or may not be things I do, they are just observations...

1. Sometimes doesn't eat a meal not because he forgets, but because he is lazy and doesn't want to cook or spend the effort digesting.

2. Makes up for point #1 by eating tons and tons of meat when he does eat. And when he is seemingly out of meat, he digs through the freezer to find potentially 8-month old meat. Then he eats that... raw.

3. Takes off his shirt when he gets home from work, and then proceeds to cook, eat, clean, and even do some housework, all the while remaining shirtless. Who cares if the hot oil gets on his skin, at least it's not on his favorite shirt.

4. Goes a minimum of two days before showering. There is no upper limit, nor should there be one. Also never closes the door when in the bathroom, why should he?

5. Never gets bored because he can always find something to occupy himself with whether it be watching Anime, playing video games, programming, grunting, flexing, or applying expensive face cream.

6. Thinks of the most disgusting things that he does and not only does he do it as often as he pleases, he writes about it in an effort to repulse the world with his actions. Why? Because he's a man.

7. Wonders to himself how any girl could possibly like him.

Original: http://tcfish.blogspot.com/2011/06/true-bachelor.html

長大

小朋友總是相信大人所說的每一句話。
不管是聖誕老人的存在或著是吞掉鼻涕會生恐龍蛋，甚至連奇蹟都會相信。
他們會用充滿喜樂的眼神看著你，那滿臉期待得樣子沒有一絲毫疑惑。
他們不會因為害羞而不敢要求，反而會直接說出真心話。
這種單純不就是Mark 10:14所說的嗎？

所以...
他們不會擔心，因為大人說不會有事的。
他們不會傷心，因為有隻大而有力的手緊緊的牽著他們。
他們不會害怕，因為這隻手曾帶他們走過死蔭的幽谷。
他們不會絕望，因為他們還相信有奇蹟。

我到底是什麼時候長大的...
不, 我還是小孩，嗯。

Original: http://tcfish.blogspot.com/2011/06/blog-post.html