Have You Thought Much About Hell Lately?
- Eileen Jacobs
- Oct 26, 2023
- 50 min read
Have You Thought Much About Hell Lately?
- An Explanation of Who It Was Meant For and How To Avoid It
“Then He will say to those on His left, ‘Leave Me, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels (demons);” -Matthew 25:41 AMP
I want to start by saying, “Don’t Be Worried!” This article is going to bless you, so hang with me all the way to the end. It may seem like it starts with a bit of bad news, but it will land with the best news of all.
Recently, I found myself feeling strangely thankful and full of great joy, as I was thinking about hell. Wow...Who thinks about hell and actually gets happy? This is a really weird thing to say...I know! Not too many people like to talk about hell, but we must. Again, this article was written to bless you and help you, so hang with me all the way to the end, while I explain the reason for my thankfulness and joy concerning this topic.
Let’s look at our anchor verse again…
“Then He will say to those on His left, ‘Leave Me, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels (demons);” -Matthew 25:41 AMP
This passage of Scripture in Matthew describes the scene at the gathering of nations, following the Great Tribulation explained in the book of Revelation, when Jesus returns to judge those who remain left on the earth. Notice what it says about hell (or eternal fire, as stated here). Hell was prepared by God for the devil and his angels (or demons). Let me just repeat that… Hell was prepared by God for the devil and his angels (or demons).
I always mistakenly thought that hell was the place where the devil ruled from; it was his home town and the nefarious kingdom where he brought his victims. Actually, the devil and his demons are just as afraid of that place as everyone ought to be! (You can see this in Matthew 8:29 – the story of Jesus and the demoniac.) I was even told once, that God dangles people over hell to get them to repent. No...No...and No! Fear is not repentance, although, it may incite repentance. Romans 2:4 tells us that “the kindness of God leads you to repentance...” The Lord does want us to know and understand, so we must read the Bible and discover the truth about this awful place called Hell, which will be thrown into the eternal Lake of Fire, and who is destined to end up there, but more importantly, discover the grace that God has provided in order to avoid it, altogether. Let’s do some Bible discovery...
God was, and still is, so offended and violated by the rebellion of Lucifer (the fallen angel who has become Satan, or the devil), and the other deviant angels that sinned along with him, leaving their assignments and doing heinous things, that Hell was created originally for them.Now before you get too excited about that...the Word of God also explains, unfortunately, that there will be people there, as well. Now, we want to come to a very clear knowledge and understanding, from God’s own Word, of why this will happen. We will start with these few Scriptures...
“The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.” - Psalm 9:17 KJV
“But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.” - Revelation 21:8 ESV
Yes, the Bible tells us that, besides the devil and his associates,there will also be people who are cast into hell. They will be judged at the Great White Throne and sentenced to the lake of fire along with the devil and his demons. The second death is described in the Bible as permanent separation from the life, joy, peace, love and light of God. It is destruction and suffering that lasts for eternity. Jesus mentions three times in one discussion in Mark 9:42-48, where He describes Hell as an unquenchable fire where “their worm [that feeds on the dead] does not die, and the fire is not put out.”This is a bit unnerving and terrifying, but I don’t want you to take my word for it. We must see it clearly in God’s Word. Let’s examine some Scripture…
“These people will pay the penalty and endure the punishment of everlasting destruction, banished from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power...” - 2 Thessalonians 1:9 AMP
Here is another very clear description...
“Then the devil who had led them astray [deceiving and seducing them] was hurled into the fiery lake of burning brimstone, where the beast and false prophet were; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever (through the ages of the ages).
Then I saw a great white throne and the One Who was seated upon it, from Whose presence and from the sight of Whose face earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them.
I [also] saw the dead, great and small; they stood before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is [the Book] of Life. And the dead were judged (sentenced) by what they had done [their whole way of feeling and acting, their aims and endeavors] in accordance with what was recorded in the books.
And the sea delivered up the dead who were in it, death and Hades (the state of death or disembodied existence) surrendered the dead in them, and all were tried and their cases determined by what they had done [according to their motives, aims, and works].
Then death and Hades (the state of death or disembodied existence) were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.
And if anyone’s [name] was not found recorded in the Book of Life, he was hurled into the lake of fire.” - Revelation 20:10-15 AMPC
So notice, you have the devil, the beast, the false prophet and anyone whose name is not found in the Book of Life being cast into the eternal Lake of Fire. You might be thinking, “Well, surely some of those people must have been judged well by their good works!” Nope...Galatians 2:16 tells us that no one will be justified (declared “not guilty”) by their own personal works or obedience. “We know that a person is not justified by works of the law…because by works of the law no one will be justified.” This is heartbreaking, because it was not in the heart of God for the people that He made in His own image to perish. Remember that Hell and the Lake of Fire were created for the devil and his associates.
Over the years, I have heard many people ask, “Why did this happen to “so and so?” They were such a good person. They’ve done this, and that, and the other.” However, as we just saw in Galatians 2:16, no one will be justified (or declared “not guilty”) in God’s court of law, by their works or their good deeds. Our estimation of our goodness accounts for nothing in the eyes of God, and there is a reason. Romans 3:10 tells us that we are all under sin and that no one is righteous, not even one. And in verse 23 of the same chapter, we are told that we all have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory. And finally, Ezekiel 18:4 reminds us that “the soul who sins will die.” These are only a few of the many verses that declare the sin of every person and the punishment deserved. One sin is enough to send us all to Hell. (see James 2:10)
If this is a new revelation for you and you are finding it a bit concerning, you may be asking right now… “How do I get my name in the “Book of Life,” that was mentioned earlier?” Or “How can I be sure my name is in that “Book of Life?” I promise that I will tell you shortly, but let’s continue with a few more things I really want you to see.
In the next passage of Scripture I want to share with you, we learn some truly amazing things about God and about the true nature of His heart towards the people He has made. If you were asking that question above... about how to get your name in that “Book of Life,” this will help you see the loving heart of God towards you.
“The Lord does not delay and is not tardy or slow about what He promises, according to some people’s conception of slowness, but He is long-suffering (extraordinarily patient) toward you, not desiring that any should perish, but that all should turn to repentance.” - 2 Peter 3:9 AMPC
Yes, the Lord desires that “no one” should perish into everlasting damnation and suffering, or experience the Devil’s Hell, and an eternity in the Lake of Fire. He doesn’t want anyone being separated from His love and fellowship. God is love, and His nature is to express that great love that He has in His heart. This is why He is so patient. However, there is a set time for His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to return for the second time on the earth, and He will not be late for that appointment. Yet the Bible reveals, that Jesus will first appear in the clouds to call for His believing ones to join Him in a great celebration in Heaven (see 1 Thessalonians 4:14-18). This is what believers call the Rapture, or the snatching away. Then, seven years later, after the Great Tribulation, Jesus will return to the earth to rescue believers who turn to Him during the Tribulation, cast the devil and his demon angels along with the beast and the false prophet into Hell, and sentence all of those who refused to believe and put their faith in Him, as their One and only Savior.
When we go back to 2 Peter, chapter 3, we find the context describes the very last of the last days, (which we know that we are living in right now), when mockers and scoffers will come and question the promised return of the Lord Jesus (2 Peter 3:3-4). Apparently, it escapes their notice that when God makes a promise regarding coming destruction, He will most certainly keep that promise (2 Peter 3:5-7). In Noah’s day, the people were warned for many, many years to turn from their wickedness and sin, but they refused. Noah’s ark still exists in the mountains of Ararat today, as a testimony that God’s Word can be trusted. He means exactly what He says. (For an excellent series, see What About Noah's Ark? — Rick Renner – This link is only one of the Youtube videos in an entire series. I encourage you to watch the whole thing. Rick is a tremendous teacher, Greek theologian, and historian.) Let’s continue...
Peter goes on to inform us that God’s plan is to rid the world of evil completely and create a new heaven and a new earth where righteousness dwells (2 Peter 3:10-18). God is being so patient for the purpose of salvation. If you are at all hoping to get your name in that “Book of Life,” God the Father is holding back the return of His only begotten Son, Jesus, entirely for your sake. Can you see His great love for you? I’ll say it again… Can you see His great love for you? Please get this, my Friend! His desire is for you to repent and return your heart to Him. You can receive His salvation… don’t delay! Why not do it today!
If your name is already written in that “Book of Life,” and you are also wondering what is taking Jesus so long, especially in these crazy and wicked times; it is for that reader who needs to get their name in that Book before it is too late. Believer, get excited for His long-suffering, His extraordinary patience in returning, and be as involved as you can be in helping people find the truth about Jesus, and hear the Gospel of their salvation. After all, this is the Believer’s Commission from the Lord Jesus, Himself! (Matthew 28:18-20)
Yes, I am aware that there are a lot of negative things going on in the world right now, and there is plenty of reasons to be impatient. We might find ourselves feeling negative and pessimistic about the world and our future. We might even allow our speech to be filled with grumbling and sorrow concerning the disturbing things taking place. (And, there are hoards of disturbing things going on; some you see, but most you don’t!) However, bad attitudes will only get us caught up in wasting precious time, and we don’t have time for that! In fact, the Lord wants you to be “making the most of your time, because the days are evil.”(Ephesians 5:16)
If we continue to allow the attitude of our heart to be defeated and wearied, we will not be able to rise up with the boldness needed to help those who are seeking to find salvation, but may not be aware that it is only found through believing in the Lord Jesus Christ. Let us not become paralyzed in the Gospel work, but remember that, “the righteous are bold as a lion.”(Proverbs 28:1)
“Let us not grow weary or become discouraged in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap, if we do not give in.
So then, while we [as individual believers] have the opportunity, let us do good to all people [not only being helpful, but also doing that which promotes their spiritual well-being], and especially [be a blessing] to those of the household of faith (born-again believers).” - Galatians 6:9-10 AMP
Yes… We need to concentrate on helping as many people as possible to escape this present darkness and the unspeakable horrors that are coming upon the earth.We need to guard against becoming lazy or cavalier in getting the Gospel to the ends of the earth. So, please remember, dear Believer, that His patience is so that every sinner will have the opportunity to repent.
As it turns out, there is more biblical prophesy concerning Jesus’ promised return coming to pass right at this present time, than has ever been in any other time in history. So, we are certain that the time-clock is running down, and the game is almost over. Let’s push harder, pass and run faster with the Gospel! His touchdown is certain! (Sorry… I couldn’t resist a little bit of football humor, there!)
I want to take a moment to talk about repentance, as so many people do not have the Bible’s understanding of this word. Just feeling sorry for your sins or confessing them under condemnation is not going to help you. The word “repentance” in the Greek language, which the New Testament of the Bible was originally written in, is the word metanoia. This word literally means to “change the mind.”
Dear Friends, the Lord is patient about returning, because He is giving as many as will “change their mind” about Him, the time and opportunity to come to their senses and turn to Him for the salvation He offers. Look...the world (dominated by Satan, the Adversary) is going to hell, yet it will deceptively offer you every kind of solution or saving object or mindset, just so long as you don’t turn to Jesus for your salvation. Yet, it is His salvation which actually includes your eternal destination, your spiritual and mental wholeness and physical well-being, plus your earthly health, protection and provision. This sounds like a good idea, to me! But Friend, I want you to look carefully at what the Word of God declares...
“This Jesus is the stone which was despised and rejected …
And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among people by which we must be saved [for God has provided the world no alternative for salvation].” - Acts 4:11-12 AMP
So, dear Friends, repentance is simply a “change of mind” about Jesus, and a “change of mind” about your sin of unbelief, which is what keeps you from believing in Him. Please, we beg you to be reconciled to God and do not go after any of the solutions for salvation or freedom that the world is trying to offer you. The Bible is real and God has made this one thing abundantly clear… There is salvation in no one else! Will you “change your mind” and come to Jesus for your salvation and your every need?
Just as the Word of God has prophesied, the world is getting darker and even more immoral than ever before (if that is even possible). Anyone with eyes wide open can see that truly darkness is covering the whole earth, and deep darkness is indeed covering the people, just as Isaiah prophesied (see Isaiah 60:2a). But take courage, because God has sent His Light (Who is His Son, Jesus), and the Light still shines in the darkness and can still be seen through the believing body of Christ, which is His Church. We encourage you... Follow the Light!
As I continued to meditate on the truth about Hell, and that Hell was never intended for the people that God created in His own image, this is what made me truly thankful and full of joy...
Hell was never meant for me. Praise God!
Hell was never meant for my children, or my future grandchildren (assuming Jesus tarries, of course!). Hallelujah!
And, Hell was never meant for you either, my Friend. This is exciting news!
Let me ask you a simple question? Have you given your heart to Jesus? Have you considered at all what He suffered and went through on your behalf to save you from the fiery Hell? He is the only One who can save you, and change your life for the better, both here on earth and also for your eternity. This natural life is not all there is...We will all live for eternity, in one place or the other. God gave us all a free will to choose.
Perhaps you are not convinced that Hell is a real place. After all that I have said thus far, you might still be thinking, “… but I thought God loved people! I still don’t understand why a loving God would send good people, who do good things, to a place of such suffering?” Perhaps you’ve put your thoughts and deeds on your own personal scale and determined that, “I’m not really that bad!” Or you might have concluded the following... “I don’t believe that Hell really exists, because when people die, they just cease to exist.” Well, there are enough people who have died in the hospital and later been revived (or raised from the dead), who have testified to having a terrifying experience or a heavenly one. So, I think that we can rule out the “ceased to exist” theory.
I feel like I must explain something here. When you die, your body may stop functioning, but your soul continues to live on. This is physical death. It happens when your soul or spirit separates from your body. This is why suicide cannot end your troubles. Your life on earth is a trial run or testing for your eternity. How will you enter eternity? You were born into spiritual death through the sin of Adam (which we will discuss in length, further down this article), but if you physically expire before your spiritual life is renewed, you will suffer the “second death” that was explained earlier, which is eternal separation from the life, peace and love of God, in exchange for eternal destruction and endless suffering. So, dear Friend, if you have at all been considering suicide, please wait until you’ve finished with this article. I know you will change your mind.
We’ve already established that our goodness accounts for nothing, in fact the Bible compares our own righteous deed to filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6). You can be certain about one thing, though...God does love people and He has graciously provided a way of escape from eternal damnation. (Not many ways, only one Way. - see John 14:6) So Friend, if you are not already gloriously saved, with your name written in Jesus’ Book of Life, I would seriously consider going after God’s escape plan. If God says (through the Bible, which is His Word) that “Hell” is a real place, then I would be prepared to believe Him.
Just in my research for writing this article, I discovered that there are “many” deceptive voices on the internet who are trying to down-play the truth about Hell and eternal suffering. Don’t believe them! Please, please, please… Do not believe those deceptive voices. Your eternity depends on the discovery of the real truth. The Bible has much to say about death, Hell, Hades, and the eternal Lake of Fire. I’ve already shared a few verses about Hell, but you can simply do a quick verse search and you’ll find that the Word of God has much to say on this topic. You’d better be sure of what you choose to believe!
For the reader that may still be wrestling with some questions or concerns, I’d like to go just a little bit deeper to help you in your understanding. Now let’s think about this again...If Hell was created for the devil and his associates, what’s the reason? And for what reason will so many human beings, created in God’s image, actually go there, as well? Let’s talk about that for a moment and then I want to tell you the really, really, Good News! So, stay with me...
As with every story, it must be told from the beginning. We know from the first book of the Bible, which is Genesis, that Satan (the serpent, dragon, or the devil, as he is also called) appeared in the Garden of Eden. (see chapter 3) He appeared there in the form of a serpent in order to tempt, with rebellious sin, the very first people that God created to rule and reign over the earth; Adam and Eve. Why was Satan there?
Apparently, Lucifer (who is now called the devil or Satan) had been one of the chief angels in heaven, but was cast down to the earth when his heart was lifted up in pride against God. This is described in symbolic detail in Ezekiel 28:13-19 and Isaiah 14:12-14. Let me simply and humbly state that pride is never in one’s best interest. I found this awesome definition of pride in a book by Loren Cunningham & David J. Hamilton (see reference at the bottom of the article). “The sin of pride is the refusal to accept who you really are. Pride enters in when you think you are better than others… Pride is choosing to believe a lie about yourself. And pride can ultimately destroy you. Lucifer fell from his place in heaven because of pride…” Let’s let that sink in for a bit!
The Bible tells us that his heart was lifted up because of his beauty. How very interesting! This is the ultimate love of self, where all selfishness and vain conceit is birthed. Let’s look at some of these details…
“You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering, the carnelian, topaz, jasper, chrysolite, beryl, onyx, sapphire, carbuncle, and emerald; and your settings and your sockets and engravings were wrought in gold. On the day that you were created they were prepared.
You were the anointed cherub that covers with overshadowing [wings], and I set you so. You were upon the holy mountain of God; you walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire [like the paved work of gleaming sapphire stone upon which the God of Israel walked on Mount Sinai].
You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created until iniquity and guilt were found in you.
Through the abundance of your commerce you were filled with lawlessness and violence, and you sinned; therefore I cast you out as a profane thing from the mountain of God and the guardian cherub drove you out from the midst of the stones of fire.
Your heart was proud and lifted up because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor…” - Ezekiel 28:13-17a AMPC
Wow!!! Look at what a wonderful creation God had originally made Lucifer to be. He must have been absolutely amazing when he was first created and given a high position in the mountain of God. He was anointed to cover or to protect, and God calls him blameless, until...
However, it would seem from these Scriptures that the anointed cherub was not content to serve God in the manner God had intended, or to serve and protect the crown of His creation (human beings). His heart was enamored with his own self beauty and it corrupted his wisdom. When our ability to make wise decisions is corrupted by the worship of self, we violate the design, order, character, and nature of God, and cannot fulfill our created purpose.
Isaiah gives us another look through symbolism of what was in the mind of Lucifer when he rebelled against his Creator.
“How have you fallen from heaven, O light-bringer and daystar, son of the morning! How you have been cut down to the ground, you who weakened and laid low the nations [O blasphemous, satanic king of Babylon!]
And you said in your heart, I will ascend to heaven; I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will sit upon the mount of assembly in the uttermost north.
I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.” - Isaiah 14:12-14 AMPC
This is “self” exaltation and the kind of arrogance that causes one to become lifted up against God. “I will...I will...I will.” This is what the temptation of Adam and Eve was centered around… setting oneself over and above the Lord Most High! Satan said,“I will make myself like the Most High.” Why? Because he was looking for a kingdom to take control of.
Now let’s examine the words spoken in the Garden by the initiator of sin, himself…
“Now the serpent was more crafty (subtle, skilled in deceit) than any living creature of the field which the Lord God had made. And the serpent (Satan) said to the woman, “Can it really be that God has said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?”
And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees of the garden,
except the fruit from the tree which is in the middle of the garden. God said, ‘You shall not eat from it nor touch it, otherwise you will die.’”
But the serpent said to the woman, “You certainly will not die!
For God knows that on the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened [that is, you will have greater awareness], and you will be like God, knowing [the difference between] good and evil.”
And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was delightful to look at, and a tree to be desired in order to make one wise and insightful, she took some of its fruit and ate it; and she also gave some to her husband with her, and he ate.” - Genesis 3:1-6 AMP
I would like to be very clear, here… The very first sin recorded in Scripture was not the sin of Adam and Eve (the first created human beings), but the very first sin was the lie that the serpent (Satan) told. I want you to notice the sound of temptation. What does temptation sound like? It always sounds reasonable! However, it is also delivered in such a way as to cause you to doubt the clear Word of God, whether you are aware of what the Word of God clearly says, or whether your conscience is having to bear witness to your ignorance. “Can it really be that God has said…”I like how the King James Version states the words of Satan… “Yea, hath God said…?” Yes… yes, He hath said! In fact, this is exactly what He hath said...
“And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may freely (unconditionally) eat [the fruit] from every tree of the garden;
but [only] from the tree of the knowledge (recognition) of good and evil you shall not eat, otherwise on the day that you eat from it, you shall most certainly die [because of your disobedience].” - Genesis 2:16-17 AMP
You see, Satan not only proposed to the innocent, the deceptive temptation to question God’s Word, but he outright lied about the consequence that had been clearly given by God, their Creator. Let’s look at that lie, again…
“But the serpent said to the woman, “You certainly will not die!
For God knows that on the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened [that is, you will have greater awareness], and you will be like God, knowing [the difference between] good and evil.” - Genesis 3:4-5 AMP
Yes, Satan speaks with usurped authority and spouts an absolute lie regarding the consequence of eating from the forbidden tree. God said clearly, that if they ate of that tree, they would certainly die. But notice also some of the same words are used that Lucifer (Satan) spoke on the mountain of God. Remember that Satan said, “I will make myself like the Most High.” Now here, in the presence of God’s crown creation, he spews the same exalted words… “and you will be like God, knowing [the difference between] good and evil.”
Yes, if they would just eat of that tree, “they could make themselves” just like the Most High.Friends, this is the lie that Satan has been telling since the beginning. He’ll use any means that he can to convince you that you can be whatever you want to be. You can even be like God and make the same decisions that only the Creator is allowed to make. Friends, this is a lie! I encourage you to stop listening to the voice of the deceiver, and turn to the living God for truth. Turn to His Word and you will be certain to know the difference between what God declares is good and what he declares is evil. Look at what Jesus said of Satan, “He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks what is natural to him, for he is a liar and the father of lies and half-truths.” (John 8:44b AMP) This is why liars are listed in the verse that describes who will join the devil in the Lake of Fire (Revelation 21:8). Look at this quote… “If you tell a big enough lie and tell it frequently enough, it will be believed.” Adolf Hitler said that! I wonder who his father was?
Did you know that the devil, this audacious deceiver, even came with the very same style of temptation against the last Adam, the Son of God, Jesus Christ. (see Matthew 4; Luke 4) He began every temptation with...“If thou be the Son of God”… prove it, exalt yourself! He even twisted the Word of God to fit each temptation. The major difference to take note of, is that Adam and Eve fell for the deception of Satan and hurled the entire human race into rebellious sin against God, which led to death, but Jesus of Nazareth, the sinless Son of God, never did! Jesus resisted the lying temptations of Satan, which would violate the Word of God, so that He would qualify as the perfect, sinless sacrifice who could then offer life, and life more abundant to those of us who became enslaved under sin and condemnation. Friends, Jesus will never lie to you, or entice you toward sin, or put anything in your path that will cause you harm.
Now, back to our story… When Satan first approached Eve (the woman) in the Garden, he came with a simple question...“Can it really be that God has said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?” Let’s think about this question. The question came with a deceptive slant. Could it be that God would put all these amazing trees, filled with good fruit in this garden, and not let you eat from “any” of them? Of course, Satan already knew the answer, yet he wanted to test her knowledge and faith in God’s Word. So she answers, “We may eat fruit from the trees of the garden, except the fruit from the tree which is in the middle of the garden. God said, ‘You shall not eat from it nor touch it, otherwise you will die.” Ah-Ha! Satan discovers that she has already altered God’s original Word. She believes that God said she couldn’t eat from it or touch it, but God never said they could not touch the tree. Now Satan is ready to release his full deception on her, “You certainly will not die!”
There it is...the Big Fat Lie! Now, let’s examine what was being processed in the mind of Eve, and Adam also, as they were considering whether or not to believe the lie of the serpent…
“And when the woman saw that (1) the tree was good for food, and that (2) it was delightful to look at, and (3) a tree to be desired in order to make one wise and insightful, she took some of its fruit and ate it; and she also gave some to her husband with her, and he ate.” - Genesis 3:6 AMP [numbers added]
Consequently, with the lie circling around in her thoughts, “You certainly will not die,” she turns her attention back to the tree. Notice the Scripture says, “And when the woman saw…” She is no longer considering what God had said, but what her eye’s can see right in front of her. She sees that the tree is (1) “good for food”. There were plenty of other trees good for food, but now she considers the forbidden tree. The fruit does look good! Yes, and(2) “it was delightful to look at.”But wait, maybe the serpent is right and the tree should (3) “be desired in order to make one wise and insightful”… just like God. That’s right, we can figure things out without God and His Word. Surely, our thoughts and opinions must matter. We can determine what is good and bad, or call things that are evil good and good things evil. (Isaiah 5:20-21) We are free thinkers...right??? If we eat from the forbidden tree, we will be able to discern for ourselves and we won’t need God to lead and guide us… That was a mistake! (It’s interesting to note, that Jesus overcame His three temptations, but earth’s first parents fell for it. There is only One who can withstand all of Satan’s temptations and lies. I think this proves that He is truly God.)
Here, in the above passage, we also find all of Lucifer’s (Satan’s) “I will’s.” I will decide if the tree is good for food. I will decide that it is delightful to look at. I will decide that it is desired in order to make one wise like God. We can see what they concluded, based on what they did… “she took some of its fruit and ate it; and she also gave some to her husband with her, and he ate.” Friends, this is how sin came into the human race. A lie was told, then believed, then acted upon. SIN!
The Hebrew word for sin is châṭâ'. Hebrew is the language that the Old Testament was written in. This word châṭâ' means “to miss, miss the way, incur guilt, forfeit.” In Greek, the language of the New Testament, the word is hamartia. Listen to the definitions given in Thayer’s Greek Lexicon… “to be without a share in, to miss the mark, to err, be mistaken, to miss or wander from the path of uprightness and honor, to do or go wrong, to wander from the law of God, violate God' s law, sin. It is also defined as… that which is done wrong, sin, an offense, a violation of the divine law in thought or in act; collectively, the complex or aggregate of sins committed either by a single person or by many.
Going back to the simple definition of sin, we must ask, “How did Adam and Eve miss it?” What did they forfeit? They had, first of all, God’s Word. They were also created in God’s image, having a share in and able to reflect His glory, and to rule and reign over God’s creation in righteousness and holiness, just like their Creator. Yet, in their action of disobedience and by violating God’s clear Word, they no longer had a share in or a reflection of God’s glory, righteousness or holiness, but became just like the liar that they listened to. They no longer carried the image of the One who created them. They forfeited God’s glory for a sin-filled, rebellious nature, just like the devil. Notice how the New Testament describes the event…
“Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, so death spread to all people [no one being able to stop it or escape its power], because they all sinned.” - Romans 5:12 AMP
Why is sin such a big deal? Why did Satan want to tempt Adam and Eve to sin? Wasn’t his created purpose to cover, or guard and protect? If Satan could get God’s crown creation to disobey Him, to miss the mark, forfeit His glory and sin against His Word, sin would lead to death. Death meant...no more mankind. God had given this earth to mankind to rule and have dominion over. Check it out…
Then God said, “Let Us (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) make man in Our image, according to Our likeness [not physical, but a spiritual personality and moral likeness]; and let them have complete authority over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the cattle, and over the entire earth, and over everything that creeps and crawls on the earth.”
So God created man in His own image, in the image and likeness of God He created him; male and female He created them.
And God blessed them [granting them certain authority] and said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth, and subjugate it [putting it under your power]; and rule over (dominate) the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and every living thing that moves upon the earth.” - Genesis 1:26-28 AMP
Notice what the role of God’s very best creation was intended to be from Psalm 8…
“O Lord, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth! Your glory is higher than the heavens.
You have taught children and infants to tell of your strength, silencing your enemies and all who oppose you.
When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers— the moon and the stars you set in place—
what are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them?
Yet you made them only a little lower than God and crowned them with glory and honor.
You gave them charge of everything you made, putting all things under their authority—
the flocks and the herds and all the wild animals,
the birds in the sky, the fish in the sea, and everything that swims the ocean currents.
O Lord, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth!” - Psalm 8 NLT
Yes, God had entrusted dominion of the earth to Adam and Eve, but Satan wanted it for himself. Friends, we are caught in a war over turf. The devil wants whatever territory you’ve been freely given by God. This also explains why there is a turf war over Jerusalem, because that is where the true King of Kings and Lord of Lords will return to rule and reign from. Remember that Lucifer (Satan) had desired to set himself above the heavens and be supreme ruler, like the Most High. He wanted his own kingdom. Without mankind to rule the earth, Satan could take it over. I suspect that Satan was a bit disappointed that Adam and Eve didn’t die immediately. In fact, Adam went on to live for 930 years (Genesis 5:5).
However, now that a sin nature was present in mankind, which Adam passed on to every one of his descendants through his seed, Satan had the continued ability to be able to easily manipulate man’s behavior towards God and his fellow human beings. The best example of this is Adam’s son Cain.
Cain tried to approach God on his own terms, with an offering of the work of his own hands (ie. good works), instead of the blood that God required, which was instructed through the example God had given his parents. It was the blood of atonement, through the sacrifice of an innocent lamb, that God had made for his parents after they had sinned (Genesis 3:21). This is how God covered their sin, by covering their nakedness through the sacrifice of a perfect and innocent lamb. This was to remind them that they deserved death, but God would provide a substitute for them. When Cain’s offering of personal works from the ground that God had cursed was rejected, he murdered his own brother in rebellious sin. Here’s the story...
“And in the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground.
But Abel brought [an offering of] the [finest] firstborn of his flock and the fat portions. And the Lord had respect (regard) for Abel and for his offering;
but for Cain and his offering He had no respect. So Cain became extremely angry (indignant), and he looked annoyed and hostile.
And the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you so angry? And why do you look annoyed?
If you do well [believing Me and doing what is acceptable and pleasing to Me], will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well [but ignore My instruction], sin crouches at your door; its desire is for you [to overpower you], but you must master it.”
Cain talked with Abel his brother [about what God had said]. And when they were [alone, working] in the field, Cain attacked Abel his brother and killed him.” - Genesis 4:3-8 AMP
Remember that Jesus said that Satan was a “murderer from the beginning.” Who do you think Cain listened to? Who was really behind that murder of Abel?
So again, why is sin such a big deal? I think the answer is obvious. Sin is an inherited bondage, and when confronted with it, some are sorrowful and repentant and want the Lord’s pardon and help (such as Abel). However, some (like Cain) are so overwhelmed and overcome by it’s power, that they try to subdue the guilt of it through acts of aggression and violence, either towards themselves or by lashing out at others. This response only compounds the guilt and magnifies the sin. In Romans 7, the Apostle Paul explains the controlling power of sin (Romans 7:7-25). He describes it by saying that we were sold into slavery to sin, and that we need to be rescued from it’s power in our flesh. We are not able to rescue ourselves.
So, why did Satan want to trick Adam and Eve into sinning against God? Death… Satan desires to steal, kill and destroy… period! (see John 10:10)
Lets look at Romans 5:12 one more time…
“Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, so death spread to all people [no one being able to stop it or escape its power], because they all sinned.” - Romans 5:12 AMP
Friends, let’s review...The whole human race was plunged into sin during this one temptation to doubt and disobey the Word of God. In one clever move, Satan caused all of humanity to fall under his word and ultimately become subject to his authority, to be filled with a sin nature and to become guilty of death. He duped the first human beings into believing his lie, so that every one of their offspring would become destined for the Hell that was meant for him.
I hope this helps you to understand how you came to be born into a wicked and selfish generation. This is why you struggle with doing things you know in your heart are wrong. This is how you became a sinner, headed for eternal damnation. You are born a sinner with a conscience that lets you know every time you sin, even if you don’t know what a sin is. Welcome to the knowledge of good and evil! Your father Adam partook of that tree and now you have a sin consciousness. It always leads you to sin and then makes you feel guilty and condemned about it. Have you ever felt unsavable? That’s the sin nature at work.
You don’t have to go very far to see this inherent sin nature at work, either. Just volunteer to babysit for a little while and you’ll see that sneaky, little, rebellious nature manifesting in a tiny little person. Just tell them “NO!” and watch what happens next.
Like it or not, you were born into a sin nature. It is this condition that has also made you unable to save yourself and unable to reflect the true nature and glory of the God who created you. Without the nature of God, you were left to depend on yourself for any moral goodness, which is not even possible without God. Because you were born in spiritual death, which is separation from the life of God and all of His attributes, you were not ever going to be able to reverse your spiritual condition without God’s intervention. I hope you can clearly see, now, that through one single sin, all of humanity received the nature of the one who deceived them; a satanic, rebellious, sin nature. I realize this may offend some people, but it is better to be informed where you came from. It’s the first step in seeing the way out. Without some form of rescue, spiritual death, or “the second death” (which we spoke of earlier) would become your eternal future, which is the same for all of Adam’s descendants. However, don’t get discouraged, this is not the end of the story!Let’s continue…
“Then the eyes of the two of them were opened [that is, their awareness increased], and they knew that they were naked; and they fastened fig leaves together and made themselves coverings.
And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool [afternoon breeze] of the day, so the man and his wife hid and kept themselves hidden from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.
But the Lord God called to Adam, and said to him, “Where are you?”
He said, “I heard the sound of You [walking] in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.”
God said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten [fruit] from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?”
And the man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me—she gave me [fruit] from the tree, and I ate it.”
Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” And the woman said, “The serpent beguiled and deceived me, and I ate [from the forbidden tree].” - Genesis 3:7-13 AMP
What did the act of eating from the forbidden tree do for Adam and Eve? It made them self-aware. They immediately began trying to cover over their sin with leaves. They were no longer focused on their relationship with God, or their created purpose and their assignment from God, but they instantly became insecure and self-focused, absolutely aware that something had radically changed. Somehow they were different, and they knew that they were naked. This is what sin does, it makes us independently scramble to cover over what we have become self-aware of. It makes us fearful, full of excuses, and accusative. And what is worse is that the guilt of sin, ultimately causes us to hide from the presence of the Lord God, because we have that inner knowing that we are not worthy to be in the presence of perfect goodness, but rather we are deserving of judgment. Sin makes fellowship, friendship, and trust with our holy God and Father, impossible.
Here’s a thought... In order for God to create beings with a free will to choose to love and trust Him, He had to be prepared for His special creation to make the wrong decision and choose the thing that He never intended, the thing that was not good for them. God created us human beings in His own image, provided everything we would need for life and godliness, and granted us the freedom to love and trust Him in obedience to His Word, or we could choose to disobey and opt for discerning good and evil on our own, manipulated by a nature of sin.
The angels of God were also created with a free will. Lucifer willfully chose to sin, and directly disobey God. Adam and Eve also disobeyed God, so what was the difference? Lucifer chose to disobey God all on his own and purposely led other angels to do the same, therefore, He was cast out of the mountain of God and promised an eternity in everlasting fire and damnation. However, Adam and Eve were “deceived” into disobeying God. Unfortunately, the consequence was still eternal death, separation, and torment. And yet, God knew that this would happen before He ever created them. So before there was ever a sin committed by Adam and Eve, there was a salvation plan in place. This is awesome!
Look... before you were born into sin, and before you ever committed one single infraction deserving of eternal death, God had a Savior lined up for you. Please understand this… God did not cause you to be born into a sin nature, Adam and Eve did when they chose to obey the serpent. God created you to be a part of His family, but that sin has created a separation. God has made a way for that sin to be removed. He provided a substitute to take your place in punishment and death. He has provided a Savior. However, in order to discover that you need a Savior, you must first be brought to despise the sin that motivates and controls you.
I want you to remember, my Friend, that Hell was created for the devil and the fallen angels (or demons), who mutinied and ruined God’s creation, and are still trying to set up their own kingdom here on earth. Soon, God will have to cleanse the earth and the heavens of every place sin has left a stain, in order for those who have believed on Him and received His Salvation to live again in the perfect peace and prosperity that God originally intended.
Listen… Satan, his demons, and all who cooperate with him through the power and the deceptiveness of sin are still on the loose, and God is preparing to deal permanently with them. However, God is giving mankind a little more time to receive the Salvation He has already provided through faith in His Son. Salvation is only for those who receive it! Let me repeat that… because it is important that you do not misunderstand… Salvation is ONLY for those who RECEIVE it! It is not automatic. God made you and intended for you to become a part of His family. He never wanted you to perish in your sin, so let me repeat this again… He has provided a Savior! He has provided a way for you to escape eternal damnation. Are you ready for your escape plan? God is so all-knowing and loving, that He made a way before there was ever a problem. Oh, how good our God is!
We’re going to keep moving on toward the really, really Good News, but first we must examine the consequences for the sins committed in the Garden. Now, there are many hidden pictures of the Gospel (good news) in this passage of Scripture, so I’d like to draw them all out in order for you to see the amazing grace and love of God the Father for you. Here we go…
“The Lord God said to the serpent,
“Because you have done this, You are cursed more than all the cattle, And more than any animal of the field; On your belly you shall go, And dust you shall eat All the days of your life.
“And I will put enmity (open hostility) Between you and the woman, And between your seed (offspring) and her Seed; He shall [fatally] bruise your head, And you shall [only] bruise His heel.”
To the woman He said, “I will greatly multiply Your pain in childbirth; In pain you will give birth to children; Yet your desire and longing will be for your husband, And he will rule [with authority] over you and be responsible for you.”- Genesis 3:14-16 AMP
As God lays out the curse upon the serpent, the promise of the “Serpent Destroyer” is given… “her Seed.” This is written in the singular voice. There would be One, out of the woman’s offspring, that would bring the fatal blow to the serpents head and all of his activities. In the presence of the fallen man and woman, Satan is given his sentence. What does Satan now have to look forward to? A kingdom, where he rules and reigns? No… rather an expectation of defeat, shame, and his own suffering. God, the loving Father, has seen the deception played upon his beloved children, so He curses the devious serpent and promises a Savior.
For the woman, her work of being fruitful and multiplying would become painful labor. And yet, out of that painful labor would come One of her own offspring that would destroy the works of the devil. Poetic justice! God would bring through her, a Deliverer. Eve may have thought that her first son would fulfill the promise, but Cain also discovered the power of sin in the flesh. Who would be able to deliver? “But when [in God’s plan] the proper time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman…”(Galatians 4:4 AMP) This promise was fulfilled many, many generations later, when the virgin Mary was given a son…
“Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by [the power of] the Holy Spirit.
And Joseph her [promised] husband, being a just and righteous man and not wanting to expose her publicly to shame, planned to send her away and divorce her quietly.
But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, descendant of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.
She will give birth to a Son, and you shall name Him Jesus (The Lord is salvation), for He will save His people from their sins.”
All this happened in order to fulfill what the Lord had spoken through the prophet [Isaiah]:
“Behold, the virgin shall be with child and give birth to a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel”—which, when translated, means, “God with us.”
Then Joseph awoke from his sleep and did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him, and he took Mary [to his home] as his wife,
but he kept her a virgin until she had given birth to a Son [her firstborn child]; and he named Him Jesus (The Lord is salvation).” - Matthew 1:18-25 AMP
Wow, what a blessed and long awaited announcement! Remember that Satan was promised that the “SEED” of the woman would crush his head. We know from our high school biology class, that women do not produce the reproductive seed. That comes from the man and is ordained by God to be passed into the woman and joined with her egg, through marital intercourse. This was how Adam and Eve would multiply and populate the earth. This explains why Cain, nor Abel could have been the “SEED” or offspring that would crush the serpents head. Satan must not have had biology class, because history shows us that he had been trying to snuff out children for generations, probably hoping to take out the prophesied deliverer. This also explains to us why Mary had to be a virgin. God would provide the holy, untainted reproductive seed to her through the Holy Spirit. The prophet Isaiah spoke of this, when he said, “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and she will name Him Immanuel.” - Isaiah 7:14. Every year when Christmas rolls around, we are reminded that a Savior was born, and has indeed crushed the serpents head. We are thankful to Mary for being a willing and obedient vessel to carry the Christ child, even at the risk of her own death. We don’t worship her, but we certainly do appreciate her, and give thanks to God for her faithfulness, same as for any other faithful servant of the Lord.
Now for Adam, his work of cultivating the ground of the earth would also become painful labor. The earth that God had made to bring forth and supply all of the needs of his family, would now be cursed. Instead of supernatural provision and ease of cultivation, he would have to toil in order to bring forth food and sustenance through the thorns and thistles of the cursed ground.
“Then to Adam the Lord God said, “Because you have listened [attentively] to the voice of your wife, and have eaten [fruit] from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it’; The ground is [now] under a curse because of you; In sorrow and toil you shall eat [the fruit] of it All the days of your life.
“Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you; And you shall eat the plants of the field.
“By the sweat of your face You will eat bread Until you return to the ground, For from it you were taken; For you are dust, And to dust you shall return.” - Genesis 3:17-19 AMP
All of these consequences would follow humanity because of Adam’s sin. Here we see that Adam would return to the ground, but he would not die immediately. His body would need to eat in order to sustain his life until he returned to dust, but the ground would not supply him without his hard work. If you have ever planted a garden, you know that the earth does not give up its produce easily. There is a lot of hard work involved in the production of food. Now, we’re about to see that, even in the consequences for Adam, the amazing grace of God can be seen. But before I go into those details. Let’s look at these next verses...
The man named his wife Eve (life spring, life giver), because she was the mother of all the living.
The Lord God made tunics of [animal] skins for Adam and his wife and clothed them.” - Genesis 3:20-21 AMP
This is beautiful! God hid all these marvelous pictures of His grace coming to mankind, even in the consequences regarding man’s rebellion. Was God planning to sweep their sin under the rug or give them a lesser consequence than death? Never… The Bible tells us that...
“under the Law almost everything is cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness [neither release from sin and its guilt, nor cancellation of the merited punishment].” (Hebrews 9:22 AMP)
Friends...when death is the prescribed punishment of God, something is going to have to die in order for God to be just. The blood shed is proof of the justice being exacted. Adam and Eve were guilty of death, and yet, God begins to show them how their sin will be forgiven and removed. He begins to show them what redemption looks like. In order for their nakedness to be covered, their self-effort by the work of their own hands would be insufficient. Their leaf skirts will not work. God had to clothe them. He did so by the slaying of innocent blood. A substitute would become the sacrifice that would ultimately cover their sin and their nakedness. Their son, Abel, had a revelation of this as he brought to God the acceptable sacrifice; an offering that had been slain.
“But Abel brought [an offering of] the [finest] firstborn of his flock and the fat portions. And the Lord had respect (regard) for Abel and for his offering;
but for Cain and his offering He had no respect…” - Genesis 4:4-5a AMP
“By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which it was testified of him that he was righteous (upright, in right standing with God), and God testified by accepting his gifts. And though he died, yet through [this act of] faith he still speaks.” - Hebrews 11:4 AMP
Abel’s faith still speaks, even today, because it was a faith picture of the True Sacrifice that would eventually come to take away the sin of the world. Jesus, the Seed of the woman, the sinless, blameless, Son of God, has come. John the Baptist testified of Him when he said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”(John 1:29 NASB) This was God’s Lamb, “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” (Revelation 13:8) God would provide another perfect Man who would die in the place of Adam and Eve and all of their offspring, bearing the guilt and the shame, the pains and sicknesses as a result of sin, along with the punishment of separation from God and death. (see Isaiah 53)
When Jesus was facing the appointed time for Him to give up His life to death on the cross, He went to pray in the Garden of Gethsemane. The anguish He suffered knowing the gravity of what He would be suffering for all of humanity, and having to be separated from His Father, caused Him to sweat drops of blood.
“And being in agony [deeply distressed and anguished; almost to the point of death], He prayed more intently; and His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down on the ground.” - Luke 22:44 AMP
Are you beginning to see what I am showing you? The tragedy of sin in one Garden was being redeemed through drops of sinless blood in another Garden. First, the curse of Adam’s painful labors, by the sweat of his face, was being redeemed through the blood of Jesus, the substitutionary sacrifice. The ground was also experiencing the redeeming blood of Jesus, as His blood dripped from His brow. He was taking back the land that had been stolen. As He stood before His false accusers, they placed a crown of thorns upon His head (Matthew 2:29). Jesus bore the thorns. He was hung on a tree, which was a part of the cursed ground. “...Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree.” - Galatians 3:13. That tree in the Garden of Eden brought death to humanity, but Jesus redeemed us from that death, by hanging on the tree of Calvary.
Let’s continue with one more bit of Adam and Eve’s story. Part of the good news of this story recorded for all of humanity to see, is that God kicked Adam and Eve out of the Garden. Now why would this be such good news? Let’s take a look…
“And the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us (Father, Son, Holy Spirit), knowing [how to distinguish between] good and evil; and now, he might stretch out his hand, and take from the tree of life as well, and eat [its fruit], and live [in this fallen, sinful condition] forever”—
therefore the Lord God sent Adam away from the Garden of Eden, to till and cultivate the ground from which he was taken.
So God drove the man out; and at the east of the Garden of Eden He [permanently] stationed the cherubim and the sword with the flashing blade which turned round and round [in every direction] to protect and guard the way (entrance, access) to the tree of life.” - Genesis 3:22-24 AMP
The most loving thing that God did was to banish Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden, and to set angelic guards to keep mankind from the Tree of Life, so they would not eat of it and live forever in their fallen and sinful condition with no possible way of escape from the eternal death, separation, and damnation that was promised. This was God’s undeniable grace! Friends, if they had eaten from the Tree of Life in their sin filled condition, you would never have even a chance to escape sin’s power or destructive forces over your life. You would have no other choice but Hell’s fire and suffering for eternity. But, Praise God!!! We’ve been given a choice!
If Adam and Eve had tried to enter the garden to eat from the Tree of Life, they would have been met by the flaming sword that turned in every direction. There was no longer free access to the God-kind of life. But Friends, something has changed. Look at this prophesy...
“Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the Lord of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones.” - Zechariah 13:7 KJV
The Lord called for the sword to wake up. It was time for this sword of justice and judgment to fulfill its purpose. In order for the way into everlasting life in God to be opened again, this sword was to awake and come against someone who was God’s fellow, someone who was His companion, someone who was mighty and in unity with Him. The sword was to smite someone He called the Shepherd. Who was this Shepherd? Friends, this Shepherd whom the sword of the Lord was awakened to smite, was the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus said…
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep.” - John 10:11 NLT
This sword, which guarded the entrance to the Garden of Eden where the Tree of Life remained, was never wielded on Adam and Eve or any of their human descendants. This sword would be felt by one man alone, the righteous Son of God, who came to take away the sin of the world, and lead the way back to the Tree of Life and perfect fellowship with God, the Father. Jesus revealed that this prophesy, spoken by Zechariah, was meant to be fulfilled in Him. See it for yourself…
“After singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
Then Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away because of Me this night [disillusioned about Me, confused, and some even ashamed of Me], for it is written [in the Scriptures], ‘I will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’
But after I am raised [to life], I will go ahead of you [leading the way] to Galilee.” - Matthew 26:30-32 AMP
Yes, my Friends, the judgment of God towards all sin committed in the first garden, fell upon Jesus in that other garden called Gethsemane. As He suffered the unspeakable horror of the cross to bear all of the penalty and condemnation for the sins of everyone born of Adam’s race, He was able to make the way open again for all of us to partake of the Tree of Life. This includes you! The resurrection of Jesus was legal proof that God was absolutely pleased with the Son’s sacrifice, and His righteous and holy justice has been eternally satisfied. Your death sentence was served in the body of Jesus, and your debt has been paid. My Friend, that is worth celebrating!
Now, I want you to know something… While Satan has hoped to kill you and keep you from this salvation and the loving heart of God, your Heavenly Father has always wanted to save you and bring you back into His family, where you are safe and filled with His blessings and provision. This was His plan from the beginning. Remember the promise that the “Seed” of the woman (Who is Jesus) would crush the serpents head. If you haven’t done so already, I hope you are ready to partake of the Tree of Life (Who is also, Jesus), and get your name written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.
My Friend, God did all the work, and He’s made it very easy for you to be saved from Hell. Just as Adam and Eve partook of the wrong tree, you must partake of the Tree of Life (Jesus). You do this by faith and trust in what He has done for you. You simply believe and partake! Here is how the Bible says to do it…
“But the righteousness based on faith [which produces a right relationship with Him] says the following: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into Heaven?’ that is, to bring Christ down;
or, ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ that is, to bring Christ up from the dead [as if we had to be saved by our own efforts, doing the impossible].”
But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”—that is, the word [the message, the basis] of faith which we preach—
because if you acknowledge and confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord [recognizing His power, authority, and majesty as God], and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
For with the heart a person believes [in Christ as Savior] resulting in his justification [that is, being made righteous—being freed of the guilt of sin and made acceptable to God]; and with the mouth he acknowledges and confesses [his faith openly], resulting in and confirming [his] salvation.
For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes in Him [whoever adheres to, trusts in, and relies on Him] will not be disappointed [in his expectations].”
For there is no distinction between Jew and Gentile; for the same Lord is Lord over all [of us], and [He is] abounding in riches (blessings) for all who call on Him [in faith and prayer].
For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord [in prayer] will be saved.” - Romans 10:6-13 AMP
A simple prayer might be:
“I receive Jesus as my Lord and Savior. I thank you, Jesus, for taking my sin and punishment away. Father, I believe you raised Jesus from the dead, because my sin debt is paid! I look forward to getting to know You through Your Word, and living in right standing with You for all of eternity. Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!”
Congratulations, my Friend! If you prayed that for the first time, you are now a child of God, a new creation, born again of God, a member of the ever-growing body of Christ. You are now the righteousness of God in Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:21) You probably didn’t feel a thing, but something incredibly supernatural just happened to you. Before you know it, you will begin to experience the peace of God that surpasses all of your understanding. You now have unhindered access to your Heavenly Father, without any guilt, through speaking to Him in prayer and by believing in His promises that are written in His Word. Through the power of His blood, you are delivered from the power of sin and are able to walk in righteousness through your faith in His ability and power inside of you. Because you are cleansed of all unrighteousness, His Holy Spirit has come to live inside of you and will guide you through The Word of God and His inner leading to walk in the righteousness of Christ Jesus, which has been given to you as a gift. You are a new creation in Christ, having had a second birth, a spiritual birth. We are so proud of you and all of heaven is rejoicing over you, right now… This is very exciting!
Now, remember earlier I asked...If Hell was created for the devil and his associates, then why will so many human beings, created in God’s image, actually go there?
The answer is simple… They refuse the gift.
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gracious gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” - Romans 6:23 NASB
There is only one unforgivable sin… If you die in your physical body without having received the eternal life and free gift of righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ, you have forsaken His grace for you and your free gift of salvation, and will end up having your soul contained in the devil’s Hell, until the final judgment lands you in the eternal Lake of Fire, where “the worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.” - Mark 9:48. But rest assured, the Holy Spirit is always testifying to the truth about Jesus, and He will move heaven and earth to get the message to those who need to hear it. No one will be able to stand before God in Heaven and claim that they have not heard or have not been given the opportunity to hear.
So be encouraged, the simple fact that you have listened all the way to the end of this article, I am assured that the Holy Spirit has shown you the great and awesome love of God for you in the sacrificial gift of His Son. We’ve been given a choice for our eternal destination. We can choose eternal life in the beloved and righteous Kingdom of God, or eternal separation from God in the devil’s Hell and the eternal Lake of Fire. Remember, that Hell was created for the deviant devil and his demon angels. God, the Father, never meant for you to perish. Praise God!
“The way of life is above to the wise, that he may depart from hell beneath.” - Proverbs 15:24 KJV
Friends, this was a crazy long article, and I hope you learned a lot. I had never intended to write or preach a “Hell, Fire, and Damnation” sermon, but I fear that people are being deceived by the Deceiver, that Hell really doesn’t exist. I figure, that if the Holy Spirit put it so strongly on my heart to write this article, then this must be a word in season for someone. And, if only one person is ministered to through it and received their salvation into the eternal Kingdom of Jesus and will escape the fires of Hell, then it was well worth the months that it took me to publish it.
I have one more encouraging word to share before closing this article out, and I sense the Holy Spirit really wanting me to write this…
Very, very soon, there will be a loud command from Jesus, the voice of the archangel, and a glorious trumpet sound, and only those who are born again believers of the Lord Jesus Christ, and members of His body, which is His Church through true faith, will hear it. In an atomic second, they will be transferred from this earth, in new heavenly bodies, and will meet Jesus in the clouds to be taken to His glorious home in Heaven for a time. This is what is described in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 and 1 Corinthians 15:51-53, and is hidden in typology throughout the Word. The Church refers to it as the Rapture or the snatching away. If you are a child of God through faith in Jesus, either before reading this article or after reading it, you are not appointed to the wrath of God coming on the earth (see 1 Thessalonians 5:9), so you will be going up, my Friend. I hope you are excited!
However, if this article is actually still available on the internet following this event, and you have just discovered that you didn’t make a timely decision, you will still have time to choose Jesus for exactly 7 years following the Rapture of the Church. Listen carefully to those who will still be preaching the Gospel and get a hold of a Bible, if you can. Following God’s Word may be the only way you are able to survive the atrocities that will be coming. Satan’s Antichrist will likely try to destroy anything that remains of the Word of God, if he can, and the world will try to cover the Rapture of mass numbers of people through crazy, almost unbelievable narratives, and gross deception – the kind of things that only fantastical movies were made of. I just want you to be aware. Whether you survive the 7 year Tribulation or not, please choose Jesus! The Messiah!
I always like to end my articles with grace and great hope, so I’d like to follow up that somber final note with this beautiful Scripture. Thank you for making it though this entire article. I believe you were blessed of the Lord!
“He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him.
He came to his own people, and even they rejected him.
But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.
They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.” - John 1:10-13 NLT
Now that, dear Friends, is grace!
written by
Eileen R. Jacobs (October 2023)
Copyright © 2023 Eileen Jacobs Ministries. All rights reserved.
Reference:
A Message to the New Believer:
Congratulations &
Welcome to the Family of God
If today you received Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, this is an exciting day! All of Heaven is rejoicing over you, and your name has been officially written in the Lambs Book of Life.(Luke 10:20)
“I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” - Luke 15:10
We would like to encourage you to write this date down somewhere important to you. Many people like to write the date of their salvation on the inside cover of their Bible. I can’t stress enough how important this is to do. Not only does it help you remember the day you became a Child of God, but it is a marker of your New Birth, like a birth certificate, which is a legal proof of your existence.
This date or marker is important because, as we have discovered in this article, there actually is a devil. Since he is a spirit, he has an ability to speak to our minds by way of deceptive thoughts. I can almost guarantee that there will come a time when a suggestive thought will come to your mind that will cause you to question whether you are really saved or not. This is where that date recorded or marker or New Birth certificate becomes important. You can simply go back to your Bible or wherever you wrote it down, and remind yourself, or say to the devil...”Nope, you’re wrong! This date is the day I received Jesus as my Lord and Savior, the day of my New Birth, the day I became a Child of God, the day I was forgiven and saved, the day my name was written in the Lamb’s book of life...end of discussion!”
Finally, we would love to know that you have joined the family of God. We are so excited for you and we want to keep you in our prayers.
Email us at info@EileenJacobs.org to let us know!
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