Imperishable

“God formed man to be imperishable; the image of His own nature He made them.” Wisdom 2:23

Many people do not believe in hell these days. I would prefer to think that even the most evil of men who murder, steal millions from the poor like some of our politicians today, commit sodomy and prey on children, would just disappear, and not be placed in an eternal lake of fire. But that option is not possible because Jesus spoke of hell more than any other person in the Bible. He knew there was a place reserved for those who rejected Him.

Jesus warned against the absolute, terrible realness of hell. He described it as a place of eternal torment, outer darkness, unquenchable fire, where there is no return and where people would gnash their teeth weeping in regret and anguish (Mark 9:43, Matthew 13:42, Luke 16:19-31, Matthew 25:30). So what then of God’s goodness and mercy? 

Jesus is the personification of God’s goodness, faithfulness, mercy and love. God sent Him so we could know Himself, and so by His offering Himself as the one, true sacrifice, we could be justified and saved. In Romans 10:9-10, Saint Paul teaches, “If you confess that Jesus is Lord and believe that God raised Him from death, you will be saved. For it is by our faith that we are put right with God; it is by our confession that we are saved.”

We may deserve hell, but we should always remember what happened on Calvary. One of the criminals hanging beside Him pleaded, “Remember me, Jesus, when you come into Your Kingdom.” 

Jesus said to him, “I assure you, today you will be in Paradise with me.” (Luke 23:39-43)