Jesus told us to be salt and salt can irritate as well as give flavour!
I think testing any faith by the holy book is wise. Regardless of what it is, who it is, where it's from - test the teachings. If they contradict and fail to match up, something is wrong and alarm bells ought to ring. This includes making sure each one of us is familiar with what Christ said, for there are plenty of preachers/laypeople who will tell you otherwise. This includes people within my own church and anywhere else. When you hear ANYBODY, I don't care who it is, preaching alternatively to Christ, especially on essential truths that may effect our salvation?
WATCH OUT! Another alarm bell is the deniance of Hell. This is a biggy. Jesus spoke more about Hell than He did Heaven. Yet we have many preachers (even in my own denomination), that either avoid the topic, or tell people "Jesus didn't really mean what He said" OR "He didn't mean it literally" because it just doesn't sound nice, therefore let's tell people what they want to hear and what we ourselves wish to hear also. Then it will make it all better and hopefully "go away". Unfortunately, not only does this not remove the reality, but it is a dangerous heresy. Those who preach such, will be accountable to God Himself. I'd say this is in a sense "scandalising others". God help anybody who adds or takes away from the word of God and fails to deliver the truth as Christ delivered it, instead of playing "edit or twister" games.
I've seen all kinds of avoidance tactics, water down tactics. I call it "marshmellow Christianity" the soft and sweet kind that tells people what they want to hear. Now what are the fruits of this ear tickling Christianity? Have a look around you and that should tell you what it's done. The truth causes conversions, because the Holy Spirit resides in truth. It is not human beings that cause it, nor their watering down of harsh truths.
It's the ostrich in the sand syndrome - "let's pretend Hell doesn't exists" and our liberal priests are the worst. Yet the faithful priests, tell it like it is. Straight from Christ and sadly they are often hated (just as Christ was hated for pointing out inconvenient truths). We we want is the raw deal, the raw truth told as Christ told it. Regardless of whether we want to know or not. Let's understand the raw reason for his raw suffering and death. To save sinners from eternal damnation. Do they simply cease to exist if they deny Him? Apparently not - wishful thinking. All people were born with an eternal soul. Where that soul resides eternally is another story.
Jesus could not have been clearer, or spelt out anymore than Christ spelt it out. So in case anybody is in any doubts? I will once again spell it out here: Now if you don't like it, then you wouldn't like Christ either!
Here is what I typed up in an older post on this forum and I really do not wish to type it up all over again:What part of all the quotes Christ gave that was an undeniable and frightening testament to the reality of Hell and consequent eternal punishment/suffering could possibly have been missed or misunderstood??? Christ could not have been clearer, nor more insistent and detailed. In fact, Christ spoke more on Hell than Heaven! Why? Because what can be worse than than the loss of one's soul to an eternal hell? NOTHING can possibly be worse than that and God has given us the means to avoid it and does not cease to call souls to Himself! The choice is ours.
God created all mankind with an ETERNAL soul and where that eternal soul resides in the end, is very much part of salvation or the rejection of it. Hell exists, Hell is real, Hell is eternal. To reject God, to remain unrepetent to the end, is to reject everything that is of Him and Hell is the alternative - not "non existence". How can one possibly cease to exist when the soul itself is eternal? Yes, the bible speaks of the death of the soul, because without the life and light of the saving Christ, one is essentially spiritually "dead". But the soul goes on EXISTING.
Those who deny Hell's existence and reality, or misinterpret/misinform, must consequently be counted amongst the fools who say in their heart "There is no God who punishes their misdeeds". It would be undoubtedly convenient and highly agreeable to those who believe that this life is all there is, OR if there is any afterlife that there is no eternal consequence to their sins or rejection of salvation. They simply...cease to exist. I wish it were so!
Let me give an example of some quotes that are an undeniable testament to the unfortunate reality of Hell and the consequent eternal suffering for those that reject God and end up there. In case anybody is fooled or comforted by the "you just cease to exist" heresy, here's a wake up call.
"Then he shall say to them also that shall be on his left hand" Depart from me, you cursed, into everlasting fire which was prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was thirsty and you gave me not to drink. I was a stranger, and you took me not in: naked, and you covered me not: sick and in prison, and you did not visit me. Then they also shall answer him, saying: Lord, when did we see thee hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister to thee? Then he shall answer them, saying: Amen I say to you, as long as you did it not to one of these least, neither did you do it to me". (Matt. 25:41-45).
"If any man shall adore the beast, he shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mingled with pure wine in the cup of His wrath, and shall be tormented with fire and brimestone. And the smoke of their torments shall ascend up forever and ever".
"the unbelieving and the abominable, murderers, whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars shall have their portion in the pool burning with fire and brimestone, which is the second death"
"Bind his hands and feet and cast him into exterior darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. For many are called, but few are chosen". (Matt. 22:13-14).
"The unprofitable servant case yet out into the exterior darkness. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth" (Matt. 25:30).
"The son of man shall send his angels and they shall gather out of his kingdom all scandals, and them that work iniquity: "And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth". (Matt. 13:41-42).
"Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit, shall be cut down, and shall be cast into the fire." (Matt. 7:19).
"
I am the vine; you the branches; he that abideth in me, and I in him, the same beareth much fruit" for without me you can do nothing. "If any one abide not in me, he shall be cast forth as a branch, and shall wither, and they shall gather him up, and cast him into the fire, and he burneth" (John 15:5, 6).
"And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet, who wrought signs before him, wherewith he seduced them who received the character of the beast, and who adored his image. These two were cast alive into the pool of fire, burning with brimestone" (Apoc. 19:20) where they were tormented day and night, for ever and ever. "And whosoever was not found written in the book of life, was cast into the pool of fire" (Apoc. 20:15).
"And if the just man shall scarely be saved, where shall the ungodly and sinner appear?" (1 Peter 4:18).
They shall be tormented with fire and brimestone and the smoke of their torments will ascend up forever and ever. Neither have they rest day or night".
"Everyone that doeth evil hateth the light, and cometh not to the light, that his works may not be reproved" .
"I will bring an everlasting approach upon you, and a perpetual shame which shall never be forgotten". (Jer. xxiii. 40).
"If thy hand scandalize thee, cut it off; it is better for thee to enter into life, maimed, than, having two hands, to go into hell, into the fire that cannot be quenched where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not extinguished. And if they foot scandalize thee, cut it off, it is better for thee to enter lame into life, than, having two feet, to be cast into the hell of unquenchable fire, where their worm dieth not and the fire is not extinguished. And if thy eye scandalize thee, pluck it out; it is better for thee with one eye to enter the kingdom of God, than having two eyes, to be cast into the hell of fire, where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not extinguished". (Matt. 18:7-9; compare 5:29-30).
"And fear ye not them that kill the body, and are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him that can destroy both soul and body in hell". (Matt. 10.28).
"There was a certain rich man, who was clothed in purple and fine linen; and feasted sumptuously every day. And there was a certain beggar, named Lazarus, who lay at his gate, full of sores. Desiring to be filled with the crumbs that fell from the rich man's table, and no one did give him' moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom. and the rich man also died" and he was buried in hell. "And lifting up his eyes when he was in torments, he saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried, and said, "Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water to cool my tongue: for I am tormented in this flame". And Abraham said to him: Son, remember that thou didst receive good things in thy lifetime, and likewise Lazarus evil things, but now he is comforted; and thou art tormented. And besides all this, between us and you, there is a great gulf has been fixed, to prevent those who want to cross from our side to yours or from your side to ours". So he said "Father, I beg you then to send Lazarus to my father's house. Since I have five brothers, to give them warning so that they do not come to this place of torment too." Abraham said, "They have Moses and the prophets, let them listen to them". The rich man replied, "Ah no, father Abraham, but if someone comes to them from the dead, they will repent". Then Abraham said to him, "if they will not listen either to Moses or to the prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone should rise from the dead". (Luke 16:19-31).
"It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God" (Heb. 10:31)
"which of you can dwell with devouring fire"? (Is. 33:14).
"Unless the Lord had been my helper, my soul had almost dwelt in Hell"
"What doth it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, and suffer the loss of his own soul" Or what exchange shall a man give for his soul?" (Matt. 16:26).
"Wonder not at this; for the hour cometh, wherein all that are in the graves shall hear the voice of the Son of God. And they that have done good things shall come forth to the resurrection of life; but they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of judgement" (John. 5:28, 29).
"This is how it will be at the end of time: the angels will appear and separate the wicked from the upright, to throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth (Matt. 13:49).
"These seeing it, shall be troubled with terrible fear and shall be amazed at the suddeness of the unexpected salvation of the just' saying within themselves, reptenting and groaning for anguish of spirit: These are they whom we had sometime in derision, and for a prable of reproach. We fools esteemed their life madness and their end without honor. Behold, now they are numbered among the children of God, and their lot is among the saints" (Wisd. 5: 2-5)
"Understand these things, you that forget God; lest He snatch you away and there be none to deliver you". (Ps. xlix. 22).
"Wherefore, my dearly beloved...with fear and trembling work out your salvation" (Phil. 2:12).
For if holy scripture tells us that
"eye hath not seen nor ear heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man what God hath prepared for them that love Him"
- may it not also be said that
man cannot form any idea of what God has prepared for those who have so frequently, so wontonly insulted Him? And if the joys of Heaven surpass all our powers of description/understanding, will not the torments of hell also be inconceivably great?
The remedy is there free of charge. Christ did not die an atrocious death on the cross for nothing. He took punishment in place of us, that we may have means of reconciliation. Now, if people do not like this? They can indeed throw that offer back in His face, as many sadly do. But they will have nobody to blame but themselves.
