Gaylord Diaz's Blog

Not too long ago I was thinking about the many things Jesus did and the many things He could have done with the power that was His as the Son of God. But the one thing He couldn’t do was raise Himself back to life. A dead man has no power to come back to life. If the dead are to live again it will have to be by the life-giving power of the Holy Spirit of God. It was the Spirit, you see, that brought Jesus back to life, Romans 8:11. Christ was dependent on the Spirit to make Him live again. How we need the Spirit in our life to give us life and keep us in the path of life. Don’t fight, reject, quench, or resist the Holy Spirit. Your life is in His hands and you need Him to live. To reject Him and live for Self is spiritual suicide and death, Romans 8:13.

Recently, in preparation for a  forthcoming blog on Free Will and Christian Liberty or Freedom, I was thinking about how God created us as free moral creatures. We are created with the freedom to make our own decisions. With the capacity to choose what we will. Since we are created in the image of God, then, in a single moment of time and Divine illumination, I saw that God Himself is a free moral Being. He has free will. And He has the freedom or capacity to choose evil and sin if He wanted to. Of course, we’re trained to think that God can’t do that, it’s impossible for Him to do that, because He’s God. He’s totally righteous. And He would never choose to sin. Therein is the point. He would never choose to sin—not because He can’t. The fact of the matter is, He can if He wanted to because He has free will. No one’s forcing Him to be sinless. No one’s stopping Him from sinning. God wouldn’t, He doesn’t, choose to sin because He chooses to be—and remain—absolutely righteous, pure, and free from sin. He’s sinless by an act of His will, by a choice He makes.

Just think how profoundly human life and history would be changed if God, like Satan, chose to sin. We wouldn’t have a just, righteous God. We wouldn’t have a true, infallible Word on which to base our faith and hope. We wouldn’t have a Savior. We wouldn’t have salvation. We would be doomed to an endless eternity in Hell. Why? Because a sinful God cannot save anyone, including Himself. As the Biblical story of Christ teaches us, IT TOOK A SINLESS SAVIOR TO SAVE US FROM SIN. IF GOD CHOSE TO SIN AT ANY TIME–IN THE INFINITE SPAN OF TIME THAT ETERNITY IS–WE WOULD ALL BE DOOMED!

Our present quality of life and future eternal well-being hinge on God choosing not to sin. Thank you, God, for not ever choosing to sin. We’re saved and we have a hope because You always choose to be holy, sinless, and right. Help us, O God, to be like You. Help us choose not to sin.

Hell is no picnic. I always marvel at how many people don’t care that that’s where they’re going when their life is over. They act like Hell doesn’t exist. If they say it doesn’t, then it doesn’t. It’s as simple as that to them. I wish it were that simple. But God is true. And everything He’s said about Hell is true. It doesn’t matter that I’ve never been there. I’ve never seen it. I can’t prove it exists. But, then, no one can prove it doesn’t. So I guess it’s either your word or mine. I say it exists because God says it does and I believe God. I guess we’ll all find out for sure once we die. But I sure hate to find out the hard way. That’s why I choose to live my life doing everything I can to stay out of Hell.

I don’t like pain. And Hell is pain like you’ve never known. Like you’ve never imagined. It’s so painful that you don’t even know what pain is till you get there. I can’t believe you want to go there.

Here on Earth you hurt a little. So what do you do? You take a pain killer. You run to the doctor to take the pain away. You want to feel better. Right away! Come on. Be honest with me. You don’t want pain. You don’t like pain. Well, Hell is pain. And there ain’t no pain killers in Hell. It’s one excruciating pain like you’ve never known before. And it never goes away, it never gets better, it never never ends.

If you’re smart, like you say you are, you’ll do everything you can to stay clear of that damnable place. It starts with receiving Jesus as your Savior. He died to save you from Hell, so that you won’t have to go there, but go to Heaven instead. Now that’s where you really want to be!

Anyways, getting back to Hell, there are different places where the damned go after they die. Hell as we know it is the same as Hades or Sheol. It’s a place of torment where wicked men go right after they die. Jesus gives us a graphic picture of what it’s like in Luke 16:23-26,  And in hell the rich man lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.  (24)  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, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.  (25)  But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.  (26)  And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. So there’s fire, flame, and heat in Hell. What’s more, you’re going to be conscious and alive in Hell. You’re going to be able to feel. And think. And talk. Just like you do right now. So if you think you’re going to sleep forever and not feel a thing after you die, you’d better think again. God says you will. Hell is a place of torment where you’re not going to get any kind of relief whatsoever.

Besides Hell, there’s a place called Gehenna or the Lake of Fire. Hell, you might say, is temporary in a sense. There’s a time coming when the damned and wicked are going to get resurrected and stand in judgment before God. This judgment hasn’t yet occurred. The dead in Hell haven’t yet been judged. Revelation 20:11-15 tells us this. Anyways, when the wicked are finally judged by God, they, of course, will be found guilty. And they’ll be sent to their final place of punishment which will be forever. That’s where the wicked are going to spend eternity. In the Lake of Fire. If you can imagine a huge fire burning with flames reaching as high as the eye can see, if you can imagine being in the middle of this fire and not ever get burned up or die, you’ll live forever in the fire, feel it, and not ever get a nanosecond of reprieve or relief; you’ll get a small idea of what this fearful, gruesome Lake of Fire  is going to be like. It’s going to hurt bad—so bad that Hell is going look like a picnic in comparison.  

Besides Hell and the Lake of Fire, there’s a place call Tartarus. There’s only one place where it’s mentioned in the New Testament, in 2 Peter 2:4 where the word is translated ‘Hell’. Tartarus is where the angels who sinned before Earth was created are locked up. It’s a prison. And it’s a place of total darkness, Jude 6 & 13.  One of these days, they too, just like men, are going to be judged by God and sent to their eternal place of punishment which will be the Lake of Fire.

The Bible also talks about a place of outer darkness. I’m not sure where this place is. It may be Tartarus. Or it may be a compartment of Hell where darkness—not fire and heat—is the main instrument of punishment and torture. Maybe it’s the Abyss that we’ll be looking at next. Anyways, Jesus talked about this place in Matthew 8:12, 22:13 and 25:30. Do you have any idea what it’s like to be in total darkness? Where you can’t see a single thing? That’s scary for a lot of people. In this place of darkness, Jesus says, people are going to cry, scream, and gnash their teeth. It’s pure misery and torment.

Lastly, there’s a place called the Abyss or the Bottomless Pit. Revelation 9 and 20 talks about this place. It may be the same place as Tartarus, but I’m not sure. All I know is what the Bible says about it. It’s a bottomless hole where bad angels are confined. It’s a prison. They can’t get out. There’s a door, or a gateway, that can be opened from the outside. And Jesus has the Key. During Tribulation, the prison door of the Abyss is going to be opened and a whole host of these bad boys are going to be let loosed on the Earth to really mess men up bad. But until that time comes, they’re locked away in this place of darkness and torment. Now, for some people, darkness isn’t that big a deal. It’s not pain, torment, or suffering, like Hell and the Lake of Fire are to people. But for these fallen angels, being confined in darkness and not having any place to go is their Hell. They absolutely hate it and dread it.

All the demons know about the Abyss. Let me back track for just a moment here and say that not every bad angel is in Tartarus or the Abyss right now. Some bad angels, by God’s permission, were not sent to their prison hole, but were allowed to roam throughout the Earth and the universe to do their thing—which is make trouble for men. These bad angels are demons. And there are an awful lot of them on Earth today, possessing people and making people do all sorts of really bad things.

Anyways, back to the Abyss. Every demon that’s roaming loose outside the Abyss know about the Abyss. They know it exists. They know what it’s like there. And they don’t want to go there. Luke 8:26-31 tells us this. And they arrived at the country of the Gadarenes, which is over against Galilee.  (27)  And when he went forth to land, there met him out of the city a certain man, which had devils long time, and ware no clothes, neither abode in any house, but in the tombs.  (28)  When he saw Jesus, he cried out, and fell down before him, and with a loud voice said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God most high? I beseech thee, torment me not.  (29)  (For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For oftentimes it had caught him: and he was kept bound with chains and in fetters; and he brake the bands, and was driven of the devil into the wilderness.)  (30)  And Jesus asked him, saying, What is thy name? And he said, Legion: because many devils were entered into him.  (31)  And they besought him that he would not command them to go out into the deep.

Now this word deep in verse 31 is the Abyss. The demons weren’t talking about the deepest part of the Sea. They were talking about the Abyss. So with this in mind, let’s read the verse again: And the demons besought Jesus that He would not command them to go out into the Abyss. You see, the Abyss, the demons’ Hell, is so bad that even demons don’t want to go there! They know the Abyss is real. They know what it’s like there. And they don’t want to go there.

It seems to me that an awful lot of people just aren’t as smart as demons. They just don’t care about going to Hell. They will. Believe me. They will once they get there. Folks, don’t join the crowds that are rushing to get into Hell. You won’t like it there. Believe me. You won’t. Get saved. Give your life to Jesus. Serve Him. You’ll agree. Heaven’s a lot better place to spend forever.

While studying through the Book of Acts recently, an old, familiar question came to mind: Did Saul ever meet the Lord personally prior to his conversion? He says nothing of it, so, as a matter of conjecture, I don’t think he did. However, because Saul was a self-proclaimed defender of the Jewish faith and defended it zealously to the death, I think it’s highly likely that Saul saw the Lord and heard Him speak on occasion in Jerusalem prior to His crucifixion. As adamantly opposed as Saul was to the followers of Jesus, I personally think, again as a matter of conjecture, that Saul was present at Jesus’ trial and was numbered among those who called for His death and crucifixion. It is inconceivable for me to think otherwise.

Be that as it may, Saul was so totally convinced that he was right: Jesus of Nazareth was definitely not the promised Messiah; He was a deceiver who threatened to lead the entire Jewish nation away from the teachings and traditions of Israel’s esteemed rabbis; Jesus, His teachings, and His followers needed to be eradicated and stamped out!

But all this changed one day on the road to Damascus (Acts 9). Saul “met” the Lord personally, believed in Him, and went on to become the leading evangelist and apologist of the very Church that he once sought to kill and destroy. Meeting the Lord personally changed his entire belief system. It changed his vocation from devoted Pharisee to devoted Christian. It changed his life forever.

Meeting the Lord personally has this drastic, life-changing impact as many of us can testify. Let me hasten to say that not every one who meets the Lord personally believes in Him. The religious leaders of Jesus’ day is ample proof of this tragic fact. But for those of us who are ordained unto eternal life, an encounter with the living Christ changed us forever. And it’s still changing us to this day. The point I’m trying to make, based on Saul’s conversion, is this. (Remember that I’m only talking about those who are preordained by God to eternal life.) WHEN YOU MEET THE LORD YOU BECOME A CHANGED PERSON. YOU BECOME A BELIEVER. You espouse the Person, doctrines, and lifestyle that you once hated, rejected, and opposed. Your Damascus Road becomes the beginning of a changed life.

In a sort of way, EVERYONE WHO MEETS THE LORD BECOMES A BELIEVER. Hear me out because I’m not being contradictory or heretical here. James 2:16 reads, Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. The Devil and his demons believe many truths that countless humans reject. They believe in God. They believe Jesus is the Son of God. They know that salvation is found only in Christ. They know the Bible’s true. And more. But for all their knowing and believing, the Devil and his demons aren’t saved because they’ve chosen to reject the very Person they believe. So, in a manner of speaking, the Devil and his demons are believers, but damned believers because of their rejection of Christ.

Like the Devil and his demons, every human being at the moment of death and continuing endlessly to the Day of Judgment and Eternal Punishment, becomes a believer. They finally meet the Lord face to face and realize, all too late, that what the Bible says is true after all. There is only one true God and one true, saving religion. Jesus is the Son of God. He is the only way to God and Heaven. There is a Heaven and there is a Hell. There is life after death. There is eternal torment and suffering in store for all those who refuse to believe in Jesus and who live defiantly and disobediently to the moral precepts of God’s Word. In a word, AT THE MOMENT OF DEATH AND ETERNALLY THEREAFTER, THE LOST AND THE UNSAVED BECOME BELIEVERS…BUT BELIEVERS TOO LATE. They refused to become believers while alive on the Earth. And so, as a Divine consequence, they become damned believers for all eternity in Hell and the Lake of Fire.

Jesus’ parable of the rich man and Lazarus is sobering proof of this sad and profound truth. The parable is found in Luke 16:19-31 if you’d like to read it. I encourage you to read it. It’s convincing proof of my contention that all men will eventually become believers. Some believe before they die and henceforth live forever with the Lord, even after death. And some believe after they die and henceforth live damned and tormented forever after. But this one thing is sure: THERE ARE NO ATHEISTS OR AGNOSTICS IN HELL. FORMER ATHEISTS AND AGNOSTICS, YES. BUT IN HELL THEY ARE NOW BELIEVERS. BUT BELIEVERS TOO LATE.

Seeing therefore that all of us will, sooner or later, eventually, become believers; the goal is to become believers now—while we’re alive—lest we die in unbelief and become believers too late. Hell is a million times more hellish than you can imagine. It is your absolute worst nightmare, only a million times multiplied. Take the worst pain you’ve ever felt, multiply it a million times, and you’ll have just a faint notion of what the suffering in  Hell is like. It’ll definitely be worse than that once you get there. Hell is irreversible. There is no way out. I do not wish this fate for anyone. If you don’t believe in Jesus right now, please reverse course and give your life to Him while you have a chance to do so. Mark my word. You’ll end up believing Him anyway. But if you wait too long to believe, then, after you die, you will be a believer too late. A damned believer. Friend, don’t let this tragic fate be yours.