Hell.

I have gotten back into walking a couple of miles each day after work. I always listen to something while walking so I stay interested. Today I was listening to an abbreviated version of Jonathon Edwards' "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" sermon.

Some thoughts I came away with:

1. Church and secular folks hated the idea of hell back then as much as we do now.

2. The Great Awakening, resulting in untold numbers of people converting to Christ, was the result of this sermon back then. Today, it would have the opposite effect - and I am not just talking about secular world either. People in and out of the church would not only reject the idea of hell, they would ridicule Edwards. There probably were some who ridiculed him then, but I can't help but think that the force of our overwhelming secular world we live in today would squash his sermon like a bug.

3. These days, do we accept the gospel because it saves us from hell? Do we really accept Christ's ultimate sacrifice for us so we can stay out of hell? Or do we accept it because it offers us a better life? Or maybe because it offers us emotional healing. Or maybe because we just want some fire insurance.

4. The reality of hell needs to be studied and preached in church again. When was the last time you heard a sermon about hell?

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