Revelation 21:6-8 (8)
Realtors will tell you that when you are looking to buy a house you should first consider buying the neighborhood. What does this mean? You should consider neighborhood safety, where the closest grocery, pharmacy and department stores is located, what school district the house is located in, whether there are nearby parks and walking paths, how far you would have to commute to work, what types of restaurants are in the area and so forth.
Many of our friends and family are daily approaching an eternal transition to a neighborhood that the book of Revelation tells us is a lake that burns with fire and brimstone is populated by an unsavory mass of damned humanity. Their eternal neighbors will be the fearful, unbelieving, the abominable, murderers, whoremongers, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars.
We who know Jesus as our Lord and Savior should be continually concerned about the eternal home of those about us. As Francis Chan said in his book, “Erasing Hell”, “As we roll up our sleeves and dig into the topic of hell, it’s important that you don’t distance what the Bible says from reality. In other words, don’t forget that the doctrine you are studying may be the destiny of many people. Hell should not be studied without tearful prayer. We must weep, pray, and fast over this issue, begging God to reveal to us through His Word the truth about hell.”
We should never become comfortable with the possibility that our friends, family and acquaintances will make their home in hell.
by Dr. Gayle Woods