Thank God for Hell

By: Steve Huston

During a recent Dangerous Conversations podcast by Kirk Cameron and his son James, they were discussing the eternal destination of the wicked (Hell) and questioning God’s justice and mercy. While I was listening to them, R.C. Sproul’s voice kept interrupting loudly in my mind, “What’s wrong with you people! I’m serious. I mean this is what’s wrong with the Christian church today. We don’t know who God is and we don’t know who we are.” This was the response Sproul gave to a question regarding God’s severity in punishment to Adam’s sin in the garden, also asking the question: “Why wasn’t it infinitely more severe? If we have any understanding of our sin and any understanding of who God is, that’s the question, isn’t it?”

The Camerons were looking away from Christianity’s traditional and biblical viewpoint of Hell, which is a conscious, eternal torment and opting for a softer, “more merciful” view known as annihilationism – sometimes called Conditional Immortality: a belief that states the wicked will not suffer eternal, conscious torment, but instead, after a determined time of judgment, will simply cease to exist. It’s important to recognize that such attempts at twisting God’s Word have been around for a long while, BUT God says what He means and means what He says. Period! Puritan John Flavel spoke plainly: “Though there be no fear of annihilation in heaven, yet there be many wishes for it in hell; but all in vain. There shall never be an end put either to their being or their torments.”

While asking questions and searching the Scriptures for answers is a vital part of the Christian walk, it must be done with respect to God and the Scripture, not flippantly. For example, Kirk referred to the traditional view as “an eternal barbecue.” By redefining terms and, seemingly, making their standard to be that which they can understand, the Camerons would have us believe that the Scriptures do not teach a conscious, eternal torment. Yet, Jesus spoke plainly about Hell: its reality, torment, and eternalness. Three times in Mark 9, we see a comparison and a judgment: it’s better to enter into life – the Kingdom of God – not physically whole than to be “cast into hell fire: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.” At the end of Matthew 25 we read, “These shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.” Here is a parallelism that cannot be missed, unless one chooses to be willfully blind. “Everlasting punishment” is not merely to cease to exist once one has “done their time.” And it’s with gratitude that we humbly confess that this righteousness which leads us to “life eternal” is not our own, but it is Christ’s righteousness which is imputed, unworthily so, to those who are humbly saved by His grace, trusting in His atoning work on the cross.

To redefine the doctrine of Hell is to redefine the intertwining doctrines related to it: sin, God, Heaven, the gospel… It is dangerous territory upon which we dare not tread.

The Camerons have judged a literal Hell of conscious, eternal torment to be cruel and unusual punishment. Such a view neglects to view the heinousness of sin against God rightly. It also neglects to view the unusualness of sinning against our great and mighty Creator; perhaps it seems usual because we see it so frequently before us. Yet, to know of such a sure and dire consequence from sin and to still commit the crime KNOWING one will get caught – there is no escape from the eyes of God – that is not only rebellion in its greatest degree, it is the highest form of hubris to think that one should be excused from the consequence that God has already rightly declared.

Beyond that, one must take God’s grace and mercy into account, making a way of justification and forgiveness, setting us free from the snares of sin and its rewards of eternal damnation. We must ask ourselves: Does it reflect poorly on the one who offers mercy or grants a pardon, if the intended recipient refuses such a wondrous gift? NO! Yet, the Camerons accuse a most holy, beneficent God, full of mercy, of being unjust – that His punishment doesn’t fit the crime, even though God – though the injured party – made a way for the guilty to escape the torments of Hell. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (Jn. 3:16).

While Andrew Jackson was president, George Wilson, a postal clerk, robbed a federal payroll from a train and in the process killed a guard. The court convicted him and sentenced him to hang. However, a movement began to secure a presidential pardon for Wilson due to public sentiment against capital punishment. Eventually Jackson intervened with a pardon. Amazingly, Wilson refused it.

This had never happened before, so the Supreme Court was asked to rule on whether someone could refuse a presidential pardon. Chief Justice John Marshall handed down the court’s decision: “A pardon is a parchment whose only value must be determined by the receiver of the pardon. It has no value apart from that which the receiver gives to it. George Wilson has refused to accept the pardon. We cannot conceive why he would do so, but he has. Therefore, George Wilson must die.” George Wilson, as punishment for his crime, was hanged. Pardon, declared the Supreme Court, must not only be granted, it must be accepted.

As Puritan Isaac Ambrose so beautifully reminds us: “Where may we find compassion, mercy, and gentleness to sinners, but only in Christ? …Christ alone is the treasure, storehouse, magazine of the free goodness and mercy of the Godhead.”

Since the initial writing of this article, Kirk Cameron did another podcast speaking more clearly and respectfully regarding his position. He felt victimized, stating that most commenters had “only listened to clips taken out of context,” instead of watching the entirety of his original podcast, therefore they didn’t understand. To this I would say that we are not called to attack people, particularly brothers. Rather, in brotherly love, we are to follow the clear teaching of the apostle Paul given in 2 Timothy 4:2. “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.” Good examples of this are provided by Ken Ham and Al Mohler. Watch their short videos respectfully addressing Kirk’s thoughts on Conditional Immortality by clicking on their names. It’s vital to speak the truth boldly in love, with the goal of winning one over to the truth instead of disparaging them and widening the gap. We must be winsome if we hope to win some.

In closing, I would like to thank God for the opportunity to discuss this topic, bringing to light the biblical realities of Hell. Without the questioning brought forth by someone as prominent as Kirk Cameron, such discussions would largely remain unspoken. This article isn’t an attack on Kirk Cameron and I encourage all of us to pray that he and those influenced by this aspect of his ministry find Truth, as they diligently search. Finally, I would also like to thank God for Hell; it’s a constant reminder of God’s holiness and mercy. Thank you, Lord.

If you are interested in reading more on this topic of annihilationism/Conditional Immortality and the traditional view of eternal, conscious torment, click here for free digital books.

 

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