When our kids were young, many teaching opportunities presented themselves around certain words. Hell was one of those words.
Like this example:
My daughter and I curled up with a book on each end of the couch. Only five-years-old, Megan already loved books. One-year-old Caleb decided he would spend the afternoon exercising his legs. And have a little fun to boot.
Pulling up at my end, Caleb scaled the length of the couch and tapped Megan’s book. It quickly became a game. He made the trip back to me, tapped my book, then on to the other end—same routine. Scale. Tap book. Scale. Tap book.
A Sunday School Lesson
I smiled at Caleb giving him that Momma-sees-you look. Megan continued to ignore her little brother until one too many book taps met her last nerve. And there wasn’t time to exchange greetings.
“Caleb, what the hades do you want?” Except she used the word that means the opposite place of heaven…hell.
“Megan, that’s not nice…not at all. Where did you hear that word?” Proudly, Megan spouted her answer as if her Sunday School teacher had asked. “The preacher says it all the time.”
Oh, you better believe another Sunday School lesson took place right there in our living room on a weekday. Then, my husband was a youth pastor who went on to become the lead pastor of our present church.
Growing up, I remember preachers speaking about hell. Evangelists, church revivals, and songs all proclaiming the power of Jesus over the forces of darkness…over hell itself. I remember when it was commonplace at church. That’s just what you did. You worked the subject of hell into your sermon as much as possible.
Over the years, my husband has often scripturally taught on heaven and hell. And I’ve spoken and written about it.
Getting Back to the Basics
Yet, there’s something that’s been stirring in my spirit recently. Getting back to the basics. It seems with everything going on in our culture and the world, we could use the basics right about now.
Google defines basics, “the essential facts or principles of a subject.” Synonyms include: “fundamentals, foundations, and groundwork.”
What are the fundamentals of Christianity? The basics? According to the Bible, the gospel message is the foundation with these main essentials:
- Jesus- the Savior who loves and takes away the sins of the world.
- Salvation- eternal life provided through the bloodshed of Jesus.
- Eternity- spiritual life after this physical life in either heaven or hell.
In Revelation 1, the Apostle John recounts his vision—in the spirit—of Jesus and heaven. John, as other Christians, endured persecution because of his devotion to Christ. Banished and possibly imprisoned at the time of his revelation.
The passage displays the basics of Christianity and shows Christ’s power over hell.
John introduces the chapter describing Jesus.
“…who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood” (verse 5).
“Behold he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all the tribes of the earth will wail on account of him” (verse 7).
Christ Holds the Keys
Then John details his vision of Christ.
“The hairs of his head were white like wool, as white as snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice like the roar of many waters” Revelation 1:14-16 ESV.
When John saw Jesus he fell at his feet as dead and Jesus replied.
“Don’t fear: I am First, I am Last, I’m Alive. I died, but I came to life, and my life is now forever. See these keys in my hand? They open and lock Death’s doors, they open and lock Hell’s gates” Revelation 1:17-18 (MSG).
Jesus holds the power over death and hell. His sacrifice on the cross and His resurrection—raised from the dead—defeated the power of the devil and spiritual death. Christ holds the keys to eternal life in His hand. Hell has no power against Jesus and all His glory.
Returning to my statement about the current state of the world. We need the basics. We don’t need to sugarcoat Christianity. No need to soften the message of the gospel. There’s a real place called heaven and there’s a real place called hell.
But there’s a real Savior who holds the power of eternity in His hand. Jesus.
All hail the power of Jesus over hell.
Do you know Christ as Lord and Savior? Cry out to Him today for salvation!
Featured image courtesy of Adobe Spark.
