MARCH 12, Galatians 5:19-21

Paul warned that those who sinned continuously will not inherit the kingdom of God. Instead, they will be punished in Hell! Hell is a terrible place where there is fire, and pain, and gnashing of teeth, signifying great anguish. It is a real place.

To help us understand that Hell is a destination where sinners face undying fire and agony, God gave us an example by burning Sodom and Gomorrah, sinful cities during the time of Lot, down to the ground. The Bible says that “the Lord rained... brimstone and fire.... out of heaven” (Genesis 19:24) and the smoke coming out of the cities were described as “smoke of a furnace” (Genesis 19:28).

To remind man of the horrors of hell, another event quite like the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah happened in an Italian city called Pompeii on 24th August 79 AD. Pompeii was wealthy and the inhabitants lived in great sin. Pompeii was one of the larger towns located near the base of a volcano, Mt Vesuvius. On that fateful day, the volcano erupted and rained hot molten ash on the surrounding towns for 6 hours, instantly killing the thousands who lived there.

There is really a place called Hell. God hates sin and those people who do not turn from their sins will be punished and sent to Hell. If you have never asked God to forgive you, cry out to Him now. Tell Him that you are sorry for all the wrong things that you have done – that is called repentance of sin. Thank God that He loves you and has sent His own Son to die on the cross so that the sins of His people could be washed away. Then accept Jesus as the only Lord and Saviour of your life.

Thought: Are you saved from Hell?

Prayer: (If you have already accepted Jesus as Lord and Saviour)
Father, I am grateful for the reminder of how much You hate sin and how I must not sin against You. Thank You that Jesus died to save sinners from Hell. Thank You for Your love. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Prayer: (If you would like to accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour now)
Heavenly Father, I confess I am a sinner. On my own, I would be lost in Hell. Thank You for today’s lesson and the reminder of how much You hate sin. I thank You that Jesus died on the cross to save sinners like me from Hell, and I want to accept Him as my personal Lord and Saviour, right now. Please forgive me and make me Your child. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.