Articles
Is Your Robe White?
A guy from Texas died and went to Heaven and St. Peter met him at the pearly gates and greeted him. As is the custom, Peter gave a short walking tour of everything and where it was. As each door was opened to reveal the spender of Heaven, the Texan would reply, "we have one bigger and better in Texas". This went on for a while, and everything Peter showed the guy, the replay was "we have one bigger and better in Texas".
Finally, in disgust, Peter reaches down and opens a huge trap door in the street, and says, "see that fire down there, I bet they don't have a fire like that in Texas!" The Texan replied, "no sir, we sure don't, but down in Houston is this guy named Red Adair. If you give him a call, he can come and put that fire out for you!"
We sometimes joke like that, laughing is good for us. Aside from the fact that there is no indication in the Bible that anyone, let alone Peter, will meet us at the gates or that we will even arrive at a literal gate at all, we know Hell is no laughing matter. We hear people joke about Hell, and though we don't like hearing people use it as one of their 4 letter words, they often do. They use the word "hell" in ways that don't even make sense, "run like hell", "colder than hell", "one hell of a good time" and you've likely heard the full list.
I wonder if the way people joke about Hell and use it as some sort of adjective or another descriptive word, if they have ever actually read the Bible and understand Hell. If it is simply another word without any understanding of what it will be and who it is reserved for and that eternity there will be indescribable, then it needs to be understood by them and taken very seriously every time it is uttered. Hell will be torment, everlasting torment. It will hurt. It will be filled with every un-repented vile person this earth ever possessed, and they will all be there together, banded together for eternity (Mark 9:43). ISIS, MS13, Al-Qaeda and the Mexican drug cartels won't hold a candle to hell.
There are no earthly comparisons. We can imagine the worst possible conditions on earth, then add the heat and fire that someone experiences when they are burned alive, and maybe get close to understanding that this is how it is, forever, never to end. God is still here on earth in the worst possible conditions we might imagine, but He won't be there, not ever, not to rescue, save or help.
A good many people, if you ask, really don't believe much in Hell or Heaven, or eternity either for that matter. Many others believe that God will change His mind and not send anybody there on the day of judgment, because "He's a God of love", they say.
My friends, if this is you, understand this. God is a righteous and just God (Rev 20:12-13, Col 3:25,) which means He will do what He has said in His Word (Acts 17:31, 2 Thes 1:8-9). He has promised a judgment day, separating the "sheep from the goats" (Matt 25:31-46). He gives us a chance to repent and be ready (2 Peter 3:9-14). Sin separates us from His presence (Isaiah 59:2, 1 Cor 6:9-10, Eph 5:5), and He will send all sinners to Hell (Rev 20:14, Rom 6:23), UNLESS, you have been washed in the blood of His Son Jesus (John 3:16, John 6:40, Rom 5:8, Rom 6:3-9). If you have, your sin has been removed (Acts 2:38, Matt 28:19-20, Mark 16:16) you are clothed in Jesus (Gal 3:27) wearing a clean white robe that makes you presentable to Him (Rev 7:14, 1 John 1:6-7). Question is, have you been washed in His blood? If He comes today, is your robe white?
