One
of the emails I receive on a regular basis is from One Million Moms, a group
that notifies mothers and families when there is immorality, profanity,
vulgarity, and violence promoted in the media.
They pass along links so people can contact companies to let them know
their concerns.
Today,
I received a notification that TGI Friday’s has a new ad campaign in which use
profanity in their advertisement to promote appetizers customers can get during
their happy hour.
I
wasn’t able to send an email communication to Friday’s via their website. So instead, I left a message on TGI Friday’s
Facebook page. I let Friday’s know that I
didn’t appreciate their use of profanity in their commercial. I asked them to please pull the ad and said
that if didn’t we would no longer be customers.
A
short time later, a man left rude response and called me a
hypocrite. He had gone to my blog and
found instances in which I had used the word hell. My first inclination was to leave a comment
back with a disparaging remark. Am I a sinner
and a hypocrite…yes I am. But I’m not a
hypocrite about this.
Obviously,
the person who left the comment calling me a hypocrite didn’t’ seem to be exercising
discernment. He didn’t acknowledge the
difference between a company using profanity to promote their company and
someone writing about hell to warn people about the realities of hell.
Am
I just being uptight? Should I just
loosen up and not worry when companies use profanity and make a joke out or the
word hell?
Well
I could do that. I’m sure there’s been
times when I’ve buried my head in the sand and ignored something that wasn’t
right.
But
on this one…on a company casually using the word hell to promote happy hour…I’m
glad I spoke up because I know about the realities of hell.
Hell
is a real place. It’s a place of eternal
punishment, suffering and torment for those who refuse to acknowledge and
repent of the sins. Hell is for those who
reject Christ Jesus. Or for those who
think they can get into heaven based on their good deeds. They know they are not perfect…but they are
better than the next guy. Hell will have
people who didn’t believe in God. Those
who didn’t realize that they will have to give an account for their lives.
So
what does the Bible say about hell?
·
But
as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the
sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in
the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death. Revelation 21:8
·
They
will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of
the Lord and from the glory of his might.
2 Thessalonians 1:9
·
Hell
is a place where the fire never goes out.
Mark 9:43
·
They
will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and
gnashing of teeth. Matthew 13:42
·
‘where
their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’ Mark 9:8
Hell
is a real place. A place unimaginable
suffering that does not end. I have
loved ones who were sinners just like me.
But they died rejecting Christ or didn’t believe in God and recognize
they will give an account for their lives.
When
you know the realities of hell…it’s not a joke.
It’s not something to take casually.
It’s not a laughing matter.
I’m
a sinner…there is nothing good in me that deserves to go heaven. I don’t deserve forgiveness. I can’t be good enough to earn my way to
heaven. But through grace of God alone,
I have been forgiven of my sin because of Jesus Christ and His sacrificial death
on the cross.
That
promise of forgiveness is available for all who put their faith and trust in Christ
Jesus the Lord.
For
God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him
should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the
world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through
him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is
condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of
God. – John 3:16-18
If
you would like to know what the Bible says about hell and about how you can be
forgiven of your sin…click on this link and read these Scriptures:
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