One of the questions that I frequently met during the first session of The Sovereign Grace Independent Baptist School of Theology in Thailand this past winter was the one that serves as the title for this series of articles—Will Any True Believer In Christ Ever Be Cast Into The Torments Of Hell? I dealt with it at the time but determined to write some material on it for use in the school this next year. Since this is a question that we often confront here in the U. S. A. also, I felt it would be good to let this material serve double duty—here and in Thailand and anywhere else any reader of it may find it useful.

For us to properly and scripturally answer this question, I feel we need to first look at the nature of the torments of hell. This will also include what the Bible teaches about who will be cast into that lake of tormenting fire.

THE TORMENTS OF HELL

Hell is a place of torment; of that there can be no doubt unless one denies the teaching of scripture. The Bible also gives us some terms that are very revealing about these torments.

The torments of hell are inescapable. This is clear from the words of Jesus concerning the request of the rich man about whom our text speaks. It was his request that Father Abraham send Lazarus to dip his finger in water and cool his tormented tongue. But, he learned that no one from heaven could ever pass into hell and no one from hell could ever ascend into heaven. Luke 16:26 And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.

Of this verse, Matthew Henry said, “It is a pit in which there is no water, and out of which there is no redemption. The decree and counsel of God have fixed this gulf, which all the world cannot unfix.” The rich man had lost all his clout. He could prevail nothing with his request. Oh, the despair of those who die in unbelief and go into this place from which there is no escape. They must be forever tormented in its flames. It is impossible for a person, once he has entered into this place of torment, to ever hope for deliverance.

One who is sent to prison here on earth may hope for the day of release from that punishment. Even if he is given a sentence of life without parole, there is always that hope of a getting a new trial or getting his sentence revoked on the grounds of some technicality. But, when one hears that awful “Depart from me” he is without any hope of ever coming back into the favorable presence of God. Proverbs 11:7 When a wicked man dieth, his expectation shall perish: and the hope of unjust men perisheth.

The torments of hell are eternal. I realize some teach that hell is temporary but most of these teach that those in hell, after they are judged at the White Throne Judgment, will be cast into the lake of fire. Regardless of one’s position on this, it is unequivocally set forth in Scripture that the torments of those who go to hell will be eternal. Their torment is in everlasting burnings. Isaiah 33:14 The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?

The torments of hell and of those who go there is everlasting fire and everlasting punishment. Matthew 25:41, 46 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: 46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal. Contrary to what Catholics teach, one’s sufferings, once he is cast into hell, are forever. Not only can they not leave that place once there, the inhabitants of hell will never know an easing of their suffering. It will be forever and ever and ever and ever. As long as the saved are in heaven, the unbelievers will suffer the torments of hell. The eternality of hell is exactly parallel with the eternality of heaven. Therefore, the torments of those who go to hell will be equivalent in time to the time of the joy and bliss of the saved in heaven. Daniel 12:2 And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.

In the verse above please notice that some of those awake to life. The life to which they awake is everlasting life. Note also that those who awake to shame and contempt awake to everlasting contempt. As I write this I keep thinking about those deluded souls who think that their stay in torment will be only temporary. There are those who believe that those who go to the torments of hell will only endure for a few moments and then they will be totally annihilated. Others, such as Roman Catholics, believe that one who dies with unconfessed sin go to a place called purgatory and if enough prayers and enough masses are said on their behalf they will eventually be able to leave the suffering of purgatory and ascend to heaven. How sad it will be when these folks learn that their suffering in the torments of hell is a permanent and eternal suffering from which there is no escape.

The same doctrine is taught elsewhere in Scripture. There are two resurrections. One is a resurrection unto life; the other a resurrection unto damnation. John 5:28-29 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, 29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation. In which resurrection will you be? Will you be in the resurrection of life or will you be in the resurrection of damnation? I pray that you know Christ as your Saviour and that you will be in the resurrection of life.

The torments of hell involve everlasting destruction of those who are there. From the pen of Matthew Henry come these dreadful but true words. “They shall be always dying, and yet never die. Their misery will run parallel with the line of eternity. The chains of darkness are everlasting chains, and the fire is everlasting fire. It must needs be so, since the punishment is inflicted by an eternal God, fastening upon an immortal soul, set out of the reach of divine mercy and grace.”

Commenting on this verse (2 Thes. 1:9) John Gill wrote, “With destruction both of soul and body, though not with the annihilation of either; their gnawing worm of conscience will never die, and the fire of divine wrath will never be quenched; the smoke of their torment will ascend for ever. Sin being committed against an infinite and eternal Being, will be infinite in its duration; nor will it cease to be in the persons punished, who will not be in the least reformed or purged from sin by punishment; which will make the continuance of it just and necessary.”

The wicked shall be turned into hell. Psalm 9:17 The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God. This is the place where Satan, that old Serpent, and all his fallen angels will one day be cast. But, though they be ever so many, there will be room in hell for all the wicked. Isaiah 5:14 Therefore hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure: and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth, shall descend into it.

The sensuous will inhabit hell. Solomon describes a wicked woman of the world who lures men into her house to commit sin. He then warns that her guests who go in to her are in hell. Proverbs 9:13-18 A foolish woman is clamorous: she is simple, and knoweth nothing. 14 For she sitteth at the door of her house, on a seat in the high places of the city, 15 To call passengers who go right on their ways: 16 Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: and as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him, 17 Stolen waters are sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant. 18 But he knoweth not that the dead are there; and that her guests are in the depths of hell.

This passage reminds us again of a verse we have already considered. Revelation 21:8 But the . . . whoremongers . . . shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

I am also reminded of a passage from the pen of the Apostle Paul in his first epistle to the Corinthian congregation. 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

Satan and all his cohorts will permanently inhabit hell and will suffer its torments with the human inhabitants of that place of everlasting destruction from the presence of God. Jesus declared that hell was prepared for the devil and his angels. Matthew 25:41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.

Satan and his angels have long expected to be tormented in the flames of hell. This is evident from the cries of some demons whom Jesus was about to cast out of a man. Matthew 8:29 And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time? These demons knew that they were appointed for torment and were reserved for that torment. 2 Peter 2:4 For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment. Jude 6 And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.

The anti-christ and false prophet will also be inhabitants of hell. Revelation 19:20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.

As I have said before, Satan will be cast into this place of torment. There he will be tormented day and night for ever and ever. Revelation 20:10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

CONCLUSION

The physical, mental and spiritual agony of that place called hell and the lake of fire is beyond the ability of expression of this writer. I do not know enough adjectives to describe it.

Father Abraham called on the rich man to remember his life and the opportunities he had but had squandered away in his love of his sumptuous life. The memories of wasted opportunities will be one of the torments of hell.

The bodies given to those in hell will be as sensitive to pain as they were on earth. In fact, they may very well be more sensitive. There is no pain like the pain of burning fire. Yet, for all eternity those who go to this place of torment will cry out because of its torments. They will weep; they will wail; they will gnash their teeth in torment.

The suffering will also be soul-suffering. The knowledge of their permanent banishment from the presence of God and his glory will torment them. But, sadly, they will continue to sin more against God even in their torments.

Thank God there will be no children of God who will ever enter this awful place. We are in Christ and he in us. There is a sense in which we have been in him since before the foundation of the world for we were chosen in him before the foundation of the world (Eph. 1:4). There is a sense in which we have been in Christ since we believed on him as Lord and Saviour. And Dear Reader, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ (Rom. 8:1). Hell is a place for the condemned and there is no condemnation for the one who is in Christ. In fact, one who has believed on Christ has everlasting life and cannot come into condemnation (Jn. 5:24). We will look at these verses in more detail in future messages on this subject but must stop for now.

Our salvation is of the Lord. It is wholly of grace. It is not dependent in any manner upon our works, therefore, nothing we may do or fail to do can affect our salvation.

I am not saying that believers in Jesus Christ will not be chastened in this life. That is an evidence of our salvation. But chastening is in this life. When a child of God is absent from the body he will be immediately present with the Lord. Before the objector cries that this will encourage the saved to sin; I would remind you that the opposite is true. One who is truly a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ will have a persevering attachment to Jesus Christ. He will not be perfect but he will hold on his way and will be with the Lord when he departs this tabernacle of clay called his body. 2 Corinthians 7:10 For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.

Salvation from the penal punishment of sin, hell’s torments, is a gift of God and the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable. Therefore I contend that there is no way a child of God can ever suffer the torments reserved for the wicked and the fallen angels. The very nature of the torments of hell should tell us that there is no way a child of God, a true believer in the Lord Jesus Christ could ever be cast into that lake or tormenting fire.

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The Bible Schoolers of Grace Baptist Church of Rose Mark, TN, have provided the money to purchase two bicycles for the children. Bro. Anond told me a couple of days ago that the children were very happy with the bicycles.

When he was here, the editor's daughter-in-law taught Bro. Anond to say "I love you" in sign language. He taught the children to do this and some are signing "I love you" in this picture. Sorry that you may not be able to see it in the picture.