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This proclamation I am about to make may shock some and have others believing
me to be insane, but what the hell! The
entire human race, born on the face of the earth, has been going through
hell since the "fall from grace." That's
right! We are "experiencing" that there is no life apart from our True Life
in Christ. We are going through death and darkness
that we may KNOW Light and Life in CHRIST. Until we seek and find our True Life
hidden within us which is Christ, we are
stuck in this hell. You see, all that have come from Adam (the whole human race)
who were created in God's image (which is
Christ) have been condemned and are going through HELL. Further, ALL created
in God's image are DESTINE for heaven to be One with God by the will and love
of the Father. Oh, but some may say, "no, no, hell is a fiery torture chamber
underground where all the bad people go after they die." All I can say to that
is- and heaven is on top of the clouds where the saints play golf and swill
beer! Dear Truth Seekers, we should know in our hearts that heaven and hell
are SPIRITUAL planes of
consciousness, not physical places of pleasure or pain.
So if you can accept that heaven and hell are spiritual states, then
one might ask, "how did we get into 'hell'?" Well my friends, it happened
in the garden, remember? The spiritual being created in God's image was
given a helper (soul). The soul (mind) led
the Spirit into sin and into condemnation- into HELL. One man took
us into sin and ONE Man leads us out of this judgment of
hell!
ROM 5:16 Again, the gift of God is not like the
result of the one man's sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought
condemnation, but the gift followed many
trespasses and brought justification. 17 For if, by the trespass of the
one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who
receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness
reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.
The Spirit of Christ is the only way to overcome this world and be freed
from hell. Okay, I can understand that this may be
hard to swallow, but thank God that He has given us Scripture that
is full of His wisdom and mysteries. Let's start with Jesus
telling us about our condemnation in hell.
JN 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave
his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but
have
eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son
into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
18
Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but
whoever
does not believe stands condemned already because he has not
believed in the name of God's one and only Son.
This very famous passage ends with a declaration by our Lord Jesus-
" whoever does not believe STANDS CONDEMNED
ALREADY..." He wasn't trying to scare anyone, but speaking a Truth
that is being revealed to those with the eyes to see it. In
this world, we can either be in heaven or HELL. Those who do not believe
in an INTERNAL CHRIST are condemned and in
hell at the present. Yes, I must say "internal" because we must realize
as Jesus did that God lives IN US. And only by the
power of the Holy Spirit can we do anything good. Further, only by
the Spirit of Sonship which is Christ can we overcome this
world, this hell.
To shine a bit more light on the Truth that heaven and hell are realms
of consciousness, we must believe what our Lord told us.
Jesus said that He descended from heaven, but was still in heaven (John
3:13). Paul tells us that he was taken to the third
heaven (2 COR 12:2). Do any suppose that Paul was flying up in the
clouds like a bird? Heaven and hell are NOT physical
places that we perceive with natural eyes or go to when we die, but
are states of consciousness of MIND and SPIRIT. Flesh
and blood (physical) can NOT inherit the Kingdom of God (1 COR 15:50).
But let's get back to what Jesus said. Everyone who didn't believe STANDS
(present tense, as they are right now) condemned
in hell. Understand that before Jesus came to the earth NO ONE believed,
so ALL of mankind were in a state of
condemnation for sin. And remember what the penalty for sin is? Death.
All were spiritually dead, or asleep when Jesus came
to this earth. He was the FIRST BORN of the race dead in Adam.
COL 1:17 He is before all things, and in him all
things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he
is the
beginning and the firstborn from among the
dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. 19 For God
was
pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him
Yes, Jesus was the First to be set free from hell! He overcame the world!
He overcame Satan! He died that WE WOULD be
set free too! It is by the Spirit of Christ which is the Spirit of
Sonship that we can take on God's perfection, power and glory to
overcome our natural, evil nature that we chose so long ago. He came
DOWN from heaven to HELL (here) to preach the
Truth so that we could be set free! (1 PET 3:19).
I didn't come to this belief lightly. But it came to me by the Light
of understanding! In this study, I desire to shine the Light of
Truth on Scripture that all with the vision may see. There are so many
passages that show that this world is, in fact, hell. First let us be clear
on what hell is. It is NOT a physical place of fire, but a state of the
soul (mind) and spirit. The hell that I am
speaking of is called "Sheol" in the Old Testament which meant the
grave, or pit. It was where ALL the dead went- good, bad
or ugly. When anyone, be they good or evil, rich or poor, died they
RETURNED to Sheol, the grave. In the New Testament
the word used for Sheol is Hades which means "unseen place," or place
of the dead. In many Bibles these words are
translated, or mistranslated, if you like, "HELL." In this study, I
will not be concerned with semantics, but will use the word
"HELL" as it means place of the dead where corrective punishment is
carried out.
Some may say, "if this is true, then why isn't it clearly stated in
the Bible?" All I can say to that is that God hides things from us
until the time is right. The Jews of old didn't see Jesus coming. They
expected and believed in something entirely different. The
Jews were also a little shocked to hear that Christians like Paul were
telling the Gentiles that they will share in Israel's promises.
Great mysteries have been hidden from man throughout the ages. I believe
this is one of them.
The first example I gave is just the beginning. Within this same vein
of thought, I would like to look at something else Jesus said
about being condemned. This particular quote will come from the some
LITERAL translations of the Bible because they are
more accurate I believe.
MT 23:33 "Serpents! Progeny of vipers! How may
you be fleeing from the judgment of Gehenna?" Concordant Literal
Translation
MT 23:33 "Serpents! brood of vipers! how may ye escape from the judgment of the gehenna?" Young's Literal Translation
"HOW WILL YOU ESCAPE?" Jesus says. Jesus has already told us that those
who did not believe in Him were ALREADY
condemned. Ask yourself- did Adam receive God's punishment for sin?
By that action, were not all of us placed into death?
When we enter this world, are we not DEAD in sin? Where is the place
of the dead again? Well, that would be Sheol- Hades-
Hell. Some may say that Jesus was warning these evil men about the
coming doom in 70 AD. That is reasonable, but is
completely physical. I choose rather to look for the Spiritual Truth
and not the physical shadow.
Here he is asking how are they going to flee from this hell they were
in. Jesus also calls these religious men, sons of hell
(Gehenna). By the way, "Gehenna" was an actual place where DEAD stuff
was burned. It was a garbage dump outside of
Jerusalem. So, I believe, Jesus is speaking figuratively of the place
of the dead. He was giving them something they could
understand. The fire at this dump was never quenched because refuse
was always burning and the worms did not die as they
had garbage to feed upon.
One other note about Gehenna which is translated "hell" in many Bibles,
is that Jesus calls these men "sons of hell." This was
their CURRENT state, not some future state. These men were in hell
and sons of it! They didn't have to wait until they died to
be in hell. In fact, they were keeping others from the Kingdom of God
that is heaven and coaxing them to stay in the Pit, the
Grave, or Hell with them! And make them prisoners even more so!
MT 23:15 "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are.
"As you ARE" Jesus again says that they are in this state of consciousness.
Their spirits are asleep and their souls (minds) are
totally carnal (worldly, natural). Imagine, the "teachers of the law"
were called sons of hell. If these so-called men of God were
sons of hell, then what about the rest of humanity at that time? Well,
it should clearly be understood and believed that hell, or
Hades is the "place of the dead." That is why Jesus said this about
those walking upon the earth at the time.
MT 8:21 Another disciple said to him, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father."
MT 8:22 But Jesus told him, "Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead."
Remember, Jesus was the Firstborn from the dead. So it seems that Jesus
may have a different definition of what "DEAD"
really is. Who is dead and who is alive in God's eyes? Well, we should
understand that God is spirit and if our spirit is
seemingly lifeless, then we are called dead. Jesus came DOWN to this
place and saw the walking dead. We are dead in our
sins until we are saved by grace. Our spirits must be awakened and
must mature in Christ to overcome this hell we are in.
EPH 5:13 for it is light that makes everything
visible. This is why it is said: "Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the
dead, and
Christ will shine on you."
Christ IS the Light that shines on our spirits! He is the Vine that
we must be attached to for Life! We can do NOTHING apart
from the Annointing, the Christ. Many times hell is said to be very
dark- lacking Light. EXACTLY! That is this world without
Christ!
MT 4:16 the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned."
MT 4:17 From that time on Jesus began to preach, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near."
Jesus tells us many times that we are IN a state of judgment and hell.
JN 12:30 Jesus said, "This voice was for your benefit, not mine. 31 Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. 32 But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself.
Now most believe that "hell" is where the evil folks go. Correct! But
where are these evil souls? They are right here! THEY
ARE US! Were we not all evil (slaves to sin) before Christ saved us?
Jesus says that we are indeed evil, but our hope is with
our Father in heaven.
MT 7:9 "Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!
Of course, Jesus even calls Peter, "Satan" as he rebuked his carnal
mind. Many believe hell to be an evil place with a great
number of sinners and demons. Well friends, that is exactly this world
we live in! In the most well-known prayer in Christianity,
Jesus asks the Father to rid us of THIS PRESENT EVIL we exist in.
MT 6:13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
Jesus came down from heaven to OUR hell to set us free from this darkness
as was prophesied. This Truth is in all the
Scriptures
ISA 42:6 "I, the LORD, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles,
ISA 42:7 to open eyes that are blind, to free
captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in
darkness.
EPH 4:9 What does "he ascended" mean except that
he
also descended to the lower, earthly regions? 10 He who
descended is the very one who ascended higher
than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.
Christ was in heaven (a HIGHER state of being), descended to the "dungeon," or hell to set us free! In fact, he came to this hell to overcome it and get the keys! He did just that!
REV 1:18 I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.
Jesus our Lord, now has the keys to hell (Hades) and death. Death is
the state of our spirits. Christ brings our spirits life that we may love
and serve God. AFTER overcoming the world (hell), Jesus the Christ became
a Life-giving Spirit which is the Keys to get us out of here! But he didn't
go to some far away place where the fire and brimstone burn to get these
keys. No, He
came HERE to get them! This world is hell- the place of the dead. Keep
in mind what "dead" really means. It doesn't mean that one has no self-consciousness,
but rather that they have no Christ-consciousness. They don't know Christ
and don't follow
Christ. They follow their OWN desires of the physical world. The spirit
of mankind is trapped in a state of SELF-consciouness. Jesus broke out
of the chains and became One with God again as it was in the Beginning.
Jesus gives us a clearer picture of Hades in the parable of the rich
man and Lazarus in Luke 16. Jesus tells us that these men
were conscious, but one was being punished while the other was in peace.
Now this is interesting because many argue about the state of the dead.
Some say they sleep and know nothing. Others believe
that souls are punished in hell for their evil deeds. Guess what? I
believe that BOTH are right. The "dead" truly do know
NOTHING. They don't know who they are or who is their Father. They
believe the lies of the devil and live for earthly things.
But these same spiritually dead souls who are self-conscious in THIS
world are punished and rewarded according to God's
will. This was a common theme in Judaism. God rewards and punishes
the souls in this physical world. The Spirit cares nothing
of the things of THIS world. They are foolishness to the Spirit.
Now consider what Jesus (the Authority on the subject, right?) tells us about Hades. I know that some say this is just a parable. And while this is likely true because Jesus was speaking in public, it should be clear that ALL that Jesus said was "Spirit and Truth" even if in a parable form. Jesus in this parable revealed this secret of Hades. In HADES, the place of the dead, both men were being given their wages for what they had done in their life before. We are in hell until the "SPIRIT IS SAVED." In the meantime, the body and soul receive their rewards or stripes according to their deeds in the flesh.
Have you considered the parable about the sheep and the goats in Matthew
25? This story is NOT about what they believed,
but WHAT THEY DID in their lives. In this story, the sheep were those
who did good to Jesus' brethren. The goats were the
ones who were not kind to those following Christ. It mattered not what
they believed, but what they did. For their "works" they received either
AGE-LASTING (aionion) punishment or AGE-LASTING (aionion) bliss. This story
is NOT about salvation and overcoming the world to be set free from their
hell. This is about rewards and punishments in hell for their deeds. This
parable had NOTHING to do with what these believed, but only the love they
gave. This parallels with what Jesus told us
about the rich man and Lazarus. Abraham called them both "son," but
explained that they had gotten to this state because of
what they had done and NOT what they believed. So while in hell, we
are either rewarded or corrected by our Father. In
either case, we are experiencing and learning life lessons at our Father's
hand.
On the subject of fathers, why are some said to have the DEVIL as their
father? Aren't the devil and his demons supposed to
be in hell? What are they doing here on the earth? It seems everything
and everybody that is SUPPOSE to be in hell are
RIGHT HERE on the earth. Again, we must readjust our false ideas that
hell is somewhere one can go to. It is not a place, but
rather a condition or state of being. One of the greatest lies of Satan
is that hell is OUT THERE for the really bad people
AFTER we die. This lie along with others is KEEPING many in hell! If
we love this physical world, then we LOVE HELL. If
we love this world, we HATE the Light and the Truth of who we are.
We don't want to be united with God, but want to be a
SELF and selfish. If we love this world, we love ourselves, not others
nor God. Jesus REALIZED that he was not from THIS
world. He realized that he was in hell and that his True Home and Identity
were in heaven. Again being in heaven would be
being in a higher consciousness- a Christ consciousness united with
God.
As I walk this earth, I see many that live in a very real hell. More
real than the one some believe awaits those lost souls after
they die. They are in hell now and suffering now! We are told that
in hell there is "weeping and gnashing of teeth." Does that not happen
here on the earth? We are told that hell is a dark place. Wasn't Jesus
the first Light to come into this dark hell? We are told that hell is a
feeling of being separated from God. Isn't that the state of the many walking
on the broad path to their
destruction? Are there not countless souls walking aimlessly, hopelessly
through this world? They don't know who they are and
seek physical gratification to fill the void of the sleeping Spirit.
Consider what Paul says about these that were in the state of
PERISHING in this hell.
2 COR 4:2 ...by setting forth the truth
plainly we commend ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of
God. 3 And
even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to
those who are perishing. 4 The god of this age has blinded the minds
of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the
glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
2 TH 2:10 and in every sort of evil that deceives
those
who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth
and so be saved.
Another question to consider- where is it said our BODIES are destroyed?
Do our physical bodies turn back to dust right here
on earth? Jesus said that our bodies are destroyed in hell (Gehenna).
Not only that but Jesus said to fear God who could
destroy BOTH body and soul (mind) in hell. Have some lost their minds
in THIS world? Paul said to send a sinning brother out into the world (hell)
for the destruction of the flesh, SO THAT his SPIRIT may be saved (1 COR
5:5)! If one agrees that our soul is our (carnal mind) then surely this
is going to be destroyed by God and be replaced with the Mind of Christ
(1 COR
2:16). The flesh means nothing to the Spirit (JN 6:63) and the carnal
mind is of the devil and God's enemy (ROM 8:7). Both
are destroyed in hell which is RIGHT HERE.
We ALL must go through this hell because we all turned from God and
sinned. Some may believe that hell is where sinners will
be tortured for ever for their evil deeds by our angry God. Some more
enlightened believers understand that HELL is for
correction, purification and ultimately repentance that leads to salvation.
God only uses LOVE to overcome our evil natures.
This may not feel good to the carnal mind, but we bring on our own
suffering. Hell is thought by some to be FIERY, but carnal
minds misunderstand this SPIRITUAL fire from God. Consider this frightening
passage:
MK 9:43 If your hand causes you to sin, cut it
off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go
into hell,
where the fire never goes out. 45 And if your
foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life
crippled than to
have two feet and be thrown into hell. 47 And
if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter
the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into
hell, 48 where " their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.'
MK 9:49 Everyone will be salted with fire.
Yep, everyone must be salted with Fire like a living sacrifice to God. The shadow is clear in the Old Covenant practice.
LEV 1:9 He is to wash the inner parts and the legs with water, and the priest is to burn all of it on the altar. It is a burnt offering, an offering made by fire, an aroma pleasing to the LORD.
The destruction of our carnal natures- an aroma PLEASING to the Lord!
He washes our INNER PART with His Spirit and
burns the hay and stubble with His Fire!
MT 3:11 "I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. 12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire."
With the HOLY SPIRIT and an UNQUENCHABLE FIRE we are baptized (cleansed)!
Yes, HELL is for correction,
purifying and bringing us to salvation! It is true that Hell is the
place of Judgment, but Judgment had already begun 2,000 years
ago with the early believers in their fiery trials. Have you not read?
1 PE 4:17 However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. 17 For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18 And, "If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?"
Clearly the MANY ungodly stay in hell to be destroyed as the FEW are
set free into the Kingdom of God. Understand that the spirit can not be
destroyed, but only the body and soul (mind) which are evil until renewed
by our Creator with Christ.
Consider what Jesus said about the fate of these types of evil men
-some even called "servants" of God.
MT 22:13 "Then the king told the attendants, `Tie
him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there
will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'
MT 22:14 "For many are invited, but few are chosen."
MT 24:51 He will cut him to pieces and assign
him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing
of
teeth.
MT 25:30 And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'
There is PLENTY of "weeping and gnashing" going on in this earth because
many continue to LOVE the darkness (deception)
and hate the Light (truth). Some were not called, God says to them,
"who invited you, I don't know you- back into hell." Some
were His servants that were worthless or those who backslid into sin.
He said to them, "BACK OUTSIDE OF MY
KINGDOM INTO THE DARKNESS OF HELL."
Hell is called a "pit"-a dark place full of dead people. How dark is this "world" where we are living in? Jesus tells us:
JN 8:12 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."
JN 12:35 Then Jesus told them, "You are going
to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light,
before
darkness overtakes you. The man who walks in
the dark does not know where he is going.
JN 12:44 Then Jesus cried out, "When a man believes
in me, he does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me. 45
When he looks at me, he sees the one who sent
me. 46 I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes
in
me should stay in darkness.
No one who believes in Christ Jesus "should STAY in darkness" of hell.
That says it all! Thank you Lord Jesus for your Light! I see much more
clearly now! This world has been created to TEACH, CORRECT and bring us
into PERFECTION. Some
believe that God does this in some "afterlife" that is out there and
in the future. God is bringing us to salvation and Perfection in
our AFTER life, but it is takes life AFTER life, AFTER life, AFTER
life to work out our salvation! Our spirit will continue in
this world to be taught, corrected and Perfected by Christ and then
it will be RESSURECTED and given a New Spiritual body like Jesus. This
world is our only hell and for those rescued from it, they may cry out
like the Psalmist did:
PS 116:8 For you, O LORD, have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling,
PS 86:13 For great is thy mercy toward me: and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest HELL.
LOOK at what is said here! Christ has delivered my MIND from the cares
of the world, stopped my "weeping and gnashing"
and has given me Light so that my feet don't stumble in the DARKNESS
of this world as Jesus told us! Today many spirits may be trapped in hell,
but tomorrow God may awaken them and lift them into a higher existence,
a higher glory and a higher
understanding of their true nature! Jesus truly does have the keys
to Hades and IS currently setting the captives free! There IS
Mercy in HELL! We are delivered from death and the place of the dead
by God's faith and love given through His Son, Jesus
the Christ!
God's peace and understanding be with you,
brad edwards
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