It is a misnomer
that all roads ever did lead to Rome, but if Rome were Hell,
they would.
"There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end
thereof are the ways of death." Every way of man apart from the CHRIST of
Calvary is a broad way to destruction (cf.
Matthew 7:13). The infrastructure of
self-righteousness is vast and impressive, but if Scripture is
true, it all leads to fiery torment.
Don't be too quick in
discounting a literal hell, JESUS HIMSELF said time and again
that it exists, (15 times in the Gospels alone). There are
no Blue-Light Specials when it comes to truth, it always markets
at face value. If it is not the truth, the whole truth,
... it is everything but the truth. The rich man of Luke
16 discovered the axiomatic nature of GOD'S Word one eternity
too late. Albeit absurd, delusional men, insane of their sin, suppose to live their
entire time on Earth rejecting CHRIST and still avoid Hell.
"And I saw the dead, small and great,
stand before GOD; and the books were opened: and another book
was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged
out of those things which were written in the books, according
to their works." In spite of popular opinion,
no one will arrive at the lake of fire ahead of their luggage.
"... remember that thou in thy lifetime
receivedst thy good things, ...but now ...thou art tormented."
The worst of Hell must surely be perfect, eternal hindsight.
Every tidbit of HIS grace which you have wiped from your table
will be fashioned into the sourdough of your life; that the
undying worms of Hades may feast upon forever. Those who choose their sin over the SAVIOR
won't like it when
the chickens come home to roost, but mark it down, the chickens will come home
to roost ... bringing with them the bird flu of sin's damnation. "And ye shall know
the truth, and the truth shall make you free." Truth
accepted frees the sinner from sin's consequences; but truth
rejected shackles him to that which GOD has sworn judge!
"Then he said, I pray thee therefore,
father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: for I
have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they
also come into this place of torment."
We could argue that if the Earth be
cracked to the core for just one moment, a revival unrivaled,
would literally sweep the globe overnight. Truth is that
even though creation knows no evangelists like the eternal
cousins of the "rich man"; the Bible states that if we won't
take GOD'S Word for the facts of sin and judgment, who is
foolish enough to think we would take man's?
When your epithet is
etched in stone, where will you lift up your eyes?
"And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them
from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If
they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be
persuaded, though one rose from the dead."