If we were to read through the New Testament slowly and take note of what Jesus says about the Christian life and about those who want to be His disciples, and what the writers of the epistles have to say about the Christian life, we would soon realize that the Christian life is not easy. One must give up his affections for all else and center his affections squarely and solely upon Jesus Christ (Luke 14:26; Matt. 10:37). He must sit down and consider the cost of following after Jesus, because he must forsake everything and hold to nothing, otherwise he is not fit to be Christ's disciple (Luke 14:28-33). He is not to look back at his life and long for where he once was or what he once had, because "no man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God" (Luke 9:62). It is a life of constantly considering others to be better than yourself and to look unto their needs prior to your own needs (Phil. 2:3-4). It is a life of radical obedience, giving Christ the control of every area of your life and trusting Him to look after them. It is devotion and worship to Jesus in such times as Job faced, never questioning or doubting or cursing God. You accept the good and the bad because "the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away" (Job 1:21). Your life is forfeit for His purposes. That is what you are signing up for. If you don't think it is, then you are most likely a false convert and the minute the hardships come, including that of extreme persecution, you will tuck tail and run, proving you were never saved to begin with because you wanted to save your own life rather than lose it for Christ's sake (Luke 9:23-24; Matt. 10:39; Mark 8:34-35).
Paul continually talks about pressing on toward the mark (Phil. 3:14) and running for the prize (1 Cor. 9:24). In Revelation, rewards are given to those who overcome (Rev. 2:1-3:22). The Christian life is not an idle one. "Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves" (James 1:22). When we examine what Scripture says about the Christian and what it requires from the Christian, it becomes quite evident that hell is for wimps. It takes real men and women to stand up in the face of adversity and to endure trials and persecutions until the Lord comes. "He that endureth to the end shall be saved" (Matt. 10:22; 24:13; Luke 21:19). The cowards and wimps back down and run away, tails tucked firmly between their legs and a yellow streak running right down their back. Wimps are afraid to cry out to Jesus and ask Him for forgiveness and then to live their lives for His glory, even if it means their death. Wimps are afraid of letting Jesus control their lives (every area of it). It's far easier to sit back in a life of sin and enter hell than it is to deny sin and live a life of holiness. Hell will be filled with wimps.
All one has to do is study the history of Christianity and the martyrdom of Christians and the point quickly becomes established that hell is for wimps. Polycarp, upon his refusal to denounce Jesus Christ and worship Caesar, was threatened to be thrown to the wild beasts, to which he responded, "Call for them." Because he despised the wild beasts, they threatened him to be burned, to which he responded, "Why do you delay? Do whatever you please." Typically, they would nail the person to the stake and then bind them so they couldn't move while being burned alive. Polycarp said, "Leave me as I am; for he who giveth me strength to sustain the fire, will enable me also, without your securing me with nails, to remain without flinching in the pile." When the people observed that his body could not be consumed with the fire, the confector was ordered to plunge his sword into his body, at which point Polycarp's blood extinguished the fire (John Foxe, Foxe's Book of Martyrs, pp. 20-25; B. K. Kuiper, The Church In History, pp. 9-10; Philip Schaff, History of the Christian Church, p. 52). Blandina had a net thrown over her and she was set upon by a wild bull that gouged her several times with his horns, tossing her into the air. The early Christians were sewn inside dead animal carcasses and thrown to hungry lions that ate them alive; they were nailed to stakes and lit on fire to provide light at Nero's parties; they were forced to fight in gladiator competitions; they were beheaded, crucified, stoned, etc. Christians today in every part of the world are being persecuted and put to death in the most horrific ways imaginable. These things are coming to North America very quickly.
If after studying church history and martyrdom you don't think the Christian life is a difficult one and that hell is for wimps, then you have blindly missed it all. Wimps are ashamed of Jesus and deny Him before one crowd while trying to praise Him before another. Wimps want to go to heaven but don't want the sanctification, obedience, and holiness that come prior to it. Heaven will be filled with the valiant men and women who fought the good fight and kept the faith, striving against all odds to put on the likeness of Christ, bearing with one another in desperate times and edifying each other with brotherly love. Like Blandina, who was a spectator of the deaths of many others before her own, Christians encourage and exhort their fellow brothers and sisters to remain steadfast until the end that they may receive their reward and hear those blessed words, "Well done, good and faithful servant" (Matt. 25:21, 23).
Heaven is for the valiant; hell is for wimps.
Paul continually talks about pressing on toward the mark (Phil. 3:14) and running for the prize (1 Cor. 9:24). In Revelation, rewards are given to those who overcome (Rev. 2:1-3:22). The Christian life is not an idle one. "Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves" (James 1:22). When we examine what Scripture says about the Christian and what it requires from the Christian, it becomes quite evident that hell is for wimps. It takes real men and women to stand up in the face of adversity and to endure trials and persecutions until the Lord comes. "He that endureth to the end shall be saved" (Matt. 10:22; 24:13; Luke 21:19). The cowards and wimps back down and run away, tails tucked firmly between their legs and a yellow streak running right down their back. Wimps are afraid to cry out to Jesus and ask Him for forgiveness and then to live their lives for His glory, even if it means their death. Wimps are afraid of letting Jesus control their lives (every area of it). It's far easier to sit back in a life of sin and enter hell than it is to deny sin and live a life of holiness. Hell will be filled with wimps.
All one has to do is study the history of Christianity and the martyrdom of Christians and the point quickly becomes established that hell is for wimps. Polycarp, upon his refusal to denounce Jesus Christ and worship Caesar, was threatened to be thrown to the wild beasts, to which he responded, "Call for them." Because he despised the wild beasts, they threatened him to be burned, to which he responded, "Why do you delay? Do whatever you please." Typically, they would nail the person to the stake and then bind them so they couldn't move while being burned alive. Polycarp said, "Leave me as I am; for he who giveth me strength to sustain the fire, will enable me also, without your securing me with nails, to remain without flinching in the pile." When the people observed that his body could not be consumed with the fire, the confector was ordered to plunge his sword into his body, at which point Polycarp's blood extinguished the fire (John Foxe, Foxe's Book of Martyrs, pp. 20-25; B. K. Kuiper, The Church In History, pp. 9-10; Philip Schaff, History of the Christian Church, p. 52). Blandina had a net thrown over her and she was set upon by a wild bull that gouged her several times with his horns, tossing her into the air. The early Christians were sewn inside dead animal carcasses and thrown to hungry lions that ate them alive; they were nailed to stakes and lit on fire to provide light at Nero's parties; they were forced to fight in gladiator competitions; they were beheaded, crucified, stoned, etc. Christians today in every part of the world are being persecuted and put to death in the most horrific ways imaginable. These things are coming to North America very quickly.
If after studying church history and martyrdom you don't think the Christian life is a difficult one and that hell is for wimps, then you have blindly missed it all. Wimps are ashamed of Jesus and deny Him before one crowd while trying to praise Him before another. Wimps want to go to heaven but don't want the sanctification, obedience, and holiness that come prior to it. Heaven will be filled with the valiant men and women who fought the good fight and kept the faith, striving against all odds to put on the likeness of Christ, bearing with one another in desperate times and edifying each other with brotherly love. Like Blandina, who was a spectator of the deaths of many others before her own, Christians encourage and exhort their fellow brothers and sisters to remain steadfast until the end that they may receive their reward and hear those blessed words, "Well done, good and faithful servant" (Matt. 25:21, 23).
Heaven is for the valiant; hell is for wimps.