ODJ: imagine

June 29, 2013 

READ: Mark 9:43-48 

But I’ll tell you whomto fear. Fear God, who has the power to killyou and then throw you into hell. Yes, He’s theone to fear (Luke 12:5).

In 1971 John Lennon wrote a song about heaven and hell. The British public voted ”Imagine” their nation’s favourite song in 1999, and it earned Lennon a Grammy Hall of Fame Award that same year. The song also ranked number 3 on Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time (2004).

Lennon wrote: “Imagine there’s no heaven. It’s easy if you try. No hell below us. Above us only sky. Imagine all the people. Living for today . . .”

For more than 40 years, “Imagine” has influenced people to believe that since there’s no heaven or hell, “living for today” is all there really is to life.

But the lyrics don’t reflect reality. There is a heaven and a hell. In fact Jesus spoke repeatedly of hell (Matthew 5:22,29-30, 10:28, 23:33; Luke 12:5, 13:28, 16:23).

Highlighting the dangers of a ‘living for today’ philosophy, Jesus warned that no pleasures of sin today are ever worth the punishment of hell. He also ominously described hell as a place of “unquenchable fires . . . where the maggots never die and the fire never goes out” (Mark 9:43-48). Repeatedly Jesus spoke of “outer darkness, [and a fiery furnace], where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 8:12; see also 13:42,50, 22:13, 24:51, 25:30).

In The Problem of Pain, Christian philosopher C. S. Lewis acknowledged that the doctrine of hell is a horrible doctrine. He would willingly remove it from Christianity if it were in his power. However, the question isn’t whether it’s detestable but whether it’s biblical.

We have the good news and the bad news to tell. The good news is that God offers us a place in heaven. The bad news is that if you reject His offer of heaven, your destination of hell is worse than you could ever imagine (John 3:18,36). —K.T. Sim

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Read Revelation 19:20, 20:10,14-15 and 21:8 to see what this book says about hell and who will be sent there. 
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Why would you agree or disagree that hell isa horrible teachingof the Bible? In sharing your faith, would you bring up the subject of hell? Why or why not? 
1 reply
  1. Simeon Orduen
    Simeon Orduen says:

    John Lennon must have been as still is considered one who was great in his life. He did a lot of singing songs that encouraged men to live their lives as they feel. But the bible says that ”And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.”(2 Cor 5:15) Without him, one could be famous and rich yet be poor. ”without me you can do nothing” Jesus says. It is high time men stop living for themselves lest all they do in life, even their good deeds would be ”filthy rags” in the sight of God, save they come through Christ, the righteousness of God.

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