In today’s society, we don’t hear much about hell. We tend to try not to talk about it because we really don’t like the thought of it; but just because we try to pretend that hell doesn’t exist, doesn’t mean that people won’t go there. According to God’s word, hell is very real and many people are headed there.

20 And a certain poor man, named Lazarus, was stretched out at his door, full of wounds,23 And in hell, being in great pain, lifting up his eyes he saw Abraham, far away, and Lazarus on his breast. 24 And he gave a cry and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me and send Lazarus, so that he may put the end of his finger in water and put it on my tongue, for I am cruelly burning in this flame. 25 But Abraham said, Keep in mind, my son, that when you were living, you had your good things, while Lazarus had evil things: but now, he is comforted and you are in pain.

First, let’s look at this rich man. Don’t worry, he didn’t go to hell due to his richness and neither will you. And it’s not being poor that gets a person into Heaven. Proverbs 22:2 says, “Rich and Poor have this in common: the Lord is the maker of them all.” The rich man’s downfall was in that he lived a flamboyant life full of worldly desires and thoughts.

In sharp contrast to the rich man was a beggar named Lazarus who laid at the gate of the rich man’s house, covered with sores, in pain, and begging for food. This poor man was probably not thought very highly of. You can just see the rich man leaving his house and as he walks through his gate, past Lazarus, he shakes his head in disgust.

The bible tells us that Lazarus longed to eat the crumbs from the rich man’s table. I find it interesting that we are never told that he had the luxury of actually getting any of the crumbs… just that he longed for them. So, not only was he in pain from the sores and suffering humiliation, but he was also hungry. Even the dogs cared for Lazarus better than the rich man did.

Sometimes in our lives, we make the mistake of not helping. We are so busy doing for OURSELVES that we skip over some of the more important needs around us. As Christians, we are to help to meet the needs of those around us. We may not have the chance to help tomorrow. We should not think like the rich man, who probably thought things like: “What am I going to ware? What am I going to eat? How can I make more money today?” If we are thinking in that way, we won’t be aware of the needs of those around us. We need to be saying: “Lord, show me how I can help you help them.”

Now, about the story, both men died. Lazarus went to Abraham’s side in heaven and the rich man died and was buried. What a difference! One of two things will happen after you die. Either you will be carried to Heaven by holy angels, or you will be dragged into the Lake of Fire by demons. The rich man had chosen the latter and was taken to hell to suffer torment.

Torment: 1)to afflict with great bodily or mental suffering. 2)to worry or annoy excessively. 3)to throw into commotion. 4)disturb. 5)something that causes great pain. Etc… The fact is that hell is real and if you haven’t accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior when you die, you will be in hell.

If you read on, in verse 24, the rich man says that he is in agony in the flames. The bible is very clear in warning us that there will be both mental and Physical suffering in hell.

For those who don’t accept Jesus as savior, there will come a day when they will receive the reward for the choice they’ve made. And on that day, if you could ask them, “Does God send people to hell?” Their reply would be, “No. I sent myself to hell.” Part of their torment and punishment will be remembering all of the opportunities they were given to accept Jesus and all of the times they had rejected those chances.

We read that the rich man looked up to Heaven from his place in hell and, realizing that he wasn’t so rich now, he began to beg for water from the one who once begged at his gate. Realizing what was taking place in that moment must have only added to his pain and suffering.

Now the rich man begins to pray. He prays for himself. He prays for his family. He prayed for water, but he got none. He prayed that someone would go and warn his family, but it was not granted to him. No prayer in hell will ever be answered. It is too late!

People say, “I won’t be alone there. All of my friends will be there.” Notice that he didn’t ask for friends… even he knew that they would be of no comfort.

Loneliness. Depression. Agony. Misery. Torment. Pain. Hopelessness. Fire. Burning. Hatred. Anger. Fear. Never an answered prayer… for a day… a week… a month…a century…FOREVER AND EVER AND EVER…

Hell is not a hospital. It is not a correctional institute. It is a prision. A dungeon… and there is no way out once you’re in.

The good news is that, though we cannot avoid the reality of hell, we can avoid going there. Like Lazarus, all we have to do is have faith in Jesus and accept Him as our Lord and Savior. He is the way, the truth, and the life… in John 5:24, Jesus said,

“Whoever hears my word and believes Him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned. He has crossed over from death to life.”

God Bless.