30th Mar 26 | 13:54
Studies by Book
Luke 16 19-31 Released from self cetredness 12 A place of torment
📖 Luke 16:19-31
15May2020 - *A place of torment* - _Luke 16:19-31_ - Bible reading: _Matthew 25:41-46_
_Luke 16:23 And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom._
As we have traced, righteousness before God requires us to love God and love our neighbour. Both go hand in hand. It is the righteous, who will inherit eternity with God but the unrighteous will go to everlasting punishment.
_Matthew 25:41-46 "Then He will also say to those on the left hand, 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: (42) for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; … (44) "Then they also will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?' (45) Then He will answer them, saying, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.' (46) And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the *righteous* into eternal life."_
The rich man was in the place of torment. Who are the other people who will be in this place of torment? _Revelation 6:15-17 And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, (16) and said to the mountains and rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! (17) For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?"_
If people do not repent and turn to the righteousness of God, which consists of both to love God and to love our neighbour, they will reach this place of torment. Even as we go through this pandemic, we do not see the people of the world realising that they need to reckon with the creator God. There seems to be no sign of brokenness or repentance. People are focussing on what we will do post-crisis but the matter of returning to God, acknowledging Him and seeking to come into a relationship with Him, is not seen across the world. People around the world seem to be the least bit interested to know what their real problem is. Man is treating the symptom and not the disease.
Praise God there are some definite changes of repentance and returning to God that is happening amongst the people of God at this time.
The nations that forget God, will also be there in the place of torment. _Psalm 9:17 The wicked shall be turned into hell, And all the nations that forget God._
Hypocritical religious leaders would also be in this place of torment. _Matthew 23:29-33 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous, (30) and say, 'If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.' … (33) Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell?_
_Matthew 7:21-23 “Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. (22) Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' (23) And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'_
God did not spare the angels and so the judgement day of God will be terrible if we do not repent and return to the righteousness of God. _II Peter 2:4 For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment;_
Let us listen to the rich man as he cries out to humanity from the place of torment and heed, repent and return to the righteous ways of God.
*Thought to ponder*
```It is the responsibility of the church in the present times to warn people of the place of torment.```