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Scripture text—Luke 16:23–24

And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeing Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am in torment in this flame.

Jesus talked much about Hell. It is a real place that God created as punishment for Satan and the angels that rebelled with him (Matt 25:41, Rev 12:9). It will be a hot place where people that fail to recognize Jesus as Lord will spend eternity.

In the final chapter everyone will get bodily resurrected and face God’s judgment. Hopefully you will have the blood of Christ to atone for your failings so he will allow you into his blessed presence. Have faith in his blood to save you.

The story in Luke 16 should be studied in its entirety from 19–31 to get the full gist of the story. The point is that the rich during their lives often do not recognize a need for God while the poor more often cry out to the living God. Worship of material items and prestige push God aside. “And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God” (Matt 19:24, Mark 10:25).

The story also shows that upon death our fate is settled. The rich man went immediately into the flame and Lazarus, the poor beggar, was with Abraham enjoying Heaven. The rich man’s plea for a drop of water was denied. The chasm between Heaven and Hell is fixed. He also asked for his living brothers to receive a visit from Lazarus’s ghost to warn them. This request was denied as well. Abraham reminded the condemned man that the word of God has already warned them. There are other places in scripture where God reminds humankind that nature itself declares God loudly to the creatures of the earth (Ps 19:1, Rom 1:19–20). Get on the winning side.