While I was speaking on the topic of Eternity at a Bible Study for recovering drug addicts one young man had two interesting (and slightly off-the-wall) observations. Speaking about Hell, he said, “What if there are people who really like pain and torture… Hell wouldn’t seem so bad to them and they might actually like it.” Speaking of Heaven, he said, “I don’t want to live for eternity, that seems like it would get kind of boring after a while.”
I let him speak his mind and then replied, “How old are you?” He said “24.” I continued, “You are trying to make comparisons of an eternal Heaven and Hell based on your 24 years of experience on Earth. You put your hand on a hot stove and get burned and you think ‘I now know what pain is.’ You have a really good day filled with smiles, laughter and pleasure on Earth and you think ‘I now know what goodness and happiness is.’ But I’m telling you that your experiences on Earth, both good and bad, aren’t comparable to the agony of an eternal Hell or the bliss of an eternal Heaven. You see beauty and ugliness on Earth and you can tell the difference between the two. But nothing on Earth can prepare you for the striking difference between the true beauty of Heaven and the ugly reality of Hell.”
Many are just like this young man… comparing eternal things to temporary, earthly things, thinking they fully understand the ramifications of the decision they make in either serving Christ or rejecting Him. I’m sure that the most rank sinner has no idea of the terrible pain and agony awaiting him in Hell if he does not repent. I’m also pretty sure that the most holy saint hasn’t gotten the smallest glimpse of the splendor that awaits him in Heaven.
1 Corinthians 2:9
“Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.”
