Thursday, September 05, 2013

You Will Face Hell for Eternity

Tuesday night, Ariel Castro, the man who kidnapped and enslaved three young women for a decade, hung himself in his prison cell, just 30 days after his court judgment.  Most of us can never fathom what possessed such acts from a human to other innocent humans.  But apparently, he could not endure just one month of the imprisonment he imposed on his victims for 11 years.  

During his trial, one of the victims, Michelle Knight, faced her captor and read a statement.  I can't imagine her ability to do that, aside from the grace of God.  But she made a very telling statement as part of what she shared.  "I spent 11 years in hell. Now your hell is just beginning. I will overcome all this that happened but you will face hell for eternity."  You will face hell for eternity.  Yes, I am pretty certain that Mr. Castro is being tortured far beyond what we can imagine in hell today.

Thinking about that statement, "You will face hell for eternity" made me realize that although I may not have done the heinous crime Mr. Castro did, apart from my salvation from Christ, I, too would face hell for eternity.  Romans 3:23 says, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."   All.  Not just the monsters like Mr. Castro.  But me.  There is nothing I can do to be 'worthy' of an eternity with my Creator. Only because my Creator sent a Rescuer in Jesus do I have a way to be saved from that everlasting torture.  

No matter how horrible Ariel Castro was, sin is sin.  I'm so thankful my sins are forgiven and I will face my Redeemer for eternity.  


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