G. SEPARATION FROM GOD We are made for God. After death, the soul rushes to God with irresistible force, like an airplane falling to earth, like a piece of metal drawn to a strong magnet. But the soul in mortal sin is immediately judged by God and instantly repelled and cast into hell.

"Then he shall say to them also that shall be on his left hand: Depart from me, you cursed, into everlasting/ire, which was preparedfor the devil and his angels." (Matthew 25 :41) A soul condemned to hell will always be separated from its Maker, but it will always burn with the futile desire to be united with Him. For all eternity it will suffer a gnawing hunger that can never be satisfied, a maddening thirst that can never be quenched, an emptiness that can never be filled.

The greatest loss man can feel on this earth is being separated from a loved one. Think of the empty feeling, the pain of loneliness, of separation, when you see a loved one lowered in the grave. But this is only a faint hint of the loss you will suffer at being separated from God, the Author and Source of all love, if you die in mortal sin. The pain of loss you feel at the death of a loved one is softened by time and by the thought that you will meet your loved one again in the next world. But the pain of the loss of God will never be softened.

H. TORTURE BY FIRE.  There is real fire in hell. It is different from the fire on earth which tortures only the body. The fire of hell also tortures the soul.

Jesus often spoke of fire in hell: .'Where their worm dieth not, and the/ire is not extinguished." (Mark 9:43) He tells us the story of Lazarus and the rich man: .'And it came to pass that the beggar died and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom. And the rich man also died: and he was buried in hell. And lifting up his eyes when he was in torments. he saw Abraham afar offandLazarus in his bosom: And he cried and said: Father Abraham, have mercy on me and sendLazarus. that he may dip the tip of his finger in water to cool my tongue: for I am tormented in this flame. And Abraham said to him: Son. remember that thou didst receive good things in thy lifetime. and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted and thou art tormented. And besides all this. between us and you. there is/ixed a great chaos: so that they who would passfrom hence to you cannot, nor from thence come hither." (Luke 16:22-26)

Imagine the sharp pain when a match burns your little finger. Fire causes the worst pain even in this life. But in hell you will be "salted with fire." To preserve meat it was often soaked in a barrel of brine until the salt has permeated every last fibre of the meat. In a similar way the fire of hell will not torture just the outside of your body but every last fibre of your being. You will be plunged into a .'pool of fire." (Apocalypse 20:15) You will be buried in fIre. .'And fire shall devour them." (Psalm 20:10)

How long could you hold your finger over a match flame? Five seconds? But the fire in hell will burn youforever. .'Their worm shall not die and their fire shall not be quenched." (Isaias 66:24) "Everlasting Fire", the Bible calls it. The fire of hell burns without consuming. " He shall be punished for all that he did, and yet shall not be consumed: according to the multitude of his devices so also shall he suffer." (Job 20:18)

Death is a merciful escape from torture, especially from the torture of fire. But from the fire of hell there is no escape; there is no death; there is no end to the torture.

I. REMORSE (REGRET)

The Bible describes the remorse of the damned in hell as "the worm that dieth not." You could have saved your soul; you had a million chances to be happy forever with God. How stupid to have chosen this confusion and torture. What a terrible price to pay for a few moments of sinful pleasure. You thought you had plenty of time. How often you were reminded of sudden death. Truly, you are a fool. How you hate yourself! If only you could stop existing. Thoughts as these will afflict the lost soul!

J. COMPANIONSHIP WITH THE DEVILS AND THE DAMNED

Who will be with you in hell? Murderers, thieves, adulterers, drunkards, prostitutes, the scum of the earth, steeped in the filth of their sins. They make fun of you for being such a fool and how you hate them; their jeering, screeching voices remind you of your stupidity. There is no love in hell, only hate, and there you are in the midst of all their hatred.

Now you see Satan in all his ugliness for the firSt time; the leader you served in life is now your master in hell. You freely choose this loathsome creature instead of J esus; what a fool he has made of you. He promised you riches, power, pleasure. Now you stand before him empty handed. How he tricked you! How he mocks you! How you hate him !

K. HELL WILL LAST FOREVER

You might be able to stand all the pains of hell if you knew that sometime they would end. But, they will last forever. You hear the words still ringing in your ears over and over again: "Depart from me you cursed into everlasting fire."

L. THINK OFTEN OF HELL

Truly hell is ., A land ofmisery and darkness. where the shadow of death, and no order, but everlasting horror dwelleth." (Job 10:22) It isa vast chaos of eternal night. You were not made for this confusion and disorder, pain and terror. You were made for God. In hell how keenly will you realize that you were made for God! Even more keenly will you realize that you can never have God.