Likely by now, you have heard the news about what is happening in Afghanistan as the Taliban ravages through, killing, raping, and literally destroying lives and cities as they go. It has honestly been too much for me to imagine and I find myself in a bit of cognitive dissonance at times. As I study for my sermon on Habakkuk 2:6-20 this Sunday, a thought struck me that I wanted to flesh out a bit through this blog post: “we need a proper understanding of hell to help bring our souls comfort in times like this.” That may sound like a bizarre statement and I truly am not writing that for shock value. Let me offer two quick caveats to explain what I DO NOT mean before I explain what I DO mean.
CAVEATS
1. I am not saying that this is the ONLY truth we need in times like this, or even the most important truth in times like this. I just see this as an overlooked truth that can bring additional comfort from the Lord.
2. I am not trying to make the doctrine of hell seem less difficult to swallow. As a matter of fact, that is one of the last things I hope this article does. The truth about hell and those who will go there should make us tremble - always.
WHAT I DO MEAN
As we watch evil seemingly triumph and win the moment in Afghanistan, we find ourselves lacking words to say and yet full of doubts in God’s goodness and His nearness. This was the dilemma that Habakkuk faced as he thought about the destruction that the Babylonians would bring to his people in Judah. And He began to question whether or not God even cared. God’s response to Him in Habakkuk 2 was to remind him that evil will not go unpunished. God Himself would ensure that the Babylonians would receive just punishment for what they would do.
In all of our conversations about the goodness and love of God, if we forget to teach ourselves and our children that God is also perfectly just and does not overlook evil, not only will they have a shallow view of salvation, but they won’t be able to handle the atrocities of the world we live in. We must know and find comfort in the fact that our enemies will not win, they will face the Judge of the Universe one day and He will enact perfect justice.
Hell is a place that is known for fire, deep pits, and utter darkness. Those are terms that Scripture uses and while we cannot with certainty describe what Hell will look like, we know it to be the place that the wicked are cast - for eternity - where they will experience the wrath of God forever. And that for those in Christ, they will be welcomed into the presence of God where we will fully experience His goodness and glory for all eternity. That’s why Paul could say with certainty that “this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison” (2 Corinthians 4:17). On the flip side, that means that these ‘momentary’ victories that the wicked seem to be gaining are preparing for them an eternal weight of suffering and justice to be served to them.
While on the one hand, this is difficult to talk about, it should bring our souls tremendous comfort to know that “The Lord is in His Holy Temple” (Habakkuk 2:20), and “The earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord.” (Habakkuk 2:14) as He one day eradicates evil from this world. He is not sleeping, He will return and “repay each one according to their deeds” (Romans 2:6). This does not mean we will not experience evil in this life. It means that God will repay the wicked for every evil deed and reward His children for enduring every evil deed. It means that “the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us” (Romans 8:18).
The doctrine of hell should bring us comfort in these things. It should also cause us to pray for our enemies - yes, even the Taliban. As I read through Habakkuk 2:6-20 and saw all the evil and wickedness of Babylon, it made the evil of the Taliban hit home for me and I began to grow angry. But then, I remembered that I too was once a child of wrath, just like them (Ephesians 2:3). I too deserved the eternal punishment of hell for my sin against a holy God and yet, God in His kindness has redeemed me and showered me with His grace and Mercy.
I now have been given the charge to go into all the world and proclaim this Good News - yes, even to the Taliban. So we pray for their salvation, and we pray that God’s justice would be done in every situation, and we have complete confidence that He will ensure that to be true. We know that every deed done by mankind under the sun will either be forgiven by the grace of Jesus (because Jesus already bore the wrath for them) or repaid at His second coming through the eternal punishment of Hell. This truth should cause us to tremble and be comforted at the same time.
None of this allows us to sit back and throw off the responsibility we have to find ways to relieve the suffering of our brothers and sisters. None of this gets us ‘off the hook’ in any way, shape, or form. It does, however, give us an anchor for the soul that none of this is meaningless and God is not surprised, nor will evil win. We mourn with our brothers and sisters today and know that there is coming a day when Jesus will wipe away every tear, death and evil will be no more, and we will enjoy the goodness of the presence of the Lord forever.
There is so much more to be said, but let me end with this for now: Pray for your brothers and sisters in Afghanistan. Pray for the Taliban. Pray for God to fill the earth with His glory. Pray for Jesus to return soon.