Liars Go To Hell.

I was visiting thelongbrake.com (checking for any updates) and I decided to click through some of his recommended links, starting with Finding Rhythm. The newest article was entitled "A Failure of Biblical Literalism." The argument presented was a comparison/contrast between Exodus 1:15-20 and Revelation 21:6-8. In Exodus we see two women who lie to Pharoah to spare their own lives and the lives of the male children they refused to murder. In Revelation, we see that liars have a common destination - Hell. A question was raised: "So if I am supposed to read these scriptures literally, then what are we to believe in regards to the fate of both Shiphrah and Puah?" (Since they lied, and liars go to Hell, are they there right now?)

All this got me to thinking...who goes to Hell and why? So I went down the list of offenses in Revelation: cowards, unbelievers, murderers, idolaters, liars. And then it kind of hit me:

"And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God." (1 Corinthians 6:11)

If you look two verses before this declaration you will find almost the exact same list: adulterers, thieves, drunkards - all of which are marked to not inherit the Kingdom of God. That is, unless they are washed, sanctified, and justified in the name of Jesus.

So the question to me is no longer "Do (insert sinful offenders here) go to Hell?"

The question is, "Who isn't washed, sanctified, and justified in the name of Jesus?"

The practicing (habitual continuance) of sin is an outward manifestation of inward disbelief in the Son of God - proclaimed to be the only source of reconciliation with God (and thus eternal life) - see John 14:6, 17:3. Our foremost argument should not be on the complexities of morality, the effects of sin, or the "external" interpretation of Scripture.

Our questions should be: Who is God? What has he revealed? What is our response?

Anything else seems to me to be a waste of time that only leads to problems (see Titus 3:9).