OUTER DARKNESS
God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. Yet, Jesus talked about another place called Outer Darkness, another place where souls will be cast who do not forsake sin and seek the Savior, Jesus while on this earth. The outer darkness will be utterly void of God and His presence, His voice, His touch, His mercy, His love, His LIGHT! Outer darkness is the absence of all God is. It is all that God isn't.
While alive on earth, it is difficult to imagine or to picture a place so utterly stripped of all that is good and moral and peaceful and holy, a place where there is never relief from pain or torment, a state where no one speaks words of comfort and places a cool cloth on a fevered brow or offers an iced drink of water to cool the parched throat. What makes it so awful is that there is no end to it, no reprieve, no time-out, no second chance, no resting place. Suffering of an indescribable depth and length will be endured without mercy, sympathy or let-up. Worst of all, God will not ever be there!
Absorbed in the rush and routine of life on this planet, most people do not even begin to consider what their state will be when they leave this world in death. They're too busy with the here and now. Oblivious to the fact that they are entrapped by sin, they are completely distracted by everyday responsibilities and endeavors.
Distractions! Yes, that's what they are. As long as people remain preoccupied with things on an earthly level, the most important issue of their soul's salvation is completely drowned out. Education, family, illness, hobbies, their job, finances...even good and worthy distractions rob a person of considering their need for eternal life and how and where to find it. Distractions of varied sorts are contrived by the enemy of souls to prevent the Gospel from taking hold in their hearts and turning them toward the Light of the World, Jesus.
Of Himself, Jesus said, "I am the LIGHT of the world." While in our physical bodies, we need the light of the sun to warm us and illuminate and sustain life around us. At the same time, our spirit needs an inner light that points us to God and life eternal. That light is Jesus. He said so and He is true.
Think for a moment about darkness. Without light it is difficult to comprehend where we are and where we are going. Driving at night robs us of distance vision that recognizes landmarks that orient us to our location and where we want to go. Our headlights on the car take on huge importance as we follow them to our destination.
Just so, Jesus must be on-board for us to discern shapes and signs, so we stay on course to heaven and do not miss the way. The word He gave us as the Bible guides our steps. "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."
Nothing is more disoritneting than to turn out the light in a windowless room and try to navigate around the furniture without bumping one's shins or tripping over a lamp. Consider how much more awful and frightening it will be in a windowless hell, the outer darkness, where no slight beam of light will slice through the darkness as a ray of hope...in hell there is NO hope, NO recourse.
No one slight flicker of light will penetrate the darkness that folds like a shroud around you. No voice to calm, no sound to soothe. It will be darkness void of any and all good and helpful and comforting and...it defies description.
The result of not being able to see and orient oneself to your surroundings is FEAR. Awful, overwhelming fear that will overtake the person seeking to see without results. Fear that removes reason and gentleness and goodness. Fear that strips that person of good thoughts and hope, of a future that is bright. There is no future, only present and eternal fear and darkness, and the haunting realization that when you could have prevented your place in eternal darkness, you did nothing to change your destiny.
The possibility of repenting, of turning to God and Jesus, of leaving the practice of sinning is gone forever. Those opportunities were lost the moment you breathed your last breath. Why risk such a fate? If you will, while God says it is "Today," you still can turn around and walk with Jesus and live a life filled with Light. While you may, turn toward the Light of the World and live in His light forever!
Oh, I see. You don't believe all this talk about hell and darkness. There is a saying, "He who laughs last laughs best." This is not a laughing matter at all. It's the most serious truth you will ever confront. Yet, if you choose to ignore the truth about hell, one day you will wish you had believed what you have just read. But it will be too late! I do not wish that fate for you, dear friend. I will not laugh.
"For in Him we live, and move, and have our being." Acts 17:28.