At the Gates of Hell

Gò0dNews forTeens

At the Gates of Hell

by Filip Brunner

Imade the mistake this morning of looking at Facebook. Someone posted a picture of a young person who was holding up a sign, and on it was written, “Going to Hell and proud.”

My initial reaction was, “Seriously?” What my reaction should have been, what my reaction needed to be, was, “Where did I go wrong?” As Christian men and women, where did we go so wrong that a young person, or anyone for that matter, would rather choose a sinful lifestyle over the love of Jesus?

One of the potential issues of the church’s failure is that we as the followers of Jesus are not anywhere near the battlefield. For the most part, we throw our angry insults in the general direction of the enemy from the protection of the ramparts. But what does the Word of God have to say?

“And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock, I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18). The church of Jesus Christ is built from living rocks, but I want to look at the phrase, “…and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it.”

1. Gates are a defensive fortification; they are designed to keep someone in and to keep

someone out. Jesus is NOT speaking of Hell’s attacking us; rather, He is speaking of our attacking the gates of Hell in order to rescue people from it. 2. “…will not prevail against it.” Friends, we are on the winning side (I speak of Christians). We need to be on the front lines, fighting for our children; the gates of Hell cannot prevent us from rescuing sinners from the devil’s foul grasp. 3. Breaking through gates takes effort. A battering ram cannot be carried by one person; it takes several people to employ it properly. It takes soldiers with shields of prayer to protect the ones carrying the ram. It takes faithful unity to break through the Gates of Hell.

4. Hell is a real place; let us never lose sight of that

fact. The Bible tells us, “Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:41). 5. Hell is prepared for the Devil and his angels; Hell is the prison made to hold Satan and those who follow

him. God does not want humans to go to it. People chose to follow Satan into it. Friends, we have the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Let us employ it together with prayer and fasting in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. Let us firmly seek the favor of Heaven that Jesus would lead us to the perishing who will come to Jesus as we give the witness of how Jesus saves and how they can experience forgiveness for themselves. See you at the gates. About The Author Filip Brunner is married to his wife, Dr. Kim Brunner and together they have six children. He is a writer, author, and artist.