Heb 8:10-12 "For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel After those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws into their minds, And I will write them upon their hearts. And I will be their God, And they shall be My people. "And they shall not teach everyone his fellow citizen, And everyone his brother, saying, 'Know the Lord,' For all shall know Me, From the least to the greatest of them. "For I will be merciful to their iniquities, And I will remember their sins no more." 
	We now come to the final two messages concerning the Biblical doctrine of hell. We have looked at why we must study this doctrine of hell. We have considered what hell will be like. We have looked at hell from the vantage of those who will be eternally suffering it because of their unbelief. We have also considered it from the vantage point of those who have a false sense of assurance that they will escape hell apart from a true belief upon Jesus Christ. These next two weeks, Lord willing, we will look at it from the viewpoint of true Christians. What does it mean to those who are truly saved and not going to hell? As we read in this morning’s text concerning the saved of the Lord, For all shall know Me, From the least to the greatest of them. "For I will be merciful to their iniquities, And I will remember their sins no more."  
God has very much to teach us through hell. It is very profitable for our spiritual growth. Dr. Donnelly identifies six ways in which this doctrine of hell benefits believers. It will be these six aspects that will mainly fill our final considerations of hell. 
The first thing that the doctrine of hell should produce in a Christian is the daily obligation to put sin to death in our lives. Christ encourages us with this challenge as we read in Matt 5:29+30, "And if your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out, and throw it from you; for it is better for you that one of the parts of your body perish, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand makes you stumble, cut it off, and throw it from you; for it is better for you that one of the parts of your body perish, than for your whole body to go into hell”. Christ is warning us that we need to deal with our personal sin. This dealing is so necessary because there is a risk of hell involved if we fail to do so. 
	This should immediately send up red flags in our thoughts and in our hearts. There should be that within us registering a deep concern at this point, as hell should always do. Are we not saved by faith in Jesus Christ? Isn’t that an eternal promise? Don’t we have an eternal assurance that we cannot lose our salvation once we have believed on the Lord Jesus Christ? The answer is definitely yes! Our salvation is absolutely secure in Christ, if it is a true, and sincere and saving belief upon Him. 1 Peter 1:3-5 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. And Christ, in His High Priestly prayer assures us of the following in John 17:9+10 "I ask on their behalf; I do not ask on behalf of the world, but of those whom Thou hast given Me; for they are Thine; and all things that are Mine are Thine, and Thine are Mine; and I have been glorified in them. 
	It is true faith in Christ which saves us from hell, and it is true faith in Christ that works in us to put to death the works of the flesh. We cannot base our assurance of salvation on something that happened a long time ago and that has borne no fruit since. True belief on Christ, true belief into Christ, is evidenced in the daily exercise of that belief, that saving faith. True believers not only look to Christ for eternal salvation, but for his saving work every day of every year for the rest of their lives. There is an activity of the Holy Spirit that is present in those who belong to Christ. This activity may sometimes seem very little, very minute, even though it may seem to be even non-existent, it is there nonetheless. There is a desire to have done with sin. There is an acknowledgement that sin is wrong and needs to be dealt with. There is a registration that things that we do are displeasing to God and we want to be done with them, even though we may struggle with them over and over again. True believers cast themselves on God’s mercy and God’s grace and God’s power and God’s forgiveness over and over again, knowing that He Alone is the power by which we can face every moment of every day.
	Quote, If you want to assure yourself that God has saved you from hell, then set to work killing your sins. Aim at a lifetime of conscious, scrupulous obedience. Determine in your heart to turn away from wrongdoing, to wrestle against temptation. Read the Bible, seek God in prayer, listen to the preaching of the Word, cultivate Christian fellowship. Avoid everything that takes you away from God. Make this your decided, permanent commitment and ask the Lord to help you. Plead with Him… End quote. Ps 119:35-38 Make me walk in the path of Thy commandments, For I delight in it. Incline my heart to Thy testimonies, And not to dishonest gain. Turn away my eyes from looking at vanity, And revive me in Thy ways. Establish Thy word to Thy servant, As that which produces reverence for Thee. 
	Hell should cause us to consider how we deal with our personal sin. No matter how long we have been a Christian, there should be an on-going struggle within our hearts as to the manner in which our lives are lived as pleasing to God. We are not perfect in our worldly walk. That is not the issue. The issue is whether we desire and seek after God to establish His perfection in us that matters. If that is our heart, then we are assured of our salvation, as recounted by the Apostle Paul. Rom 8:12-14 So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh —  for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 
	Quote, Whenever you are tempted, when sin seems so compellingly attractive and the price of obedience so unpleasantly high, reflect on Matthew 5:29+30. Remind yourself, ‘If I go ahead and commit this sin, I am in fact telling the Lord that I want to go to hell.’ How many times will a true believer say that to God? If the thought of hell does not stop you from sinning, you need to ask some basic questions about your spiritual state. End quote. They very thought of hell should cause us to seek to live lives that are utterly pleasing to God at all times.  
	The second thing that hell should produce in a Christian is a spirit of unbroken contentment, no matter what is happening in our lives. As the Apostle Paul learned and encourages us in Phil 4:11+12 Not that I speak from want; for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. He was writing this from prison and could rejoice in the grace of God, despite his horrible ordeal and suffering. How many of us can whole-heartedly and truly express this contentment in Christ Jesus, no matter what? 
	It is easy to say that we are contented when all is going well in our lives, when we are healthy, well-fed, prosperous, when life is good. But when times get hard and difficult, when things are taken from us, when we face dilemma and circumstances that try our patience and our endurance and our peace of mind, are we able to express complete contentment at those times? 
Our society does not encourage contentment; as a matter of fact it hates contentment. We are constantly bombarded with every effort of this age to make us dissatisfied with everything from our government to our looks to our churches. There is always something better to buy, something better to believe, something better to occupy our hearts and minds. From the latest gadgets to styles to diets to higher status symbols, never content, never satisfied, always wanting more. This was what was peddled in the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve had everything in perfection, but their hearts were urged to want more. This is the heart of our old nature. Rom 1:21 For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God, or give thanks; but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 
	Contentment should be the mark of every Christian. There is so very much in God in which to find contentment. Quote, God’s sovereignty, for example, the way in which he wisely and mercifully orders all things for our good. God’s blessings should produce contentment in us. We should be contented because of his great and precious promises, both for this life and for that which is to come. But we should also be content quite simply because we are not going to hell…We are not, by Christ’s grace, destined for damnation and yet we dare to complain!  End quote.  
	When things are not going the way we envisioned them, when we are facing tremendous trial and persecution, when we are finding our health failing, or our family falling apart, when we are looking financial ruin square in the face, when all the failures and disappointments and sorrows of this life seem to be robbing us of all hope and joy and contentment, consider the fact that they are nothing when compared to the eternal damnation and judgment that we deserved except for the love of God. These are all fleeting and temporary agonies that will soon and very swiftly fade away in the eternal ages to come. The agony that we deserved in hell, except for the grace of God, would have been our eternal torment, an utterly devastating and unending agony. Rather than complain, let our hearts find complete contentment in joining with the Psalmist in Ps 86:7-13, In the day of my trouble I shall call upon Thee, For Thou wilt answer me. There is no one like Thee among the gods, O Lord; Nor are there any works like Thine. All nations whom Thou hast made shall come and worship before Thee, O Lord; And they shall glorify Thy name. For Thou art great and doest wondrous deeds; Thou alone art God. Teach me Thy way, O Lord; I will walk in Thy truth; Unite my heart to fear Thy name. I will give thanks to Thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart, And will glorify Thy name forever.  For Thy lovingkindness toward me is great, And Thou hast delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol. 
	The third, and final effect that we will consider this morning, is that the reality of hell should produce a seriousness in the true believer. There should be a deep concern within us for the multitudes around us who are going to hell. Hell should flavor our interaction and our thoughts and our prayers for those whom we meet and with whom we have any association. This is not a morbid, gloominess that prevents us from smiling and from enjoying the life that God has given us. We are to enjoy all His glorious creation and nature on display. Far from morbidness, this seriousness is one in which we live with hearts that seek for the lost and will do whatever God requires for His gospel to be shared. We dare not treat Him or His Word or the Gospel as trivial matters which only concern us. We seriously consider our interaction with all others on the basis of what would please God and we take that as the most serious manner of living our lives on this earth.
	Our Lord was very serious as to His call in our lives. He did not paint our life in following Him as one that would progress from frivolity to frivolity. Matt 5:3-12 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. "Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth. "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. "Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. "Blessed are you when men cast insults at you, and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely, on account of Me. "Rejoice, and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. 
Christ did not live His Life for kicks and for unending frivolity and earthly pleasures. As we read in Isa 53:3-5 He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; And like one from whom men hide their face, He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed. 
	He knew the cost of our salvation, of what was required to save us from hell, and He willingly paid that price for our sin. He was very serious in the manner in which He lived His life unto the plan and purpose of God, and so are we to live our lives. We are to grieve as we see sin being manifested around us and grieve as we consider the fate that awaits those sinners if they do not repent and seek after the salvation of Jesus Christ. Ps 119:136 My eyes shed streams of water, Because they do not keep Thy law. 
	Quote, This does not mean that believers are to be morose. We experience a joy unspeakable, and full of glory. We rejoice evermore. We have fun, we laugh, we play, we enjoy to the full the good gifts of God. But there is a difference between happiness and frivolity. An awareness of hell should produce in us an underlying seriousness, a gravity, a realism among the lost and dying. End quote. 
	Our heart is that as expressed in Eccl 7:2-5 It is better to go to a house of mourning Than to go to a house of feasting, Because that is the end of every man, And the living takes it to heart. Sorrow is better than laughter, For when a face is sad a heart may be happy. The mind of the wise is in the house of mourning, While the mind of fools is in the house of pleasure. It is better to listen to the rebuke of a wise man Than for one to listen to the song of fools. Where will the lost turn when the reality of life smacks them in the face? Will they turn to those who act the witless fool, those who only seek after the fleeting pleasure of this age, or will they seek after the advice of those whom they have seen as serious about the wages of sin, those who have consistently and continually lived their lives after the heart of God.
When the times get hard and the way is rough, it is not the clowns that will be sought, but those who have learned to travel the hard road, and done so with hearts that desire for none to be lost. Hell is the most serious consequence of the choice that we each make on this earth and it should produce a most serious desire to see no one lost there for eternity.
	As we have seen this morning, hell has much to teach us as Christians. It shows us the importance of daily putting sin to death in our lives. It is the bulwark by which we can find our eternal contentment in Christ Jesus, and it is the measure of the seriousness with which we live our lives on this earth. There is yet still more, as we will see next week, Lord willing. So be it.
	"For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel After those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws into their minds, And I will write them upon their hearts. And I will be their God, And they shall be My people. "And they shall not teach everyone his fellow citizen, And everyone his brother, saying, 'Know the Lord,' For all shall know Me, From the least to the greatest of them. "For I will be merciful to their iniquities, And I will remember their sins no more." Amen

This morning’s benediction reading is Acts 3:18-26 "But the things which God announced beforehand by the mouth of all the prophets, that His Christ should suffer, He has thus fulfilled. "Repent therefore and return, that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord; and that He may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you, whom heaven must receive until the period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time. "Moses said, 'The Lord God shall raise up for you a prophet like me from your brethren; to Him you shall give heed in everything He says to you. 'And it shall be that every soul that does not heed that prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.' "And likewise, all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and his successors onward, also announced these days. "It is you who are the sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, 'And in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.' "For you first, God raised up His Servant, and sent Him to bless you by turning every one of you from your wicked ways." Amen.