The Echo and Insufficiency of Hell

No one has ever overstated the terrors of hell. The Bible describes ongoing torment for unbelievers, not annihilation. Jesus used terrifying images to describe the anguish of eternal punishment. It is an echo of the holiness and glory of God. But the fear of hell is insufficient in producing genuine repentance. Its purpose is to shock us out of our love affair with the world and send us running to the fountain of life. Genuine contrition comes from falling in love with God and all that he is for us in Christ. Then we find genuine joy in the glory of an all-sufficient God.