Hell - Eternal Conscious Torment or Annihilationism

The sermon presents a forceful defense of the traditional Christian doctrine of eternal conscious torment in hell, arguing that alternative views such as annihilationism—where the wicked are permanently destroyed rather than eternally punished—represent a heretical departure from orthodox Christianity. Centered on a close exegesis of key biblical texts, including Exodus 11’s 'great cry' as a type of final judgment, Revelation’s lake of fire, and Jesus’ explicit warnings in Matthew 25 and Mark 9, the preacher contends that the consistent biblical witness affirms an eternal, conscious punishment involving unending torment in fire, not annihilation. The sermon refutes annihilationist arguments by demonstrating that passages cited—such as those on 'immortality' in 1 Corinthians 15 or 'perishing' in John 3:16—are misapplied, as they refer to the resurrection of the body, not the soul’s inherent immortality. It further exposes the logical and theological inconsistencies of annihilationism by highlighting the clear, repeated language of everlasting punishment, unquenchable fire, and eternal torment in both the Gospels and Revelation, which cannot be reconciled with the idea of non-existence. Ultimately, the sermon asserts that denying eternal conscious torment undermines the severity of sin, the justice of God, and the full weight of Christ’s atoning sacrifice on the cross, thereby distorting the gospel itself and aligning with cultic teachings rather than historic Christian faith.