"...there met Him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit... And at once Jesus gave them permission. Then the unclean spirits went out... Then they came to Jesus and saw the one who had been demon possessed and had the legion, sitting clothed and in his right mind..." (For the entire account please read Mark 5:1-20).
Church art has depicted horrible deaths, suffering, demons, and destruction. Artists such as Michelangelo graphically depicted the horrors of eternal damnation. One disturbing image is a headless man reaching into the depths of hell, grasping the hair on his own head as if he could pull himself out of the fiery pit. An ugly demon is calling him to follow.
As graphic as these pictures from the mind of man are, the real torture of hell is beyond our imagination. Unfortunately, many dismiss any real thoughts about the devil and hell as little more than the stuff of Hollywood. Satan is not real, Bible doubters assert. Hell? Just a state of mind, they assume in their puny, vain minds.
In Mark chapter 5, Jesus heals a demon possessed man by sending the demons into a herd of pigs, who then throw themselves off a cliff. This event provides a vivid image of the reality of sin and Satan.
Although none of us wants to follow a demon into hell for eternity, every human being deserves exactly that --a place in hell.
The Good News (the Gospel) for mankind is that God has sent us a Savior from sin, a Redeemer to rescue us from an eternity in hell. God the Father sent us His Son, Jesus of Nazareth, who conquered our sin and Satan on Calvary's cross. Jesus' blood cleanses us from all sin and delivers us to heaven when we die. By Jesus' resurrection from His tomb, He proved that He has secured heaven for us.
The Good News is that all who trust in Jesus' completed work of atonement, possess the new eternal life. Whatever hardship we go through on earth, we go through knowing that Jesus has conquered sin, Satan, and death. We have been redeemed for eternity in Him! Amen!
-Dale
