To Be Least

²⁴ " 'For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land. ²⁵ I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. ²⁶ I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. ²⁷ And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. (Ezekiel 36)

      I talked a lot about living according to the Holy Spirit on yesterdays post. This verse sums up why the Holy Spirit was given to us. So we can follow God's decrees and be careful to keep God's laws. That is the point of the Holy Spirit, so we can be obedient.

Why does he want us to be obedient?

'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am going to do these things, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you have gone. ²³ I will show the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, the name you have profaned among them. Then the nations will know that I am the LORD , declares the Sovereign LORD , when I show myself holy through you before their eyes. (Ezekiel 36:22-23)

      The Israelites had been disobedient again and again. Finally, God had enough and allowed the nation of Israel to be taken into exile. Because God's chosen nation was in exile it profaned God's holy name. Because of their constant disobedience, God decided that he would give them the Holy Spirit so that they could walk in obedience. Was it for Israel's sake? No, it was for God's sake. Why? So that His name will not be profaned.
      As we know, God gave the Holy Spirit to those who follow Christ. Jesus, the Son of God, taught that all men could be saved. God's forgiveness for those who repent was not only the Jews, but for the Gentiles as well.

      Well, I am going again on a family vacation. We will be gone from Saturday, July 24 to Saturday, July 31. So I most likely will be unable to post until next Sunday.

See you all then.

      Jesus told his disciples that at the end of the age God will send angels to separate the righteous from the wicked. The wicked will go to hell while the righteous to eternal life. (Matthew 13:49-50) How exactly does one become righteous in God's eyes?
      When we come to God in repentance and in faith, God will forgive our sins and we pass from death to life and the Holy Spirit dwells in us. After this initial step, I believe that there are two things that need to be present in a Christian's life in order to be considered righteous before God. The first, as you will read, is about being controlled by the Spirit. If we are indeed controlled by the Spirit, we will put to death the sins of our bodies. However, even with the help of the Holy Spirit, we can never achieve perfection. When we sin and come to him in repentance and confess our sins, Jesus will forgive us our sins.

      Lets get started.

      We obviously are saved by God's grace through faith. (See Eph. 2:8-9) When we become saved the Holy Spirit comes and lives within our bodies. 1 Corinthians 6:19 says that our "body is a temple of the Holy Spirit."

You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. (Romans 8:9)

      To live according to the sinful nature and to live according to the Spirit are contradicting. You can not say that you are controlled by the Spirit if you were living sinfully. The truth would be that you are actually being controlled by the sinful nature.

For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. (Rom. 8:13-14)

      If we choose to live a sinful life, we will experience the second death. (For more information see this post) If we stop living in sin with the help of the Holy Spirit, we will enter eternal life. If we live according to the Spirit we will put to death our sins, which would also mean we will be living in obedience. By being obedient to God we are not being controlled by the sinful nature, but by the Spirit.

And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit. (Rom. 8:3-4)

      Now to the bottom line. The righteous requirements of the law are met in those who do not live by the sinful nature, but according to the Spirit. If you live according to the Spirit, you will be obedient by putting to death your sins.

      As I stated in the intro, we as humans, even with the help of the Holy Spirit, can never achieve a perfect life without any sin. John addresses this clearly.

⁶If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. ⁷But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
⁸If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. ⁹If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. ¹⁰If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives. (1 John 1)

      If we live a life of sin, Jesus is not in us. However, we are not without sin. If we confess our sins he will forgive us. Notice, it does not say that we automatically have all our sins forgiven. We must what? We must confess our sins in order for Him to forgive us. This verse in particular does not talk of repentance, however the scriptures are filled with the concept that repentance is followed by forgiveness. (See Luke 13:3, Luke 17:3 Acts 2:38 for starters).
      To sum it up, when we do commit willful sin, we can come to Jesus in repentance and confess our sin and he will forgive us. When he forgives us, we will be purified "from all unrighteousness." We will be seen as righteous in God's eyes.
      If we, as Christians, are to be declared righteous and enter eternal life, we must a) be living according to the Spirit and not to the sinful nature. If we are doing this, we are being obedient to God (putting to death our sins) with the help of the Holy Spirit. b) When we do sin, we must come to Christ in repentance and confess our sins and we will be forgiven and considered righteous.
      When we are living our life in such a way, we will be declared righteous on judgment day and will enter heaven to spend eternity with God. If we are not living as I have shown, we will not be declared righteous, but wicked and will be thrown into hell.

      I recently wrote this comment on Real Live Preacher's blog on a post talking about the Bible in rather negative terms. Here it is :

¹⁶All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3)

      All Scripture came from God's mouth. All scripture can be used to teach, rebuke, correct, and to train in righteousness. The fact that the scriptures, meaning the Bible, can be used a source of teaching shows that they are in fact true. The same goes for rebuking.
      If a student stated that 2 + 2 = 5, the teacher would correct the student and state the correct, or true answer which is 4. In the same way if someone says that homosexuality is not a sin, you could correct that person with some of scripture where God says, "Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman." (Leviticus 18:22)
      To correct means "to remove the errors or mistakes from." (The American Heritage® Dictionary). The scriptures can remove the errors or mistakes from something because it is true. If all scriptures were not true, then all scriptures could not be used for correcting.
      Some may say that Timothy was referring to the Old Testament scriptures alone. However Paul says, "This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words." (1 Corinthians 2:13) The New Testament writings were not from human wisdom, but from the Holy Spirit (who is also God).
      The Bible, however, is never to be used as a weapon. The scriptures are clear that everything must be done in love. Is it not a great love to tell people of their sin and their need to change and follow Jesus Christ, which will eventually be rewarded with eternal life? Is that not what the apostles preached to the known world. They told many to repent and turn away from their sins. They called them to put their faith in Jesus so that they too could have eternal life. That is indeed an act of love.
      I have a feeling that people are offended when people use the Bible to point out their short comings and sins. I have feebly tried to point out that most are doing this in a attempt to show love, rather than hate. They want you to have the hope in a future eternal life that they have.
      RLP, could you explain why you believe that the Bible is confusing (or correct me if I have misunderstood you). I read the Bible very often and although some of it is indeed confusing, I find the majority to be rather straight forward. The more I look into it, the more I understand and comprehend, which seems contrary to your understanding is. Thanks.

⁹You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. ¹⁰But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. (Romans 8)

¹²Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation--but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. ¹³For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, ¹⁴because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. (Romans 8)

      We, who by faith have received the gift of eternal life through Christ Jesus, have also received the gift of the Holy Spirit. All who belong to Christ have the Holy Spirit within them. The Holy Spirit helps us to stop sinning among other things. If we, as followers of Christ, put to death sin in our lives with the help of the Holy Spirit we will live eternally. (Paul makes it clear that our "body is dead because of sin," yet our "spirit is alive because of righteousness." When he says that if we "put to death the misdeeds of the body," we "will live," he is talking of eternal life after our earthly death. How can Paul say that our bodies, as Christians, are dead, yet go on to say that we can live? It is obvious that he is talking about the eternal, not the mortal.)
      However, there is the other side of the coin. If we live according to the sinful nature, if we follow our sinful desires, we will die. (This is talking of the second death in the lake of fire as all will die the first earthly death.)

Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey–whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? (Romans 6:16)

      We can not serve two masters. (See Matthew 6:24, Luke 16:13) You can not be a slave to both sin and obedience. It is one or the other. If you are a slave to sin, you will die. As I pointed out earlier, Paul makes it clear that we all will die here on earth, however some will die a second death while others will live. (Rev. 20:14 says, "The lake of fire is the second death.") This is clearly what Paul is referring to. Matthew 13:49-50 says, "This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." The wicked will obviously go to hell and the righteous to eternal life.
      If you are a slave to sin, you are wicked and will enter hell. If you are a slave to obedience which leads to righteousness, you will enter heaven. Again, you are either a slave to sin which will result in hell, or obedience which will result in eternal life.
      When you are a slave to someone, you are obligated to do whatever he tells you to do. If the master says go work in the fields, you must go work in the fields. Likewise, if you are a slave to obedience, you must obey. There is no choice, only obligation. If you do not obey, you are a slave to sin. Sin is disobedience.
      Contrary to what some Christians believe, we do have an obligation. We are obligated to live according to the Spirit. We are obligated to "put to death the misdeeds of the body." By doing this we become slaves to obedience. The result of such action is eternal life. However, if we live according to the sinful nature and are slaves to sin, we will experience the second death which is hell.

      Hello everyone. I will gone from Wednesday, July 14 to Monday, July 19. My father and I are taking a canoeing and camping trip and I will suprisingly will not be able to post. So I will be back on Tuesday. God bless.

      Throughout the entire history of the world, it is clear that "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." (James 4:6)
      Moses was one of these men who was humble, yet was used in a mighty way by God. God came to Moses in the desert through a burning bush and told him to go to the Israelites to set them free from slavery. When Moses heard this he said to the Lord, "O Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue." This shows that he was not a proud man, but a man who admitted his shortcomings and faults. Because he had little confidence in his own ability, God allowed Aaron to go with him. The Bible says this of Moses, "Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth." (Numbers 12:3) Yet God used him to lead all of Israel. He was considered the greatest prophet. (Deut. 34:10) A extremely humble man was used in enormous ways.
      Later, Gideon was another man who God used. When God came to him and told him to attack the Midianites who were oppressing Israel. However Gideon replied, "how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family." (Judges 6:15) Despite the fact that his clan was the weakest and he was the least, God used Gideon to defeat the Midianites. Again, God wanted the least to do something great.
      David was another example of God's giving grace to the humble. David was the youngest in his family. Unlike his older brothers who went off to battle, David had the low job of tending the sheep. Yet it was David, the young shepherd, who killed the giant named Goliath. He was not as impressive as his older brothers, yet God chose him to become the anointed king of Israel. God chose the man who was the least to lead the entire nation of Israel.

      Many years later, Jesus Christ taught that "whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted." Did not God do exactly this in the Old Testament when he exalted those who were humble to positions of authority. Jesus was also a living example of this. He, the Son of God, humbled himself down to the position of being a mere human. However, he did not stop there, he washed his disciples feet which is something only a servant would do.
      In Revelations, God says to the church of Laodicea, "Because you are lukewarm--neither hot nor cold--I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked." (Rev. 3:16-17) This church was being warned that God would spit them out. Why? Because they were proud with what they had. They were so proud that they thought that they did not need a thing. However, God showed them that they are "wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked." Obviously God opposed the pride of this church. He was going to humble this church that had exalted itself.
      God opposes the proud, but he exalts the humble. If we want God to do anything with our lives, we must learn to humble ourselves.

⁴⁵"Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? ⁴⁶It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. ⁴⁷I tell you the truth, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. ⁴⁸But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, 'My master is staying away a long time,' ⁴⁹and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. ⁵⁰The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. ⁵¹He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Matthew 24)

      The master commanded the servant what to do, and left. If this servant obeys the master until the day the master returns, he will be rewarded. However, if the servant disobeys his master and the master comes home to the servants surprise, that servant will be put into hell.
      Jesus Christ is the master. We, as Christians, are his servants. Jesus left this earth by ascending to heaven and he promised to return to the earth. If we are wise, we will be obedient to the commands of Jesus and continue to serve Him until the day he returns.
      However, some who are servants of Christ will start to disobey Christ and living lives of sin ("beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards"). When Jesus returns when we do not expect Him, He will punish those who have been disobedient by placing them in hell.
      My brothers and sisters in Christ, I can not stress the importance of remaining faithful to our master, Jesus Christ, and walking in obedience to Him. Many call themselves followers of Christ. However, many do not follow Christ. Many call themselves servants of Christ. However many do not serve Christ. Unlike the wicked servant in this parable, let us obey Christ so that when he returns he will reward us, rather placing us in hell.

Once we become saved by the blood of Jesus, we are to remain in Jesus Christ.

If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. (John 15:6)

      This passage shows that those who are in Jesus will be saved. It also shows that someone, who was once in Christ, can stop remaining in Christ which brings the consequence of eternal punishment.

How can we be sure in we are in Christ?

This is how we know we are in him: 6Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did. (1 John 2:6)

      We can be sure that we are in Jesus if we walk as he did. How did Jesus walk? He walked a life of obedience to the Father even to his death.

      Simple to say, but hard to carry out. Perhaps that is why few travel on the narrow path that leads to life, and many travel on the road that leads to destruction.

      My youth group recently took a missions trip to Guatemala City. There they worked on the completion of a road in the dump, and ministered for those who lived in the Guatemala City dumps. The youth pastor was talking about the trip there and one part of his talk caught my attention.

      The pastor was talking about how it was so cool to see other Christians on the other side of the world. He talked about the church that they attended while there. The next thing he said shocked me, however it did not seem to bother him or anyone else for that matter. He said that the people who lived in the dump were not allowed to enter the church because they were too dirty and smelly. He said that one of the ministries that is located by the dump is trying to get these poor people a church of there own as they currently do not have a church to attend. All this was said as something of passing thought. Something that had little significance, something that is normal. Apparently it is normal to exclude those who are poor and dirty. Apparently it is common to show favoritism.

¹My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don't show favoritism. ²Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. ³If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, "Here's a good seat for you," but say to the poor man, "You stand there" or "Sit on the floor by my feet," ⁴have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? (James 2)

      The fact that a large church would show favoritism to those who have money and prosperity troubles me. I have seen similar behavior here in America. God does not show favoritism, and neither should we.

      My mother at Blogging Truth has written a great post entitled "Saved by a Walk of Faith, not a Moment of Decision."

She begins by writing :

      The modus operandi in many modern evangelical churches is to call sinners to a moment of decision. “Repent of your sins and accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior.” Romans 10:19 is often quoted: “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” God’s word is absolutely true, but is this the whole gospel message of salvation? People are instructed that they are eternally assured of salvation from the moment of their conversion. They are told their destiny is now locked into heaven. But again is this the gospel?

She makes some good points so check it out.

      I have been thinking a lot about hell recently (if you couldn't already tell). Many times in scripture hell is described as death. Revelations calls it the "second death" several times. However, I have come to the conclusion that hell is eternal punishment, not annihilation. So what does the Bible mean when it uses the word "death" to talk of hell?
      Jesus is sometimes called "the life" or "the eternal life." John writes, "The life appeared we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life which was with the Father and has appeared to us." (1 John 1:2) Jesus appeared to the disciples, they testify to it and proclaim to us Jesus who was with the Father and has appeared to them. Both "life" and "eternal life" were referring to Jesus because he is the source of life. It is through Jesus Christ that we can have eternal life.
      This theme of Jesus being the eternal life can be found again at the end of 1 John. Once again John wrote, "And we are in him who was true -- Even in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life." This verse is much clearer, Jesus Christ is eternal life.
      When we die here on earth it is the separation of the physical body and the soul. At the end of the tribulation, we will all receive spiritual bodies. These bodies will be imperishable, they will be immortal. (1 Cor. 15:53 says, "For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.") After we receive these new bodies we will be judged by God. "If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire." (Rev. 20:15) "The lake of fire is the second death." (Rev. 20:14)
      So the lake of fire (hell) is the second death. Why? When we are put into hell, or the lake of fire, we will be separated from God. Remember, "Jesus is the true God and eternal life." 1 Thessolonians says that those in hell will be "shut out from the presence of the Lord." The second death is the separation of the unrighteous from God. God is life. Without Him there is no life. That is why hell is often characterized as death. You are shut out from the life. Without life there is only death. That is why hell is the second death.

On a forum one person read my post on this blog on hell and shared his beliefs on hell. I responded with what I believe to be true based off of scripture. Enjoy.

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He said :

BloggingTeen: I guess I'll have to wait until after the 4th before I get a reply but I'll ask now while I'm thinking about it. I read your entry of June 19th, entitled "No Hell?" with interest and noticed that you were STILL deceived as to what hell is, what it will be, and who it was intended for and what happens in it. You are MISTAKEN in your beliefs but this is not a surprise. After all, you're only 15 and have not had much time to do much studying of scripture.

However, the first place to start would be to read again CAREFULLY the verses that you posted and to NOTICE that they do NOT say what you have been taught to believe they say.

By the way, I wanted to post a comment at your site but I was not sure how to do so. I tried clicking on both "Comments" and "Trackback" and nothing seemed to happen. Perhaps you can enlighten me as to how I can respond there.

At any rate, the verses that you posted used the phrases "EVERLASTING DESTRUCTION" and "DESTROY BOTH BODY AND SOUL". For some inexplicable reason, you interpret DESTRUCTION as ETERNAL LIFE in hell.

Next, you quote a parable of Jesus (Lazarus and the Rich Man) that has nothing to do with hell and is actually a prophecy concerning Himself. If one reads this parable with logic and reason (or guidance from the Holy Spirit), he will quickly discover that this is not (and CANNOT be) a literal description of hell and/or actual events. Just like all of the other parables of Jesus, it was designed to HIDE its true meaning from ALL who it had not been given to know:

Lk. 8:10 He said, “The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to others I speak in parables, so that, “`though seeing, they may not see; though hearing, they may not understand.’ [Isaiah 6:9]

After that parable, you quote Rev:20:15 but you leave out a critical part:

Re. 20:14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death.

Notice that it is called the SECOND DEATH! What are the wages of SIN? DEATH! No confusion, here. The TWO choices that God has offered from the very beginning are LIFE or DEATH:

De. 30:15 See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction.
...De. 30:19 This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live

Next, you quote 2Peter 2. Verse 2:4 uses the term "gloomy dungeons' which other manuscripts have as "chains of darkness". This definitely doesn't describe a hellfire, does it? It more correctly describes a pit or a grave.

Then, it recounts the story of Noah and the Flood. What happened to Noah? He was SAVED...he received LIFE! What happened to those who missed the boat? They PERISHED...they received DEATH!

This is followed by an account of Lot and Sodom. What happened to Lot? He LIVED! What happened to the rest of the inhabitants of Sodom? They DIED in the fire and brimstone that rained down upon them. Notice:

2Pe. 2:6 if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly;

Now compare that verse with these:

Mal. 4:1 “Surely the day is coming; it will burn like a furnace. All the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble, and that day that
is coming will set them on fire,” says the LORD Almighty. “Not a root or a branch will be left to them.
2 But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. And you will go out and leap like calves released from the stall.
3 Then you will trample down the wicked; they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day when I do these things,” says the LORD Almighty.

It should be abundantly clear from these verses (and hundreds more) that the "eternal punishment" promised to unrepentant sinners is DEATH and NOT ETERNAL LIFE in hell. And isn't this in keeping with a MERCIFUL God? I mean, after all, we shoot horses, don't we?

What would you think of our government if we continuously tortured (for the rest of their lives) our guilty? Would you not call any government which did so INHUMANE? Yet, for no reason, so many people BELIEVE that God is just such a monster. Satan, as scripture declares, has surely DECEIVED the WHOLE WORLD!

Join us which dare to REJECT the lies as SPEWED OUT by organized religion kept CAPTIVE by Satan's deceptions. If your heart is pure, it won't take long before you discover just how many lies have been foisted upon an unsuspecting laity.

May God open the hearts and minds of all who read this post. If Christianity is EVER to be a LIGHT unto the world, it must rid itself of the doctrines of devils and men and REESTABLISH itself as a purveyor of TRUTH.

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      I am in agreement with you on the idea that Christianity must tell the Truth. This Truth can be found in the Word of God, the Bible. All Christians should not rely on the doctrines of men, but on the Word of God. Keeping this in mind, I will begin to look at the scriptures to find the truth about hell.

"He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power." (1 Thess. 1:8-9)

      This verse addresses two questions. Who goes to hell and what will happen to those in hell? The answer to the first question is simply " those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel." (v. 8) Again, the answer to the second question is plain and clear. "They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power." (v. 9)
      How can destruction be everlasting as this verse states? Notice, it does not say that those in hell will be destroyed, but will go through "everlasting destruction." So those in hell will go through destruction without ever being completely destroyed.

"His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire." (Mt 3:12)

      Here God will separate the righteous (symbolized by wheat) from the unrighteous (chaff). The righteous will go to heaven and the unrighteous will be burning up in "unquenchable fire." The fire represents suffering. However, this suffering can not be stopped because it is unquenchable. Again, it does not say that the unrighteous will be completely burnt up, but that they are burning.

"And they will go out and look upon the dead bodies of those who rebelled against me; their worm will not die, nor will their fire be quenched, and they will be loathsome to all mankind." (Isaiah 66:24)

      When you read the first portion of this verse, it seems clear that people in hell are dead (as you believe). However, it goes on to say that their "worm will not die." When a body is decaying their are worms and maggots that feast on the flesh. Normally, the maggots would die when the body is completely eaten because their source of food would no longer exist. Here, however, the maggot does not die. So the body is always decaying (and being eaten away by worms), while never completely ceasing to exist. However, one should not take this as a literal description of hell. What this describes hell as a place where people will be going to intense suffering that will never end.
      It also says that those in hell will not have their fire quenched. This is very simply. Like Matthew 3:12, here the suffering will not be stopped. In both cases, the truth is evident. Hell is a place of eternal suffering.

"Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life." (Mt. 25:46)

      When read in context, the word "they" is referring to the unrighteous or the "goats." So the righteous will go to eternal life, but the unrighteous will go to eternal punishment. Eternal meaning never ending and punishment meaning punishment. Very clear.

"If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out." (Mark 9:43)

      Once again, this verse shows that hell is a place where the suffering never stops.

"Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt." (Daniel 12:2)

      Some will go to heaven, which is everlasting life. While others go to hell which is everlasting contempt. Hell is everlasting.

      In Revelations, it talks about the lake of fire (hell). Satan will be thrown in the lake of fire, as with all who are not saved. Satan will be "tormented day and night for ever and ever." (Rev. 20:10) This supports that conclusion that those in hell will be eternally punished.

      You quoted 2 Peter 2:6 where you tried to support your belief for the annihilation of those in hell. A few verses later it say this:

"Then the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment, while continuing their punishment." (2 Peter 2:9)

      Contrary to your statements, 2 Peter clearly shows that those in hell will not die. God will "hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment," which clearly contradicts the idea that those in hell will cease to exist. It shows exactly the opposite, those in hell will continue to exist. This verse also says that God will do this "while continuing their punishment." Once again, God will continue their punishment. They will continue to exist while being punished.

"In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire." (Jude 7)

      Although I just pointed out your error by not reading the complete section in 2 Peter, this verse further exposes your grave error. Although Sodom and Gomorrah did indeed die, those in hell "suffer the punishment of eternal fire." Those is hell are being punished with eternal suffering.

You said :

It should be abundantly clear from these verses (and hundreds more) that the "eternal punishment" promised to unrepentant sinners is DEATH and NOT ETERNAL LIFE in hell. And isn't this in keeping with a MERCIFUL God? I mean, after all, we shoot horses, don't we?

      When we as humans, shoot horses it is an act of mercy. By quickly ending it's life we are stopping it's suffering which would lead to death. However, when God puts people in hell it is not an act of mercy, but an act of judgment. He is punishing those who have not obeyed His commands. So, unlike shooting horses, when God throws people into hell He is punishing their disobedience, not showing mercy to them.
      However, God is merciful. He showed mercy to the entire world. How? He sent His only Son, Jesus, down to this earth to die for the world's sins and to rise back to life. It was because of God's mercy that we have a chance to have eternal life if we believe in Jesus Christ. "In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead." (1 Peter 3)

      The truth has been set before you. The Word of God makes a clear and concise case for the existence of eternal punishment for those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel. Each of us deserve this punishment. Thanks be to God, who in His mercy allows us to spend eternity with Him through his Son, Jesus Christ.