21 Knowing Jesus Christ Jesus tells us the truth about hell. Hell is an eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels and for everyone who continues to sin in thought or in word or in deed (Matthew 25:41-46; 5:22,27-30). The suffering in hell is eternal and irreversible, and with great sorrow Jesus warns us that the people in hell will be weeping and gnashing their teeth (Matthew 13:36-43). God desires for everyone to be saved, but Jesus said that the majority will go into hell (Matthew 7:13,14). They will refuse to love the truth, and as a result they will be deceived by the crafty lies of Satan’s highly respected educators and religious teachers. But who will know the truth and be saved? Only those who listen to Jesus and obey His teaching. . . . Jesus said, ”If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31,32 (NIV84) Almighty God did not create us as robots. But if you make the choice to hold to the teaching of Jesus, you will know that Jesus is The Way and that Jesus is The Truth and finally you will know that Jesus is The Life. Jesus said, “I am the life,” because He is the source of all life and you cannot receive eternal life unless you receive Jesus. Eternal life begins here and now when you know Jesus and His Spirit comes to live within you (Romans 8:9). 9 We accept man’s testimony, but God’s testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which he has given about his Son. 10 Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart. Anyone who does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because he has not believed the testimony God has given about his Son. 11 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. 13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. 1 John 5:9-13 (NIV84)