False Hopes

"Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves: Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste. Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place. And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it." (Isaiah 28: 15-18)

Every false teaching about the after life, about God and religion, about salvation from the evil of our world, is a "false hope," and a "refuge of lies." Any teaching that keeps men away from the true path to God will "lead to destruction." For Christians, Jesus is "the Way, the Truth, and the Life," and "no one comes to the Father (Creator) but through him." (John 14: 6)

Hope of Unbelievers

1. There is no God - therefore there is no need to fret about judgment.

2. God is too good to send anyone to hell forever for sin. Sin is no big deal. He can overlook it.

3. God will accept my good deeds as atonement for my wrongdoings.

4. God does not care how we view and understand him, only that we are sincere in trying to discover him. All the various religions are just so many paths to God and heaven.

5. I can take my fill of sin now and make it right with God later, when I am old.

Reincarnation, nihilism, and the various cult philosophies are also all simply "refuges of lies," "damnable heresies" (II Peter 2: 1) and "false hopes."

"So are the paths of all that forget God; and the hypocrite's hope shall perish: Whose hope shall be cut off, and whose trust shall be a spider's web. He shall lean upon his house, but it shall not stand: he shall hold it fast, but it shall not endure." (Job 8: 13)

Here we read of the hypocrite's hope. It is not worthy of hope, trust and confidence. Pretenders fool themselves with vain and groundless expectations.

"For what is the hope of the hypocrite, though he hath gained, when God taketh away his soul?" (Job 27: 8)

Besides the false hope of the hypocrite, there are those who make money the object of their faith. They make "gold" their "hope" and "say to the fine gold, Thou art my confidence" (Job 31: 24)

Hypocrites, wicked sinners, false religionists - these all cling to false hopes in regard to the coming Day of Judgment. They think that they shall some how "escape the judgment," but they are deluded.

"When a wicked man dieth, his expectation shall perish: and the hope of unjust men perisheth." (Proverbs 11:7)

Lots of people have lived their lives thinking that all was well with them, that they would go to heaven when they died, and yet have gone down to hell fire. I am sure their first thought in hell is one of surprise. They did not think they would end up here! How did this happen? Why did God allow me to go to this place? Where did I go wrong?

Friends, it is better for you to consider these things now, before you die, before you descend into the place of torment. You will not be able to ignore these questions then, but will haunt you throughout eternity. Better consider them now before it is too late. Are you clinging to false hopes about your soul and about the coming Day of Judgment?