Ven Dr Chiadikobi Emmanuel
By Don Peter Okoro, JP-UN
The Vicar of St. Andrew’s Anglican Church, DCC Nkwo-Nnewi, Anambra State, and Founder of Jesus Healing Ministry, Ven. Dr Chiadikobi Levi Emmanuel, has said that the greatest suffering in hell will not be the fire, but the deep regret of rejecting God’s repeated offers of salvation.
Speaking in an exclusive interview at his vicarage with award-winning journalist, Don Peter Okoro, the cleric described hell as the worst fate that could befall any individual, stressing that the agony of lost opportunities for redemption would surpass every other form of punishment.
According to him, many people would eventually realize that God made numerous efforts to draw them to Himself, but they consistently ignored His call through pride, arrogance, and unbelief.
“I believe that the worst thing that can happen to any person is to enter hell. There is tremendous suffering there, but the greater pain will not be the fire itself. The greater pain will be regret. At that point, a person’s eyes will be opened, and he will realize that God did everything possible to get his attention, yet he continually rejected Him,” he said.
Ven. Chiadikobi also cautioned against self-glorification and the growing belief among some people that they are entirely self-made.
While acknowledging the importance of diligence, hard work, and responsibility, he warned that success should never be attributed solely to personal effort without recognizing God’s role.
“The world celebrates independence, personal ambition, and self-glory. The danger lies in believing that success is achieved without God.
“Some people boast that their intelligence, discipline, and hard work alone made them successful, and that they do not need God or anyone else,” he noted.
Quoting 1 Corinthians 4:7, the cleric emphasized that every gift, opportunity, talent, and achievement ultimately comes from God.
He further explained that Christianity does not encourage laziness but promotes excellence and hard work empowered by divine grace.
“Grace does not replace labour; rather, it empowers and multiplies it. Apostle Paul said he laboured more abundantly than others, yet acknowledged that it was the grace of God working through him.
“Favour is for labour, and labour must meet grace,” he added.
The cleric noted that God continually reaches out to humanity through blessings, miracles, protection, promotions, acts of kindness, and the promptings of conscience in a bid to draw people closer to Him.
He cited the biblical parable of the barren fig tree, saying it illustrates God’s patience and willingness to give people repeated opportunities to repent despite their shortcomings.
“The owner wanted the tree cut down because it was unfruitful, but the gardener pleaded for more time and nurtured it. Many people are like that tree. Despite their rebellion, God continues to show them mercy, granting them opportunities and additional time to return to Him,” he explained.
Reiterating his message, Ven. Chiadikobi maintained that while hell is a place of suffering, the deepest anguish will come from realizing too late that countless opportunities for salvation had been rejected.
“The greatest pain in hell will be the regret of discovering that God gave every opportunity for salvation, but those opportunities were ignored,” he concluded.
Tags: Religion, Christianity, Anglican Church, Ven. Dr. Chiadikobi Levi Emmanuel, Hell, Salvation, Faith, Grace, Gospel, Repentance, Nnewi, Anambra State, Jesus Healing Ministry, Spirituality, Christian Living.
