I’ve often been challenged with the reasoning: People are expected to forgive others for sinning against them, but God doesn’t have to forgive people. In fact, unless they turn to Him, He tortures them for eternity. Is eternity in hell for sin really fair punishment?
In the past, I’ve tried to reason with the questioner, and explain that God is infinitely holy. When we break His law, we sin against Him and Him alone. Since our sin is against an infinitely holy Being, our punishment is infinite. If I lie to a child, I probably will not suffer any consequences. If I lie to my boss, I could be fired. If I lie while under oath in court, I could go to jail. Under the right circumstances, if I lie to the U.S. government, it would be considered treason, and I could be executed. The same sin receives varying levels of punishment, depending on whom I’ve wronged.
I think that’s a valid explanation for why hell is eternal, but it’s somewhat long and hard to understand. The real reason that hell is eternal is because the Bible says it is. But what’s a good way to explain that to people who don’t care about the Bible?
It’s no surprise that people ask this question. It’s our fallen human nature to ask. I can’t imagine that a very high percentage of the criminals sitting on death row think they deserve the death penalty. I can’t imagine very many speeders in traffic court agree with the fine they’ve been given.
God, being just, is obligated to punish guilty sinners for breaking His law. Is it really any surprise that those guilty lawbreakers don’t like the punishment that’s been promised to them?
I think the best way to answer the question is to remind the person of their guilt, and that it’s their nature to whine and complain about it. The guilty don’t determine their fair sentence; the Judge determines the sentence. It is only ours to take our punishment or run to the Savior.
Christ Alone Wyoming 
Bill,
Thanks for this article. As you may know there are folks in some of the charismatic branches of the church who preach that hell is simply a mis-translation of what was meant to illustrate the tar pits outside of Babylon, and is an meant to be a comparative allegory rather than the real thing.
There are others who don’t believe a merciful God can mete out such punishment, yet they believe in capital punishment themselves. Go figure.
In any case this bottom line is one I will definitely use the next time I hear the ‘no hell’ theory:
” The guilty don’t determine their fair sentence; the Judge determines the sentence. It is only ours to take our punishment or run to the Savior.”
God bless.
LikeLike
God is eternal. Just as His condemnation is eternal for sins, so too is His forgiveness.
LikeLike
I was reading some Jonathan Edwards earlier today, and here is a suitable quote:
LikeLike
Several times in the Gospels Jesus spoke of Hell as being “everlasting.” The greek word aidios (ah-id’-ee-os) is used for everlasting life as well as everlasting punishment.
This modern day denial of the eternity of Hell, or the view that sin will be punished only to the extent that the sin was committed (thus only temporary depending upon the severity of the sin) is nothing more than a revival of Universalism and Annihilationism.
Universalism teaches that ultimately everyone will be saved, even the Devil and his angels. Annihilationism teaches that sin will be punished, then those who suffer will be “annihilated”.
The great danger in this is a sick sort of false hope it gives those who sin against God – that their disobedience will only be punished temporarily, and then after that, they will either be “saved” (somehow) or “annihilated” thus ending their suffering.
Jesus said that life and punishment would be everlasting. The same Greek word is used for both. This leads me to two thoughts:
1. Since the same Greek word is used, if punishment (Hell) is not eternal, then “eternal life” is not eternal as well.
2. I would never presuppose to argue with Jesus – His word is the final authority for me.
3. I would not want to stand before Him having taught other than what He taught.
LikeLike
I thought most churches today don’t teach about hell anymore. Am I wrong here? Why do you guys (if you don’t mind my asking) still believe in hell?
LikeLike
Because we really don’t care what “most churches” believe and don’t believe about Hell–we base our beliefs on the words of Scripture, not the heretical ideas of sinful man.
In fact, the Scriptures are quite clear that Hell is eternal, fiery, and real.
Mark 9:43-48–It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, to go to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched where ‘Their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’ …It is better for you to enter life lame, rather than having two feet, to be cast into hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched where ‘Their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’…It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire where ‘Their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’
Matthew 25:41, 46–“Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels…And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
Revelation 20:10-15–The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever…I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened…And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books…And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.
2nd Thessalonians 1:9–These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power.
We are fully aware that some churches don’t like to talk about Hell. People don’t like heqaring about it, and if these “churches” talk about it, they may lose members and dollars. That’s not our problem. That’s theirs. They will answer for not teaching the whole counsel of God.
LikeLike
fourpointer,
Amen!
coorston,
I believe in hell because God said it was created for the devil and people will go to it and God has preserved the message about it in His word, which He also preserved for us to learn and understand. It does not matter what other churches or pastors or Bible teachers teach/preach/believe. What matters is what God has said.
LikeLike
coorston,
Hell is necessary
In Christ,
CD
LikeLike
I think it is good to see that more and more churches are moving away from these (what I and many experts think are) misguided, representations of the scripture. Anyway I just read this post and thought it interesting. Perhaps one of you could point me to an in depth study of Hell in the bible. I would be interested to learn more on the topic. Of course I admit that I could be wrong on my stance but, basically, I really hate the idea of hell…
Thanks to all who replied!
LikeLike
Here is something I wrote on the existence of hell: http://wbmoore.wordpress.com/2008/09/17/does-hell-exist/
LikeLike
coorston,
Of course we humans don’t like the idea of Hell. It doesn’t seem “fair.” But if you look at the verses I posted above, you will se that the Scriptures are quite clear on one thing: Hell is real, it is fiery, and it is eternal. I’m sorry if you don’t like it, but that’s the way it is. Besides, who would you rather believe–God’s written word, or your own fickle feelings?
As wbmoore has, I have also posted on the subject of Hell.
The Reality of Hell (Hades, part 1)
The Reality of Hell (Hades, part 2)
The Reality of Hell (The Great White Throne, part 1)
The Reality of Hell (The Great White Throne, part 2)
LikeLike
Coorston~
The Lord Jesus Christ taught this concerning hell—“There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:
And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,
And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that [would come] from thence. Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father’s house: For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.” Luke 16:19-31
THis is commentary from Matthew Henry…”As the parable of the prodigal son set before us the grace of the gospel, which is encouraging to us all, so this sets before us the wrath to come, and is designed for our awakening; and very fast asleep those are in sin that will not be awakened by it. The Pharisees made a jest of Christ’s sermon against worldliness; now this parable was intended to make those mockers serious. The tendency of the gospel of Christ is both to reconcile us to poverty and affliction and to arm us against temptations to worldliness and sensuality. Now this parable, by drawing the curtain, and letting us see what will be the end of both in the other world, goes very far in prosecuting those two great intentions. This parable is not like Christ’s other parables, in which spiritual things are represented by similitudes borrowed from worldly things, as those of the sower and the seed (except that of the sheep and goats), the prodigal son, and indeed all the rest but this. But here the spiritual things themselves are represented in a narrative or description of the different state of good and bad in this world and the other. Yet we need not call it a history of a particular occurrence, but it is matter of fact that is true every day, that poor godly people, whom men neglect and trample upon, die away out of their miseries, and go to heavenly bliss and joy, which is made the more pleasant to them by their preceding sorrows; and that rich epicures, who live in luxury, and are unmerciful to the poor, die, and go into a state of insupportable torment, which is the more grievous and terrible to them because of the sensual lives they lived: and that there is no gaining any relief from their torments. Is this a parable? What similitude is there in this? The discourse indeed between Abraham and the rich man is only an illustration of the description, to make it the more affecting, like that between God and Satan in the story of Job. Our Saviour came to bring us acquainted with another world, and to show us the reference which this world has to that; and here is does it. In this description (for so I shall choose to call it) we may observe”…
the rest of this commentary may be read at http://www.blueletterbible.org/commentaries/comm_view.cfm?AuthorID=4&contentID=1657&commInfo=5&topic=Luke
I pray the Lord will bless you this day with understanding and insight on the reality of hell and eternal punishment
LikeLike
Dear Coorston:
Thank you for your comment. In regards to your interest in learning more about this topic, may I recommend the sermon found on this post? I also highly recommend the sermon found on this post too.
It is one of the best messages on Hell I’ve ever heard and think it may help you in learning more about it.
Sincerely,
– The Pilgrim
LikeLike
Here are four videos where Dr. Macarthur preaches on the reality, the eternality, and the fiery judgment that is Hell.
LikeLike
Bill — to follow on your anaolgy of lying to a child vs. lying to the government, it is an interesting analogy.
So if lying to the government in certain instances brings a death penalty…and sinning before God brings a sentence of eternal Hell… and Jesus took our punishment and saved us from eternal Hell…. Shouldn’t Jesus be in Hell for eternity as paying the price for our sins?
Lenny
LikeLike
Hi Lenny,
That’s a good question. Our penalty for sinning against God is infinite, so we need infinite payment. Jesus is infinite, eternal, Almighty God. Even one drop of His blood is sufficient payment. I’ve tried to explain this very thing as a proof for Jesus’ deity to Jehovah’s Witnesses before.
Thanks,
Bill
LikeLike
Another fundamental question is does man INNATELY have an immortal soul, the gift of eternal life?? Some would say the concept of fundamental immortality of the soul is a holdover from Greek philosophy.
LikeLike
There really isn’t any doubt that The LORD Jesus Christ taught that there is a literal Hell and that it is a place of fiery torment and eternal imprisonment. My question is: ‘Is there something in the basic nature of humankind that is absolutely indestructible and therefore utterly eternal?’ If so, then all the terrible words of warning in scripture are surely appropriate! And since Jesus talked so deliberately about the reality and eternity of Hell and is himself the perfect radiance of the invisible Father ,whose very nature is love, Gods great heart is crying to us that there is an unavoidable,unending destiny in Hell for all who persist in unbelief and sin.
LikeLike
I gotta be honest ! as a struggling christian, this is the issue i have always had problem with and the only real blockage in my willingness to walk as he would have me. if somebody said to you ” you better love me or else i’m gonna send you to eternal hell”. is this a good way to gain that love ? it doesn’t work and then of couse somebody says ” we send ourselves to hell “. this is a disturbing fact ! that God created evil seeing as evil exist and is created within our universe. God is uncreated and beyond that creation. if he did not create it, he ceases to be God because it implies something beyond his doing and by definition God is the beginning and end of all things, he is the outer wall that nothing can penetrate. you and I are actually already inside of God here on earth.. the only thing that gives me hope in this issue is i believe in my heart God is good and that means evil came into being with a purpose that ultimately would bring about the good will of God. i have no problem with humans going to hell for a time however the eternal part offends me and i think it is the greatest crack in the christian theology. to me it doesn’t gel. does mercy not triumpth over judgement ? even sinners don’t punish their children forever. while this issue festers in my mind, i find i am reluctant ( maybe even out of some spite ) to give God my whole life. how would you react if on entering heaven you were to find half of the people you knew and some of which you really loved were not in heaven but hell and you would not ever see them again ? would you really feel like praising then ? if he will not interfere in our free will, he certainely won’t interfere with our memories ( make it so we could not recall those absent ) how can a God whose message and actions be mercy, forgiveness and love manifested then commit something so unthinkable ? what’s your take ? am i wrong in my thinking ?
LikeLike
80sPgre – If you retype your paragraph with proper mixed case letters, it will be much easier to read and you might get an answer. As it is, with all lower case letter, it is most difficult to read and make sense of.
LikeLike
God did not create evil, because God is Holy and is not capable of evil. What he did create was the possibility of evil by giving man free will. By default, God cannot create free will without the possibility of man rejecting him. He has to allow evil to exist for a time, so that he can save the ones who want to be saved. If God was to not allow evil, we would all be in big eternal trouble, for we would all perish. One of the reasons hell is forever is that man will never repent of his sins without it. It would be against Gods nature to over ride our free will to remove sin in our life. A righteous judge would never let a criminal out of jail if he is unrepentant because he would continue in his crimes. It is this doctrine of hell that drives us toward our Savior because we need him desperately to escape this awful fate. Ultimately hell is Gods way of conquering evil once and for all. To God be all the glory for ever and ever.
LikeLike
SosOgre:
With all due respect, I must tell you that from what you’ve expressed, it appears you are relying more heavily on what makes sense to you, what you feel, or what you would like to believe, rather than on the understanding that God has given us regarding these things in His Word (the Bible). It seems your reasoning is causing you conflict with what God has said. For instance: “i have no problem with humans going to hell for a time however the eternal part offends me and i think it is the greatest crack in the christian theology. to me it doesn’t gel.” Whether it gels to you or I is irrelevant. There is abundant testimony in Scripture that hellfire is indeed eternal, whether we want to believe it or not.
Your reasoning: “even sinners don’t punish their children forever” assumes that all people are God’s children, and leads to the conclusion that mere men would be more righteous than God since even they wouldn’t punish their children forever. The “Fatherhood of God and brotherhood of man” concept is not true according to the Bible. The ONLY children of God are those adopted as heirs with Christ through the blood of Jesus shed for them. All others are not children of God, but children of the devil.
“But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,” Jn.1:12
“You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires…” Jn.8:44a
“and said, “You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord?” Acts 13:10
“We know that we [followers of Christ] are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.” 1 Jn.5:19
What you need to understand is that we are beings that will exist for eternity in one place or the other. Hell (or more accurately the Lake of Fire) is an eternal place originally prepared for the devil and his angels who rebelled against God, where all men who are not saved, who practice unrighteousness, who are separated from God due to their sins and thus are the devil’s children, are cast:
“The LORD looks down from heaven on the children of man, to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God. They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one.” Ps.14:2-3
“The wicked are estranged from the womb; they go astray from birth, speaking lies.” Ps.58:3
“as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.”…“There is no fear of God before their eyes.” Rom. 3:10 – 18)
“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” Matt.25:41
Only those who have been saved by the finished work of Jesus on the cross are delivered from the kingdom of darkness to spend eternity with their Creator God. All others (the unsaved, unrighteous, rebellious, children of Satan), will spend eternity where their father Satan will be.
Your statement: “you and I are actually already inside of God here on earth.” is completely untrue. God the Holy Spirit resides in those who are born again followers of Jesus Christ. But we are not inside of God.
I encourage you to study the Bible, believe what God says in it. Also, it would be beneficial to go back up and read the links posted by fourpointer, Coram Deo, Lyn and the Pilgrim.
LikeLike
Dan,
Your reply is full of partial truth and error. Some thoughts for you to prayerfully consider:
God is sovereign over all. This includes wicked men, see Proverbs 16:4 – “The LORD hath made every thing for its own end: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.”
Regarding man’s free will, man is born a child of wrath, at war with God, unable to do anything good. The limit of man’s free will is bound by his nature – which is only sinful. He can not freely choose Christ – he must be born again before he can do so. For all the work of salvation is of the Lord – no man can merit anything from God, no man can do anything good in His sight. Read the first 3 chapters of Romans.
Evil exists for our benefit – to show us that God is good and we are not. If not for evil, we could not know what holiness is. Also, evil shows us how desperately we need God. Evil does give God any power or benefit that enables Him to do anything.
Adam and Eve were the only humans ever to be able to choose good – and they blew it for the entire human race. The entire set-up of creation – including sin and all sorts of evil – was for the purpose of bringing glory to the Creator from the midst of the rebellion.
If God did not change our sinful will – before He gave us faith to believe and desire to choose good – none of use would want to or be able to repent unto saving faith. Reprobates spend eternity in hell because they cannot repay the price of their sin and because they keep on sinning in hell, as God pours out His wrath on them. It’s like a credit card on which the sinner can only make minimum payment while he keeps running up his debt.
God needed nothing, needs nothing, including us. All was done for His glory – and a collateral benefit is we are gloriously saved and will enjoy His presence forever!
LikeLike
I keep seeing people post about how REAL hell is because you read it in the Bible…and people saying God gave us the bible. FYI people God didn’t write the Bible, it was written by man, so everything in it can be equally as wrong and sinful as man himself, consider that, if we want to discard other’s who are questioning God merely because of their “feeble thinking” then consider the fact that bible was written by people who are also subject to “feeble thinking”.
The idea that a benevolent God would actually punish people eternally for sins is lunacy, any God would expect sin, and understand us for questioning the existence of God, Heaven and Hell. If God truly is divine, then God surely knows he cannot expect humans to think the way he does, plain and simple. It is unknowable what God will do with us. I find it weird that God had no problem speaking to the Jews of yore through burning bushes, and a sacrificial son… but he has yet to reveal himself in any way shape or form since. Where’d he go? Did he stop caring after Jesus died or what.
LikeLike
Lagrue,
If the Bible is as you say a mere book written by man “so everything in it can be equally as wrong and sinful as man himself”, then how does one explain hundreds of prophesies written in the Bible from hundreds to thousands of years before the fact, being literally fulfilled regarding Jesus of Nazareth? How does one explain the thousands of artifacts that reside in Museums worldwide testifying to the incidents described in the Bible (and not one thing has EVER been found to disprove anything written in the Bible)? How does one account for extra-biblical historical references testifying to those things written in the Bible? How does one explain the nation of Israel who still today testify both in their core beliefs and in the names of their land, of the God of the Bible and what He has said? All these things and many more testify against the ridiculous notion that the Bible is a mere human invention. It is the Word of God, written by men He has chosen to write His words (some 40 men, on 3 Continents, over some 1500 years, most of which never met each other), to mankind. It is eternally binding, we will all be judged by it, and I strongly suggest you read it before so flippantly denouncing what it says.
LikeLike
To the ECT fanboys, you fail to mention that God never mentions about this as a punishment to Adam and Eve before sin. They were told that they would die. Did God use bait and switch on them? I doubt it. Even Jesus’ mention of Gehenna (not hell) is similar to a scripture in Isaiah about the Valley of Hinnom were the “dead” bodies of the men were there and the worm did not die and the fire was not quenched. But the key word was “dead” not “alive.” Hell is a method of control for fundamentalists (which I used to be) to persuade and many of them get off on this doctrine. I think they fall into what Jesus said that “you don’t know what spirit you’re of” because Jesus rebuked his follower about wanting to call down fire from heaven to consume them. What sense would it make to rebuke for that but put something much worse upon someone? You fundies don’t even make sense.
LikeLike
Matthew, thank you for stopping by. I would like to know where you believe people go when they die. Do they just rot in the grave like an animal with no soul? What about those who accept Christ during this life? What happens to them? Conversely, what happens to those who die without accepting Christ as their Savior?
LikeLike
“You fundies don’t even make sense.”
Matthew, I am no fundy but believe Jesus when he warned me about that fiery furnace where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.
As far as Gehenna, what sense does it make for Jesus to say don’t fear man who can kill your body but can do no more, but rather fear God, who after he has killed can cast your soul into Gehenna. Do you think the sins you have committed in your life are so terrible that you deserve to be case into that eternal trash dump, into that place where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth? Do you deserve hell for sinning against the majesty of God?
Apart from your juvenile name calling, your spirit in this matter reflects that you have more than a wrong understanding but a wrong heart. Take the plank out of your eye before you come rebuking others (falsely at that) and if you have never seen your sinfulness before God take some time to do so and only then turn to Jesus who bore the wrath of God for you that you may live.
LikeLike
The O.P. says the only real defense for hell being eternal is that the Bible says so, well, for one thing, something simply saying something is not necessarily a reason to accept it. Yes, I believe in Jesus and I believe in the Bible, but I am not so closed minded to think that something in the Bible may have been mistranslated or improperly rendered into English, and I am also not one to simply accept an idea because “many people in the early church believed it”. So, the question is begged, “does the Bible really say people are tormented in a literal fire forever”?
Certainly The Bible speaks of hell or punishment being eternal, but does that mean that people are experiencing pain for all eternity? I personally hope not, but I am willing to go wherever God takes me on this subject. Logically, it makes no sense that God would sit on His throne, surrounded by his angels and actively burn people in a fire day and night forever and ever. For one thing, we know that sin can not be in His presence, so for Him to sit or stand in front of evil people and burn them forever would mean that God would be in sin’s presence for eternity, since it is the sin of man that needs punishment. People seem far too willing and even eager to believe in God’s right and privilege to torture souls or even bodies in a fire, saying “he is God, He can do anything He wants to” and the like. Is it possible that that eagerness to see God do what He wants has blinded us to something that shows a different story?
Consider the Bible’s description of love (Agape) in Corinthians. One of the things love does not do is “seek it’s own” i.e. it is not selfish, and doesn’t seek revenge for wrongs done against it. Then, consider that the Bible says God IS LOVE. If God is the very existence of love, can He then torment His enemies day and night, forever with no hope of mercy? Doesn’t God’s mercy “endure forever”?? With this in mind, read Revelation again, and note that there are two judgements of sinners mentioned; one for the rank and file sinner, and one for the worshipers of the Beast, along with the beast and false prophet, as well as Satan. Ask yourself what does “the second death” mean? Then, get into the Greek and look for the meaning of the phrase translated “forever and ever” in reference to those being tormented.
Which makes more sense, that God will give people some sort of body that can’t be destroyed, so He can light them on fire and watch them suffer, or does it make more sense that once sinners have been punished for their sins, they would be purged from existence and from God’s presence FOREVER?
LikeLike
Ooh. That is good. I completely agree with you and am wrestling with those exact same questions. I believe that the lake of fire is going to be reserved for the devil and his angels, and that those who reject Christ will experience an eternal separation from God, but I cannot believe in a maniacal god that would burn people night and day. That sounds like hitler to me not the God I serve. I think the doctrine of Hell is just a scare tactic to get people into heaven, but not really the real reason why people should turn to Jesus. They should drawn towards His love not His wrath.
LikeLike
” I think the doctrine of Hell is just a scare tactic to get people into heaven”
“If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, to go to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched” – Jesus (Mark 9:34 )
“but I cannot believe in a maniacal god that would burn people night and day. ”
“If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.”
Amy, you are very deceived. Have you ever considered that you actually deserve hell fire – night and day – for ever and ever because of the vile sins you have committed against the eternal majesty of God? Have you ever had a saving encounter with the crucified Christ who bore the wrath of God for those who would trust in Him? Your ‘god’ sounds like an idol you have made up in your prideful mind (or read about in the shack or a rob bell book).
-Jim
LikeLike
I’m sorry but I disagree with this wholeheartedly. First and foremost I don’t think anyone realizes just how cruel the concept of hell fire is. You are talking about burning an individual for billions and billions of years with no respite for a life that at most was for 85 – 100 years. How can anyone be ok with that notion, that is actual torture the likes of which can’t even be beheld. How could anyone attempt to defend that idea especially when God’s ultimate quality and the lens through which he filters EVERYTHING is love. There are numerous examples of God’s love, his patience, his tolerance and his his long suffering nature but in the same breath he would burn people in a fiery pit for eternity, that seriously bothers any humane individual’s sense of justice so how much more so does it bother God’s?
Secondly the presentation here of sin is that it’s something we can switch easily avoid and as such hell is a fair judgement for any sinner but EVERY human battles with sin every day. It is an inborn desire for doing things that do not coincide with God’s standards stemming from Adam and Eve’s rebellion. It something EVERY human fights with daily. That is why the wage (payment) for sin is death…not torture. That is why Jesus’ sacrifice is deemed an undeserved kindness because rightly as sinners we should die but that same sacrifice allows us to gain life eternal. The same God that sent his son to die for us would not in the same breath burn humans no matter how evil for eternity.
How long do you think you as an imperfect human would be able to watch even the likes of Hitler burn and writhe in agony? 5 minutes? 20 minutes? A day? How long would it take before your own sense of justice to kick in and beg for that torture to stop? Now think of that happening forever…
God IS love and regardless of his own sense of justice his overriding sense of love would render him incapable of doing such a thing. The fire mentioned in several verses is to indicate the permanence of that decision, that is once they are destroyed that is it there is no return.
LikeLike
Guy – you have a very light view of sin and God’s holiness and very high view of man. One sin against holy God is worthy of His unceasing wrath. And since the damned do not stop sinning once they are in hell, they continue to heap up wrath for eternity.
LikeLike