When we consider the problem of the reality of heaven, hell, the nature of sin, and the reality of God we must consider justice. We face the urge to somehow mitigate or ameliorate hell. Over the centuries, far too many preachers leaned into, or emphasized, hell, using fear as a motivator. They seek to goad their audience into a commitment to God as an alternative to an existence of endless punishment. At best, action from fear is transient in nature. Once fear fades, a person loses their devotion. God never sought to reach His people through fear, not the patriarchs of old, the Jews of the wanderings, or the modern Christians of today. He seeks a relationship based on love and an understanding of His true nature. Not only is God holy, unable to tolerate sin, but He is also just, enacting justice for all His children.
A stringent holiness and wise justice evade human capabilities. Often, we quote, “vengeance is mine says the Lord,” Deuteronomy 32:35. God is not one to embrace chaos and disorder. His acts of creation brought about order and harmony. Our sin brought about disorder and anarchy. His love of good order and discipline led Him to pass the sword of vengeance to human government, Romans 13:3-5. None of us truly want justice, unless directed at someone else. We want others to get their just deserts, but we want grace or mercy for ourselves. We struggle when trying to understand how a loving God would send someone to hell. Perhaps, we construct the sentence incorrectly. God does not send, He allows. He loves us enough to let us choose our fate and He is wise enough to administer justice. The reality is that God extends to all His grace and mercy through Jesus Christ and at the end of all things, He allows those who have chosen to reject Him to reap the fruits of their choice. Those of us blessed to enter into His presence do so only because of His gracious work through Jesus. It has always been this way.
God has not changed over the years. He is not bi-polar. He did not take a chill-pill sometime around AD 33. He has always loved His creation and sought to be in harmony with it. At the first crunch of the apple in the garden, His heart broke. But, even with the broken heart, He started working out His plan to set things right. His mercies have always poured out on us, new every morning, Lamentations 3:22-23. It is our lack of understanding about the reality of His nature, the nature of love, and the nature of holiness that clouds our understanding of reality. Jesus frequently reminded His followers…and us…that He and the father are the same. Jesus shares the same stringent holiness, the same commitment to justice, and the same love of His children with His father. They are truly one. A stream of God’s mercy flows through scripture mitigating the deleterious effects of justice on His children. Sadly for those who turn away, His justice remains, just as they remain outside His presence, truly in a hell of their own creation.
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