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Hell, Free Will, and a loving God (part 2)
Snapshot
- God has given free will and this gives people the ability to reject God.
- Following Christ is not merely about rewards but is about relationship and that cannot be forced.
- Even a good place is miserable if a person does not want to be there.
- Hell is a place of justice and people have free will to chose to have a relationship with God or to reject a relationship with him.
Introduction
How can a loving God send people to hell?Why would a loving God send someone to hell? This question is often asked as there is something in mankind that makes this feel wrong and unjustified. It is difficult to reconcile a loving God with some people going to hell. To sum up a prior article written, which can be accessed here: Sin brings with it, consequences. A just God would bring about consequences but God also, being love, chooses to deal justice in a different way. Instead of giving consequences to the sinner, he places the consequences on Christ himself. God overcomes the wickedness of man by facing the worst that humankind can offer, and he overcomes it. The big question becomes, why does God not accept everyone to heaven, if he has already paid the punishment? For that, we turn to the answer of free will.
Free Will: Why a loving God Sends some to hell
God chooses to give free will and this explains why God does not welcome everyone. It is less about God not accepting people and more about them choosing to not accept Christ. We all can think of someone we know who constantly chooses to do the bad thing even when they know what the right thing is. A perfect example of this is alcohol. It’s been proven and well-advertised that alcohol has adverse effects on your body, it’s no secret. Yet, people consume it excess across the globe one a daily basis. The truth is, people love to be in control and do what they want. Following Christ means submitting to his will. God did not make robots which means that he must honor free will in order to allow people to truly love him back. I believe, even heaven is hell for someone that does not want to be there. Imagine, for eternity, being forced into a place where you have to have a relationship with someone who instructs you how to live even when you do not want it.
Example
If a person was in a perfectly good place, a person would find it miserable if they did not want to be there. Let me give you an example: my wife loves Disney and we have been to the theme parks relatively frequently. Disney is a great place with good food, enjoyable rides, and great memories to make. Despite being almost perfect, sometimes, I do not want to be there. My wife gets all excited and enjoys it but one time we were there, I was miserable because I was stressed with homework for my master’s and work for my job. She was having the time of her life while I was miserable. If a person is forced to someplace, they do not actually want to be, even if it is a good place, the person is still miserable. Anyone with children can relate to this as sometimes children are miserable even when everything is going right, and they are in a wonderful place. Ultimately, free will is what causes people to go to hell as they would rather live the way they want than to have a relationship with the God of the universe. In a sense, it is not God that sends people to hell, but rather people choose hell.
At this point I have heard people argue that they would choose heaven if they knew it was true. Notice that when a person says this, they do not say they would choose to follow God. Instead, they would choose heaven for selfish reasons. Truly following Christ cannot be a fully selfish endeavor. If someone comes to Christ for selfish reasons, they cannot stay there for long as this is not the heart of God. Marriages would struggle, probably not last, when one person in the relationship is only in it for selfish reasons.
Conclusion
Ultimately, hell exists as a place of justice. God is love but he is also just which explains both the cross, and the existence of hell. God does not force people to love him, and he gives people free will. God does not force someone to be with him as even a good place is miserable to someone that does not want to be there. If one tries to use God and “choose” him but live how they want, one is not genuinely choosing a relationship with God. If the choice is purely selfish reasons, then they are not actually wanting to be in a relationship with God. Ultimately, God is both just and loving as he gives people free will to choose whether or not to be in relationship with their Creator. Ultimately, some would rather live how they choose than live how God designed them and therefore, it is more of the person choosing their destination rather than God sending them there.
What Now?
- Reflect and ponder the amazing aspects of being in relationship with God.
- Reflect on ways you have used your free will in ways that God would disapprove, pray for forgiveness.
- Develop a plan to your free will in one or two positive ways this week. It can be helping someone in need, impacting your family, or doing good towards the environment.
Want to read more?
Hell, Free Will, and a loving God (part 2) Snapshot God has given free will and this gives people the ability to reject God. Following Christ is not merely about rewards but is about relationship and that cannot be forced. …
How can a loving God send people to hell? A loving God is more than love Why would a loving God send someone to hell? This is a question that many people ask whether they are …
A suffering God: Uncovering the meaning of suffering Snapshot: Suffering is part of the world and all people experience deep suffering. God is outside of time and therefore experiences all time at once. Therefore the crucifixion was longer than 6 …
Key Books and more theology
Check out more views of hell and its existence here.