Eternal Punishment
It struck me late last night that if Hell were only a finite experience, people would still object to it. By that I mean it’s a popular ‘thing’ (right now, at least) to make a case against Hell — and thus, God — on the grounds that the punishment is disproportionate to the ‘crime’, if you will. Why should lying, or theft, or some other “insignificant” sin recieve an eternity of punishment? But as I said last night I realized if I imagined the Christian doctrine of Hell to espouse only a temporary period in Hell (something aking to purgatory, perhaps), then it would be objected that it wasn’t long enough. It’s one thing to argue about lying and theft, it’s quite an easy thing to argue about lying and theft. However it’s something completely different to argue about genocide, murder, rape, etc. If Hell were only temporary, God would … (Read more)
Hell: Why don’t Christians do more?
If those who reject Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior are going to Hell, why don’t Christians do more?
Hell is not simply the natural consequences of rejecting God. Some people say this in order to reject the thought that God sends people there. They say that people send themselves there. That is true. People make choices that lead to hell. But it is not the whole truth. Jesus says these choices are really deserving of hell. “Whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to [that is, guilty of, or deserving of] the hell of fire” (Matt 5:22). That is why he calls hell “punishment” (Matt. 25:45). It is not a mere self-imposed natural consequence (like cigarette smoking leading to lung cancer); it is the penalty of God’s wrath (like a judge sentencing a criminal to hard labor).1
The God that holds you over the pit of hell, … (Read more)
Recent Comments