Our Loving and Just God

Good morning,

During Thursday night of VBS we wrestled with this question in the adult class:

How can a loving God condemn or send people to hell?

To be sure, this question has been around a long, long time!  But I do see it being asked more and more often lately and perhaps you have as well.  So how can we respond to those who are asking it?  Well, to address the question of how a loving God can send someone to hell, we need to define a few terms and, most likely, correct a few assumptions.  

We must first define the term “loving.”  Our culture tends to think of “love” as a completely non-confrontational and tolerant approval of whatever the loved one wants to do.  That if you truly love someone you will never confront or correct them and always approve of whatever they are doing. 

But that is not a biblical definition.  Love, according to the Bible, is goodwill and benevolence shown in self-sacrifice and an unconditional commitment to the loved one. Love is action promoting the well-being of another person.  And a big part of that unconditional commitment and promotion of well-being is correcting folks when they are making destructive decisions and/or are walking outside of God’s will for their lives.

Another assumption we must guard against in asking the question “how can a loving God send someone to hell?” concerns the word “send.”  Yes, it is true that God is the one—the only one—who sends people to hell:

Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.

Revelation 20:15

However, when someone is sent to hell, it is not a one-sided action on God’s part, and the person being sent is not a passive victim of circumstance.  God has given humans the freedom to participate in both their life choices and eternal destinations.   God has also entrusted personal responsibility to each of us.  And, in His love, God sent His only begotten Son into the world to save sinners:

God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 5:8

In Romans 1:18-20 Paul tells us that everyone has been given enough truth to know about God and surrender to Him, but they willfully refuse to accept the truth.  Therefore, people have no excuse for not knowing God.

Lastly, when considering the question “how can a loving God send someone to hell?” we must not try to separate God’s love from His justice and righteousness. The very question is based on a false assumption that God’s love is greater than God’s justice.  God’s attributes exist together, and they cannot be plucked out and made to stand alone.

God is love, and that does shape His justice.  But at the very same time, His justice affects His expressions of love.  So the answer to the question of “How can a loving God send someone to hell?” is the cross!  The cross shows both God’s justice and His love. As Jesus died on the cross, He bore the punishment for sin that justice demanded, and He extended the grace of forgiveness to sinners. Thus, both the justice and love of God were at work.

We could easily flip the question around and ask “How can a just God send someone to heaven?” And the answer to that question is (once again) the cross!   For those who believe in Christ and accept His loving sacrifice on their behalf, God’s justice falls on Jesus. For those who turn away from Christ and reject His sacrifice, God’s justice falls on them.

Here's what’s happening:

1.                Sunday - We’ll have a coffee fellowship time from 9:30 until 10 am.  We are in need of someone to provide the snack on 8/17.

2.               This Monday evening starts the annual session of Rawlinsville Camp Meeting.  Services at 10 am and 7:30 pm for all ages.  Crafts in the afternoon for elementary age kids and games/activities for Junior and Senior High youth.  More information can be found at rawlinsvillecamp.com.  Our family is in Cabin #13…right down by the big tabernacle.

3.               Solid Rock Youth Ministries is hosting a 5K/Fun Run fundraiser on Saturday, August 2^nd at the Enola Rail Trail trailhead just east of Quarryville.  There is a cost to register.  More information and registration here: solidrockquarryville.com/run.

4.               I received word that the Oaks Ministry will not be going through with the purchase of the Parkesburg Arms Hotel.  The Borough Council/Planning Commission has placed conditions on the purchase that the Oaks can’t agree to.  The money that was donated to this project is being reserved for a future purchase of a facility. 

On Sunday we are going to look at the life of Andrew.  Andrew was very different from Peter, his more famous brother.  Peter was constantly preaching to large crowds, but Andrew preferred ministering to the "one."  Who are the “ones” in our circles?  We’ll take a look at the power of ministering to the "ones" are in our neighborhoods, workplaces, schools and community!

Scott