This question has been a topic of debate and discussion for centuries. In answering the question today, we will focus on the nature of God, which is love.
We will start by affirming that God is love and He is loving. A couple of weeks ago we talked about how God is good and merciful. We also spoke about the gift of free will which he has given to man so that we can make decisions for ourselves. That’s how much He loves us. He does not wish us to come to harm or to be destroyed by the evil that exists in this world. However, He does not want to hold us captive in order to protect us. That would not be love.
John, chapter 3, verse 16, says “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life”. The Bible shows us how much of a loving God He is, that He was willing to send His only Son to die for our sins so that those who believe in Him will have eternal life. He did this to save us from the evil that exists in this world. He did not do this to send those who did not believe to hell. See it this way, if your earthly father or friend or partner forced you into living life in a certain way, would you feel loved or seen by that person? Or would you resent them for forcing you into a life that you did not choose?
Ultimately, the Bible teaches us that God is a just and loving God who desires for all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:4). However, it also acknowledges that humanity has free will and the ability to choose to reject God and His ways. Therefore, while God does not send people to hell, those who have chosen to reject Him and His love will ultimately be separated from Him in eternity.
We know that there is evil and suffering in this world, and we know that this evil and suffering is not found in God. This is why He has called us into eternal life with Him so that we would not perish as a result of the evil in this world. Realistically, you cannot reject something that is good and expect to not be confronted with what is evil. And we know that evil inevitably leads to destruction and hell. The options are plain and the choice is ours to make. To be saved or be separated from the one true Holy God.
In summary, God is good and loving. He does not send anyone to hell, rather He honours your choice by not forcing you into a life and afterlife with Him. God loves you too much to force you to be in his presence against your will. He wants us to be able to make that decision ourselves to want to be in His presence and live life for Him. This free will that has been given to us is based on love.
Till next time,
Remember that you serve a loving God