Mathew 13:47-50
Matthew 25:31-33
Matthew 13:24-30
In each of these parables Jesus tells us
about three realities: 1. There is an end to the present world order when Jesus
will return to earth. 2. There is a time of judgment before which each of us
will stand. 3. There is a separation of the good and bad, and the good take
their place in the home of God, as the bad are consigned to a place of eternal
separation from God, and consequently experience the natural suffering that
goes along with being separated from God and all goodness.
But even the Old Testament gives us this
solemn warning concerning the end: “(“At that time Michael, the great
prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such
as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time
your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered. Multitudes who
sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to
shame and everlasting contempt.
Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and
those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever.”
(Daniel 12:1-3). The book of Revelation describes it this way: “But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars — their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death” (Revelation 21:8).
The question is: How do we reconcile an unending eternity of hell with a good and loving God? There are three truths I want us to consider as we attempt to understand the reality of hell in light of the character of a loving God. The first is this:
Free will makes hell necessary. By it he is saying, “If you do not wish to live with me, you don’t have to” And if people do not wish to live with God, there must be a place where they can be away from God. Because we have free will, that is, the ability to freely determine our own actions and form our own destiny, it means that God sends no one to hell; it is a choice that people make.
There is an interesting parable that Jesus told about a rich man and a man named Lazarus. Both die, and Lazarus is in heaven and the rich man is in hell. The Bible says, “In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire’” (Luke 16:23-24). What is interesting in the story is that the rich man does not ask to get out of hell. Neither does he request to go to heaven. This is the place that he has chosen, even though he seems to blame God for not properly warning about this place. He does not like it there, but he has no interest in heaven. He does not want out of hell; he only wants a little relief. He does not seem to regret the things he has done, nor does he repent.
We see this all the time. People all around us are living in hell, but they would rather remain in their hell than come to God. To be sure they want a little relief now and then, but they have no desire to turn their lives around. These people are dead to what their lives could mean if lived in a relationship with God.
The second point is: Justice makes hell necessary. There is a day of judgment coming. No one is going to get by with anything. The Bible says, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.” (2 Corinthians 5:10) Sometimes we wonder if there is any justice in this world, but final justice will come at the end.
The Scripture gives us this solemn promise: “For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them into gloomy dungeons to be held for judgment; if he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others; if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the filthy lives of lawless men (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard) — if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment, while continuing their punishment.” (2 Peter 2:4-9) In other words, God will right all the wrongs of the world and hold everyone responsible for the life they have lived. The most skillful hypocrites will be seen for who they are. There will be no hiding or pretending with God.
The third point that should be made is: Hell begins here and now just as heaven does. We worry so much about going to hell after we die and think nothing of living in hell here and now. Let me explain; What is hell? It is separation from God. What is heaven? It is living in the presence of God. You and I are at this present moment already living out the choices we have made. We are experiencing the joy of a relationship with God, or we are reaping the consequences of a life lived away from the presence of God and in rebellion against the will of God. To live with God is to experience the beginning of heaven’s joy and peace. To live away from God is to experience the prelude of eternal sufferings, and the consequences of our actions that eternal justice brings.“You reap what you sow”…Now? (YES) - Eternally? (YES)
The Bible, in speaking of heaven, says, “Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life” (Revelation 21:27) God has extended an invitation to an extravagant banquet. It is the wedding feast of the Lamb. It is a place of great joy, celebration and outrageous blessing. But, we have to respond to the invitation. Without our response — that RSVP — it does not matter who you are or what you did. Where you spend eternity will be the result of your personal choice, the outcome of justice and the extension of where you are living now.
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