An Inescapable Reality “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels.’ ” - (Matthew 25:41) Often whenever the subject of judgment and hell comes up, so does this question: If God is all-loving, then why would He send people to hell? Answer: because He is a God of love and justice. Hell was invented, if you will, for the devil and his angels. Do you think the devil deserves to go to hell? Of course he does. And if a person ends up in hell, it is because they have rejected, through their lifetime, the offer of forgiveness through Jesus Christ that required the death of the Son of God on the cross. They rejected it again and again. It is not that God sends them to hell as much as they go there voluntarily. J. I. Packer said, “Scripture sees hell as self-chosen. . . . Hell appears as God’s gesture of respect for human choice. All receive what they actually chose, either to be with God forever, worshiping Him, or without God forever, worshiping themselves.” Also, C. S. Lewis wrote, “There are only two kinds of people in the end: Those who say to God, ‘Thy will be done,’ and those to whom God says, in the end, ‘Thy will be done.’ All that are in hell, choose it. Without that self-choice, there could be no hell.” Heaven and hell do exist. And in that final day, if you are a believer, God will say, “Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of your Lord” (see Matthew 25:21, 23). But if you are not a believer, God will say, “I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!” (Matthew 7:23). Everyone will meet Jesus Christ one day. It is inescapable and unavoidable. And if you don’t meet Him as Savior, then you ultimately will meet Him as Judge. Copyright © 2013 by Harvest Ministries. All rights reserved. Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. For more relevant and biblical teaching from Pastor Greg Laurie, go to harvest.org
Posted on: Wed, 27 Aug 2014 10:55:01 +0000
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