I'm curious about something--please don't answer if my question offends you, but I 'd really like to know: take a normal, everyday person, who lives a pretty good life, tries not to hurt people, raises a family with love, pays their taxes, maybe volunteers at a homeless shelter and donates to charity, but contracts a horrible, painful cancer and chooses to die on their own terms instead of in dreadful pain--do you really believe that such a person, not a mass murderer or rapist or some such, deserves the torture your excerpt describes? That someone who did more good than bad in their 70-80 years deserves an eternity of torture worse than any ever perpetrated by humanity against itself?
Seems just so out of proportion to me ...
Hi disrgr, thanks for writing.
1. We don’t know much about hell except a split second there would be too long. Scripture talks about it. It must have some very vivid reality for lost souls.
2. We don’t know much about time. But Forever is an awesome concept in any shape or form, especially enduring punishment.
3. We don’t know much about God’s view of a lot of things that Scriptures don’t talk about in great detail. We don’t know a lot about God’s handling of reality that He doesn’t discuss or describe much in Scripture.
4. It’s wisest to take a view of hell consistent with Scripture in all respects that Scripture says anything about.
5. We know God is far beyond fair. But we also know His view of fairness is different from our own. Perhaps in some cases on some issues, far more severe than our own, in other ways far more loving. Scripture says His mercy triumphs over judgment.
6. The message of Jesus is THE GOOD NEWS that Jesus saves us. This is God’s gift of love.
7. The wisest Biblical stance is to treat Life as God’s Gift and to allow Him to decide when to take it away.
8. I pray I can maintain such a stance whatever my future might hold.
9. All have suffering to some degree. Many have excruciating suffering at some point in our lives. What we learn through suffering is crucial, and each would be wise to pass those educational opportunities rather than flunk them.
10. Living a godly life submitted to Jesus, forgiving others, trusting God, loving God, seeking Him and His ways / His will / His Kingdom to the utmost are wise choices.
11. It is extremely risky to bet on God’s mercy at the point of death. To assume there’s a guarantee that one can commit suicide and still make it to Heaven / avoid eternal hell is foolish — what if that’s not true?
12. Pain is a big challenge, especially excruciating pain. I’m not a theologian, and I don’t have all the answers on it. I think a key lesson is to love God wholeheartedly, and one’s neighbors as oneself, do unto others as we’d have them do unto us, forgive others quickly, and to show mercy. This way, life and death tend to go much better.