Hey Drew,

It is interesting what you say. Am I right in thinking, then that those good people who are kind, pleasant, do lots of good deeds, respect the flag etc, etc won’t go to heaven unless they believe in Jesus? This sounds a bit harsh when they’ve spent their lives helping others and living good lives, only to find themselves rubbing shoulders with Pol Pot in hell? Do you think they know about this?

While we’re on the subject, what is heaven and hell? Someone once said we make our own heaven and hell on earth. Do you think that’s true?

Jack

Captain Jack,

Jesus is the means by which one enters heaven. We are not free to craft our own way into heaven mainly because heaven is God’s not ours. Similarly, the earth is his and everything in it (Psalm 24:1). Therefore, God sets the rules. Am I pleased with the concept of hell where sinners are punished for eternity? No, it’s a frightening thought; but I find great comfort in the fact that God has provided a way whereby sinners like myself can escape hell and enter into eternal communion with him. What a great God that rescues sinners!

What should be mine and your response to such a teaching as hell contained within the Bible and Jesus’ teachings? First, we should take God seriously and seek to live our lives according to how he has ordered. The earth is his. We are his creatures. Secondly, we should take sin seriously. Some have argued that it is unfair to punish sinners forever for the little bit of sin committed in a lifetime. It is argued that the punishment is disproportionate to the crime. Jonathan Edwards has rightly pointed out that the punishment for sin doesn’t depend on the amount of sin committed or the duration of the sin committed, but, rather, the punishment reflects the one to whom the sin is an offense. What I mean is this: because is God infinitely beautiful, to be treasured, and holy (that is, without sin), sin is that infinitely grievous. We do not view sin the same way as God because frankly, sin pleases us; but to God, sin is a gross offense. We find Hell displeasing because we don’t fully understand the way in which sin is an offense to God. We are biased and insensitive.

Here are some fragmented, concluding thoughts:

Getting what’s fair means that each and everyone of us go to hell. Grace is getting what we don’t deserve. We should marvel that God choses to save anyone, because of our intense idolatry, rebellion, and suppression of his truth.

Furthermore, I believe that God is just which means that you and I can trust that he knows exactly what to do with every single person.

I would also like to add that no one goes to hell against their will. Remember, an earlier email, where we discussed that we are content in our sins.

Feel free to press this issue further if I’ve not engaged the issue to your satisfaction.

–drew

[Further reading: Eternal Punishment by Erwin Lutzer]