I have noticed a lot of people use the reasoning that God is "too good" to send anyone to hell and that He will just wink at sin and overlook it and just open up the doors to Heaven to welcome everyone. (Of course these same people will adamantly tell you that blatant evil-doers like Hitler are in hell, so I guess they concede that even a merciful God must draw the line somewhere!)
I have an example for those of you who might have thought of God as so all-loving and all-merciful that he would NEVER send people to such a horrible place...
Imagine you are in a court of law confronting the man who murdered someone you loved dearly. You are angry and distraught and you are demanding that justice be served!
Now imagine this kindly old judge has kind of a soft spot for murderers and decides the death penalty - or even life in prison - is just too harsh. His merciful spirit compels him to just sign release papers and hand them over to the guy with a smile and a hug. Now I ask you, is this a "good" judge? Is he just?
Could a God who proclaims His justice to us over and over in scripture ever be guilty of such a gross lack of justice as this? Of course not. Yet this is what people expect God will do for them. They spend their entire lives breaking His laws and shrugging off sin and then think because He is GOOD He will forgive them anyway in the end.
I'm telling you right now... it is BECAUSE HE IS GOOD that He will punish all sin. Period. If your sin hasn't been paid for by Jesus' sacrifice, then you will pay for it yourself. It's not easy to hear the truth, sometimes I think it hurts church people the most because they've essentially gotten used to the idea that they can participate and go through the motions with their church family - but still cling to their sins and do those things that God hates. (Using Jesus as their sin credit card - "I'm gonna go ahead and commit this act of fornication, but Jesus died for my sins, so charge this one to Him, thanks!")
But it's impossible to have a real encounter with the Creator of the Universe and not be changed. So, along with 1 John, I say to you now, if you aren't changed then you aren't saved. (And along with Paul Washer, "If you don't have a new relationship with sin, you don't have a new relationship with God.")
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GOD HAS ONE DESTINED END FOR MANKIND - HOLINESS. His one aim is the production of saints. God is not an eternal-blessing-machine for men. He did not come to save men out of pity for them. He came to save men because He had created them to be holy. - Oswald Chambers
"There is something worse than holding our silence while the lost world runs headlong into hell. It is the crime of preaching to them a watered down, culturally carved, truncated Gospel that allows them to hold to a form of godliness, while denying its power, to profess to know God, while denying Him with their deeds, and to call Jesus 'Lord, Lord', while not doing the Father's will. Woe to us if we preach not the Gospel, but even greater woe if we do so incorrectly!"... Paul Washer
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I am told that Christians do not love each other. I am very sorry if that be true, but I rather doubt it, for I suspect that those who do not love each other are not Christians.
Charles Spurgeon
Charles Spurgeon
Excuses
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them for God has shown it to them.
For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and divine nature, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.
Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man - and birds and four-footed beasts and creeping things. Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever.
For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.
And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorailty, wickedness, greed, malice, envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness, they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, invetors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful;
Who knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.
Romans 1:20-32