HOW CAN GOD BE RIGHTEOUS AND GOOD IF HE CONDEMNS UNBELIEVERS TO AN ETERNAL HELL?

Atheist Robert Ingersoll (1833-99), reasoned that:

·       Eternal punishment must be eternal cruelty…and I do not see how any man, unless he has the brain of an idiot, or the heart of a wild beast, can believe in eternal punishment.

Is God a horrible monster? It is relatively easy to point out Ingersoll’s logical fallacy. He uses God to disprove God. In essence, he claims that the God fails to measure up to his moral standards of love and justice. However, if there is no God, then there are can exist no objective and absolute moral standards by which to judge Him.

Consequently, when the atheist claims that the God of the Bible is “unjust,” I merely retort:

·       How can you accuse our God of violating an absolute standard of justice? You are a moral relativist and deny that there are any absolute moral standards. Once you reject God, there can be no foundation for objective moral judgments.

Nevertheless, the Bible’s teachings on hell remain a problem for the Church. Even “Christians” condemn the Bible for it’s teachings of a God who judges and punishes. Christian evolutionist and former co-head of the Biologos Foundation, Karl Giberson, approvingly quotes the militant atheist, Richard Dawkins, that the:

·       [OT God is a] “tyrannical anthropomorphic deity” [and] “commanded the Jews to go on genocidal rampages”…But who believes in this [OT] deity any more, besides those same fundamentalists who think the earth is 10,000 years old? Modern theology has moved past this view of God.

How are we to answer?

As Christians, we want to have a coherent faith. We therefore want to understand how this concept of “hell” or “eternal judgment” fits together with the other doctrines we believe about God – His love, justice, omniscience and omnipotence.

However, hell is a notoriously difficult doctrine to defend. For one thing, in order to defend a doctrine, we first have to know what we are defending. However, no one here has ever seen or experienced hell. At least, there is no convincing proof of this.

More importantly, well-meaning Bible interpreters have honest disagreements about the nature of hell. For instance, do we interpret “the lake of fire” (Rev. 21:8; 20:10; Mat. 13:42) literally or figuratively? Does God literally stoke the fires of hell for all eternity, as some pejoratively suggest? If we take this description literally, what then do we do with the teachings that claim that the unrepentant will be cast into “outer darkness” (Mat. 22:13)? It is apparent that at least one of these descriptions must be taken figuratively.

Although the nature of hell or eternal judgment is somewhat unclear, it’s reality and existence is Biblically beyond dispute. So let’s try to lay out what we understand about eternal punishment in an attempt to reconcile hell with the Bible’s teachings about a loving, righteous, and omnipotent God.

I will use a common argument against the Biblical faith as a way to organize a defense:

·       Premise #1: The Bible’s concept of “Hell” or “eternal punishment” is neither just nor merciful.

·       Premise #2: The Bible portrays God as just and merciful.

·       Conclusion:  The Bible’s revelation is contradictory and therefore shouldn’t be taken seriously.

Against Premise #1:

First of all, God’s judgments are regarded as just throughout Scripture. The Book of Proverbs claims that God calls all through His revelations, which are there for the taking:

• Wisdom calls aloud in the street, she raises her voice in the public squares; at the head of the noisy streets she cries out, in the gateways of the city she makes her speech: "How long will you simple ones love your simple ways? How long will mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge? If you had responded to my rebuke, I would have poured out my heart to you and made my thoughts known to you. But since you rejected me when I called and no one gave heed when I stretched out my hand, since you ignored all my advice and would not accept my rebuke, I in turn will laugh at your disaster; I will mock when calamity overtakes you. (Proverbs 1:20-26)

The knowledge of God is available to all, but we reject it. As in these verse, there are so many that reveal that God continues to implore us to accept Him, but we refuse. Why? We refuse to acknowledge our debt to Him. We want to go our own way, and refuse to tolerate the presence of a God who rebukes us. Therefore, we prefer to run from the light of light and to hide our misdeeds in the darkness (John 3:19-20).

He would plead with Israel to return to Him:

• “Go, proclaim this message toward the north: 'Return, faithless Israel,' declares the LORD, 'I will frown on you no longer, for I am merciful,' declares the LORD, 'I will not be angry forever. Only acknowledge your guilt-- you have rebelled against the LORD your God, you have scattered your favors to foreign gods under every spreading tree, and have not obeyed me,'” (Jeremiah 3:12-13)

However, Israel would continue to rebel and refuse to acknowledge their guilt. Is God unjust for punishing? Certainly not if Israel deserved the punishment.

Besides, according to the Bible, the punishment fits the crime. Jesus taught that there are many degrees of punishment:

·       "Woe to you, Korazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you.” (Matthew 11:21-22)

We do not know what form these varying degrees of punishment take. However, for those who have more evidence, judgment will be less bearable than for those who had less evidence:

·       But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked. (Luke 12:48)

I would ask the atheist, “What is unjust about the penalty fitting the crime? Or how does this teaching about punishment contradict God’s character?” He might respond that no God worth His salt would punish. However, this fails to show that there is a contradiction in Biblical revelation – the very thing that the atheist must demonstrate.

We do not know enough about hell to indict our Lord for “injustice” or to prove that the Bible contradicts itself. There are too many interpretive uncertainties. While the atheists focus only the most egregious aspect of the teachings – eternal burning - this might be figurative and might only apply to the worst offenders. In fact, Jesus associated the “weeping…and gnashing of teeth” of hell with their own regrets in having eternally missed out on the blessings of the kingdom, rather than any proactive divine torture:

·       "There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out.” (Luke 13:28)

I would ask the atheist how this represents a Bible contradiction. Perhaps also we have been too quick to dismiss annihilationism as one possible form of eternal punishment – perhaps even the worst one. There is not a verse that absolutely rules out annihilation as one possible punishment out of many others! (Some Christians argue that we have an eternal soul, and therefore, it is indestructible, precluding any possibility of annihilation. However, this notion seems to be contradicted by numerous verses – 1 Tim. 6:16; 2 Tim 1:9-10; 1 Cor. 15:50-54).

Therefore, when the atheist rails against the injustice of God in sentencing unbelievers to eternal punishment, I ask them if their judgment would be any different if I would show them verses pointing to annihilation, and there are many. For instance:

·       “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matthew 10:28)

·       They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power. (2 Thes. 1:9)

Perhaps these (and numerous other verses) are not teaching annihilationism, but the atheist must now answer whether he would consider this too as evidence of contradiction.

Of course, the atheist will retort, “If God is truly merciful, He would destroy no one.” However, we can simply respond, “Where in the Bible does it suggest that God must continue to be merciful towards those who continue to harden their hearts against Him?” Of course, God’s mercy makes no such guarantee!

Against Premise #2:

We often assume that eternal punishment is not compatible with an all-living God, but what if the condemned have freely chosen their condemnation? Instead, what if God is not doing the judging? In fact, Even though the Father had committed judgment to the Son (John 5:22), Jesus denied that He would directly be involved in judgment:

·       "As for the person who hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge him. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save it. There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; that very word which I spoke will condemn him at the last day. (John 12:47-48; 5:45; 8:15)

I am convinced that our Lord has been wrongly indicted. Instead, it is the word that we have implanted in our hearts that will judge us (Romans 2:15-16). This word is a source of guilt and shame when it is violated. These feelings cause us to flee from the Lord.

Although there will be a great and final judgment, it seems that the damned are already self-damned. They do not want to be in God’s presence and under His scrutiny and flee from Him:

• For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. This is the verdict [or “condemnation;” KJV; “judgment;” NASB, ESV]: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. (John 3:17-20)

Jesus taught that He will not “condemn the world.” Instead, the unbeliever is “condemned already.” How did this take place? He condemned himself through his love of the darkness and rejection of the truth (“light”).  He fled away from his one hope, Jesus.

Besides, if they reject the light in this world, how much more will they reject the searing and searching light of God in the next, where His light will beam even more intensely to expose their sins! They will continue to reject the light and run from it.

How does this represent the injustice of God? How does this contradict God’s revealed character? It doesn’t!

Indeed, there is a lot of Biblical evidence that when we embrace sin, we hate the light that exposes it. When Adam and Eve fell into sin, they hid from God, lied to Him and even blamed Him. Never once did they confess their sin and ask for another chance. And when they were promised death and expelled from the presence of God, they seemed to gladly accept the verdict (Gen. 3) in order to be free from God’s searing light.

In Jesus’ parable, when the unrepentant rich man cried out to God from his place of torment, he never once asked to be brought to where God is. Instead, he simply asked that he might be given some relief in hell (Luke 16:19-31). Such is the hatred of the light! Does this negate God’s love for His creation? Not at all. Instead, He seems to allow us to have what we desire.

There are many other verses that suggest that the unrepentant are self-condemned by their flight from the light (Isaiah 33:14-15; 2:20-22; Psalm 1:5; 15:1-2; 24:3; Deut 5:25; Deut. 5:25; Mal. 3:2).

What then should we make of the great judgment if humanity is already self-condemned (Rev. 20:11)? Perhaps the lovers of the dark will merely flee away, unable to stand before a righteous God in view of their unforgiven sins.

Indeed, for us, the great judgment will merely confirm what we have already chosen (1 Thess. 4:14-17; 1 John 3:2; John 3:21). Perhaps, also for the unbeliever, the judgment will merely rubber-stamp what has already become quite obvious and what they had chosen for themselves.

Where then is the injustice? And how does this contradict the Bible’s claims about God? The atheist might attempt to accuse God of lacking in mercy:

• “If God is all-powerful, then He could have changed everyone’s heart to love the light!”

This represents a common misconception about God’s omnipotence. While God can do anything He wants to do, He cannot do it in any way we might desire. There are things that God cannot do. He cannot sin or break His promises. He cannot save in any way that we might wish. He is constrained by His holy nature, as strange as this might seem. Jesus had prayed that, if there was some other way for the Father to accomplish His purpose in salvation, He should not require Jesus to suffer the crucifixion. However, there was no other way.

We also assume that there might have been a less painful or punitive way for God to accomplish His purposes, but perhaps there wasn’t. There is a lot that we do not understand about our Redeemer. Therefore, we shouldn’t be hasty to bring indictments against Him, as Job had.

In addition to this, the atheists’ understanding of mercy isn’t the Bible’s understanding of mercy. Unlike justice, mercy can discriminate. God is free to choose the objects of his mercy as we can choose who to invite to our party. There is nothing illegitimate about this. The Bible never claims that God will be merciful to all. Therefore, there is no contradiction between hell and what the Bible claims about God.

Nevertheless, it does seem that, in the end, God will pour out His Spirit upon all the people who remain, and there will be a great salvation (Joel 2:28; Romans 11:15; Rev. 1:7; Mat. 24:30; Isaiah 66:22-23; Zech. 14:16-18)! Our God is indeed merciful!

Nevertheless, there is a hell and the prospect of landing there is a terror, as it should be:

• The study, appearing in the Public Library of Science journal PLoS ONE, found that criminal activity is lower in societies where people's religious beliefs contain a strong punitive component than in places where religious beliefs are more benevolent. A country where many more people believe in heaven than in hell, for example, is likely to have a much higher crime rate than one where these beliefs are about equal. The finding surfaced from a comprehensive analysis of 26 years of data involving 143,197 people in 67 countries. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4971023/

Perhaps we need a greater dose of hell. Perhaps we need to revisit Jonathan Edwards and his sermon – Sinners in the Hand of an Angry God – which had reportedly brought many to repent of their sins. Nevertheless, this essay will certainly not relieve all of our confusion on the subject. However, for some of us, it is sufficient to know that our Savior suffers along with us (Isaiah 63:9; Hebrews 4:15). Others are comforted in knowing that, in the end, He will explain and justify all of the confusing elements. Indeed, our God has many secrets (Deut. 29:29), which He purposely keeps close to His breast. Consequently, we see only shadows (1 Cor. 13:9, 12).

Abraham saw only the mysterious shadows when God asked him to go against everything he understood and to offer his promised son Isaac as a sacrifice. Our Lord also thrusts us into situations where understanding fails us, and we are forced to walk only by the light available in the “valley of the shadow of death.” However, we are able to find comfort knowing that He is at our side, and that, one day, we will see Him as He truly is.

CAN WE ACHIEVE SINLESSNESS?

To understand the Bible, we have to understand the Bible’s use of its terminology. This principle is centermost in the question of “blamelessness” and “righteousness.” Because of confusion about these terms, some have argued that we can be sinless in our present life. This theology also makes others feel guilty if they haven’t attained sinlessness.

Therefore, we have to ask, what does it mean to be “blameless” or “righteous?” It certainly doesn’t mean to be sinless:

·       “If they sin against you—for there is no one who does not sin—“ (1 Kings 8:46; ESV)

·       as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” (Romans 3:10-12)

Well, what do these terms mean? We need to understand them as the Bible uses them. Paul referred to himself as “blameless”:

·       as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. (Philippians 3:6)

However, “blameless” evidently only pertained to certain specific performances under the law, not to sinlessness, since he also admitted that he had been a “persecutor of the church” and the “worst of sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15).

We can understand Zechariah and Elizabeth in a similar way:

·       And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord. (Luke 1:6)

Were they sinless? Apparently not, since the archangel Gabriel charged Zechariah with disbelief:

·       And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.” (Luke 1:20)

Elsewhere, “blameless” is used to denote the absence of great sins:

·       Who can discern his errors? Declare me innocent from hidden faults. Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me! Then I shall be blameless, and innocent of great transgression. Psalm 19:12-13 (ESV)

What then does it mean to be “righteous before God?” Under the Mosaic Law, it meant to be forgiven or reconciled. King David had committed adultery and then had killed the woman’s husband. However, he considered himself among the “righteous before God” and the “upright in heart”:

·       Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart! (Psalm 32:11)

How could he conceive of himself in this manner? Because he had confessed his sins to God and had received mercy:

·       I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. (Psalm 32:5)

We find the same principle at work in the life of the most righteous man, Job. Even he had sin, but he confessed it to God on two occasions (Job 40; 42). As a result, God regarded Job as if he had never made his wild accusations against God:

·       Now therefore [you three friends] take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and offer up a burnt offering for yourselves. And my servant Job shall pray for you, for I will accept his prayer not to deal with you according to your folly. For you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has.” (Job 42:8)

Evidently, Job was not sinless, but, more importantly, God regarded him as such.

We cannot ignore the many verses that teach that we all are dependent upon the mercy of God because all sin:

·       If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:8-9)

·       For we all stumble in many ways. (James 3:2)

These verses do not in any way justify a cavalier attitude about sin. We are commanded to be holy as Christ is holy (1 Peter 1:15). Instead, they point to the glory of our merciful God and Savior, Jesus, who took our sins upon Himself that we might become the righteousness of God (1 Cor. 5:21).

CAN WE RELY ON GOD’S PROMISES?

Certainly, but there are verses that would lead us to doubt God’s promises, for example, His promise to Nineveh of their impending destruction:

·       Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah the second time, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it the message that I tell you.” So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, three days’ journey in breadth. Jonah began to go into the city, going a day’s journey. And he called out, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” (Jonah 3:1-4)

From this, it sounds as if Nineveh was absolutely doomed to destruction in 40 days! However, we later find that this prophecy had not been fulfilled:

• When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction he had threatened. (Jonah 3:10)

Is this a contradiction? It seems like it is until we read about the conditional quality of some of God’s promises, as He had revealed to Jeremiah:

• “If at any time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down and destroyed, and if that nation I warned repents of its evil, then I will relent and not inflict on it the disaster I had planned.” (Jeremiah 18:7-8)

Some will charge that this is simply an example of Jeremiah contradicting Jonah. However, if we understand Scripture in context, we see that even Jonah understood the conditionality of God’s promise about Nineveh:

• "O LORD, is this not what I said when I was still at home? That is why I was so quick to flee to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity.” (Jonah 4:1-2)

Jonah had so hated Nineveh that he would have been glad to deliver a message of Nineveh’s unconditional destruction. However, Jonah knew that his God is one who relents, and therefore, he fled, refusing to preach a message that might lead to Nineveh’s repentance.

Interestingly, Nineveh also understood the conditionality of God’s promise. Therefore, they repented.

Any statement has to be understood in context. This is also true of Biblical interpretation. I often say, “I love chocolate.” While this is true, it doesn’t mean that I always love chocolate. I do not love chocolate after I have already ODed on sugar. Also, I don’t love to eat it when I am nauseous.

Do these exceptions mean that my original statement was wrong? No! It just means that my statement has to be understood within the context of the entirety human experience with its many nuances. No one would call me a “liar” for saying that “I love chocolate” if I decline it when I am nauseous. Instead, they understand that it is perfectly okay to state a generalization without stating each exception to the rule.

Does this mean that all of God’s promises are conditional rather than unconditional verities? Jesus promised that He will return. Does the case of Jonah suggest that Jesus might relent on this promise because of other circumstances? Not at all!

Why not? Let’s examine God’s promise to Nineveh. Actually, it was a warning to repent. If Nineveh’s destruction was actually an unconditional prophecy, God wouldn’t have sent Jonah to warn Nineveh, and Nineveh wouldn’t have repented. In fact, God had explicitly explained as much to Jeremiah:

• “If at any time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down and destroyed, and if that nation I warned repents of its evil, then I will relent and not inflict on it the disaster I had planned.” (Jeremiah 18:7-8)

Perhaps another example might be helpful. King Hezekiah had been a good king. And yet, because of his success and wealth, he became proud and had distanced himself from God. Therefore, God struck him down with a fatal disease and sent the Prophet Isaiah to him:

·       Hezekiah became sick and was at the point of death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came to him, and said to him, “Thus says the LORD: Set your house in order, for you shall die, you shall not recover.” (Isaiah 38:1)

Although this sounds like a written-in-stone promise, it was actually a warning, and the king understand it as a warning and repentantly petitioned God:

·       Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD, and said, “Please, O LORD, remember how I have walked before you in faithfulness and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly. Then the word of the LORD came to Isaiah: “Go and say to Hezekiah, Thus says the LORD, the God of David your father: I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Behold, I will add fifteen years to your life. I will deliver you and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria, and will defend this city. Isaiah 38:2-6 (ESV)

Despite God having said that Hezekiah would not recover, he did. Is this a contradiction? Certainly not! Hezekiah repented of his sins and God relented from what He had warned.

Although repentance might not seem explicit in the above, Hezekiah’s repentant spirit is obvious in his subsequent prayer of thanksgiving (Isaiah 38:10-20).

He too understood the “promise” of his impending death as a warning and cried out to his Lord. In contrast, Jesus’ promise of His return and of our heavenly, eternal blessedness is not warning but an ironclad promise.

Well, what if we rebel? We will not! Why not? He will not allow that to happen. Just look at His promise through Jeremiah:

·       And they shall be my people, and I will be their God. I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me forever, for their own good and the good of their children after them. I will make with them an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn away from doing good to them. And I will put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me. I will rejoice in doing them good, and I will plant them in this land in faithfulness, with all my heart and all my soul. Jeremiah 32:38-41)

Just look at all the times where God says I will! Yes, there are conditions. For one thing, Israel must not turn away from their God. However, He guarantees that He will fulfill the conditions for our everlasting salvation. Praise be His glorious Name for ever and ever!