A Framework for Faith/Spiritual Vision

None doubts that hell exists in the depths...

  - Columba, Altus Prosator (Irish, 6th century)

"And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

  - Matthew 25.46

Christians who do not believe in the eternal condemnation of the unjust are not bad people. They hope for the best, especially, of God - that His love will "win" out over the indifference, stubbornness, and flat-out evil of those who will not submit to Him in this life.

This view is premised on the idea that God is love. Love, that is, defines God, and love must ultimately lead God to love even His enemies, as Jesus said. This means that, when all is said and done, love will prevail over every form of sinful madness, and we'll all live happily ever after.

Someone should have explained all this to Jesus. Or taught Him that it's not nice to mislead generations of trusting followers who, moved by love for their neighbors, have urged them to repent and believe the Gospel, so that they might escape the eternal wrath of God (Jude 23).

God is not defined by love. Rather, love is defined by God. And God is not only love, He is also just and the Justifier of all who believe (Rom. 3.26). Those who will not believe, who spurn the justice and love offered in the cross, must be prepared to deal with the justice of God on other terms - those of His Law. Since every sin represents an infinite affront to the divine glory, all unrepentant sinners can expect to suffer eternally for their hardness of heart.

We do not want people to go to hell. This is why we try to persuade them to believe. But what of those who have never heard? The doctrines of election (Rom. 9.14-18) and of divine forebearance (Acts 17.30) will sort this out according to the justice and love of God.

What we know is that hell is real. Those who say otherwise are wrong, and their views fly in the face of 2,000 years of orthodox teaching.

And, as Jesus wept over unrepentant Jerusalem, so we should weep for our lost neighbors, seek them as Jesus did, and urge them to be saved from this wicked generation.

Today at The Fellowship of Ailbe

ReVision - Where have all the steeples gone? Long time passin'...

In the Gates - We continue looking at the teaching of the Law concerning its application to our inner persons.

T. M. Moore, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.