How to love God when he created Hell.

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Permalink Reply by Carla on January 3, 2019 at 11:11am

Hi Brandon;

I'm so glad you are asking questions rather than just walking away from our Lord without ever growing and learning.  I've known people to stop seeking simply because they decided they already had all the answers.  Don't forget we're in a spiritual battle  (1 Peter 5:8) "Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour."  --  That's another topic for another time.

Your question has to do with God's Character!  The very question itself lacks understanding of who God is.  I don't mean that to sound superior...I realize it can come across that way.  You're here asking questions so that you can understand more.  It takes courage to walk in the ways of the Lord rather than in the ways of the world.  

'God is Love'.  I'm sure you've heard this which is why you're asking why a God would create humans knowing they could suffer eternally.  What does it mean that God is Love?

God is the very essence of Love.  He created it, defines it, demonstrates it and IS it.  So-- what is love?

1 Cor 13:

⁴ Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud ⁵ or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. ⁶ It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. ⁷ Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.--

Romans 2:4b says (paraphrased) It's the kindness of God that leads us to repentance.

You mentioned that you have been serving God out of fear rather than out of Love.  1 John 4:18 says:

New American Standard Bible 

By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world.

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.

another version says it like this:

New Living Translation

And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world.

Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love.

How do we know that God is Love?--  How can we trust that it's true?

In one word--  JESUS!!!!  If you want to know who God is, take a long hard look at Jesus.

Romans 5

⁷ For one will hardly die for a righteous man; ^[d]though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. ⁸ But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. ⁹ Much more then, having now been justified ^[e]by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.

John 3

16 "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. 

17 "For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. 

18 "He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already,because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 

19 "This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. 

20 "For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear * that his deeds will be exposed. 

21"But he who practices the truth comes to the Light,so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God."

Jesus died for you.  Jesus died for all humanity because He loves us.  He satisfied God's wrath against sin, and he payed our sin debt in full.  Sin separated us from God, Jesus reconciled us to God.  

Now--equal to God's Love is, that HE is Just and Fair.  He will also never force anyone to choose Him.

God is Just!  He created us and established His perfect standard of how we should live.  We all fall short---all the time!  Simply put, in order to live like God has intended for us, We need a Saviour.

One of my favorite devotional writers is a gentlemen by the name of Oswald Chambers.  He explains God's Love and Just nature clearly: 

When He Has Come”

By Oswald Chambers

When He has come, He will convict the world of sin… —John 16:8

Very few of us know anything about conviction of sin. We know the experience of being disturbed because we have done wrong things. But conviction of sin by the Holy Spirit blots out every relationship on earth and makes us aware of only one— “Against You, You only, have I sinned…” (Psalm 51:4). When a person is convicted of sin in this way, he knows with every bit of his conscience that God would not dare to forgive him. If God did forgive him, then this person would have a stronger sense of justice than God. God does forgive, but it cost the breaking of His heart with grief in the death of Christ to enable Him to do so. The great miracle of the grace of God is that He forgives sin, and it is the death of Jesus Christ alone that enables the divine nature to forgive and to remain true to itself in doing so. It is shallow nonsense to say that God forgives us because He is love. Once we have been convicted of sin, we will never say this again. The love of God means Calvary— nothing less! The love of God is spelled out on the Cross and nowhere else. The only basis for which God can forgive me is the Cross of Christ. It is there that His conscience is satisfied.

Forgiveness doesn’t merely mean that I am saved from hell and have been made ready for heaven (no one would accept forgiveness on that level). Forgiveness means that I am forgiven into a newly created relationship which identifies me with God in Christ. The miracle of redemption is that God turns me, the unholy one, into the standard of Himself, the Holy One. He does this by putting into me a new nature, the nature of Jesus Christ. --end--

Anyone who rejects Jesus and chooses hell, does so fully knowing and understanding what and whom they have rejected.

Romans 1-https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+1&version=NASB

you can read about unbelief and it's consequences.  (too long to post here)

Finally, God did not create hell for people, it was created for satan and the fallen angels.  Anyone who rejects Jesus chooses satan, and they will be with him when they die.  Matt 25:41 "⁴¹ “Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons."

There's a lot more to say on this topic, but I'll stop there.  I look forward to your response so that we can continue in this dialogue.

Blessings, Carla

 “The Christian does not think God will love us because we are good, but that God will make us good because He loves us.” – C. S. Lewis

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Permalink Reply by Carla on January 3, 2019 at 2:43pm

On a personal note.... 

I love and trust Him because He made a way for me to be reconciled to Him, and also make me into the person He originally intended me to be.  He's my Creator.  He knew what I needed before I even knew I need anything.  He's the only One who gets to say how I live.  Following Jesus and Loving Him gives me peace, comfort, purpose, satisfies my need for belonging and makes me complete.  In short, I know who I am and why I am here, and I know where I'm going when I die.  I tell everyone who will listen, because I also want them to know their identity and the freedom we can have In Christ.  I've lived too many years apart from Him.  Now that I am reconciled to Him i can't imagine being apart from HIM.  Life now makes sense.

Hell is a reality, but it doesn't have to be anyone's final destination.  Jesus gives us a way out.  Tell everyone who will listen.  If they won't listen, pray for them.  The Holy Spirit is the One who convicts people of their sin and shows them that they need Jesus.  Even then, they may still say no.  As upsetting as it is, that's their choice.  Imagine how God feels?!?!

The cross of Christ screams 'I LOVE YOU' and it comes from the heart of God.  Some people respond by saying "You don't even exist" or "No you don't" or "But you created Hell".  A loving God has created Hell, but not intended for people, but for satan and his fallen angels.  Anyone who rejects Jesus follows satan by default.  Jesus has given you an escape, take it.

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Permalink Reply by Brandon on January 3, 2019 at 6:36pm

I understand, and I appreciate your advice. How do I learn to live Jesus, though. How do I change from frar to love?

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Permalink Reply by Carla on January 3, 2019 at 8:30pm

When you first started believing, what happened to make you believe?  I want to help you turn from fear to love, but first steps---why did you start believing in Him in the first place?  Was your starting point fear?  

Carla

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Permalink Reply by Brandon on January 4, 2019 at 8:53am

My belief started in early 2011 when I saw some "near death experience" videos of people talking about the experiences they had in Hell... This pretty much scared me into submission, so to speak. The problem is, fear is not a good motivator, as I have back slidden so many times in those years.

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Permalink Reply by Carla on January 4, 2019 at 9:51am

I understand that.  Fear is a terrible motivator.  No one would find peace in that.

Let's start with the gospel:

The word 'gospel' means 'good news'.  This good news tells us that our sins can be forgiven through the atoning work of Jesus Christ on the Cross.  It is God's rescue plan for redemption for us us to reconciled to a Just, Holy, Forgiving, Merciful, and Loving God.  

1 Corinthians 15

^{3 "}For I delivered to you ^[b]as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, ⁴ and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, ⁵ and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. ⁶ After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep; ⁷ then He appeared to ^[c]James, then to all the apostles; ⁸ and last of all, as ^[d]to one untimely born, He appeared to me also. ⁹ For I am the least of the apostles, ^[e]and not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. ¹⁰ But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me. ¹¹ Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed."

1) We have all sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God (Romans 3:23). The wages of sin is death.   We must be honest about this in our lives if we're to approach the Throne of God for salvation.  We must repent of our sin and believe that Jesus died to pay our debt, acknowledge our sin before God and agree with God that we need a Saviour to be reconciled to Him and made new.

2)  Sin against an infinite God requires an infinite sacrifice.  In the Old Testament they used to sacrifice animals as an offering for their sins.  It was only a temporary solution.  As fully Man (Colossians 2:9) and Fully God (John 1:14) Jesus lived a sinless life that we could never live. Therefore, either man, who is finite, must pay the penalty for an infinite length of time in hell, or the infinite Christ must pay for it once. Jesus went to the cross to pay the debt we owe- He paid it in full.  Therefore, anyone who trusts in Him is covered by HIS sacrifice and will inherit the Kingdom of God as sons and daughters of the KING of Kings.

3) The resurrection proves the power of God.  Only God can resurrect us from the dead.

1 Corinthians 15

O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” ⁵⁶ The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; ⁵⁷ but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

⁵⁸ Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.

This Salvation is a free gift.  You just need to receive it.

Repent from your sin and believe the gospel. Mark 1:15

To fall in Love with Jesus you need to understand that without His death and resurrection, we would be lost and separated from Him forever.  He could have left us alone, and we wouldn't have known the difference.  But, God is Love, and He can't deny who He is.

2 tim 2

11It is a trustworthy statement:
            For if we died with Him, we will also live with Him;

      12If we endure, we will also reign with Him;
            If we deny Him, He also will deny us;

      13If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.

Questions?  Next Steps?  

Carla

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Permalink Reply by Brandon on January 4, 2019 at 9:31am

I want so bad for my love and repentance to be true. I want so bad for these blinders to be taken off. I want so bad to be able to see things differently. I'm really scaredbthat I can't be turned. 

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Permalink Reply by Carla on January 4, 2019 at 10:20am

Brandon,

The answer for your blinders to be taken off is found in 2 Corinthians 3:16

You call it 'blinders' The bible says 'veil'.  It represents unbelief (Old Testament and also New Testament context may be helpful LMK).  The answer for it to be removed is to turn to the Lord.

 16"But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away."

When the veil was removed for me it was a dramatic physical sensation as well as spiritual and emotional.  I realize it's not that way for everyone, but keep in mind, the ability to believe is a miracle in itself.  It was for me anyway as I used to be an atheist.  My testimony is on my page if you want to read it.

With the veil removed people are able to see the Glory of God revealed in Christ, and they are Born Again into New Life In Christ.  We become a New Creation with eyes to see and ears to hear, a new heart with new desires that align with Jesus.

Blessings, Carla

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Permalink Reply by Tammy on January 4, 2019 at 5:22pm

One thing to try to remember is hell wasn't created for us. Hell was created for Satan & his angels (demons). After the creation of man, HE HAD ONE JOB!! I love memes with that saying 'You Had One Job'.  Anyway, man's only job was to be obedient & not eat from the tree of knowledge. However, he failed. We now live in a fallen world because of that disobedience but He still gives us a choice.

The earth we now live in is controlled by Satan. John 12:31, Satan is called the prince of this world. Ephesians 2: 2 says that he is the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit that is now working in those who are disobedient. 2 Corinthians 4: 4 says that he is the god of this age and that he has blinded the minds of unbelievers. 1 John 5:19 says: We know that we are children of God and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. Knowing his future, the enemy strives to bring others with him to his eternal doom & he very much succeeds.  

I don't believe Jesus came to save us from eternal damnation but to bring us to His eternal kingdom where we will reign with Him. However, many don't want to live a life in Christ. Those who have walked with Christ & walked away, as you were saying, if they are truly in Him & Him in them, they will return. I don't believe He wants us to choose Him out of fear but out of love as Carla has explained in greater detail.

However, NOT GOING TO HELL has been an avenue for many leaders to draw people to Christ. I'm not saying that is right or wrong as hell is real & needs to be taught. Let's say for instance you have a child. You are cooking & the child gets near the stove, you do everything in your power to stop him. However, sometimes they still touch that hot stove & burn themselves. That's an example of us in our stubbornness & rebellion. We don't want our children to get hurt but sometimes that's what it takes to teach them to stay away from heat & fire. My daughter is an addict & I wished I could lock her up in a cage until she realizes her dependency. However, I've had to release her into the Lord's hands. She's cleaner than she's ever been right now but me walking away was the only way to get her there. It has been the most devastating thing in my life. So much so that I couldn't put forth any more energy into my younger children. Now, God is better than me for sure because He doesn't desert the rest though He does leave 99 to get the 1. Anyway, I've really gone off track here. 

I just believe there is an emptiness inside all of us (or most of us) that can only be filled by the Lord. People fill it with jobs, money, fancy cars, big homes, & even pastors who tell them God wants them to be prosperous. However, he allows us to choose it. If we don't choose Him, we choose punishment. Nobody likes the idea of this great loving God tormenting others for eternity but He's also a God of righteousness, judgment, as well as a jealous God. We don't serve Him, we're serving the enemy. James 4:4 tells us You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. So, there is your choice. We see God with human minds & God isn't within the realm of human logic. Just look around you at the world. Look at how many insects, types of birds, colors of flowers & all kinds of trees. Logically, how can 1 Creator do this in the time allotted? In our logical mind, that's impossible. However, God doesn't operate within our logic. 

Like you, I have crazy questions like this. My husband just rolls his eyes at the questions I have. hahaha. Never be scared to ask them though. With the questions, dig in His Word for the answers. You'll find yourself drawing closer to Him through His Word. You may not find the exact answers you're looking for but He will put you on the path of a deeper understanding of who He is & who you are to be.  

I want to add this. There are many Scriptures that tell us to fear God so fear isn't such a bad thing. 2 Cor 7:1 Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.  Fearing God is connected wth holiness here. Fearing God means that you keep in line with His will and are kept from grave sins. It gives direction to your life. Rev 14:7 And he said with a loud voice, “Fear God and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come, and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water." Here it's connected to judgment. Fearing God means to have respect for Him and to obey Him. It means that you acknowledge Him to be your Creator and thus to have the right to be your Lord. It means that you act out of reverence for Him. So, fearing Him isn't the worse thing ever. lol 

Sorry, I know this is all over the place.

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Permalink Reply by Tammy on January 4, 2019 at 5:23pm

I didn't proofread this so many mistakes are surely there. I'll be praying for you brother that He will bring you to a place of understanding. 

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Permalink Reply by Brandon on January 4, 2019 at 8:07pm

Thank you, again for your meaningful responses. I want so bad to do this right! It seems like every time I get serious, I'm all alone, and God doesn't hear me. I get so discouraged because I lack so much, and I hear messages that say, "you must be this or that!" I feel like some pastors are preaching that once you become a Christian, there is no growth, and if you are not so far along by now, that something is wrong. All I've received is discouragement and I have no spiritual help. God promised the holy spirit, but if he's there, I sure haven't received guidance, and I was sincere when I accepted Christ. Guys, I'm so tired, and I'm work out! I'm feeling like i can't take this anymore, and I just don't know what to do anymore. All I want to do is cry myself to sleep.

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Permalink Reply by Carla on January 4, 2019 at 9:39pm

Brandon,

I don't want to make assumptions about how you accepted Christ, or if what you did was right or wrong, so I'm treading carefully here...  

You said "but if he's there, I sure haven't received guidance, and I was sincere when I accepted Christ"

I have great concerns over the message that you must accept Jesus into your heart.  If that's what you were told, it's not biblical.  It doesn't say anywhere in the bible that you must accept Jesus into your heart.  You need to repent.  Have you repented of your sin?  Do you believe that Jesus died for you and rose back to life.  HE defeated sin and death and shares HIS victory with us.... so that you may also have life?

It does say "Repent" Acts 3:19; Isaiah 30:15 (OT); Luke 5:32; Matt 4:17; Mark 1:14,15; Matt 3:2; Acts 3:19; Matt 1:20 ... There are so many more.

Romans 10:13 says "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved"

You also said "I sure haven't received guidance".  Are you expecting to hear His voice?  Are you reading your bible?  The Holy Spirit speaks to us in our spirits thru His Written Word.  Open up the book of John and start reading there.

Romans 10:9-11

...if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; ¹⁰ for with the heart a person believes, ^[f]resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, ^[g]resulting in salvation. ¹¹ For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes in Him will not be ^[h]disappointed.” 

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