I was taught that Hell was a place prepared for the Devil and his angels, where they would be tormented forever and ever.  They all used to be God’s angels, but their free will got them into trouble.  So he kicked them out of Heaven, which, apparently wasn’t good enough.  He went on to design a special place, where he could watch them suffer for eternity.

And since Hell was already established, what a perfect place to torment any who rejected Christ as their Lord and Savior!  How many of you out there are buying this?  For those that are — WHY?  Because the Bible says so?  I believe in God, but I have a problem with this view of his character.

I believe in Jesus, but would he really want to be a part of this eternal torture in exchange for a limited lifetime of bad decisions?  Does that seem fair?  I thought Jesus came to teach us of God’s love, and how we should love others.  I believe he died on the cross.  That’s what giving your life is all about.  Does it really have any magical salvation significance?  We’re told that Jesus’s death is the New Testament answer to the Old Testament tradition of animal sacrifice.  I love meat, but to make the killing of my food a part of a sacrificial ritual would likely turn me into a vegetarian.

I believe in Hell.  Say what?  Yes, I do.  I believe some people are already in hell.  That most of us have experienced some form of hell.  I believe that hell is necessary for our discipline; that, oddly enough, it’s part of God’s discipline.  Not to get back at us for sinning, but to wake us up to his love.  To set our minds toward understanding where we failed, and encouraging our desire to do right.  Does this make more sense?

How about spending time in outer darkness? (Matthew 22:13)  The desire for light or companionship. The reflection of evil deeds done while in the body.  The need for hope.  Maybe this is what we need.

What do you think?

Is it possible that justice and mercy can be the same thing?  Justice is making things right, giving people what they deserve for wrongs they have committed.  But does that fully repay the victim?  Don’t they still experience the loss?

If the offender is given another chance, is that true mercy?  Won’t the victim feel slighted, with no closure? And are there certain crimes that don’t deserve another chance?  I wonder how the justice of man compares to the justice of God.  We can certainly agree on the fact that God searches the heart and would know if the transgressor is truly repentant.  God could tell if he or she would not repeat the crime.

God’s fire is often shown to be his judgement.  It can consume, or it can torture.  It can warm, or it can burn away impurities.  How does that relate to our salvation?  Or to our sanctification?  Is the death of Christ for our sins the final measure of his perfect justice?  Does God’s justice bring death and life?

It seems that God should hold us all accountable for not only what we’ve done in these bodies, but where our minds are in relation to him and those around us.  And where does love fit in?  Can God love us even after we’ve picked the wrong interpretation of his justice?

Let God be true, and every man a liar.  (Romans 3:4)

Nobody wants to be a scaredy-cat, but I believe that everyone is at one time or another.  For some people you can read fear on their faces.  With others you would swear that they weren’t afraid, but their fear is kept inside, building up as stress, the silent killer.

Why do we fear?  Is it because we always anticipate the bad?  That guy might make good on his threat towards me.  Is my husband having an affair?  Will my husband come home in a bad mood and hurt me?  Am I doomed for another heart attack?  So many in my mother’s family died of cancer.  Am I next?  Why won’t my grown children take my advice?  I only want to keep them safe.

The Bible says that we should fear nothing and nobody except God.  Why should we fear God?  Is that just a King James word for worshipful respect?  If so, why don’t we change it?  As it is, it looks like we should be afraid of our creator, who has the “power to throw you into hell.”  (Luke 12:5)  What kind of relationship is that?  Is that what they call a healthy fear?

What about the fact that “perfect love drives out fear?” (I John 4:18)  Shouldn’t that be our focus?  Can love and fear co-exist?  Maybe it would work because love transfers our attention to others, and our pride keeps trying to push our own concerns for ourselves to the front.  Perhaps that tension is necessary for our spiritual growth.

Fear is binding.  It stifles us.  It causes us to react, rather than to act.  We all talk about freedom in Christ, but we live as though we are still in the grip of fear.  Can we dare to be free?  Is the Devil pushing our fear buttons?

Who is in control?

If you look in the upper right-hand corner of the home page of this blog, you’ll see a photo of my favorite writer, George MacDonald, along with my favorite quote of his.  It answers the question of, “What does God really want from us?”

Sin is doing wrong.  Some sins don’t make you a bad person.  A lot of sins make you suspect.  Our preachers remind us that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) So God knows that all of us are going to sin, right?  So why hold us accountable for sins that he knows that we are going to commit; even the same preachers point out that we are born into sin, that we have sinful natures.

And if Christ died for all of our sins — past, present and future — doesn’t that really mess with our minds? I don’t really want to sin, but, oh well, at least it’s covered by the blood of Christ.  Can it be that God would actually like for us to NOT sin, period?

Would it help our children not to sin if we would just die?  I don’t think so. How about if we select one of the little sinners and put him or her to death for the sins of all of the rest?  Oh, right.  The sacrificial child would have to be sinless.  But what difference would that make if the rest of the kids are going to continue to sin anyway?  Wouldn’t it be better if they could be disciplined in order to learn how to NOT sin? Isn’t that possible?  Can’t God do it?  Isn’t he the Father of us all?

And if said discipline could be executed in this life and the next, then what’s the purpose of the cross? Jesus said to “Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48)

Now that sounds like a plan.