The other side of this question is: 'If God is so just
how can he accept anyone into heaven?' God reveals to us clearly two
aspects of his character: his justice and his love.
God, because he is just, cannot say that our rebellion
against him doesn't matter. All of us have offended him. We reject
God's commands, which is a personal rejection of God.
When my two year old daughter jumped violently on
the back of my baby son, she offended my son but she also offended me.
I have been clear with her that she is to be gentle with her little
brother. In the same way, when we adults act against each other (in
our sexuality misbehaviour, in our selfishness, in banging into each
others cars without owning up) we offend another person, but we also
offend God.
Our rejection of God's commands is a symptom of our
personal rejection of God. God has been clear how he wants me to live
and how he wants me to relate to him. When I go astray I am actually
saying to God, "God, I do not accept you as God of my life - I am the
ruler - please go away and leave me alone."
God cannot just say to Hitler that it doesn't matter
and sweep Hitler's offence under the carpet. And God (because of his
justice) can't say that my offence doesn't matter, for my offence may
be of a different degree - but its antisocial nature is the same.
God in his justice gives us what we ask for.
Eternity without him. 'Hell' is not the popularly conceived 'goblins
at the end of the garden', but rather is eternal loneliness ... as God
withdraws relationship from us.
The greatness of the Christian Gospel is that God is
not only just, but loving. In the moment of the death of Jesus, the
love of God and the justice of God meet. In his last moments on the
cross, Jesus cries out in anguish to the Father, "My God, my God, why
have you abandoned me?" The answer is that God so loved us, that he
has abandoned Jesus (sent him to hell) to pay the price of our
rebellion, so that God could in his love accept us, and yet maintain
his justice (and not say that our offence does not matter).
We must accept God's justice, the question is: Will
you accept God's love ... and thank him for Jesus death on your
behalf?
By Dominic Steele
© 2002 Christianity.net.au
used with permission