SWORD OF THE SPIRIT                                                                                               1116

“Love and Justice”

The Lord is slow to anger and will by no means clear the guilty. – Nahum 1:3

Have you ever encountered people who believe in God but reject His free gift of salvation through Jesus?

You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! – James 2:19

They believe there is an eternal afterlife but they view the concept that Jesus as being the only way to Heaven with Father God as too narrow and restrictive.

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. – John 14:6

And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” – Acts 4:12

There are those who teach that God does not send people to hell – that He only honors their choice to go there. That teaching does not hold with the Truth of the Word of God. If I choose to break the law, I am not doing so because I am choosing the negative consequence for my action. I am breaking the law because I prefer to sin rather than being obedient.

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. – Romans 6:23

In the same way people who choose to embrace a life of sin and reject God’s plan of repentance and salvation through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ are not choosing to go to hell. They are choosing to reject Jesus all the while maintaining an expectation of eternal life in heaven.

Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. – Matthew 7:13-14

They continue to expect eternity in heaven by stating that a loving God will not send them to hell. God does indeed love us. He does not want people to go to hell for eternity – He wants them all to repent and accept his free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ.

The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. – 2 Peter 3:9

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. – John 3:16

However much that God loves us, He is also just. God will send those to hell whose choice is to refuse to repent and turn from sin and who reject salvation though Christ Jesus – God will mete out justice.

Then he will say to those on his left, Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. – Matthew 25:41

May the Holy Spirit reveal the truth of the Word of God to your soul. May the sword of the Spirit cut through the deception of the enemy so that you may know the depth of God’s love for you through Jesus. May you know His true character of love and justice.