By David ReayWednesday 24 Jun 2015LifeWords DevotionalsFaithReading Time: 0 minutes
Transcript:
Read John 3:16-20
16-18 “This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son,his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him,anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger,telling the world how bad it was. He came to help,to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person’s failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him.
19-21 “This is the crisis we’re in: God-light streamed into the world,but men and women everywhere ran for the darkness. They went for the darkness because they were not really interested in pleasing God. Everyone who makes a practice of doing evil,addicted to denial and illusion,hates God-light and won’t come near it,fearing a painful exposure. (THE MESSAGE)
We really do have a choice when it comes to where we will spend eternity. God wants all to spend eternity with him: not surprising given his love for us. Yet this same God also gives us freedom to reject him. Any who do not want to be with God are given that choice. After all,heaven would be hellish for such people.
It is not as if God rubs his hands with glee at the thought of people making such a choice. But he will not override the freedom he has given them to make the choice. C.S. Lewis puts it well:
“In the long run,the answer to all those who object to the doctrine of hell is itself a question: ‘What are you asking God to do?’ To wipe out their past sins and at all costs give them a new start,smoothing every difficulty and offering every miraculous help? But he has done so on Calvary. To forgive them? But they will not be forgiven. To leave them alone? Alas I am afraid that is what he does.”
Or to use another Lewis quote,”The doors of hell are locked on the inside.”
Blessings
David Reay