Welcome to the fourth in our big questions series.
This is another really difficult one.
Maybe many of you, maybe all of us have wrestled with this at some point.
How can a good God judge anyone?
How can a good God send anyone to hell?
What I want us to do before thinking about that question
is to hear one of the many places where Jesus teaches about heaven and hell.
We're going to listen to a parable that we find in Luke chapter 16,
beginning at verse 19.
So this is Jesus teaching.
There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen
and lived in luxury every day.
At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus,
covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table.
Even the dogs came and licked his sores.
The time came when the beggar died
and the angels carried him to Abraham's side.
The rich man also died and was buried.
In Hades, where he was in torment,
he looked up and saw Abraham far away with Lazarus by his side.
So he called to him,
Father Abraham, have pity on me
and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water
and cool my tongue
because I am in agony in this fire.
But Abraham replied,
Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things
while Lazarus received bad things.
But now he is comforted here and you are in agony.
And besides all this,
between us and you a great chasm has been set in place
so that those who want to go from here to you cannot,
nor can anyone cross over from there to us.
He answered,
Then I beg you, Father,
send Lazarus to my family,
for I have five brothers.
Let him warn them
so that they will not also come to this place of torment.
Abraham replied,
They have Moses and the prophets.
Let them listen to them.
No, Father Abraham, he said,
but if someone from the dead goes to them,
they will repent.
He said to them,
If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets,
they will not be convinced,
even if someone rises from the dead.
I think this is most likely the hardest question
that we have to tackle.
As Christians,
one of those questions that we face,
perhaps most often the challenges we face most often,
some of the reasons why it's so difficult.
First of all,
there's an emotional response that we have to it, isn't there?
It's unpleasant to think about,
to talk about,
judgment and hell.
And that can very easily trump the question,
Is it morally right?
We go with our gut
and it's hard to think beyond that.
Another challenge that presents itself
is views of tolerance
that we have in society.
So many people
reckon that we are free
to decide our own moral values.
So that the idea of objective values
coming from God
are very unpopular in some places.
The idea of a God
who would judge
sincerely held beliefs
is confusing to people.
The idea of a final judgment,
a judgment day
doesn't make sense to many.
It's one of these places
where Christianity challenges
our culture
here on the topic of tolerance.
I think from a Christian point of view,
we fear being labelled as judgmental,
that we might seem to be proud,
arrogant in some way.
Nobody wants to be considered judgmental
and so we can easily shy away
and struggle to know
how to deal with the question.
We also have the obstacle
of popular views of God
and in particular,
that view that says,
well, I believe in a God of love,
a God without justice,
a God who is loving.
And so there's no room there for justice,
certainly no room for hell.
We need to understand, of course,
that that is a modern invention.
There are no religious texts.
There are no religious cultures
at any point in history
that simply had a God of love full stop.
That is in itself a leap of faith,
but nevertheless,
it does make it difficult
when we come to the question
of hell and judgment.
But what I hope we can do
is take an honest look
at a hard subject
to think about what the Bible teaches
and especially to think about
what Jesus has to say.
But let's begin with the question,
how could a loving God judge anyone?
I want to follow three distinct lines
of thought at this stage.
First, to recognise
that we are free moral agents.
At issue is the question,
is God right?
Does he have the right
to hold us morally responsible?
Now, somebody like Sam Harris
would argue no.
He believes in a thing
called scientific determinism
and would argue that
we cannot control
our neurological processes
and therefore we cannot
be held responsible
for our behaviours.
Here's a quote from Sam Harris.
The idea that we,
as conscious beings,
are deeply responsible
for the character
of our mental lives
and subsequent behaviour
is simply impossible
to map onto reality.
Our question
is, does that make
the best sense of reality?
if we say that
nobody is accountable
for their actions,
it will, in a moment,
destroy our justice system.
It will also
stop us from praising
what we see as heroic
or noble on the other hand.
So we cannot condemn
someone as guilty
because it's just
their brain processes
and sort of automatic
responses and behaviour,
nor can we praise
great acts of courage
or of self-sacrifice.
To go down that route
that says we're not
free moral agents
is to strip away
our moral fabric,
to strip away
a significant part
of our dignity
as human beings
and instinctively
in our understanding
that there is
right and wrong,
there's beauty
and ugliness,
we are people
who recognise
justice,
we recognise
that people
are making choices
and so it makes
best sense
of the evidence
to say that we are
free moral agents.
The second
line of thought
at this stage
is to recognise,
although it seems
initially
a paradox
that love
and justice
can coexist.
For many
the idea
of a God
who has
wrath
or anger
against sin
seems
sub-God,
it's beneath
God.
the question
is posed,
well can't we
just remove
judgement
to have
only
love?
But others
have noticed
a problem.
The opposite
of
love
is apathy
or indifference.
So a God
who didn't
care
about
evil
a God
who was
not
concerned
with
injustice
would not
be more
loving,
rather
it would
be a God
not worthy
of our
worship.
To make
things personal
for a moment,
suppose you
were to see
a friend
or a family
member
be mocked
or abused.
what feelings
would we
have?
Well surely
there would
be a sense
of anger
at wrongdoing,
there would
be a desire
for justice.
And the
more love
that we
have for
a person,
the greater
that sense
of justice
would be.
Think about
how we
respond
to the
horrible
things we
hear about
in the
news,
whether
that's
trafficking
or dictators
or racism.
We respond
as moral
agents.
We feel
that certain
things are
wrong and
the more
we love,
the more
we feel
that.
Now bearing
in mind,
as the
Bible tells
us,
people are
God's
image
bearers.
If we
feel
and recognise
and respond
with a
desire for
justice,
we cannot
deny that
to God.
When he
sees evil
and injustice,
we cannot
expect him
to just
turn a
blind eye
to them.
He is too
loving for
them.
We need
to recognise
that our
feelings
of anger
and injustice
are just a
drop in the
ocean
compared
to God's.
God is
righteously
angry
against the
horror of
sin that
is destroying
and ripping
apart the
beauty and
the peace
of his
creation.
Before we
move on,
a few years
ago I came
across the
writings of
Miroslav
Wolf.
He is
a theologian
who grew
up and
lived through
the Balkan
wars of
the 90s.
And for
Wolf,
he understood
that only
a genuine
belief in
the final
judgment of
God was
able to
stop the
cycle of
killing and
revenge.
That it
leaving
vengeance in
God's
hands
allowed
people the
freedom to
forgive and
to move
on.
So love
and justice
can co-exist.
And the
third line
of thinking
I want us
to pursue
for a couple
of minutes
is that
the punishment
that's described
in the
Bible does
fit the
crime.
one
significant
struggle that
we have
in the
question of
how could
God judge
anyone
is that
we have
made sin
a small
thing.
It seems
like no
big deal.
And coupled
to that we
have lost
sight of
the
perfect
holiness of
God.
That he
is morally
perfect,
his glory
is far
above
us.
And when
we lose
sight of
the seriousness
of sin
and the
holiness of
God,
we imagine
God can
simply sweep
sin under
the rug.
He can
let everyone
into
heaven.
We can
follow the
logic,
well,
God forgives
everyone,
that's his
job.
God is
unchanging
in his
character.
And the
ugliness of
sin,
if God
was simply
to ignore
it and
sweep it
under the
rug,
it would
mean God
being
untrue to
himself.
God is
unchanging
in his
character.
He cannot
act in
ways that
are unjust
or unholy.
And so
for our
whole
understanding
of this
question,
we need
to recover
the view
that God
is perfectly
holy.
And we
need to
reckon
with sin
being directed
against this
holy God.
And it's no
small thing,
rather, as
R.C.
Sproul put it,
it's an act
of cosmic
treason.
Our sin
is an
infinite
offence
against the
infinitely
holy and
glorious
God,
and as
such,
it deserves
infinite
punishment.
A picture
to help
us.
If you
were to
go behind
my back
and to
plot
against me
for some
reason,
I would
find that
sad,
obviously,
but at the
end of the
day, it
would be
no
big
deal.
But
if we
do the
same to
the
Queen,
well, that
could become
an act
of treason.
And that
could land
you in the
Tower of
London.
We need
to think
about who
we're dealing
with, who
we sin
against.
So where
have we
got to
so far?
We have
considered that
we are morally
responsible for
our actions
and our
decisions,
and that
includes
how we
respond to
God and
especially how
we respond to
Jesus as
Saviour.
We show
in everyday
life that
to love
is to
care about
justice.
And we've
seen that God
is no different.
In fact, God
is the perfect
example of
that.
And we've
also considered
that we're
dealing with
an absolutely
holy and
perfect God,
also rejecting
and rebelling
against him
is very
serious.
And those
three realities,
they underpin
the teaching
of the Bible,
the teaching
of Jesus
on judgment,
on heaven
and hell.
So let's
turn there
next.
And what I
want us to
do is to
think about
heaven and
hell in
terms of
relationship
to Jesus.
Now typically,
heaven and
hell, we
think about
them as
places,
and maybe
those places,
if we go to
one or the
other, it
depends on
our actions,
but it's
better, I
think more
helpful for
us, to
see that
those places
are tied up
to our
relationship
to Jesus,
the response
we make
to him.
And as we
begin to
think about
the subject,
let's just
remember Jesus
regarded by
many Christians
and non-Christians
as the most
loving person
who ever
lived.
This is the
Jesus who
wept over
the city
of Jerusalem
knowing that
they had
chosen to
reject him.
This is the
Jesus who
prayed,
Father,
forgive them
of his
enemies who
are nailing
him to a
cross.
It's this
Jesus who
taught more
about heaven
and hell
and the
judgment of
God than
anybody else
in the
whole Bible.
And so we
need to
recognise that
its foundation
as truth
is not
hateful.
Rather,
in the
hands of
Jesus,
in the
teaching of
Jesus,
there is a
loving invitation
to receive
him and
receive the
joy of
heaven and
there is a
loving warning
to receive
Jesus and
avoid the
danger and
the punishment
of hell.
In the
teaching of
Jesus,
in his
parables,
he used
lots of
different
pictures,
heaven is
pictured as
homecoming,
it's pictured
as wedding,
it's pictured
as a
great feast.
All of
those pictures
speaking to
us of joy
and life
and celebration
and all
about
relationship.
And Jesus
emphasised
relationship to
himself and
to God as
Father.
And in
those same
parables and
teachings,
hell is the
opposite,
hell is the
shut door,
hell is the
outer darkness,
hell is the
agony and
the wailing.
And the
point that I
want us to
really to take
away and to
consider is
what we're not
doing is
choosing
heaven or
hell
fundamentally.
what we're
choosing today,
what you and
I are choosing
today is
am I
accepting
or rejecting
Jesus?
He offers me
forgiveness,
he offers me
life,
he offers me
heaven,
he offers to
save me from
hell,
do I accept
or do I
reject him?
And I want
to see this in
the parable
that we read
at the beginning,
Luke chapter
16,
the story of
the rich man
and Lazarus
that Jesus
told.
We see
two extremes
in their
life as
Jesus paints
a picture
for us.
This rich man
lives in
extreme luxury
whereas Lazarus
lives in
extreme poverty
just outside
his gate
with dogs
licking his
sores and
desperate to
get even the
crumbs from
the rich man's
table.
But then the
story moves
on and we
see two
extremes
in eternity.
They both
die and
Lazarus
finds himself
in Abraham's
bosom,
a place of
comfort and
security.
Abraham,
the father of
faith,
Abraham who
received covenant
promises from
God.
Here is a
picture of
Lazarus
enjoying
blessing
in God's
place
among God's
people,
knowing peace
with God
and joy
of life
made perfect
but the
rich man,
the contrast
is stark.
We are told
he is in
torment.
He says
that he is
in agony.
We are told
that he is
in the
fire.
Now it's
important to
recognise
that some
of the
imagery of
hell is
just that.
It's a
picture fire
here.
Here is a
picture but
we need to
understand it's
a picture that
speaks to
a certain
reality.
It represents
the horror
of what it
means to
receive
punishment
and to
face
eternal
separation.
In our
story,
reality sets
in and
we recognise
that hell
is real,
hell is
eternal,
and there
is this
great
chasm.
So there
is a
point of
no return,
there is
no crossing.
And out
of this
misery and
torment,
the rich
man responds
by wanting
to sound a
warning to
his family.
and so the
rich man asks
Abraham in
the parable
to send
Lazarus to
his brothers
and the
response is
they have
the word
of God
that that
should be
enough for
them.
They have
Moses and
the prophets.
the rich
man comes
back and
says,
no,
if somebody
comes and
appears from
the dead,
then they'll
repent,
then they'll
believe,
and the
climax of
the story,
if they do
not listen to
Moses and
the prophets,
if they don't
listen to the
word of God,
they will not
be convinced
even if
someone rises
from the
dead.
in Jesus
teaching.
There are
people who
have the
Bible and
don't listen
to its
warnings and
invitations.
There's some
who won't
believe even
in the face
of resurrection.
What's Jesus
driving at
here?
Well, in
one sense,
here is another
way of Jesus
to make the
point that the
whole Bible
is about
him,
about the
fact that
God in
his grace
has
responded to
human sin
and misery
by promising
a saviour,
that saviour
who is God's
own son,
who comes
out of sheer
mercy and
grace to be
Messiah,
saviour,
to become
the sacrifice
for sin
at the cross
and the one
who calls
us to
faith in
him and
to repentance,
to turning
away from
sin.
It also
is pointing
forward to
the reality
that Jesus
would conquer
hell by
his
resurrection,
that faith
in Jesus
is the
only way
to enjoy
heaven and
not hell,
but sadly,
some people
won't believe
even a
risen saviour.
The Bible
teaches that
we are made
for friendship
with God
and sin is
what separates
and what
severs that
relationship.
To lose
God's
presence
is tragedy.
To lose
God's
presence
eternally
is hell.
So Jesus,
in his life,
in his teaching,
he issues a
loving invitation,
an offer that
doesn't last
forever,
and he
speaks of
the reality
of hell
to give
urgency
to the
decision
that we
all have
to make.
Now,
of course,
many people
in Jesus'
day,
they rejected
him,
they chose
another path,
many people
today.
Well,
I have
better offers
on the
table than
the one
to follow
Jesus.
I have
more
freedom
to enjoy
than what
Jesus offers
and next
week we'll
think about
the whole
question of
freedom.
I have
time on
my side,
maybe at
some other
point I'll
consider Jesus,
but we need
to recognise
what we do
with his
invitation
determines
our eternal
destiny.
So moving
from heaven
and hell
and our
relationship
to Jesus,
I want us
lastly to
think about
heaven and
hell and
what it says
about the
love of
Jesus.
God
and perhaps
that in
itself seems
surprising to
put together.
I want to
turn our
usual question
on its
head so
that instead
of asking
how could a
good and
loving God
send anyone
to hell,
I want to
ask how
could a
good and
loving and
just God
allow anyone
into heaven?
Take just a
moment of
honest reflection
and you know
as well as I
do that we
have guilty
secrets,
that we
hide things
from others.
we're very
careful in
the image
that we
project.
We sometimes
in our
church use
the
Christianity
Explored
course to
help people
to investigate
the Christian
faith and it
has a
powerful
illustration
there where
Rico Teiss,
the presenter,
asked the
question if
there was a
big screen
showing of
all the
thoughts
running through
our heads
that was
available for
the world
to see.
How would
we feel
about that?
It sounds
awful doesn't
it?
We would
feel so
exposed and
ashamed.
One of the
ways the
Bible functions
is it
functions as
a search
light.
The light
of its
perfection
exposes our
failures.
It lays
bare the
darkness of
our thoughts
and words
and actions
and motives
when we
really listen
to it but
yet remarkably
that search
light isn't
there to
condemn us
as criminals
it's intended
to find us
so that we
might be
brought home
that against
the dark
backdrop
of our
sin
and the
consequence
of that
which is
separation
from God
and hell
the light
of Jesus
the love
of Jesus
shines
to bring
hope
and grace
and to
see this
we need to
see what
the cross
of Jesus
is all
about.
So the
night before
Jesus died
he was in
the garden
of Gethsemane
and he
prayed
Father
if it is
possible
take this
cup
from me
yet not
my will
but yours
be done.
Now what
is this
cup
that he
was asking
to be
removed
if possible?
Well we
discover that
image in the
Old Testament
a picture of
God's holy
anger against
sin being
poured out
for his
enemies to
drink.
That anger
of God
that would
come against
nations for
idolatry
for child
sacrifice
for exploiting
the poor
for rejection
of him
and his
word
and when
we look
at the
cross
we need
to see
Jesus
drinking
down
God's
righteous
anger
at sin
my sin
to see
that Jesus
in love
will face
hell
will cry
my God
why have
you forsaken
me to
give me
heaven.
Now the
question then
arises well
how does this
not make
God and
the cross
unjust
if Jesus
is righteous
and innocent
as we believe
then how can
this be just
and we need
to see
that this
isn't
the father
punishing
the son
and the son
is passive
and receiving
the anger
of an
angry father
Jesus
we need to
understand
is God
he is not
a passive
victim
he is both
the judge
and the
condemned
on the cross
he gives
his life
as a sacrifice
but on the
last day
Jesus will
return as
judge
and so
the wrath
of God
against sin
is
the wrath
of Jesus
and there is
mystery there
but we affirm
it to be true
and we also
need to see
that Jesus
cannot be
separated
from his
people
he is the
head
and his
people
the church
is the
body
so he
represents
his people
and we are
united
to him
he becomes
one of us
that he might
bear the
punishment
and face
hell
for us
and united
with him
as it goes
for Jesus
so it
goes
for us
he dies
to sin
so that we
can die
to sin
and live
a righteous
life
with God
and for
God
so when we
look at the
cross we see
both a
demonstration
of God's
righteous
anger
at sin
as Jesus
the sin
bearer
faces it
but we
also see
the cross
as the
loving
response of
God
to rescue
sinners
and invite
us
to heaven
which is
the relationship
with God
and the love
that that
brings
so the choice
we all face
as we come
to a close
is this
knowing that
we have
all sins
that we have
failed to love
God and to
love others
perfectly
knowing that
the just
punishment
for that
is
separation
from God
and hell
for all
eternity
the choice
is simple
will I face
hell
by myself
or will I
trust Jesus
and his
love
and will I
hide myself
in him
the scandal
at the heart
of Christianity
is that
anyone who
believes
will be
saved
because of
God's
free grace
to us
in Jesus
and Jesus
loving
invitation
is open
to
all
so
philosopher
JP
Moreland
is right
when he
says
I believe
that hell
is morally
justifiable
but I don't
feel comfortable
about it
because it's
sad
the proper
thing to
do
is admit
that hell
is real
and allow
our feelings
of discomfort
to motivate
us to
action
whether that's
turning to
Jesus as
saviour
or sharing
the good
news of
Jesus with
urgency
to others
let's pray
briefly
Lord God
as we have
considered
one of the
hardest
topics
for us
to think
about
emotionally
we do
thank you
that we
can look
through the
Bible
and we
can
listen to
the teaching
of Jesus
thank you
that we see
in Jesus
someone who
is loving
and not
hateful
we see
in Jesus
someone who
would give
his own
life
who would
face
hell
so that
all who
would trust
in him
by faith
need not
face
judgment
we pray
that you
would help
us to
honestly
wrestle
with
the feelings
that we
have
but also
to think
about
what the
Bible
teaches
that you
would give
us that
sense of
urgency
that you
would help
us to see
our eternal
destiny
hinges on
how we
respond
to the
loving
invitation
and the
loving
warning
of Jesus
we
ask
that you
would help
us
and guide
us
amen
to
you