Lessons from Jude

This is one of two writings that came about when I felt led by the Lord to write down what he showed me while reading his Word. It is focused on the book of Jude, one of only a few books in the whole Bible that have but one chapter. Of these, the other one-chapter book I found myself writing down whatever the Spirit showed me is the book of Obadiah. I have left that as a separate blog.

As to the book of Jude, I read it more deliberately than I normally do, because I realized that the Holy Spirit was expanding upon much of what I had just read, before going on to the next verse. What you see written below is the result of this time of meditation upon this Word of God. I pray that it will build you up in your relationship with the Lord as it has for me.

The teaching began right away, with the reading of the first verse: "Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James, To those who have been called, who are loved by God the Father and kept by Jesus Christ:"

The italicized part--kept by Jesus Christ--is the section that was quickened to me, and another verse in Jude’s letter immediately was brought to my mind by the Spirit, v. 24: “To him who is able to “keep you" from falling. . . ." And another verse as well: “ . . . angels who did not keep their positions . . . but abandoned their own home--these he has kept in darkness" (v. 6). And, finally, a third additional verse finished the point the Spirit was about to make to me, verse 13, where it says that these fallen angels are “wandering stars for whom blackest darkness has been reserved (kept) forever."

There are two types of keeping contrasted here: Those who keep Jesus and those who leave him and thus are kept or reserved for punishment. Those who keep the Lord will be kept safely by him for all eternity in heaven (v. 24). But those who desire to abandon the Lord will be abandoned by him.

"If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever" (1 Ch. 28:9).

Those who seek God will find him; he will raise them up with Christ and he will keep them from falling from that high position.

“God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus" (Eph. 2:6).

But some angels, who were created long ago, chose not to keep their ancient positions and as a consequence have lost them forever, while we, who come long after the angels were created and who choose to keep our high position in Jesus, will keep that high position forever. “So the last will be first, and the first will be last" (Mt. 20:16).

The angels who rebelled against God lost their home of glorious light to exist forever in blackest darkness. These are indeed wandering stars (Jude 13), once shining brightly in the darkness and now swallowed up by that same darkness, because they refused to keep themselves close to the One was able to keep them from the power of the darkness, the One whom Scripture describes as the light whom the darkness could not overcome (Jn. 1:5).

It is interesting that this same passage from the gospel of John can also be translated “the darkness has not understood it." Later in his book, Jude also connects the two--not understanding and not being able to stand up to the power of darkness:

“These men speak abusively against whatever they do not understand; and what things they do understand by instinct, like unreasoning animals—these are the very things that destroy them" (v. 10).

Indeed, we sometimes speak of not understanding as being a darkness of the mind or as being in darkness.

In fact, ungodly men of this type are so removed from any understanding of reality and God and his call to holiness for those he created that they even sit down at the Christians’ love feasts without the slightest qualms (Jude 12). They think they fit right in, that they are one in outlook and faith with the sons of light, completely unaware of how dark they have become in understanding and that there can be no fellowship of darkness with light (2 Cor 6:14). They are darkness, we are light:

“You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness" (1 Ths. 5:5).

They are unaware that they have remade God in their image, thus fitting God’s description of them:

“You thought I was altogether like you" (Ps. 50:21).

Such is the darkness of those who leave the light; they cannot even see how dark they have become. They may even call darkness light, so that God pronounces this judgment upon them:

“Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness" (Is. 5:20).

Jude is a book of judgment, among other things. This judgment is both of deliverance and destruction:

“The Lord delivered his people out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe" (Jude 5).

Only two destinies or outcomes are possible for all: Believe and receive, or refuse to believe and be destroyed. Destruction is the judgment that happened to Sodom and Gomorrah, as an example for us who come later:

“In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire" (Jude 7).

An important lesson the Holy Spirit emphasizes in this verse is the danger of not separating ourselves sufficiently from evil in this world. The above verse says that destruction by fire from above fell not only upon the two major cities where sin was so rampant but also fell upon "the surrounding towns".

Just being near to the presence of wickedness is enough to contaminate those who belong to the light and to fall under its influence and power and thus also become polluted. That is why, in the last days of planet earth, Scripture warns those who belong to the light to separate themselves from those places of darkness, for judgment is about to fall on them and if they are too close to those places, they could suffer that fire of judgment:

"Come out of her, my people, so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues" (Rev. 18:4).

This in no way means that we are not to go out into the darkness of the world as beacons of light, for that is the great commission our Lord gave us (Mt. 28:19) and sometimes fulfilling this great commission means that we must live in or near cities of wickedness and darkness. But we are never to partake of that darkness, that lifestyle. If directed by God to live in such places for a time, we are to be in the world but not part of it:

"I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people--not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world" (1 Cor. 5:9,10).

We will leave this world, either by death or rapture, but until that time we are left in this world and its darkness to bring God’s light to it; therefore we sometimes must live in or near cities of darkness--but only at God’s direction, to spread his gospel light, not because we desire to partake of the world’s riches. "Remember Lot's wife!" (Lk. 17:32).

We may, of life’s necessities, have to use some things of this world, but if this is so then we are to be "those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away" (1 Cor. 7:31).

"You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God" (Jas. 4:4).

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world" (Js. 1:2).

Interesting, is it not, that James repeats Jude’s emphasis on being kept? We are all human and all too easily fall sway to those around us. If we do not keep ourselves unstained by the world, the world will bring us down with it. In verse eight, Jude mentions three areas of harm and destruction:

(1) Their own bodies -- They do not respect even their own selves and souls and bodies. They are not trustworthy to see after the care of their own body and soul. The body belongs to the Lord, and if we do not take proper care of it, he will destroy it:

"Food for the stomach and the stomach for food--but God will destroy them both. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body" (1 Cor. 6:13).

"If you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own?" (Lk. 16:12).

(2) Those in authority -- Authorities with the divine mandate to watch over them and care for them, which they are unable to do because these ungodly humans do not care for or respect either themselves or those placed over them for their own welfare.

"Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you" (Heb. 13:17).

(3) Celestial beings -- Jude proceeds from one level of authority up the chain to the highest levels, from self to authorities on earth above self. First, worldly authorities, then heavenly. Self, world, heaven--the ungodly scorn and disobey and ridicule all three.

Contrast this attitude with that of the heavenly being, the archangel Michael, who looks to the Lord as the One with authority, while these lesser ones presume higher authority than either Michael or God himself:

"But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not dare to bring a slanderous accusation against him, but said, "The Lord rebuke you!" Yet these men speak abusively against whatever they do not understand; and what things they do understand by instinct, like unreasoning animals—these are the very things that destroy them" (Jude 9,10).

Because these rebels in darkness do not understand even the basic truths of reality and their place in it, they speak foolish and wicked things against the truth. They understand only the lowest, basest animal drives of sex and hunger and give in to them and pervert them to their own destruction.

But now a deep question arises. How did they get this way? Now Jude enters into a very profound section, wherein he gives four analogies, each deeper than the one that precedes it, that help explain that which would otherwise be too deep for our limited human understanding and mind to take in. These four analogies show a progression of sin and evil and darkness growing, often subtly, until all is lost and utter ruin and darkness sweep over those who refuse to come to the light of God.

(1) clouds . . . blown along by the wind

Clouds--light, fluffy, inconsequential, lacking firm substance, thus susceptible to the slightest push of the wind. Far too many in this world allow themselves to become such easily persuaded dupes of those who would take advantage of them. That is why we are warned in Scripture to keep alert to such attacks upon our soul:

"See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ" (Col. 2:8).

We are not to be "infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming" (Eph. 4:14).

"But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God--having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them. They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over weak-willed women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth. Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these men oppose the truth--men of depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected. But they will not get very far because, as in the case of those men, their folly will be clear to everyone" (2Tim. 3:1-9).

Many of the topics already discussed are found in this passage above: loving things of the world, no self-control, yet thinking they are godly, not getting far (certainly not as far as heaven), their folly clear to everyone (except themselves). They have let themselves be pushed every which way by the winds of the world’s philosophies and false religions because they want only comfort for themselves, not the truth about themselves.

(2) trees without fruit and uprooted—twice dead --- Scripture sometimes describes human beings as trees. Like trees, we grow from a tiny seed within the womb to physical maturity after many years. But along the way, we are responsible for strengthening the tree we are becoming with the Word of God so that we do not succumb to the many gales and storms that assault that tree. Jude describes the fate of those who foolishly fail to do this. They are "trees . . . uprooted . . ." (Jude 12).

The roots of our life are found in Christ. Only in him can we live; he is the source of our life, just as roots are the source of a tree’s life. "I am . . . the life" (Jn. 14:6). And only as a person is strongly rooted in Jesus, who is the tree of life in the Garden of Eden, can our own human tree keep life.

"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned" (Jn. 15:1-6).

Whether compared to a tree or a vine, we cannot survive our time in this world apart from Jesus. This passage again warns about the destruction of fire for those who think otherwise. The passage also mentions fruit. God created us for a purpose, to be his holy sons and daughters, producing fruit that reflects that holy nature in our lives, and that fruit will be evidence that we are in Christ when we stand before him in the final judgment. God expects us to bear fruit.

"No one is to appear before me empty-handed" (Ex. 34:20).

This does not mean that we, of ourselves, can do anything for God, including bearing fruit (good works). Only as we are in Christ is this possible. "Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me."

The angels who rebelled against God in heaven did not remain in the One who created them, therefore they could not bear fruit and were thrown away to be burned in the fire.

(3) wild waves of the sea -- Wild waves are caused by wild winds. The connecting theme of wind, which started out as a gentle breeze nudging the clouds along, now is a ferocious, raging storm that forcefully drives all before it, exposing what was previously hidden beneath the waves and causing the foam of shame to surface to the top.

"They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shame" (Jude 13).

It is relatively easy in human society to hide those things of which we are ashamed. No one can see within our heart to discover the shameful things possibly hidden there. But this will change in heaven. Nothing is hidden there; all is exposed by the brilliant light of Him who is light, including the deepest depths of the ocean of a person’s heart. For heaven is the abode of God and he is light (1 Jn. 1:5) and "everything exposed by the light becomes visible" (Eph. 5:13). Everything. Even the secrets in the deepest places of the hearts of men:

"There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known" (Mt. 10:26).

"What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs" (Lk. 12:3).

"This will take place on the day when God will judge men's secrets through Jesus Christ" (Rom. 2:16).

Just as the raging winds of a violent storm tear away the roof of a house, so will the judgment of God tear away the roof of outward appearances that now hides a person’s thoughts and true inner character from another person, so that the true nature of each person, that dwells within, beneath the roof of outward appearances, is revealed to all.

Jesus used a parable of a house built on sand (Mt. 7:24-27) to illustrate the ruin that comes about because of a life built on anything other than faith in him and living out the words that he speaks to us. Anything else leads to catastrophe and leaves the house dweller subject to the wild imaginations and wicked deeds of the peoples of this world, who are frequently symbolized in Scripture as the seas or oceans of the world. The ocean of people that inhabit this world are subject to mob behavior and mass manipulation, just as the ocean of water that is whipped up by a storm. Such is sinful human nature that people can even be whipped up emotionally to crucify the very One sent by God to save them from such shameful acts.

I often am amazed at the gullibility and easily influenced mind and heart of so many people in this world. I see it all the time in the news with videos of demonstrations in various places around the world: angry faces and upraised fists, mob scenes, masses of humanity looting and demonstrating against various perceived injustices, when, though there may indeed be injustice in the government or other agencies, in reality it is their own hearts that drive them to act just as wickedly in the streets, hurting innocent bystanders and exposing their own wicked hearts. Indeed, if, through such demonstrations they overthrow some government and come to power, they in turn are as bad or worse than the ones they threw out of power. So often, it is not some high and noble idea that they are actually fighting for, but simply to gain the power for themselves, even if that power is nothing more than to be able to indulge themselves in every wicked desire that is hidden in their hearts.

"Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the Lord and against his Anointed One. 'Let us break their chains,' they say, 'and throw off their fetters'" (Ps. 2:1-3).

Whether race riots, politically instigated mobs, or just plain looting, when the people come together in such mass gatherings, the inhibitions disappear and the ugly, violent, and wicked true nature lurking beneath the outer covering of flesh is released and exposed for all to see. Jude's description is indeed well-taken: It is like a wild wind whipping up the ocean waves and churning up the filth that resides in the depths. Such a sight is disturbing and frightening and deserves the condemnation Scripture pronounces upon it. That is why Jude ends this section with a fitting judgment of such evil behavior. He says that these ungodly will be condemned "of all the ungodly acts they have done in the ungodly way, and of all the harsh words ungodly sinners have spoken against him" (Jude 15).

With this, everything has come full circle. For Jude began by saying that the rebellious angels had been judged for their wicked acts of rebellion and suffered the just punishment for such, and now human beings who follow in their dark footsteps receive the same punishment. Jude thus ends this part of his message where it started: in the heavens.

(4) wandering stars -- Though no mention is made of wind in this fourth and final analogy, modern science has discovered that there is indeed a wind in space. So it is entirely appropriate that Jude finishes his wind analogy in this manner, calling the ungodly "wandering stars, for whom blackest darkness has been reserved forever" (v. 13). They are like the cosmic wind of the heavens, wandering about in the blackness, pushed this way and that by cosmic forces just like they were on earth, where greed and lust and all manner of sinful impulses drive them to wander away from God.

But it is not so with the righteous. "Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens . . . like the stars for ever and ever" (Dan. 12:3).

These bright, shining ones, the redeemed saints who wear bright, white linen robes of righteousness (Rev. 7:14), will be one aspect of the way in which God convicts these wandering stars, the unrighteous. This is stated by Jude in verse 14.

But how shall they be convicted by the righteous? By the holiness of these star-like saints, wearing their bright, shining robes of righteousness provided for them by their Lord and Master, Jesus Christ. These were mere men and sinners just like those who are now trapped in the darkness. They were just like them, but they accepted the offer of Jesus to make them clean and holy through his blood and the sanctifying of the Holy Spirit. There is no reason why they could not have done the same and also have become holy. No excuse.

These wandering stars are called faultfinders by Jude in verse 16. But now they can find no fault in these holy ones.

"These are those who did not defile themselves with women, for they kept themselves pure. They follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They were purchased from among men and offered as first fruits to God and the Lamb. No lie was found in their mouths; they are blameless" (Rev. 14:4,5).

But again, one must ask, "How did these pure ones become this way?" for in the beginning they were no better than those now staring in ashamed amazement at them from the darkness. The answer lies at the heart of salvation, for no one of his own desire or will can cross over from darkness to light, from sinner to saint, from lost to found. Thus the question is all the more profound and crucial.

But Scripture does not leave us to figure out the answer to this most vital question, but states it clearly and gives the two aspects to the answer that reveal the profound truth about how one comes to be saved and escape being sentenced to the outer darkness.

"Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God" (Jn. 1:12,13).

This is the first great truth about salvation, that no human being is capable of coming to God on his own. It is not of "human decision" but of God.

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast" (Eph. 2:8,9).

One must decided to receive Jesus as his Savior to be saved. But if, as Scripture here says, one cannot make this decision on his own, as a spiritually dead sinner, then how can one be saved? If that fateful decision must have its source in God, then what is the real source that gives a spiritually dead person the power to make that decision? It is the Spirit of God himself.

It is the Holy Spirit who initiates everything. He is the One who enables a spiritually dead human being to make the decision to accept the free gift of salvation offered by God in his Son Jesus Christ. That is why Jesus said that every sin can be forgiven a man except blasphemy against the Holy Spirit (Mk. 3:29). For just as there is salvation in no one else than Jesus (Acts 4:12), so is there no other way to receive that gift than through accepting the prompting of the Holy Spirit within one's heart:

"No one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit" (1 Cor. 12:3).

That is why Jude describes those destined for eternal darkness as those who "follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit" (v. 19). No one, by following mere natural instincts, will ever come to know Jesus as Lord and Savior. Man is spiritually dead and unable to accomplish this. It takes the power of the life-giving Holy Spirit to do this. Truer words were never spoken than when Jude says that those lost forever in the darkness do not have the Spirit.

Jude then goes on to contrast, once again, those lost in the darkness to those who will live forever in the light, emphasizing again the necessity for the Holy Spirit:

"But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit" (v. 20).

He says to build ourselves up because accepting Jesus as Savior is only the starting point, like a foundation. No other foundation can be laid (1 Cor. 3:11), but once that foundation is laid, one must not simply stop there but build upon that foundation, that is, come to maturity in one's life, with Jesus as the foundation for that life. God expects fruit; fruit comes with maturity.

The question then naturally arises, "How do we build ourselves up in the faith?" Not surprisingly, Jude once more refers us to the Holy Spirit. He says that we are to pray in the Holy Spirit. But what does that mean?

Some say that Jude is referring to praying in tongues, for then we allow the Holy Spirit to overcome our natural human weaknesses and limitations of mind and communicate for us to the Father. Whether you agree with that or not, Scripture does make it clear that only the Spirit really knows what is in the heart of God and our own heart and therefore it is only He who can fully communicate between the two.

"The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words" (1 Cor. 2:10-13).

And it is with those profound words that I end this piece of writing. You will have noticed that I skipped some verses and did not comment on every verse. That is because this is not intended as a complete commentary on Jude, but simply a sharing of what the Holy Spirit revealed to me in one reading of this one-chapter book of the Bible. He did indeed express spiritual truths in spiritual words. I pray that all who read this will discern the Spirit speaking to them in their own hearts and grow in their relationship with the Lord.

God and Hell: Does God Send People to Hell?

There is a common misconception that many people have about God and his character and justice: that a loving God would not send people to hell. This common false belief arises from mistaken conceptions about its three component parts: wrong understandings about (1) love, (2) God, and (3) hell or true justice.

This common misconception believes that love would never do anything that causes pain or hurt to another person. Such a view is naive, immature, and unrealistic. For there are times when the most loving thing that can be done does cause pain. But such pain is temporary and necessary to prevent worse pain in the future. That is what discipline is all about.

"No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it" ((Heb. 12:11).

C. S. Lewis gives the example of having to push a thorn farther into the flesh, thus causing more pain, in order to disengage the barb so that it can be pulled out altogether. Some lesser pain now must be endured to escape worse pain later. Many other such examples could be given. All good parents are familiar with this principle, for they see it in operation daily as they raise their children. This correspondence is stated thus in Scripture:

"We have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it" (Heb. 12:9).

So it is good and necessary, at times, that true love cause some lesser pain now in order to prevent much worse pain in the future. All cancer surgery is illustrative of this principle as well, for unless such painful surgery is tolerated now, death results. Yet no one criticizes the physician for causing this pain; in fact, he is looked to as the one who can prevent a much worse outcome if the surgery is not performed.

The same principle holds regarding the ultimate pain of hell. God, like a surgeon dedicated to saving people's lives, or like a father who deeply loves his child, has done everything possible to prevent his child from going there, yet he is criticized for allowing this to happen. Why do we applaud our earthly fathers in this, but not our heavenly father?

"How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live!" (Heb. 12:9).

Those who say that a loving God, who is our heavenly Father and Father of our spirits, would not send anyone to hell refuse to submit to this Father and his ways and thus dishonor him. Therefore, to them God says:

"If I am a father, where is the honor due me?" (Mal. 1:6).

We dare not substitute our own ideas of what love is and what God should be like in the place of their true nature. For in so doing, we create a false god in our own image:

"Do men make their own gods? Yes, but they are not gods!" (Jer. 16:20).

No wonder that so many live empty lives, seeking fulfillment and love but not finding it, and not able to make any sense of the evil they see in the world and wrongly seeing God as unloving. Such frustration comes to them and fills their lives because of faulty perceptions and misconceptions about love and God and hell. They have created idols of false love and false gods for themselves, instead of submitting to the one true God who is love (1 Jn. 4:16).

Notice that the Scripture quoted previously that tells us to submit to God's discipline is the same Scripture that ends with the promise that if we do thus submit, we will live. It is so important to realize this that it is quoted again below:

"How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live!" (Heb. 12:9).

Not only is this a promise, it is also a warning, though not stated directly but implied. The warning is that to not do what it calls for--submitting to God's sometimes painful discipline--will result in the opposite of the promise. The promise is that submission to discipline brings life. Therefore, the opposite must be true as well: Refusal to submit to the discipline of God will result in the opposite of life, death.

This whole issue is quite literally a matter of life and death. These two always stand in opposition to each other, and we have a choice as to which we shall receive. It is up to us. This is the awesome nature of free will. God has given us this most precious gift.

"I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life" (Dt. 30:19,20).

Notice how all of the crucial things discussed so far regarding this issue are included in this one passage: choice, life, death, submission, love--and the consequences for our choice. Notice also that this passage from Deuteronomy, like the one quoted twice earlier, from Hebrews, places the onus on us, not God. In both instances, it is what we do--and the choice that we make--that decides the matter, that is, the consequences that follow as a natural result of the choice that we make.

Those who hold the mistaken belief that a loving God would not send people to hell completely fail to understand the key principle of cause and effect that operates in this area; they have not discerned correctly the true cause of the effect of a person going to hell: that the cause is his wrong choice, of choosing self or anything else other than God, and that the effect just follows naturally from that cause.

God is not a vindictive, cruel oppressor who gleefully tosses people into hell because they don't do what he says, but a loving Father who weeps when people willfully disobey him and choose death over life in his Son. That Son wept over such rejection of God's free offer of escape from hell:

"As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it, and said, 'If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace--but now it is hidden from your eyes . . . you did not recognize the time of God's coming to you'" (Lk. 19:41,42,44).

Jesus wept because a whole city made the wrong choice. His Father weeps for a whole world for the same reason, that it has chosen to go its own way. For God does not want anyone to go to hell:

"For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent and live!" (Ez. 18:32).

Because he is love, God has done everything possible to save all from hell.

"His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires" (2 Ptr. 1:3,4).

"I will sing for the one I love a song about his vineyard: My loved one had a vineyard on a fertile hillside. He dug it up and cleared it of stones and planted it with the choicest vines. He built a watchtower in it and cut out a winepress as well. Then he looked for a crop of good grapes, but it yielded only bad fruit.

Now you dwellers in Jerusalem and men of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard. What more could have been done for my vineyard than I have done for it? When I looked for good grapes, why did it yield only bad?" (Is. 5:1-4).

What more could God have done to save anyone from hell? He gave his only begotten Son for that very purpose (Jn. 3:16). All one has to do to receive the benefits of the Son's crucifixion on the cross is to accept that sacrifice as being able to make him acceptable in God's eyes and thus escape being sent to hell. There is no pain at all in doing this, not even the pain of discipline or surgery or any other pain. It is only acceptance of a free gift. But some are unwilling to do even this. God gives everything, even his most precious, beloved Son, to die in our place. Yet some refuse to accept this free gift. No wonder Scripture cries out at the injustice of this ungrateful response:

"How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know him who said, "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," and again, "The Lord will judge his people." It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God" (Heb. 10:29-31).

Some people will cry, "Aha! See! There the Bible itself describes God as a vengeful God, repaying people for their refusal to accept him as their God, or his Son's sacrifice for their sins." But in so saying, such critics fail to see the ironic justice that is described here. The irony is that the rebels themselves decide their fate and punishment. They do not want God or his ways, but want their own, separate status apart from him. Therefore, after having done all he can to persuade them otherwise, God simply gives them what they asked for and want. Those who thus try to trap God by misconstruing his words end up being trapped by their own words and desires. God does not need to judge them by the divine standards which they so despise; he simply points them to their own judgment of themselves:

"I will judge you by your own words, you wicked servant!" (Lk. 19:22).

Jesus' critics constantly tried to trap him, just as those who criticize God for putting people in hell try to trap God by his words, such as in the passage above. What they fail to see is how God dispenses perfect justice in committing them to hell. First of all, it has already been noted how they first reject the sacrifice of Jesus for their sins--a sacrifice that caused them no pain whatsoever. All they have to do is acknowledge that they deserve what he received for them in their place, punishment for their own sins. But even this little thing--admit the truth--they are unwilling to do. Therefore, God is completely just in pronouncing the verdict upon them based on their own rejection of the light of the truth.

"This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed" (Jn. 3:19,20).

It is extremely important to notice that this passage, once again, places the blame for the just punishment upon those who reject the light on them themselves. God issues the invitation to come into his light: "The Spirit and the bride say, 'Come!' And let him who hears say, 'Come!' Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life" (Rev. 22:17).

God says, "Come", but they refuse to come. God will not force them to come to him; rather, he says, "whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life." Some freely refuse to take the free gift. The consequences of their choice are traced back to their faulty choice, not to any fault of God.

Those who thus choose to want nothing to do with God, to exist apart from him are thus granted what they desire in their hearts; the deepest desire of their hearts is then realized in hell, for there they are in a place so far separated from God that even the most extreme words do not fully describe the terrifying nature of this state of existence. Scripture speaks of it in the most horrible and stark terms, describing it as a place of outer darkness and complete absence of light--except for the eternal fires that burn there and torment those condemned by their own rejection of the Light of God, Jesus Christ.

That is what they fail so miserably to see, that they have received only what they wanted: to be apart from God. They have gotten what they asked for. That is one of the horrible torments of hell. How can any rational mind complain about that? Yet they do complain.

"A man's own folly ruins his life, yet his heart rages against the Lord" (Prov. 19:3).

Below are quoted some more passages from Scripture that clearly reveal this same truth that so many refuse to accept, that it is a person's own choice that sends him or her to hell, not the capricious act of a cruel and vengeful God. Please note that even if the passage context is about an earthly situation calling for God's judgment and not the final judgment that sends to hell, the principle is still valid when applied to the end result of hell as a consequence of the people's choice in that situation. It is always the free choice to reject God and refuse his offer of forgiveness that results in the natural consequences that ruin a person or a nation. This same principle is valid from start (one's choice to reject God) to finish (God giving the one so choosing what he wants, to be apart from God):

"Your own conduct and actions have brought this upon you" (Jer. 4:18).

"Acts of the sinful nature . . ." (Gal. 5:19--the rest of the verse listing many examples of such) . . . "Those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God" (Gal 5:21).

"Through your own fault you will lose the inheritance I gave you" (Jer. 17:4).

"Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction" (Gal 6:7,8).

This last passage, in particular, emphasizes the real essence of this truth that so many fail to understand when accusing God of not being loving because he sends people to hell. This verse, Galatians 6:8, describes the horrible, final fate of hate as a natural result of one's life and actions. Our choices decide the outcome. It is no more God's fault than it is that a person becomes fat and unhealthy when that person overeats. That is simply the natural outcome of that person's actions, just as HIV or aids or other terrible diseases can be the natural outcome of disregarding God's command not to use the body in ways he has forbidden. When this happens--when a person deliberately disregards God's warnings against wrong behavior, and then receive the natural consequences of that behavior in their body--the point will come when God no longer warns but simply gives such a person over to his own desires and lets the consequences of those desires and actions come to their natural, deadly fruition:

"Since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done" (Rom.1:28).

This matter of God not warning forever but eventually giving a person what that person wants because it is clear that he is never going to stop rebelling against God--this final warning is repeated other times in this first chapter of Romans:

"Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts . . . " (Rom. 1:24).

" . . . God gave them over . . ." (Rom. 1:26).

Though God is patient and forgiving, he has set a time limit to that patience and forgiveness. He will not forever let man continue to go on sinning and rejecting him as God. The time in which a person can receive forgiveness and escape from hell is limited. Our time on this earth is the time when God allows evil actions from wrong choices to take place.

"In the past he let all nations go their own way" (Acts 14:16).

But now he has sent his Son to die on the cross to provide an escape from the sentence of hell for the nations' peoples committing these evil acts.

"In the past, God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent" (Acts 17:30).

"For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed" (Acts. 17:31).

That man is Jesus Christ.

"This will take place on the day when God will judge men's secrets through Jesus Christ" (Rom. 2:16).

There is a day when forgiveness is possible, and that day is now, while we are still alive on this earth (2 Cor. 6:2). But today does not last forever. When the day is done, comes the night, when forgiveness is no longer possible and the final meting out of the consequences for one's refusal to accept forgiveness in the day.

"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven" (Eccl. 3:1).

Perhaps no sadder example of this sobering truth is found in Scripture than that of Esau, who, to satisfy the hunger cravings of his stomach, threw away his precious birthright to Jacob (Gen. 25:29-34). This heartbreaking and sobering tragedy is used as a warning in Hebrews 12:16, which opens with these words of warning: "See to it that none of you . . . is godless like Esau. . . ."

"Afterward, as you know, when he wanted to inherit this blessing, he was rejected. He could bring about no change of mind, though he sought the blessing with tears" (Heb. 12:17).

There comes that final, fateful moment when there is no longer given any time to repent of one's wrong choices.

In another situation where the people rejected God as Esau did and desired idols to be their gods, they told the prophet of God:

"We will not listen to the message you have spoken to us in the name of the Lord" (Jer. 44:16).

That was their clear and defiant stance before God. After repeated warnings from God, they still rejected him, not wanting him as their God. Therefore God gave them what they wanted and told them:

"Go ahead, then, do what you promised" (Jer. 44:25).

What they promised to do was to worship the false god they thought had prospered them (vs. 17, 18). It is absolutely tragic that so many people in this world still follow this same false god, the god of prosperity. For God has solemnly warned that all who do so are destroying themselves:

"With their silver and gold they make idols for themselves to their own destruction" (Hosea 8:4).

There it is again, the same warning that one's own actions and choices determine one's final destiny for destruction, not God. For God has voluntarily restricted himself never to force himself upon anyone, never to take away the precious gift of free will he has given to all human beings. He will not do this even if it means that they must forever be cut off from him by their misuse of that free will, choosing to reject him. That is how precious a gift it is that he has given us. So it is that, after doing all that could possibly be done to stop anyone from going to hell, God must allow those who do wish to dwell apart from him to do so. They will be "shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power" (2 Ths. 1:9).

They could have been forgiven, but they would have none of it. Therefore, they die in their sins, as Jesus proclaimed:

"I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am the one I claim to be, you will indeed die in your sins" (Jn. 8:24).

To die in one's sins means that that person must then go to hell, for only those washed clean of their sins in the blood of the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ, are deemed worthy to enter heaven. For God cannot abide with evil, nor can they who are evil abide with him; therefore, they must abide elsewhere, in a place far removed from heaven--separated by their sins from God.

"Your iniquities have separated you from your God" (Is. 59:2).

I do not apologize for having repeated this one key truth over and over again here, that it is one's own choice of rejecting life in Christ that sends one to hell, not an unjust action of God. For this entire piece of writing can be summed up in a single verse from Scripture, where God pleads:

"I long to redeem them but they speak lies against me" (Hosea 7:13).

God would have all people to be saved, but some, wishing to justify themselves and their own ideas of love and God and justice, speak lies against God, saying that a loving God would not send people to hell. He does not. They send themselves there. So quit saying this lie about God. You do not understand justice.

"Evil men do not understand justice, but those who seek the Lord understand it fully" (Prov. 28:5).