On Heaven

A few weeks ago I wrote a post on Hell. It was actually in response to conversations going on elsewhere, but what I'm finding more and more is that the historical, biblical doctrine of Hell is being questioned in places one might not expect. Despite the fact that Christianity in nearly every form you might find it has always affirmed the eternal torment of the unsaved in judgment, annihilationism is the new "hell".

The problem, it seems, is that too many people can't fathom the justice of Hell. An eternity of torment is too much to suffer for a finite lifetime of sin. How could a just, loving God do that to human beings? The reasons for this objection are multifaceted. Let's look at the difficulties.

The first problem is with the nature of sin. We've managed to diminish the concept of "sin" to "misdeeds" or even "mistakes". Sin just isn't that bad. How bad can it be? I suspect that most Christians aren't really aware of how really bad sin is. According to Paul, "All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God" (Rom. 3:23). You see, the real problem of sin isn't "doing bad things". The real problem of sin is God's eternal glory. The problem, then, isn't one of finite transgressions, but an infinite transgression.

This points to the second problem. The objections to the traditional, historical doctrine of Hell is that it seems cruel to humans. The underlying assumption here is that humans are the important factor. God owes us "nice" in some sense. He must love us because, well, we're just so important. And if I suggest otherwise, there is no shortage of people who would be outraged that I would suggest that humans are not the primary point. Unfortunately for us, God's primary concern is not His subordinate creation, but His own glory. Fortunately for us, His glory is magnified in showing mercy to sinful creatures that deserve none.

The overarching problem is our measurement malfunction. We can't figure out how bad sin is. It's not so bad to us. Does it really matter if God's Sovereignty and Authority and Glory are transgressed? And we can't really figure out our own value. I mean, God has placed a value on us based on his own Image, so we've decided to steal it and make it our own. We really are all that, aren't we?

The bottom line is right there in our inability to properly evaluate. Once in church I heard the Atonement referred to as a "fire escape". The point, we often tend to think, is that we want to avoid Hell. Hell is bad because we would be uncomfortable there. Heaven, on the other hand, will be good because we will be happy and there will be no sadness and there will be streets of gold and ...wrong, wrong, wrong.

If we are to ever properly evaluate life, we need to shift the focus from us to God. Heaven is not heaven because it will be pleasant; heaven is heaven because God is there. Hell is not Hell because it is unpleasant; Hell is torment because God is not there. Sin is not simply doing bad things; sin is violating God's glory. It's all about Him!

Here's the deal. Hell won't serve as a motivation to salvation. Paul tells us "Behold then the kindness and the severity of God" (Rom. 11:22). Both are significant. Both are valuable. Both tell us things we need to know. But Paul also says, "God's kindness leads us to repentance" (Rom. 2:4). When we properly see the depths of sin and the just cost of sin, we can get a better grasp of the kindness of God. Repentance isn't feeling bad about getting caught or fearing loss; repentance occurs when we love God so much that it pains us to violate His glory. Grace isn't something that affirms our worth; it is an undeserved gift of love from a God who owes us nothing but punishment. Life isn't about what I deserve or can get or even the punishment I can avoid; it's about serving God for all He is worth.

I suspect that most of us ("us" is a term that includes "me") have a lot of work to do on altering our mindsets. As you go to church today, contemplate the glory of God.