I have come to the conclusion that rather than "sending" people to Hell, God is the one who "rescues" us from the Hell which is the default result of the train wreck that is the human condition. With our egocentric attitudes and the big capital "I" in control, broken relationships, hurt, hate and casual cruelty are the order of the. day - even if we're "nice", "respectable" folks.
OH how I can relate! I've come to notice that when I sin, I think I hurt God, if that can be done, at least I hurt my relationship with God. I probably hurt others too, depending on the kind of sin, some obviously hurtful and some subtle like when others are hurt because I've hurt my relationship with the One who is Love. But mainly, I hurt myself with my sin . . . and it can take a long time to heal.
Coming from a penal substitution, judiciary, moralistic framework in my Christian heritage, this bruising vision is instructive. I suppose this imagery, taken further might include the bruised ones who further inflict bruises upon more vulnerable ones at the bottom of the heap in the pit. Thinking of injustice, exploitation.
God’s pain, or hurt, by our sin, or turning away from Him, isn’t some permanent dismemberment. Jesus wept when He saw all the unbelief in Him of the people nearest Lazarus. While it’s not described in any of the gospels how Jesus felt when the “rich young ruler” turned away from His invitation we do know that God’s heart does break, which is hurt, when we turn away from His invitation to follow Him.
I have come to the conclusion that rather than "sending" people to Hell, God is the one who "rescues" us from the Hell which is the default result of the train wreck that is the human condition. With our egocentric attitudes and the big capital "I" in control, broken relationships, hurt, hate and casual cruelty are the order of the. day - even if we're "nice", "respectable" folks.
OH how I can relate! I've come to notice that when I sin, I think I hurt God, if that can be done, at least I hurt my relationship with God. I probably hurt others too, depending on the kind of sin, some obviously hurtful and some subtle like when others are hurt because I've hurt my relationship with the One who is Love. But mainly, I hurt myself with my sin . . . and it can take a long time to heal.
LORD haste the Day when sin is no more!
Coming from a penal substitution, judiciary, moralistic framework in my Christian heritage, this bruising vision is instructive. I suppose this imagery, taken further might include the bruised ones who further inflict bruises upon more vulnerable ones at the bottom of the heap in the pit. Thinking of injustice, exploitation.
God’s pain, or hurt, by our sin, or turning away from Him, isn’t some permanent dismemberment. Jesus wept when He saw all the unbelief in Him of the people nearest Lazarus. While it’s not described in any of the gospels how Jesus felt when the “rich young ruler” turned away from His invitation we do know that God’s heart does break, which is hurt, when we turn away from His invitation to follow Him.