Facing an uncomfortable truth
Jeremiah 16: I’m getting rid of you.
Any time I hear an argument that casts doubt on the existence of a literal hell I’m drawn to it. When I encounter a thoughtful point against the doctrine, well, I can’t help but listen. It isn’t that I’m afraid of going there. After all, my faith is firmly placed on Jesus, my Lord and Savior. It’s just that I instinctively shy away from the idea of people suffering forever. As soothing as it might be for me to land on the “no hell” side of the debate, passages like this block my way. Here, Jeremiah describes the wrath of God in clear and frightening terms. Jeremiah is to reflect God’s attitude in his actions: when destruction comes he isn’t to attend funerals or offer words of comfort. In fact, the Lord says that the destruction will be so complete that there’ll be no one left to mourn over the dead. This passage isn’t intended to teach me about hell, and it’s likely that common beliefs about it are more folk theology than biblical. However this passage does teach me something about the Almighty. God has the authority and the power to judge as he sees fit. I’ve concluded that, when it comes to God’s love, I can never comprehend the greatness of it. Today, Jeremiah reminds me that the same can be said when it comes to my comprehension of God’s hatred of sin.
Take Away: The Lord has the authority and the power to judge as he sees fit.