God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked. He is not willing that any perish, but that all come to repentance (see 2 Pet. 3:9). This is why it is biblical to tell sinners that God does not want them to go to hell. It is not His will. He does not send anyone to hell, in the same way a righteous judge does not delight to send anyone to prison. The criminal’s crimes send him to prison; the judge merely executes justice. In the case of our salvation, God prefers mercy over judgment, but if we refuse His mercy shown in Jesus’ sacrifice for us, we will get exactly what we deserve.
Ezekiel 33:11 Say to them: ‘ As I live,’ says the Lord God, ‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?’
No comments:
Post a Comment