HELL

Hell seems like such a severe punishment: to remain an outcast bereft of all consolation and meaningful purpose for uncountable billions of years—forever. I’m trying to understand why. I would guess this is due to what I really am: a free sovereign person, endowed with free will. I can make my own choices, and no one, not even God, should force me against my will. However, I am commanded to obey God. If I freely obey God, I have a priceless dignity because I chose to freely obey when I had an option of refusing. If I refuse to obey, God will not use force, but I suppose I will wind up opposed to God and become a source of dissent and rebellion in God’s creation.

In this stand off between me and God, God can relent and let me have my way, or I can repent and follow God’s way. Since there is no possibility that God is mistaken, God is not going to relent. A sobering thought! It is I who must relent and freely accept God’s rule. If I do that, I will be like the prodigal son, repented, forgiven, and welcomed with open arms. If I refuse to repent, most likely, there is no place for me in God’s heavenly kingdom.

I know I should cherish my freedom and discipline myself. If I refuse, then I should believe God’s word that eternal damnation awaits me—I would guess because God does not want to rule by force, employing police, courts, armies to put down rebellions, prisons, anything like that, not in his heavenly kingdom. Free will is a priceless gift. I better treasure it and use it for the purpose for which it was given. The alternative is much more severe than I would ever have imagined.

Maurice A. Williams