Reparation

It seems to me that God does not want to get even with sinners. I think he wants sinners to change their actions and obey God. It seems this was the mission of Jesus: to save sinners.

This makes sense to me because punishing wrongdoers presents no challenge to God. Being all powerful and the only source of right and wrong that exists, God can do anything he wants without the slightest obstacle and without any necessity to conform to a higher code of conduct. There is no higher code of conduct for God. He does what he wants, and what he wants becomes the higher code of conduct for everything that exists.

However, if God wants sinners to repent and choose to obey, God places a restriction upon himself. If God forces them, they lose the freedom of choice that God wants them to have. They would no longer be persons. I can see the dilemma God has placed himself in. He does not want me to experience eternal damnation though it is unimaginably easy for him to put me there. What he wants is for me to act of my own free choice and recognize that I am wrong and God is right. He wants me to freely give up my rebellious ways and love him, obey him, and serve him in all things.

Sounds easy, but try it sometime.

Maurice A. Williams