“Hell is unfair!” “There is no way a loving God can morally send a person to Hell for eternity.” “If the God of the Bible allows Hell, I would rather be away from him forever.”
The outrage against Hell is real.
The truth of Hell is one of the most challenging topics in Christianity. It is one of the most common obstacles for the skeptic. But not only for the skeptic, for the sincere Christian, too. Even if a Christian faithfully believes in the reality of Hell, emotionally and psychologically we struggle with it. I think we should. Hell is horrible.
A long time ago, there was a fisherman. He spent all night toiling to catch fish. Nothing. His family and friends depended on that night’s dinner to be provided. But hours and hours of labor later, not… one… fish…
But a man came by as the fisherman and his friends were washing their nets and closing up a failed day. And he said to him, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” Who is this man? Such confidence. Such clarity. The fisherman just spent the entire evening putting out his nets. Nothing. But now this man comes by and commands, “Go put it out again.” (You likely are picking up on the characters. Peter is the fisherman; Jesus is the man.)
Peter and the other disciples obeyed Christ’s command. They put out their nets, and they catch so many fish that their nets were breaking. Two boat loads of fish are filled. What favor! What grace! What power!
What was Peter’s response? “Thanks, man.” “How did you do that!?” “Here, bro, you can have some of this fish, too.” No! He fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.”
How many of us would have this unraveling confession of our sinfulness at God’s miraculous favor? Not many. We would be overly grateful. We would be astonished at the miracle. We would be generous.
But would we be undone? Like Isaiah catching a glimpse of God’s glory, he falls down like Peter, and yells, “Woe is me! For I am a man of unclean lips.”
Why do Peter and Isaiah respond like this?
In order for us to understand one small detail rightly, we need the surrounding context around that detail that enables us to understand well. Come and gather with God’s people to worship and hear what God’s word has to say about this reality of Hell.
Without Hell, the beauty and the power of the cross is emptied. But Christ is beautiful. He is full of powerful. Come and see.
Grace and peace,
Tim