LOVE AND MERCY

Oftentimes, non-believers challenge the Word of God with questions such as “if God is so merciful, why are so many people still going to hell?” or “will someone who has no access to the Bible for their entire life go to hell?”. I find that questions like these are given little thought beforehand and are an act of desperation to excuse themselves from the responsibilities of being a Christian. However, it is still important to know how to answer these questions so that our own faith is not shaken.

Let us take a look at the first example. Does God’s mercy mandate the salvation of every soul on earth? We as Christians know that the price of sin is death (Romans 6:23), but to those who are weaker in faith, the concept of eternal punishment as a consequence of something as “minor” as not believing in the Gospel is hard to swallow. In order to truly understand the severity of sin in God’s law, we can draw parallels between the Bible’s definition of law and the world’s concept of law.

Given that we are created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27), the human understanding of law can be seen as a more basic version of God’s law. Both concern the prevention of harm towards any individual, though man’s law only counters physical harm, while God’s law protects the spiritual interests of people as well. By human logic, one who commits a crime must be sentenced to jail. Similarly, in God’s law, when one commits a sin, they must be punished in hell. This is because love is the greatest command according to Mark 12:30-31. Given the much more severe nature of hell as compared to jail, God’s mercy can only be seen as so much greater. The existence of hell should not serve to disprove God’s great mercy, rather the fact that He gave us a way to avoid it and enter a great heavenly place of rest should demonstrate what He has done for us (Romans 8:38-39).

We must remember that Heaven is a gift, not an entitlement. If anything, hell is the default since nobody can say they have never committed a sin (Romans 3:23).

Regarding the second example question, it really is a wakeup call for all faithful Christians. It reminds us that there are people who do not and will never know the will of God. Mark 16:15 tells us it is our responsibility to bring the Gospel to those who do not have it. Therefore, instead of it being God’s “fault” for designing the law in such a way, is it not our “fault” that we are not being more proactive in evangelism?

Even if one were to try and attribute some responsibility to God in cases where the Gospel is inaccessible, it would be most definitely impossible. When God created man, He gave man a law. In that case, every descendant of Adam, i.e. every person on the earth, should know the law of God. The reason why many do not have it is that others have deprived them of it. Some people are simply too poor to afford, or even consider spending valuable time and money on a copy of the Bible, some are in environments where the authorities heavily restrict religion. Since humans have separated themselves from God, it is on us to bring the lost back.

The key idea behind such misguided questions is that God has not done enough for us. This is why I think that those who pose such questions do not give them thought or have sufficient understanding of God’s word. Not only did God give us a way to go to Heaven, but He also designed the system of free will that separates the unrighteous from the faithful. When someone asks the question “why does God not allow everyone to go to Heaven”, I struggle to resist the urge to ask them if they want to spend eternity with murderers, thieves, and arsonists. Even an atheist would not think someone like Jezebel is deserving of eternal life. 

Psalm 103:8 

The Lord is merciful and gracious,Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.

Let us never forget or doubt that God is merciful to us, that we should not blame God for not doing enough for us, but rather reflect on ourselves to see what more we can do for Him, for He has given us the greatest gift of eternal life. 

Ask Yourself:

1. In what other ways has God demonstrated mercy and love to us in our lives? 

2. What other questions may non-believers use to challenge the love of God with regards to the concept of hell? How can we respond to such questions? 

3. How can we spread the Gospel to places that cannot access the Bible? 

Suggested Answers: 

1. He gave us His word, He provides for us physically, He gave us brethren and fellowship. 

2. “Why is punishment in hell so much more intense and drawn out than anything possible on earth?” This shows the severity of sin to God, and God does not only deal out punishment. God has given us a way to enter the greatest place in existence, the complete opposite of hell, which is Heaven. 

3. Contribute digital resources, visit in person (if possible), support Bible publishing and distribution organisations.