THE PRESIDENT’S HELL SPEECH

Part of the speech which is somehow staggering, in President Rodrigo Duterte’s  State Of The Nation Address was his Theological assertion that he could not believe in a God who sends people to Hell. This time the President treads on unfamiliar ground. With all due respect, may I respectfully disagree with his Theological assumption. I am glad though that he quoted or paraphrased from the Book of Ecclesiastes which means he is familiar with the Bible.

The President is not the only one who oppose the notion of Hell. Hell has fallen on hard times and it seems that belief in its reality or existence is fast diminishing. In most of our Churches the subject of Hell is hardly preached or taught. People would rather prefer to hear sermons or preaching on grace, goodness, love, salvation, redemption, but warnings about Hell, seem even too hot a topic to touch, even among the clergy.

I would like to offer a few basic arguments why I believe a God of love has prepared a place called Hell, to those who deserve to be there.

First God’s Justice demands a Hell. The Justice of God requires the existence of Hell, because God is Just. God is so pure and untainted that He cannot even look upon Sin. God is no respecter of persons. As Abraham declared, “Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?” (Genesis 18:25) Not all Justice is accomplished in this life. Thus, the existence of a place of punishment for the wicked after this life is necessary to maintain the Justice of God.

A good analogy is a Court of Law with a Judge and a law breaker. A just Judge will convict and sentence the person whom he finds guilty. If that Judge did not pursue justice for the crime he would not be a just Judge. Surely there would be no justice for the acts wickedness and evil committed in this world which remain unpunished if there were no place of punishment for the demented souls who commit merciless atrocities and cruelty in this fallen world.

Second. God’s love demands a Hell. The Bible proclaims that, “God is love”(1 John 4:16) But love cannot act coercively. A God of love cannot force man to love Him. Forced love is not love. A loving God has given us free will, and He does not force Himself upon us to love Him. Hence, those who do not choose to love God must be allowed not to love Him. Those who do not wish to be with Him must be allowed to be separated from Him. Hell allows separation from God.

Third. Human dignity demands Hell. Since God does not force people to be with Him in Heaven, against their will, human free choice demands a Hell. The great Christian Apologist and Oxford Professor CS Lewis said, “There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, “Thy will be done: and those to whom God says, in the end, “Thy will be done.”

Fourth. God’s Sovereignty demands a Hell. Unless there is a Hell, there is no final victory over evil. For what frustrates good is evil.  As the Bible graphically illustrates, the wheat and the tares cannot grow together forever. There must be an ultimate separation or else good will not triumph over evil. If it does not then God would not be in ultimate control. God’s Sovereignty demands a Hell, otherwise He would not be the ultimate Victor over evil that the Bible declares Him to be.

As Christians let us continue to pray for our country and people, especially the President for the Word of God commands us to pray for those in authority.