Several years ago, I sat down with a lifelong friend and his wife for dinner and a wide-ranging conversation. For some reason, we landed on the topic of universalism, which is the teaching that hell will be unpopulated, for God will save all people at the end of the age. Now, there are at least two kinds of universalists: (1) those who, like my friend’s wife, cannot imagine a loving God punishing anyone in the first place; and (2) those who, based on biblical passages such as Colossians 1.20, argue that God perseveres in his love for humanity until all freely repent of their sins and turn to him for grace.
Now, I do not believe that the Bible, correctly interpreted, teaches universalism. John certainly does not teach that hell will be unpopulated. Revelation 20.10 declares, “…and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.” Yes, the devil is a spiritual being, but all commentators agree that the beast and the false prophet are palpably human figures. Not only that, but verse 15 of the same chapter adds: “And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” So, what we have in these two verses is a statement of fact that there are at least three residents of hell and a statement of possibility that there may be more. Those people, then, who argue for universalism from the Bible are, in my opinion, almost certainly incorrect.
But most people do not derive their religious ideas from the Bible. (Indeed, it is a sad fact that many Christians do not derive their religious ideas from the Bible.) What shall we say to those who, like my friend’s wife, believe in universalism because they cannot imagine a loving God punishing anyone in the first place?
I think we must remind them that love is not God’s only moral attribute and that, at any rate, love is not opposed to justice. Consider the angel’s words in Revelation 16.5–7:
Just are you, O Holy one, who is and who was, for you brought these judgments. For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and you have given them blood to drink. It is what they deserve.
Yes, Lord God the Almighty, true and just are your judgments.
God is not merely loving. He is also just. He gives to people “what they deserve.” Indeed, it is God’s justice that requires the cross. Since our sin demands punishment, Christ must take our punishment on himself if he is to give us God’s grace (Romans 3.21–26). We make a grave theological mistake when we teach that love is the only moral attribute of God, or at least the only one worth talking about.
We make a further theological mistake when we think that love is somehow opposed to justice. If I love someone, I will desire that he or she become a moral person, a person who does what is right. In other words, if I love someone, I will hope that he or she becomes a just person. And if I love someone, I will desire that justice be done to whoever harms my beloved. Love is never apathetic where right and wrong are concerned.
And so, God—who is love—is a just God. He desires that we become good people. He punishes us when we willfully choose to become bad people. At the end of the age, God will simply give us what we deserve. We can choose today to repent of our sins and turn our lives over to him, or we can go our own way. In either case, we should act with full knowledge that there are consequences to the choices we make.
Heaven or hell: the choice is yours.
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