God Punishing People Forever
Eternal Punishment – Part 4

Scripture Reading: Matthew 25:41-46

Key Verse: Matthew 25:46

“And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life.”

Have you ever truly wanted to give up your free will, that ability to freely choose your path in this life? Have you ever met anyone that will give this awesome gift of choice up? I certainly have not; it is what makes us different from all the other created beings. Animals are wonderful, but they all operate and make decisions solely on instinct and behavior training. We humans are the only ones that can think for ourselves and choose what we want in this life. This is the awesome gift of God, given to us when He breathed His breath into our lungs.

I don’t have to give any more details of all the good things about free moral choice – we all get it. However, we do need to be reminded that it is this very gift that also causes the pain of this world and the eternal destinations of every living soul. People don’t make good choices. People choose to steal, lie and do immoral things. God has allowed us all to choose what kind of life we are going to live. However, God also has made it clear that these choices have consequences. For those who choose to live their lives without God’s direction, that path leads to a life after death without God, as well. C. S. Lewis wrote: “The door to hell is locked from the inside. The damned…enjoy forever the horrible freedom they have demanded, and are therefore self-enslaved.”

It has been said by many, God does not send anyone to hell; they choose that destination themselves. God has done all He can do to prevent people from going to hell without destroying their free moral choice. If God is going to continue to give that gift of choice, then He must allow people to choose the path to hell.

Father, I choose you, thank you for Jesus. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.