QUESTION:

Why would God punish/torment some one for eternity who has only sinned for one lifetime.  In my human capacity that God has given to me this seems very unfair/ unjustified. Is he an unfair and an unjust God?

Answer:

I will have to admit that from a human perspective the punishment of hell does not seem proportional to the crime. From a human perspective no sin–no matter how heinous–which is committed over a finite lifetime, would deserve an eternal penalty. For me personally, on an emotional level, this is hard to accept.

However, God, the maker of the universe, the creator of life, the one who made us and gave us life, has told us that the life we live in the flesh has eternal consequences. God, in his love, gave us a choice. This is perhaps the greatest gift God could have given us. He gave us live, consciousness–a soul and a spirit. God gave us authority within our own little universe. He let us decide if we will respond to his love or reject his love. God does not choose to send people to hell. It is his will that all of us spend eternity in a relationship with him in heaven. We may not like it, but God’s justice is as great as his love. Every quality God has he has intenselly. God’s love is vast and uncalculable. So is his wrath for those who reject his love. As it says in Hebrews 10:31, it is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Like I said, from a human perspective, I cannot blame you if you choose to call God unjust in his decision to let people go to hell who choose to do so, but as for me, I do not plan on rebuking God for his love or for his justice. For me, Romans 9:1-24 comes to mind. “Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it, “Why did you make me like this?” I also think of Job 38-41 where God challenges those who think they are wiser or more just than He is. What we can all do is surrender to our loving God and accept his offer of eternal life. We can also do our best to spread this love to as many as we can.

I suppose this is more of a response than an answer to your question. I am not sure I have an “answer” to your question, but I believe that God is good.

John Oakes