Exclusive: Greg Laurie explains, 'God's judgment frightens us, and it is supposed to'
Years ago, I was interviewed on a local morning TV show about an upcoming crusade we were holding in that city. We were having a nice chat – until the last two minutes of the show. Then the host dropped a bombshell.
He said, "You believe that most of the world is non-Christian, and because of that, they're going to burn in hell for all eternity. What kind of loving God ever would create such a scenario?"
I had only a few minutes left to try and deal with that question. But after the cameras stopped rolling, our conversation continued. I had a sense this was a personal question the host was asking. Then another question came up: "What about good people? How could a God of love allow good people to face a judgment?"
So, we talked about the definition of good. I said that we must define what good is. Then I went on to say that it seems as though people have a sliding scale when it comes to their definition of good. Most everyone seems to believe they are good. We are always the moral center of our universe, and we immediately give ourselves a free pass.
The problem is that one group says that something is good while another group says that it is bad. There are conflicting views. So, how do we determine what good is?
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Here is what God says: "No one is righteous – not even one" (Romans 3:10 NLT).
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This doesn't mean that in a broad sense, there aren't good people, because I have met some people who are very good. In fact, I've even met some non-Christians whom I've liked more than some Christians. They were nicer. They were friendlier. And they weren't as rude. But that doesn't mean they are going to Heaven, because it is not about being the nicest person or the kindest person. Rather, it's about being a forgiven person.
In other words, there is no one who is good enough to get to Heaven on their own merit. Every one of us has sinned and fallen short of God's standards (see Romans 3:23). And if we choose to reject God's offer of forgiveness, that is where his judgment comes in.
Of course, the judgment of God is a topic many people choke on. Some, on the other hand, have no problem whatsoever with God's wrath falling upon a world that has rejected him and his Word. If anything, they think it's long overdue.
Others would even take it a step further and find perverse pleasure in the fact that God's wrath ultimately will fall upon humanity.
But that is not how we should view it as Christians.
It's why God rebuked Jonah. God told him to go and preach to the people of Nineveh, a city renowned for its wickedness and cruelty. But Jonah didn't want to go for two reasons. First, he was an Israelite prophet, and the Ninevites were the enemies of Israel. Second, he was afraid that because God is so gracious and loving, he would pardon Nineveh.
As far as Jonah was concerned, he wanted Nineveh to be destroyed. So, he boarded a ship going in the opposite direction. God, however, had the last word. Jonah was thrown overboard and then was swallowed by a massive fish. Later, the fish vomited him alive onto the shore. Then Jonah reluctantly went and preached to the Ninevites, hoping that no one would listen.
Much to his shock, not only did the people listen to him, but they repented. It probably was the greatest revival in human history.
But Jonah still held out hope that God's judgment would fall upon Nineveh. He pulled up a seat and watched to see whether God would rain judgment on the city. Jonah waited and waited, but judgment didn't come.
This reminds us that God takes no delight in the death of the wicked (see Ezekiel 33:11). Nor should we.
We should not rejoice that people are going to be judged, because frankly, we all deserve to be judged. God loves us. He wants us to know him. And it is his nature to love and forgive. He doesn't want to judge people.
But God must judge people, because he is not only loving, but he is also righteous and holy. We see this again and again in Scripture. For example, in the book of Revelation, we read about angelic beings continually coming before the Lord and repeating the words, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty – the one who always was, who is, and who is still to come" (Revelation 4:8 NLT).
Notice the emphasis on God's holiness. And because God is holy, he cannot look at sin. The Bible says of God, "You are pure and cannot stand the sight of evil" (Habakkuk 1:13 NLT).
It's the reason I believe that when Jesus hung on the cross and cried out, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" (Matthew 27:46 NKJV), meaning, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" he was bearing the sins of the world.
Jesus simply was describing the reality of the situation as he absorbed the wrath of God for us. The Father in Heaven, too holy to look upon sin, turned away. Essentially, Christ was describing the separation from the Father that he was experiencing.
God's judgment frightens us, and it is supposed to. It sobers us and forces us to reassess the way we've been living our lives. And hopefully, it motivates us to change our priorities. It also reminds us of our need for God and the fact that we are not really in control of our lives.
The Bible says there is a final court of arbitration. There are wicked people who do wicked things, and they seem to get away with it. It just doesn't seem fair. But God keeps meticulous records of everything that happens in this world. And it's reassuring to know that ultimately, there will be justice.
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