Love, Heaven, and Hell

If you really love someone, does that mean that you force them to be with you?  If it is your mate, your friend, your family, or even your child, would it be right to force them to stay with you?  Can you force love?  Can you force a relationship?  As real as the connection is, as real as the love that you feel, if it is forced, it isn’t love.  There is no benefit, no real connection if there is no choice.  A spouse or loved one, if they chose to go, you let them go.  Your child, if an adult that desired to break bonds with you leaves no recourse but to let them go and hope they will come back.  My family will always be my family, but I cannot force a relationship that is rejected.  In fact, to force a relationship is to destroy any chance at a real relationship.  It is not love.  It is not even close.

Yet when people talk about God all that logic goes out the window.  Many people say God is love, therefore all must enter heaven, but does that make sense?  I have no doubt about God’s love, but does love force someone to stay with someone they want no part of?  Apart from choice is there meaning?  Does God deserve less than what we want within our own relationships or do we believe because He is God that somehow His forcing someone to spend eternity with Him would be right?

Who would reject heaven?  It seems illogical because it is, but people often make illogical choices.  It happens every day.

As much as heaven is perfect, would it be perfect for someone who wanted no part of God, who set their heart against Him?  Would it be right for God to force that person to share eternity with Him?

It is our choice, a choice that He has given us.  He does not wish that any should spend eternity apart from Him, but He does not force anyone to share eternity with Him.  To do otherwise would not be love.  As horrific as the thought of hell is, where is heaven for the person who rejects God?  Would it be with Him for all eternity?  There is no heaven apart from Him. Hell was not created for us.  In His love He created heaven for us.  Eternity apart from Him is not His will.  It is our choice.

How does a loving God send people to Hell?

He doesn’t…

A loving relationship does not force an eternal bond upon someone who wants no part of that relationship.  Anything else isn’t love.  Anything else would not come from a loving God no matter how much He desires that relationship.