Incredible Grace
It’s easy to forget just how kind God really is. This is, of course, facilitated in part by the various and faulty depictions of God being circulated by Christians of all denominations. For example, while many Protestants teach that the Lord is loving, they also imply that He’s perfectly alright with allowing His rebellious creatures to suffer eternal torment in Hell—a space which God Himself designed. Certain groups have suggested that God’s justice cannot be satisfied without such punishment, and still others teach that this perpetual torture somehow pleases God. Sadly, the understanding of many Adventists isn’t any better. Many individuals from our own denomination like to explain that God—though unhappy about destroying His rebellious children—will ultimately make the decision to torment both fallen humans and demons in hellfire for varying lengths of time (coinciding with how sinfully their lives were lived) before destroying them outright. This view may sound better than that of eternal torment, but it still stinks of a “god” who inflicts misery upon His creation merely for the sake of doing so.
The Bible suggests something far different about our heavenly Father. We’re taught that “the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in” (Prov. 3:12). So, God isn’t interested in seeing us suffer but instead desires to see us grow up and become more like Him. Regarding the destruction of the wicked, the Bible demonstrates that the very presence of the Lord at His second coming “will be like a refiner’s fire” (Mal 3:2) and that the rebellious will be destroyed “by the splendor of his coming” (2 Thess. 2:8) rather than a deliberate act of violence on God’s part. It’s as though the Lord will simply unveil Himself—revealing the truth about what’s in the heart of every living being—causing those who are out irretrievably of harmony with His love to live in the fullness of His refining presence until they are ready to let go of their painful existences.
But what really strikes me as amazing is God’s extraordinary patience with humanity. Consider what Ellen White wrote about Jeremiah’s warnings and promises to the people of Israel in the 34th chapter of Prophets and Kings:
“The unwillingness of the Lord to chastise is here vividly shown. He stays His judgments that He may plead with the impenitent. He who exercises “loving-kindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth” yearns over His erring children; in every way possible He seeks to teach them the way of life everlasting. Jeremiah 9:24. He had brought the Israelites out of bondage that they might serve Him, the only true and living God. Though they had wandered long in idolatry and had slighted His warnings, yet He now declares His willingness to defer chastisement and grant yet another opportunity for repentance” (PK 413.3).
It pains God to discipline His children—He is nearly unwilling to do it! He loves us so much that even the necessary corrections to our crooked ways causes His infinitely tender heart to ache—and that’s because “God is love” (1 John 4:8). His adoration for us is unmeasurable, and His compassion for fallen humanity so limitless! So rejoice in the Lord this day, knowing that He is the God of never-ending love and kindness. Praise Him for His goodness, selfless heart, and incredible grace!
Raised in the suburbs of Chesapeake, VA, Matthew Perez grew up in a Christian home under the guidance of his loving parents. Though he wasn’t raised in an Adventist family, he always believed that God was just, loving, and merciful. Upon moving to New York for graduate school, he became involved with various ministries as well as a small church plant in Queens. It was during this time that he met his wife, Katelyn, who introduced him to the Christ-centered teachings of the Seventh-day Adventist church. He currently works as the musical director of a Baptist church in White Plains, but considers Westchester Adventist Church to be his “home church.”