I have thought about these matters long and long — and I did have four years of sacred theology. For one thing, Jesus refers to the “everlasting fire.” “Everlasting” is a temporal term — meaning till the end of time. Eternity is a state of timelessness. Jesus also says, “You shall not come out of it until you have paid the last penny,” which certainly suggests that you will come out of it. Finally, if hell is eternal, then it has, like God Himself, existed from all eternity, which seems strange indeed, in fact, very hard to believe. Actually, we know that hell was created in time, as the place for the rebel angels.
I do think there is something to C. S. Lewis’s idea that the door to hell is locked from the inside, that certain people, like the Devil and the fallen angels, place themselves in opposition to God and refuse His mercy.
So I think some people may suffer for their sins until the end of time, if only because they refuse to accept God’s grace. But I think the most important and most difficult thing to believe about God is that he loves us, each of us, in all our imperfections and obtuseness. I have no doubt that God is just. But neither do I have any doubt that He is merciful. Feser might remember Jesus’ last words, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Jesus’ criticism of the Scribes and Pharisees was grounded in their legalism, which ran counter to the fact that, as Jesus said, “the law was made for man, not man for the law.” What was it the publican, standing at the back of the Temple, prayed over and over, striking his breast? “Oh God, be merciful to me, a sinner.” Jesus tells us he went home justified. That publican has been my model all of my life. It is God’s mercy, not any virtue of mine, that will gain me admission to heaven.
No comments:
Post a Comment