Introduction
Does God rejoice when bad things happen to those who disobey and reject his offer of salvation, or does it pain his heart to see a soul pass into eternity hopeless and lost forever? Understanding the nature of God, would help in answering this baffling question and knowing the true nature of God, his attributes and feelings towards all of his creatures. The problem with religious dogmatism is that it teaches about a sadistic god who takes pleasure in inflicting damages on those who refuse his gift, just to show and demonstrate to them how powerful and terribly awesome he is if provoked. And that is the reason why religion has failed and enslaved man through the ages, it has not produced a meaningful and well lasting solution to the spiritual needs of man, instead religion has made man into a beast and turned him to hating the God who loves and cares for him and his every need, due to the wrong and erroneous conception of the person of God, religion is full of lies and deceptions.
As you go through this article, you will discover that the god religion teaches is quite different from the biblical God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. You will come to know that God’s plan for your life is not the one of destruction, but of peace. The biblical God is not a god who takes pleasure and rejoices over the sufferings and miseries of his creature, but a God who delights in relationship and blessings on all those who love and seek him. He is a God who takes pleasure in the salvation of the wicked and not their destruction as some religionists may falsely claim.
So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish. (Matthew 18:14)
It is due the erroneous teachings of religion that our world is in the shape that it is today, because religion teaches man that he has to murder his fellow man to appease an imaginary god who does not exist, a god who does not want to do anything with the man he created, a god to whom men are nothing but slaves and servants, who can be sacrificed at will to gain his favour, a sadistic god who whips man at every whim of his mistakes, a god who wants to send you to an eternal hell, because there are those whom he has predestined to salvation and others to destruction. A god who has chosen only few to be saved and the rest damned forever; that is the god that religion is presenting to man, a god whom we must win his approval; love and favour by killing those who do not want to submit to his religion and abide by his despotic rules. No wonder humanity is in such a mess, due to the fact that the god religion presents is not the same God that the bible presents. The god of religion demands that you sacrifice your sons and daughters for his cause, but the God of the bible gave his only begotten Son for the salvation of humanity (John 3:16). Does that sound strange? The god of religion wants you to do some good deeds to be saved and earn your salvation, while the biblical God wants you to believe in his Son and be saved by faith alone. The biblical God is not interested in your good works, because they are incapable of earning you any salvation. It is a waste of time trying to please and appease God through good deeds (Isaiah 64:6). God is already pleased in the person of Christ Jesus.
1. How Does God See The Wicked?
Again, when a wicked person turns away from the wickedness he has committed and does what is just and right, he shall save his life. Because he considered and turned away from all the transgressions that he had committed, he shall surely live; he shall not die…. For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord GOD; so turn, and live." (Ezekiel 18:27-28 & 32)
Dear reader! Can you see that God does not take pleasure and rejoices over the destruction of the wicked, that it is his will and good pleasure that the wicked should turn away from his wickedness and live? That is why God hates and abhors religion, but it lies against God and presents the opposite of who he is. Those who are preaching that God wants to destroy the wicked are liars and false teachers. I am not saying that God will not judge and deal with the wicked, but that is not his primary preoccupation, he wants the wicked to repent and live and not die in his wickedness. God does not wish anybody destruction, that would contradict his nature and person. God judges the wicked, but not immediately, he delights in pity:
The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in mercy. (Psalms 103:8)
The biblical God is a merciful and compassionate God, who is slow to anger and ready to forgive offenses. He is not a sadistic and embittered being, who does neither forgive nor forgets. The god that religion presents is a miserable and idiotic god, who displays acts of cowardice by commanding his followers to slaughter and terrorise everyone who refuses to go by the dictates of his religion. One may say what of the Old Testament? The truth is the people of that time knew God but chose to live wickedly in abomination and detestable practices, God sent them warning and offer of love and repentance, not only did they refuse it, but they killed the very persons whom God sent to warn them, and when their wickedness became unbearable and intolerable, justice was meted out to them. It was not because of their wickedness that God punished, but their refusal to turn from their wickedness.
And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not. (Jonah 3:10)
How come that God did not destroy Nineveh, I thought he would have breathed fire upon them and wiped them out of the surface of the earth for all their wickedness? You see my dear reader, the perfection of lies is always found in religion, because it is through lies and deception that religion thrives and enslaves its adherents.
But God said to Jonah, "Do you do well to be angry for the plant?" And he said, "Yes, I do well to be angry, angry enough to die." And the LORD said, "You pity the plant, for which you did not labor, nor did you make it grow, which came into being in a night and perished in a night. And should not I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much cattle?" (Jonah 4:9-11)
Herein is religion exposed for what it is, the prophet was angry that God did not destroy Nineveh but had pity and forgave their evil deeds, he was also angry that God destroyed a plant that gave him shade which he did not labour to grow. This is exactly the reality of religion and religionists; they care for the material and less concerned for the spiritual. God sees the wicked as one who does not know from his right to the left, he sees him as a person who walks in ignorance, a lost soul that needs salvation. That was why I said that, the biblical God is quite different from the religious and dogmatic god that religionists present to mankind. It is also evident, that God also cares for animals and all livestock. Isn’t he great and compassionate?
2. Will The Wicked Suffer Eternally In Hellfire?
If God loves the wicked, will he be sending them to hell? I think the bible is in the best position to answer this controversial question.
The LORD is known by the judgment which he executes: the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands. The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God. (Psalms 9:16-17)
Yes, the wicked who refuses to repent and renounce his wicked ways will suffer eternally in hellfire, it is not a matter of predestination, but it is a matter of choice. It is not God that sends the wicked to hell, it is their choice that does. When a man refuses to renounce his wicked ways, God will not force him to change, but he will reap the sure fruit of his refusal to repent and rebellion against God. There is time for everything, it is true that the mercies of God are eternal, but we are not. We are to make good use of the time and opportunities given to us by our Creator, to mend our ways and do that which is right and virtuous. That was why he sent his Son Jesus to die on our behalf and pay the price for the penalty of our sin and rebellion against God. God is not interested in the destruction of the wicked but their salvation; he is not a despotic being who punishes at any slightest offense.
For while we were still weak, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:6 & 8)
To say that God is glorified through our destruction is a lie and deceptive, these are one of the lies of religion and dogmatism. God wants us to have an intimate relationship with him and enjoy the benefits he has made available through his Son Jesus. It will be of a fruitless effort trying to engage God intellectually; it is a battle that you will lose at the end and regret all the opportunities you wasted.
Seek you the LORD while he may be found, call you upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. (Isaiah 55:6-7)
God is not a distanced being that does not want to have anything in dealing with the man he created; he wants his salvation and wishes his felicity. To say otherwise would be a contradiction and blatant lies. God wants that we turn away from our wicked and rebellious ways, which lead to destruction and eternal damnation.
You do not need to travel land and sea to discover God, he is right there beside you, all you need to do is call upon him, and he will answer and reveal himself to you.
Call unto me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you know not. (Jeremiah 33:3)
God is interested in your personal relationship with him, and not your destruction. He wants you to know him as a Father and not as a despot and sadist. He is not interested in holding grudges against you and looking for a way to pay you back.
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall you call upon me, and you shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And you shall seek me, and find me, when you shall search for me with all your heart. (Jeremiah 29:11-13)
Who said that God rejoices over our destruction; religion or God? It is religion that propagates lies against God, in order to hinder man from approaching his Creator who loves and cares for him. It is religion that has made God seem unapproachable, because it is through those avenues of lies and brainwashing, that man remains in the slavery and bondage of religion. It is time you forsake religion and embrace God as your Father through relationship by Christ Jesus. Never allow yourself to be hindered and stopped from approaching God due to the lies of religion. Religion tells you that you are not good enough to approach, but the bible tells you that God wants you to approach him because of the sacrifice of Jesus. God is not rejecting anyone based on their nationality or background; that is a lie from the pit of hell.
All that the Father gives me shall come to me; and he that comes to me I will in no wise cast out. (John 6:37)
Reader! Put away your fears and approach God in humility through Jesus Christ, he is a despotic superman ready to deal blows for offending him; that is not true. The Father’s hands are wide open to welcome any who draws closer to him. He is not after your hurt and but happiness. Jesus himself expressed it in the most sublime tone, he described as a Father who wants to the happiness of his children:
"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! (Matthew 7:7-11)
God’s heart is wide open to receive you, and his ears are attentive to hear your every request, and his hands are ever ready to supply your every need. Don’t allow religion to blindfold you from receiving from your heavenly Father, who loves and wants your blessedness. Don’t you know that you are special in the sight of God?
"Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you. (Isaiah 49:15)
Some mothers out of hardship and poverty can abandon their children and flee for their lives, but God will never, he is ever faithful to his promises and his eyes are ever watchful on those whose trust is rooted in him. In famine, in hunger, in death, in sickness, in failure, in despair, in times of troubles and anguish; God is forever faithful and will not fail to perform on you that is which is good and righteous.
As a father shows compassion to his children, so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him. (Psalms 103:13)
Nothing can place the tenderness and concern of God for his creatures in a stronger light than this. What yearnings of bowels does a father feel toward the disobedient child, who, sensible of his ingratitude and disobedience, falls at his parent’s feet, covered with confusion and melted into tears, with, “Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, and am not worthy to be called thy son!” The same in kind, but infinitely more exquisite, does God feel when the penitent falls at his feet, and implores his mercy through Christ crucified. (Adam Clarke)
God is waiting for you to make a move and draw closer to him, no matter the ache and life’s disappointments; the Father’s gentle touch can change the story from that of pains, misery and failures to the one of triumph, victory and success.
The Spirit and the Bride say, "Come." And let the one who hears say, "Come." And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price. (Revelation 22:17)
Dear reader, having these wonderful promises before you, what then are you waiting for to grab this wonderful opportunity and enjoy all that God has in store for you?
