Heaven and Hell: Let's Talk About Where You "Fit In"
“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
-Matthew 25:31-46
Everybody wants to feel like they belong. Have you ever been somewhere you don't fit in? Maybe you went to some kind of get-together where you didn't know anybody in a room full of people who knew each other very well, and you were struggling to figure out how to blend in and make friends. Or maybe you were the eccentric artist who had history during fourth period with a bunch of jocks. These sorts of situations definitely feel awkward, and when you're in them, something in you tells you that you should leave. Whether you're a jock or an artist, introvert or extravert, I can tell you where you definitely don't belong: hell. Now, before you back out of reading this, I understand that hell is quite a scary thing to talk about. I won't dismiss the heaviness and urgency of the subject of hell, but this devotion is not going to be a message on fire and brimstone. And while there is much to be said about the parable that Jesus gives at the end of Matthew 25, that is not going to be the focus of this devotion either. Today we will highlight a very important, reassuring phrase that Jesus briefly says in the midst of telling the parable.
We all have plenty of questions about heaven and hell. I definitely do. Perhaps one of those questions for you may have been, “Why would God even create hell for people?” Allow me to redirect you to the section of the passage here where the King in the parable addresses the goats at his left. He says the “eternal fire” was “prepared for the devil and his angels.” Wait, what? That’s right. The devil and his angels… not you. You see, hell is the dwelling place for those cast out of the presence of God. In turn, it becomes the dwelling place of people if, in their lifetime on earth, they decide that they don't want to have a relationship with God and abide in his presence. Levi Lusko, Pastor of Fresh Life Church in Montana, says that a loving God will not force you to go to hell… But he won't force you to go to heaven either. Love gives a choice so God does let us choose where we will spend eternity. But He certainly pushes us toward what’s best for us: Himself.
Remember the story of Adam and Eve? It’s essential when remembering that story that we remember the part where God walked with them in the Garden in Eden. You see, just like God originally walking with mankind, we are meant to thrive in the presence of God. He has always wanted to be present with us. We were literally made for Him. And heaven is a part the restoration of that original design. With God, our very own maker, is where we belong, not eternally in separation from Him.
We have the choice of being a sheep or a goat. We can decide if we want the reward of the righteous or the punishment of the cursed. But the eternal fire is much more serious than the awkward feeling you get when you walk into a room where you don’t fit in. In this case, you would not be able to turn around and retreat to a place of comfort. Hell is not where you belong. I repeat… hell is not where you belong.
God loves you. He wants you. Forever.
If we belong with God, then choose to forever dwell where you “fit in.”