But it is difficult to fathom why a benevolent God who has created humanity would fashion such an existence for mortal souls.
Jesus speaks of
"the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels" (in Matthew 25:41). It is benevolent that God has a place where He will keep Satan away from us
But if people stay with Satan, they too will go where he goes. And Jesus plainly says this will be
"into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels".
Why
"fire"? Because Satan is so stubborn, that only fire can control him. And we see how stubborn humans also can be > worldly humans seek pleasure instead of first seeking God for Himself. And they can be very stubborn about getting the selfish pleasures they want > there is no reasoning with a Satanic person.
So, only the
"fire" will be able to control evil people, also, after they die. But this
"fire" is not meant only to make evil people suffer, but this
"fire" helps to keep their nasty filth away from us < this is benevolent, how God will protect us from the nasty filth of selfish people. Fire will guard us from the nasty filth which will be kept in hell.
What is really in you can spread to make others the same way, including our children.
There is
"the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience" (in Ephesians 2:2). This spirit of Satan is selfish and nasty and filthy - - with unforgiveness, nasty and uncaring angry reacting, arguing and complaining, frustration, hatred, self-righteous judging and criticizing witch is not compassionate. And Satan's evil spirit has lusts which are dominating and dictatorial for pleasure; and there are boredom and loneliness which can violate us and drive us to foolish and even dangerous pleasure seeking.
And while we keep on giving in to the spirit of this nasty nonsense, this can be spreading around us. We need how God's grace effects our character so more and more we can not give in to this and be helping to spread it.
All the nasty and toxic filth of selfishness will go to the flaming sewer which burns with fire and brimstone, and anyone who keeps on being a sewer bucket of these things will be used to carry it there. Therefore, become a vessel of God's own love.
Love does not have us just using any person.
But selfish love has people using people whom they hope will give them the pleasure they want. And there are preferences which have nothing to do with reproduction, but their preference is for pleasure instead of seeking God for Himself and pleasing Him.
And Satan's evil spirit
"works" (Ephesians 2:2), Paul says > those dominating and dictatorial demands and drives for pleasure work very hard. Often humans say they can not control their urges; they can't help it, they claim; this is because they are being worked and controlled by a cruel and invisible and anti-love being. But God is stronger than Satanic and therefore stubborn and bossy drives, plus Jesus is
"gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." (in Matthew 11:28-30)
So, Jesus is not the one who is wasting people; Jesus is not threatening people to seek pleasure. And Jesus does not mean hell and its fire as a threat >
"when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously" (in 1 Peter 2:23).
So, Jesus is not the one who uses threatening. But Satanic people who are about pleasure do use threats and fear in order to get people to give them what they want.
So, there are people who have God and Satan mixed up!!!!
Satanic ones will use hell as a threat, to get control of people. But hell is where they could end up, if they continue with that.
People use the silent treatment and social rejection as threats
Boredom and loneliness are ways of threatening and tormenting us so we are afraid to stop and be quiet and satisfied with God; instead,
"be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you.'" (in Hebrews 13:5) If we settle down and do not give in to the drives and craziness of this world, in quietness we can rest and share with God Himself in His own love > and be so pleasing to Him >
"rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God." (1 Peter 3:4)
We are here first to please God, not first to seek things we want for ourselves. But Satan's kingdom has lusts and torments which enforce that people seek pleasure in order to feel relief from nasty things like anger and bitterness and boredom and loneliness and other cruel things which do not love humans, at all. But ones accuse God of being unloving, even while they keep on giving in to their own anti-love things which drive them to seek pleasure for relief.
And, also, when they do not get the pleasures which they demand, then is when they can get into very nasty and angry and depressed and stressed stuff.
But God's grace makes us gentle and quiet in our nature.
So, Satan's kingdom and his stuff is not at all about pleasing God and being benevolent.
And while people continue in their negative and naughty and nasty reacting stuff, they now are getting a sample of what will be in hell, because hell is the place for storing this stuff which is in the selfish and evil
"spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience." (in Ephesians 2:2)
Therefore > get rid of all which is wrong and nasty, and be strong in how our Heavenly Father desires for us to become loving as family >
"Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you." (Ephesians 4:31-32)
God's love does not have us only using and associating with people we hope to use for what we want >
"For if you love those who love you, what reward have you?" Jesus says in Matthew 5:46.
Therefore, it is not benevolent to encourage people to isolate themselves only and mainly with ones they can use for pleasures they prefer. It is discrimination to tell certain wrong people that they do not need the forgiveness of Jesus on the cross; and it is unforgiving, if we do not help wrong people to get forgiven. By not seeking forgiveness for others, we can also miss out on being forgiven, ourselves!! Jesus died with hope for any person, at all, to be reconciled to God and forgiven and adopted to become His own child of His own love.
Now, fire can bring out the real nature and potential of something. A rubber tire in fire can burn and give off very smelly smoke > there can be such great darkness with a horrible stench. Like this, ones wheeling and dealing for pleasure will be brought out for who they really are . . . in the fire.
But those who are like a tender chicken can roast in the same fire and become finger-licking good and nutritious with a pleasant aroma.
"For our God is a consuming fire." (Hebrews 12:29)
