Will God suffer emotionally for eternity for those in hell?

[Bluerose31]

Forgive me, but I suffer from chronic pain, as well as fibromyalgia, depression, diabetes, arthritis and a bad back, as well as some other things that I don't care to share. I believe in hell. I have lived through some of it in my 66 years on the earth. But you have to understand, God didn't send them to hell. Each and every soul in hell has made its own decision to go there, rather than accept the love and grace of God.

I am very sorry you suffer with all those pains. You bring up a point. I do believe hell can exist on earth. I think a lot of people experience hell on earth. But I don't believe in hell in the afterlife.

 

[Monk Brendan]

But I don't believe in hell in the afterlife.

Too Bad, because it does, whether you believe in it or not.

 

[Blade]

Trying to wrap my head around this...God is pained by the fact that many will go to hell. Eternal hell. So, does that mean that God will forever feel pain? In a sense, will God suffer emotionally for eternity because He will forever be aware of those in hell, whom He loves, suffering for eternity?

This is one thing.. only a GOD can now and handle. Never meant for us. Yet.. were talking about a time we really have no idea what will happen. Those that go.. want to. They made that choice. Praise GOD ..He is not a man.

 

[Anguspure]

Those of us who die the second death will be dead; forever. The smoke of their torment will rise up forever as a constant reminder, and He will bear the scars of His Love for us forever.

I wonder if any of us really appreciate the enormity of what the Gospel really means for the whole of creation.

 

[RisenInJesus]

Trying to wrap my head around this...God is pained by the fact that many will go to hell. Eternal hell. So, does that mean that God will forever feel pain? In a sense, will God suffer emotionally for eternity because He will forever be aware of those in hell, whom He loves, suffering for eternity?

I have thought about this before and I agree it is a very hard thing to understand. I found the related article linked below interesting, maybe you will, too:

'Without in any way diminishing the work of Christ on the cross as finished, completed, and accomplished in space-time and in history, it is possible to say that a part of God suffers eternally for man's sins. From Scripture we learn that a holy God must ultimately be just. He must remove evil from His presence. Those who have permanently rebelled against His gracious mercy do not cease to exist but remain eternally conscious in a place of everlasting, endless punishment. Since God is omnipresent, He, too, is to be found in hell, sustaining its fires and experiencing its pains. Bible scholar Ray C. Stedman once remarked, "Ultimately, God removes evil from the universe by absorbing it into Himself." The so-called "penal view of the atonement" specifies that a Just God must punish sin and that if Christ suffered our punishment as a substitute He had to bear the full weight of the eternal separation from God that Divine Justice demands and we deserve."
Jesus' Death: Six Hours of Eternity on the Cross

 

[RaymondG]

Not quite following you in regards to what i asked.

Regarding the Pharisees, however, no, they neither knew, loved, nor worshiped the living God of the Bible.

Didn't Jesus describe them quite graphically?

Yes he did describe them, Yet THEY BELIEVED they were worshiping God. Which is the point I was making. They were wise and knew the bible well...Yet mistaken the false God from the True and living. Just like some of us.

 

[RaymondG]

Hi,

Well, they chose. We have free will. If we go to hell, it's because we opted for that choice.

If you have children and raise them right, and then they stray and go to the street and get on drugs of their own choice...Would you stop feeling sorrow for them because they made the choice......or would you feel sorrow until they are saved out of their situation? If you answer yes, would you say you love more then God

 

[RaymondG]

Do you mean that, because we all perceive the world differently due to personality, experiences, etc. we all perceive the Christian God differently?
God doesn't change. There is only one God, and He reveals himself to us personally, so I guess we all see Him and relate to Him a little differently. Is that what you mean?

I'm saying that we don't know the scriptures better than the masters of the Law in the times of Jesus. Yet they could not tell Jesus was the savior even though He was standing in their face. They felt they were worshiping the God of the scriptures yet their father was the Devil.

I would be wise to not get so caught up in our own image of God that Jesus can come to us and we send him away...just like the men whose lives were dedicated to studying the scriptures, did.

 

[RaymondG]

Too Bad, because it does, whether you believe in it or not.

How are you so sure of this?

And is the existence of Hell really that important to those here who are serving God? Why would there be a need for those striving to make it to heaven, to believe in a Hell?

 

[RaymondG]

Those of us who die the second death will be dead; forever. The smoke of their torment will rise up forever as a constant reminder, and He will bear the scars of His Love for us forever.

I wonder if any of us really appreciate the enormity of what the Gospel really means for the whole of creation.

The Gospel is the Good news. You are talking about torment and smoke as a constant reminder of toasted people.... and scars......When does the good news start?

 

[St_Worm2]

Trying to wrap my head around this...God is pained by the fact that many will go to hell. Eternal hell. So, does that mean that God will forever feel pain? In a sense, will God suffer emotionally for eternity because He will forever be aware of those in hell, whom He loves, suffering for eternity?

Hi Restless Heart, your thread is really about trying to understand the love of God. I'm not big on recommending books to people on a forum like this except in a few specific circumstances. I believe this subject, the love of God, is one of those exceptions (because it is ANYTHING but easy to understand). So if you are truly interested in "wrapping your head around" this subject, then I believe this particular book would be very helpful to you

You can buy it here in paperback, or at Amazon for just $.99 more on Kindle if you prefer.

Enjoy!

Yours and His,
David
p.s. - in case you don't know him, Dr. Carson is a theologian, professor of NT studies, and my favorite Bible commentator. I don't believe there is anyone living today whose writings offer better insights/more help, particularly in regard to the most difficult/perplexing & important aspects of the Christian faith.

 

[Restless heart]

Thank you, I will definitely check out that book!

 

[Hidden In Him]

How does any of that say that God "needs" us?

In the sense that He desires nearness with His creation, Brinny. Why does scripture say He created us?

 

[brinny]

Yes he did describe them, Yet THEY BELIEVED they were worshiping God. Which is the point I was making. They were wise and knew the bible well...Yet mistaken the false God from the True and living. Just like some of us.

How did Jesus describe them?

 

[brinny]

In the sense that He desires nearness with His creation, Brinny. Why does scripture say He created us?

Does it say He "needed" us?

To "need" something...doesn't that imply "lack", "incomplete", "needing" someone to "fix" what is "wrong" or "lacking"?

To take this a bit further, we "fix" God's "neediness"?

Do you see where i'm going with this?

That's why i asked where it says that in the Bible.

 

[SkyWriting]

Trying to wrap my head around this...God is pained by the fact that many will go to hell.

What passage is that from?

 

[brinny]

@RaymondG, i appreciate your prayers. Thank you.

However, would you mind terribly responding to the question i asked in post #74?

 

[Hidden In Him]

Does it say He "needed" us?

To "need" something...doesn't that imply "lack", "incomplete", "needing" someone to "fix" what is "wrong" or "lacking"?

To take this a bit further, we "fix" God's "neediness"?

Do you see where i'm going with this?

That's why i asked where it says that in the Bible.

Yes, I've understood your question. He created us for His good pleasure. What good pleasure? For us to love Him and Him to love us, which is why the greatest commandment in both the Old and New Testament is what? "Love the Lord your God with your whole heart, whole soul, whole mind and whole soul." It seems like everyone I've ever read takes the position that "God doesn't need anything." But if the most important commandment to Him above all else is that we love Him, why? It is purely for our sakes? This makes the Living God into a strange personality who says, "I don't need you to love Me, but I insist that you love Me anyway." It's just a rather bazaar position to take, Imo.

 

[brinny]

Yes, I've understood your question. He created us for His good pleasure. What good pleasure? For us to love Him and Him to love us, which is why the greatest commandment in both the Old and New Testament is what? "Love the Lord your God with your whole heart, whole soul, whole mind and whole soul." It seems like everyone I've ever read takes the position that "God doesn't need anything." But if the most important commandment to Him above all else is that we love Him, why? It is purely for our sakes? This makes the Living God into a strange personality who says, "I don't need you to love Me, but I insist that you love Me anyway." It's just a rather bazaar position to take, Imo.

Where is it written that God "needs" us, or "anything"?

 

[Hidden In Him]

Where is it written that God "needs" us, or "anything"?

It would appear you are not listening, lol.

Let me try this: The scripture says that the Spirit that dwells within us yearns or longs with envy. The Greek word used is ἐπιποθεῖ. It is used elsewhere of Paul longing to see the believers in Rome again (Romans 1:11), and of longing to be clothed upon with our heavenly bodies (2 Corinthians 5:2). Paul also used it of likewise longing to again see the Corinthians, Philippians, and Thessalonians (2 Corinthians 9:14, Philippians 1:8, Philippians 2:26, 1 Thessalonians 3:6). Peter used it in an analogy that we should long for the word like infants longing for milk (1 Peter 2:2). And as Liddell-Scott states, it carries the sense of "to feel the want of" something that is being "missed" (P.652).

The Greek word used here is not the ordinary Greek word for simply to "desire" something. That word is ἐπιθυμέω. The Greek word ἐπιποθεῖ expresses a longing or yearning for something that one does not have, which implies a lack or need, and it is spoken of here in this verse in reference to the Holy Spirit.