3:36 How can a God of love condemn people to hell?
3:36 How can a God of love condemn people to hell?
God does not condemn people to hell, they condemn themselves. Individuals choose for themselves if they want to be saved or not. The key to understanding this is found in the words believeth and believeth not. In this passage the word believeth is from the Greek word pisteuo, which means to place confidence in, to trust, to be persuaded of (CP V16).
It implies obedience to as a moral choice, whereas believeth not, which is from the Greek word apeitheo, means refuse to be persuaded, refuse to believe, refuse to obey (CP V18).
"He that believeth" is he that chooses to believe, or who chooses to obey. "He that believeth not" is he that chooses not to believe, or who refuses to obey. This is clear evidence that salvation is the personal choice of the individual; that it can be rejected, and it refutes the teaching by some in the church that God has predetermined everyone's destiny in eternity.
We are each responsible for our own destiny in eternity (CP Isa 45:22; 55:1-7; Joel 2:32; Mt 11:28-30; 12:47-50; 18:3-4; Jn 3:16-18; 7:37-38; Ac 2:21; Ro 10:11-13; 1Ti 2:1-6; 2Pe 3:9; Rev 21:6; 22:17).
See also comments on Mt 11:28-30, 13:10-11, 20:16; Jn 6:37, 12:37-40; Ac 13:48, 28:23-29; Ro 9:10-13, 9:14-18, 11:4, 11:7-10; 1Th 1:4; 2Ti 1:8-9; 1Pe 1:2, and author's studies Salvation - A Free Will Choice or Predestinated? and Chosen by God? in his book Advanced Studies in the Christian Faith (Volume 1).