Question in response:
Can a loving & righteous God force men into heaven who don’t want Him?
Do you believe in hell?
Quick Answer:
Your premise is correct – God loves us. But His love is strong, not weak and permissive. No one admires the parent who never applies any consequences for their child’s selfish or bad behavior. God isn’t that way. His good and righteous character is opposed to sin – He condemns and punishes sin.
Because He is loving, He sent His own Son to take the punishment for sin on Himself. God has done everything He can do, without taking away our freedom, to save us from hell. So it comes down to people refusing to accept God’s offer of eternal life more than God sending people to hell. Why do men reject God’s offer of eternal life?
How could a holy God send sinful people to heaven without any consequences for their sin?
More Details:
Concerning: God’s heart
God does not want to send anyone to hell.
God does not want to force anyone into heaven – into an eternal relationship with Himself. He values our freedom to choose and has done everything He can to demonstrate His love – His willingness to pay the price for our sin by suffering, taking wrath and dying in our place.
God gives us over to our own choice.
Concerning: Freedom
The possibility of hell is the logical necessity of a world of free creatures with eternal souls. If the agents are truly free they could either choose God and follow Him (to heaven) or choose to reject God and go their own independent way (to hell).
Concerning: Annihilation
Why could God not annihilate those who don’t want to be with Him forever?
The Scriptures rule out the annihilation (2 Thes. 1:9; Matt. 25:46; Rev. 21:8)