There is a spate of anti-biblical and anti-Christian rhetoric dominating the blogosphere, media, and literary world which contends that there is tension between God's moral purity and his love. Such charges are usually brought forth from those who do not understand the God of Christianity or from others who have not taken the time to seriously consider what it is they are arguing.
We currently live in a society that diminishes the seriousness of sin and accentuates the goodness of humans. Oftentimes our thinking goes something like this: If God is loving, how can he send anyone to hell? The purpose is to create a dichotomy in Christian beliefs, but in reality, the charge only serves to neglect the entirety of God’s attributes. If we were to take pause and to think critically about what is being propounded, we would soon discover that we are attacking the character of God.
Keeping in mind that God’s moral purity is comprised of several dimensions, specifically, holiness, righteousness, and justice, how could God have anything but anger towards those who violate his commands? Every day that we do not keep his laws, love him with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength, love our neighbors as ourselves, love our wives as Christ loved the church, and so on, we violate his holiness. And this neglect is a willful, volitional choice to disobey the commands of the Sovereign of the universe. Our violations are not directed merely against another equal but are a direct affront against a infinite God. His justice—one of the dimensions of his moral purity—therefore, must be satisfied. God cannot merely wink at sin or turn a blind eye, as his nature will not allow for this. Indeed, his wrath against those who violate his law must be placated.
We would do well to remember that God does not conform to some standard, but he is the standard. So by definition whatever God does is holy, just, righteous, pure, etc. When some choose to attack the actions of God, they are judging him from their finite perspective; they are placing him under the microscope and rendering judgment against the infinite. Yet, in spite of God’s absolute and sovereign right to eternally separate all violators of his law, he has chosen to manifest his love by sending his eternal Son to bear the eternal wrath of God in our place. In so doing, Christ serves as a propitiation for our sins, since a finite punishment would never satisfy sin against an infinite Being.
But then some continue to object. Why does God pour out his wrath for eternity against those who did not believe? Is not that excessive and unloving? Two responses come to mind. First, we must always continue to remember that a temporal punishment can never satisfy God’s infinite wrath. Otherwise, why send the Son to bear the sins and wrath of his people? If we could placate the anger of God, expiate for our own sins, we would be left with a deficient view of the atonement and be forced to embrace universalism—to some degree or another. Second, there is no evidence that the denizens of hell ever stop sinning. There is no biblical warrant to conclude that if the inhabitants of hell were released they would bow before the presence of the Almighty. In fact, I would dare suggest that God unleashes his restraining power and allows the depravity of mankind to be manifest, eternally screaming their utter detestation and hatred of God.
The moral purity and loving nature of God, therefore, are wholly compatible and provide no dichotomy when earnestly considered. The more we focus upon God and who he is, the deeper our love and more at awe we should become—both for his majesty and what he saved us from.
