People often have questions about the issue of free will, where salvation in Jesus Christ is concerned. They ask, “Would a loving God REALLY send someone to hell?” The answer requires more than a “yes” or “no”, yet is not at all complicated. The Bible makes everything we need to know perfectly clear.

            Sin is a problem for everyone. A good definition of sin is, “Doing things my way, instead of God’s way.” Every one of us fights that battle. Romans 3:23 clearly states that, on our own, we all fail to meet God’s standard for morality.

            God’s solution is also for everyone. John 3:16-17 may be the most beautiful expression of God’s love for human beings in the Bible. It states: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” We see here God’s love for all people, His intentions toward them, and the lengths to which He would go to see them saved from sin and its eternal consequences: seeing His own Son suffer and die.

            We are all free to choose our fate. In John 7:17, Jesus said, “If anyone chooses to do God’s will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own.” Here, Jesus acknowledged the choice each person has to follow Him by obeying His teachings, and discover the truth of them, or to follow their own plans. God makes truth clear, but gives us the freedom to choose.

            The Bible is clear on God’s desire: He is patient, and does not desire anyone to miss salvation through Jesus. (2 Peter 3:9) He has made us aware of the problem, provided the solution, and shown His immense respect for us by letting each person make their own choice. What will you choose?

Mark Nickles is a husband, father of three, and a pastor in Northeastern Oklahoma. Copyright, Mark A. Nickles.