Page 20 - Apologetics Student Textbook (3 Credits)

true at all times. Let’s see how these two characteristics fit together as God deals with His creation,
specifically mankind.

God is perfectly righteous and created a perfect creation. Man was created without imperfections. He
openly walked with God on a daily basis. One of the perfect aspects of man’s creation is the gift of free
will. Man had the possibility of choices when it came to his relationship with God. He could freely obey
and enjoy fellowship. But if he, by an act of his will, chose to disobey God, he would break his
relationship with God because man would become tainted with sin and God would remain holy,
separate from sin. That act, freely chosen by man, would change his relationship with God. Because the
first man, Adam sinned against God, the entire human race now has a sinful nature (Rom. 5:12) and
therefore everyone commits sin against God.

God created Hell long before He created man. It was a place created to judge sin and rebellion. The
Devil and the fallen angels will someday be caste into Hell as a consequence to pay for their sin against
God. However, when man chose to rebel against God, his sin also entered into God’s divine judgment.
The just consequence of sin is eternal punishment. So now Hell is occupied by fallen angels, Satan, and
people (Matthew 25:41)

God does not send anyone to Hell. All who commit sin will go to hell because they have failed to meet
God’s righteous standard; they have broken His Law of moral perfection. Each person’s choices
determine his eternal destiny. God is not responsible for his future eternal destination, man is by
choice.

It is at this point that we see God display His eternal love. Even though man has rejected God, God did
not reject mankind. He reached out to display His love in mercy by becoming a man just like His
creation, then paying the eternal penalty (hell) for all of man’s sin when dying on the Cross of Calvary.

John 15:13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.

While on the Cross, God displayed for all to see both His justice and love. In justice, He laid down His life
while taking to Himself the sin of every man and paid the penalty for sin by shedding His blood. In love,
He took our place and exchanged His righteousness for our sin. This verse explains this amazing feat:

II Corinthians 5:21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might
become the righteousness of God.

God demonstrated to His entire creation that He loved man to the greatest extent possible: His
willingness to die in his place and provide mankind a way to be with God in Heaven for all eternity.
In His rich mercy, He made a way for sinners to avoid the punishment of hell by trusting in the atoning
work of His Son, Jesus Christ (Mark 16:16). For Christians, the penalty for sin has been removed and
placed upon Christ on the cross (1 Peter 2:24). Because of the sacrifice of Christ, God is still just—the sin
is punished—yet He is also merciful and demonstrated love to all who believe.

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