| (Matthew 25:32 KJV) And before him shall be | | | | of us who graduate into heaven have learned the |
| gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one | | | | basic material to equip us. Those who do not learn |
| from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from | | | | will be relegated to an eternal death. |
| the goats: | | | | Christians may disagree on the details of judgment |
| True love requires limits. Without limits love cannot be | | | | and punishment, the existence of hell and eternal |
| the freedom that God intended. It becomes license | | | | punishment. There can be no doubt, however, that a |
| to do whatever the heart of man desires. The heart | | | | judgment and punishment of some type takes place. |
| of man is an evil deceitful thing that always defaults | | | | This means that love is not limitless in its application. |
| to sin when left to itself. | | | | Love is the most precious gift that God has and it |
| Just as children must be given loving limits so we | | | | has been freely given to us. If we choose to trample |
| adults require loving limits as well. We establish these | | | | on that intimate offering there is nothing else that |
| limits out of our love and hope to see our children | | | | can be given to replace it. Once you have received |
| grow into healthy and productive adult lifestyles. | | | | and rejected the best and the finest you are lost. |
| There are some children who refuse to respond | | | | God is love. To reject his love is to reject him. Can |
| properly to the loving limits we set and those children | | | | we expect to reject God and not be rejected by |
| must be disciplined in the hope that they will learn not | | | | God? We may but it is an unrealistic expectation. |
| to do wrong. | | | | I think we can safely say that God has the purest |
| Even then some children refuse to respond to loving | | | | love in the universe. Certainly no human can hope to |
| correction. In the hope of salvaging some good from | | | | attain his capacity for love or to match his quality of |
| an impossibly bad situation parents must opt to help | | | | love. God begins with the concept that we are all |
| the other children through making the rebellious child | | | | lovable. |
| an example. | | | | It is only our unloving actions that earn us the right |
| God has made it clear in his word that there will be | | | | to be rejected. Make no mistake. God is loving, |
| judgment for each of us and that we will be dealt | | | | patient, tolerant, and long suffering. He loves each of |
| with accordingly. Life then can be considered to be a | | | | us so much that he is willing to reach out to us again |
| sort of spiritual educational facility that is designed to | | | | and again. God will allow us to reject him though. |
| prepare us for eternal living in God's presence. Those | | | | |