"Eternal death is in a very real sense the extension and finalization of spiritual death. If one comes to physical death still spiritually dead, separated from God, that condition becomes permanent." - Millard J. Erickson Christian Theology
This thought really struck me. Of course, this has been my basic understanding of what happens when nonChristian people die for a long time, but he presents it in really the perfect way, I think. I believe completely in the concept of a real Hell, where people suffer forever. I don't want anyone to go there, nor do I think God really wants anyone to go there (there are scripture references that back me up on this). On the basis of Erickson's more theological phrasing, it seems to me that the standard youth group explanation of "People choose for themselves where to go; God only sends people to Hell who already want to be there." isn't a bad thought. The reason I say that is that I don't think we really understand what Heaven or Hell are like. The Bible is quite vague and uses a lot of what is probably metaphor and symbolism, without really presenting a concrete blueprint for us. Basically, Hell is the place of spiritual (and eternal) death. Heaven is the place of spiritual (and eternal--if we include the new earth...) life. Spiritual life is entirely involved with intimate connection with God, of a relational and worshiping nature. Spiritual death is entirely involved with separation from God. Therefore, whatever we want in this life is what we get in the next. The only difference is that we can change our mind so long as it is before our physical death. There comes a point when we can no longer change. There is a deadline. Just like a person getting a tattoo has a lot of time to think and decide what he wants to get. He could have decided on a dragon for two years, but then he changed his mind a week before he plans to get it, and instead he gets a tiger. He has that freedom. However, once he goes under the needle, there is no turning back. His decision is made, and it's final. In the same way, I could reject and re-accept God an infinite number of times in this life. However, once and die. I am stuck. I receive whatever I wanted at the point my days end. (of course this last part makes it seem like i don't believe in eternal security of salvation, which I do in some ways and in some I don't, but that's a topic for another day.)
I praise God for his sovereignty, and his security, wherein he feels secure in his sovereignty enough not to be threatened by human free will. He grants us the freedom to decide for ourselves whether or not love him and glorify him. If we want to love and worship he, we have the opportunity and may continue to do so for eternity. If we want nothing to do with him, he does not force us, and we can continue in that decision forever, as well.
