Lesson 23: God's Holiness Provokes a Retribution

We have seen how God’s holiness creates a reaction, creates a removal of people, and generates a reminder through His commandments.

The fourth way to understand God's Holiness is in His retribution against people.

Matthew 22:1-14 “And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying, The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come. Again he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.”’ But they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business, while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them. The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy. Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.’ And those servants went out into the roads and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests. But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment. And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ For many are called, but few are chosen."


This is one of Jesus’ many parables about the Kingdom of Heaven. In it we see some good news and some bad news. The good news is that God has made a way through His Son for people to join Him in heaven. God wants people to come to heaven and live with Him, right? But the bad news is the response of the people. The majority of them shrug off God's offer like it is no big deal.

It is as if they say they have no time for religion. That is why the retribution, or punishment, for ignoring God's gracious offer is still the same today! If we refuse to ask Jesus to forgive us for our sins, one day we will be tied hand and foot and thrown into a dark place called hell, full of weeping and gnashing of teeth. Why? Because that is how Holy God is. He does not mess around with sin committed against Him and all sin receives the death penalty.

Therefore, to make sure that none of us here have any doubts about God's retribution against people who sin against Him, we are going to take a quick look at hell. God's retribution against sin makes hell a necessity. In our next several lessons we will discuss the main objections to the existence of hell, and why they are wrong.

* What makes you certain hell is just as real as heaven?