The absence of God's presence

The absence of God's presence is the essence of hell. ¹Hell is anywhere God's presence is not.

People live in ³rebellion to God every day. How? They do not acknowledge God as the Source of love and life; the Creator and Sustainer of everything! Instead, they live as if God is irrelevant; that the blessings of life are their right to do with as they please, as if someone owed it to them; i.e., they are entitled to these blessings. And if they don't get what they believe they deserve, they become angry and bitter. This is the approach to life many ²choose to live by daily.

And if they never come to the place where they acknowledge His relevance, value, and significance, they will continue on that same trajectory and path throughout the rest of their life.

As a result, God will honor that choice throughout eternity as well. God doesn't send people to hell. They are already on that path unless and until they choose to turn to Him.

If the absence of God's presence is hell, then what is the full presence of God? Bliss, paradise, a continual feast, i.e., heaven.

For a discussion on why many are disillusioned with God, click here

For a discussion on the key to answered prayer, click here

For a discussion on whether hell is literal, click here. 

For a further discussion on how hell is a continuation of our current path, click here

For a discussion of whether we are rebels to God, click here.

For a discussion on whether God's wrath is reasonable, click here

For a discussion on how death and hell are defeated, click here 

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Footnotes:

¹this is not necessarily a specific location - though it may be. But it is more a disposition or attitude of rebellious distrust (all distrust of God is rebellion to Him. It is to assert that God is a liar and not who He claims to be as all-loving, wise, powerful, and everywhere present). 

Objectively, God is everywhere present. Nothing functions or even exists without Him. But if we willfully turn away from God, then for us, God does not exist and is not present. God is not dead, but to us He is.

In the story of Lazarus and the rich man, notice the rich man did not regret his rejection of God, nor did he desire to turn to Him even in his torment. He only wanted water to relieve his thirst - a gift from God - not God Himself.

Is this not also true of humanity in general when we go through great pain? God is not our end, but the means to another end...relief. This is often the reason we pray. We don't want God, we only want comfort through the gifts (blessings) of God.

"...You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions." - Jas 4:2b-3 ESV

Luke 16:23-26, 28, 30-31 ESV

"...and in Hades, being in torment, he (the previously rich man) lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’ But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish.

And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.’ for I have five brothers—so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’

And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’”

²this choice is laid out in Rom 1:18-23 (emphasis added).

"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness (i.e., the springs forth from rebellious distrust) suppress the truth. 

For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 

For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 

For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God (He is irrelevant) or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 

Claiming to be wise, they became fools,  and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things." 

³The following passage lays out the nature of our rebellion. They are comments by Elihu to Job, Job 35:6-16 ESV. The fourth and only "friend" of Job whom God did not rebuke, suggesting that his subsequent comments to Job were on point.

"If you have sinned, what do you accomplish against him (God)? And if your transgressions are multiplied, what do you do to him? If you are righteous, what do you give to him? Or what does he receive from your hand? (This is also quoted by Paul in Rom 11:35). Your wickedness concerns a man like yourself, and your righteousness a son of man - i.e. your bad or good deeds affect only men, not God.

Because of the multitude of oppressions, people cry out; they call for help because of the arm of the mighty (those stronger than them or us, who oppress us).

But none says, ‘Where is God my Maker, who gives songs in the night, who teaches us more than the beasts of the earth and makes us wiser than the birds of the heavens?’ - there is no gratitude for the gifts of God we receive or trust in God when we go through challenges. We don't want God. We want relief through His gifts without acknowledging Him as the giver.

There they cry out, but he does not answer, because of the pride of evil men. Surely God does not hear an empty cry, nor does the Almighty regard it - Why? Because we don't want God, we only want relief.

How much less when you say that you do not see him, that the case is before him, and you are waiting for him! - God does not respond because of the extent of our complaining.

And now, because his anger does not punish, and he does not take much note of transgression - i.e. because God has not dropped the hammer on him for his complaining - Job opens his mouth in empty talk; he multiplies words without knowledge.”