Posted by John Derrig
This blog post is in response to the following question from the Frequently Asked Questions section of this website:
if faith is a gift from God why do those who aren't given the gift subjected to hell?
I address this question in two parts:
- The Gift of Faith and
- Repentance and Judgement
The Gift of Faith
Faith is not a gift given to some but denied to others. Rather Faith is a gift from God given to everyone. The reality is that this gift can be ignored or rejected because we have free will. Fortunately, for those of us who refuse or reject the gift of Faith, we have a merciful God who is always willing to give us second chances (and third, and fourth, and fifth, …).
There are abundant examples of God’s patience and mercy in Sacred Scripture. Here are two of my favorites from the Gospel of Luke:
The Parable of the Lost Sheep, Lk 15:1-7
In this story, a shepherd with 100 sheep has one sheep go astray. Leaving the 99, the shepherd seeks the one who is lost. When he finds it, the shepherd rejoices with his friends:
Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep. I tell you, in just the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninty-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance. (Lk 15:6-7)
The Parable of the Lost Son, Lk 15:11-24
In this story, a rich man had two sons. One of them asked for his inheritance and then went off and squandered it on loose living. When a famine struck, the son became hungry and desperate. Coming to his senses, the son decided to return home. This is the father’s reaction:
While [the son] was still a long way off, his father caught sight of him and was filled with compassion. “Take the fattened calf and slaughter it for a feast. … This son of mine was dead, and has come to life again; he was lost, and has been found!” (Lk 15:20-24)
Repentance and Judgement
These two stories show that the journey of Faith begins with repentance—a change of heart, a transformation, and a “coming to our senses”. And this transformation must result in action:
If a brother or sister has nothing to wear and has no food for the day, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well,” but you do not give them the necessities of the body, what good is it? Faith of itself, if it does not have works, is dead. (James 2:15-17)
These actions, which result from Faith, are important because they are the criterion for the judgment at the end of time:
Then the king will say to those on his right, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.” (Mt 25:34-36)
As people of Faith, this is how we act, not because we fear hell but because this is who we are.
