I’m in the process of having a war against mice in my house. This combined with something I heard on TV today led to this post. Before you think this has nothing to do with walking with Christ, let’s take a closer look.

I have bought several different traps for the mice, each with the same goal in mind. Capital punishment; also known as extermination. Even with these filthy critters I am not on a mission to torture them for there crimes. Rather complete and entire elimination is my goal, and I believe it’s safe to say the goal of most people faced with the battle I am waging.

How about a poisonous serpent? While it is not the case for me, if one was facing such a dilemma around a group of children I would suppose that their goal would be to locate and destroy the intruder. Would they catch this snake and begin burning one small section at a time in fire so that it pays for the wrongs it has done? Not likely.

Nor would you capture a rabid dog in a cage and begin poking sticks at it to make it even angrier. The answers would be plain and simple. If healing this beast were beyond possibilities, quickly putting it out of its misery would be the answer from any caring person.

Above we have three examples of how animals gone wrong would be handled. In each case we have complete extermination if some type of healing is beyond possibility. Yet somehow God is not as loving and merciful to those who choose to reject Him for all their lives. Their lot is to live forevermore in raging fire. Would this not make God out to be a vicious tyrant as compared to how man chooses to mete out their judgments?

It’s at such points as these that it is better to turn to God’s Word to see what it says rather than listening to the wisdom of man. Below are three Scriptures for you to comment upon. I would welcome your thoughts and reflections upon this topic at JesusWalksInWords.com.

John 5:24

"I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.

John 5:29

and come out—those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned.

Revelation 21:8

But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death."