Can a Loving God Judge?

One of the often challenged aspects of Christianity is "How can a loving God judge?" How do we answer this?

Think back to when you were four and your parents caught you chewing on something expensive or with your hand in the cookie jar, or you threw a fit in Wal-Mart. Your parents, who love you, probably spanked you, or swatted your hand or whatever, but they did it out of love. They wanted you to grow into a polite, God-loving man or woman so they punished you when you did something wrong. God is the same. His judgements are love. If people did bad things without consequences, there would be utter chaos.

Also, Bad things happen to us because He wants to strengthen us, and let our faith blossom. If it was easy, we wouldn't really have faith now would we? If I knew what my future held, I would wait for it to be handed to me on a silver platter. I don't know what the future holds, so I have to absolutely trust God.

Furthermore, God gave us free will. That means we can do whatever we like. Even murder and such. If God stopped every single bad thing that happened to us, then we would cease to have free will, and if free will means you can choose, when we wouldn't choose to love Him. Love is a choice, and if it's not a choice, it's not really love.

So when someone asks you to defend your faith, stand up boldly and proclaim God's truth. It may not be easy, but with the most powerful being in the universe at your back, there's nothing you can't do!