Skeptics and even some believers have often times depicted God taking pleasure in condemning people. Does God take pleasure in condemning?

In Ezekiel 18, God speaks of His just judgment in that the souls of people. By the way in this passage, God says that souls belong to Him (v4). God speaks of the death of the soul, which is eternal separation from God (Is. 59:1-2, 2 Thess. 1:7-9). The idea of torment being separated from God is because God is “God of all comfort” and the soul eternally apart from Him is in pain. Back to out question. God asked in Ezekiel 18:23, “Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, declares the Lord GOD, and not rather that he should turn from his way and live?” After explanation of the fairness of His judgment, He stated in Ezekiel 18:32, “For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord GOD; so turn, and live.”

God “desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim. 2:4), and “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance” (2 Pet. 3:9). Numerous believers have taught that God only saves an elect, who God supernaturally cause to repent. In this, they believe that no one has free will to follow God since according to them, everyone is born totally depraved in sin and incapable of changing unless God does so. Now according to these earlier passages, it is not true that God only saves a few that He changes, but that God desires all to be saved. We by free may choose God and be a part of the elect, which we are instructed to “be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure” (2 Pet. 1:10).

John 3 presents that people who are condemned are self-condemned. John 3:17-18 says,

“For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him. Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because He has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.”

Skeptics have for some time labeled God as “cruel” and “unfair” in punishment. Israel told God the same thing that He was unfair in His judgment in Ezekiel 18:19-32. It’s always the sinner that finds it unfair. Christ’s Spirit said in Acts 17:30-31,

“The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now He commands all people everywhere to repent, because He has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom He has appointed; and of this He has given assurance to all by raising Him from the dead.”