Does God Send People to Hell?
We live in a world where the Christian faith and Biblical truths are often distorted or even dismantled in the name of enlightenment and freedom. The problem is that this type of thinking doesn’t bring freedom but bondage to sin, and sin causes pain to us and those around us. I once heard a pastor put it this way: sin is not bad because it is forbidden; it is forbidden because it is bad. If we are honest with ourselves, many of our biggest hurts in life are a result of our own poor decisions. I know mine are. And here is a deceptive thought, held by many, that can lead to those poor decisions:
“I don’t really have to worry, because God is a God of love, and he would never send anyone to Hell.”
God gave us free will. We have the choice to trust a loving God, turn from sin, and put our lives in his hands, or we can choose sin and live with the eternal consequences. When we make the decision that sin is more important than God, we reject Heaven.
Before we can understand that, we need to understand what Heaven is. Heaven is a physical place where there is no sorrow, pain, hate, injustice, physical or mental illness or disease, disability, or anything else that is bad. It is a perfect place of love, joy and peace.
What is it that disrupts love, joy and peace now? Sin. Sin cannot exist in Heaven, or it would no longer be perfect. Once we understand this, we can understand why God asks us to choose him over sin. This doesn’t mean that we are suddenly perfect. It means that we acknowledge that we are sinners in need of a Savior, and we make the decision to turn away from sinful behavior and thoughts and focus on Jesus.
God will not force us to accept Heaven. It is our choice. God wants all of us to be saved and spend eternity in Heaven, but the Bible is very clear that many will reject this gift. Jesus said this directly to us:
“You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.”
Matthew 7:13-14 (NLT)
Many new age authors and even some churches will try to convince you that this is not the case, but your eternity is too important to trust someone who has decided they know more than God.
But is Hell even real?
The Bible talks about Hell more than it talks about Heaven. Why is this? God wants to make it extremely clear that if you don’t choose the path of life, an eternity of torment and loss awaits you. He wants you to fully understand the choice that you are making if you reject the gift of salvation.
Let’s take a brief look at what the Bible says that hell is.
- It was created for Satan and the demons when they rebelled against God. (Matthew 25:41)
- It is a place of torment (Matthew 13:50 & Revelation 14:10)
- It is forever (Revelation 14:11)
- It is the sad fate of anyone who does not accept Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. (John 14:6 & Revelation 20:11-15)
- This life is your only chance to choose Jesus. There is no second chance or “purgatory”. (Hebrews 9:27-28)
- It is often referred to as “Gehenna”, which translates to a burning dump.
- There is a chasm between Heaven and hell, and you cannot cross between them. (Luke 16:19-31)
- It is separation from God (2 Thessalonians 1:9)
- It is utter darkness. (Jude 1:13)
As tempting as it is to try to soften the reality of Hell, the Bible is very clear about what it is and that it is forever.
Truth
God lovingly created us with the full knowledge that we would rebel. He knew in advance the price he would have to pay in order to redeem us and the earth. Even with that knowledge, he created us anyway.
Jesus has existed from the beginning. About 2000 years ago, he willingly left paradise, set aside his glory, and was born into poverty. He walked on this earth as a human being, was tempted as we are, and overcame all temptation to live a sinless life. During his life, he was continually mocked, scorned, humiliated, and hated. In response, he loved. At the end of his ministry, he was arrested and condemned, even though he had done nothing wrong and even though Pilate himself found no fault in him. He was brutally beaten, forced to carry a cross to the place of execution, nailed to a cross, and hung up to die in the most gruesome manner possible. But the most painful part for him was to take on every sin ever committed and that would ever be committed. All of the pain and guilt fell on him, and for the first time he was separated from God the Father as he paid the penalty that should have been ours. No one can or will ever do that for us.
On the third day, God raised him to glory. Because of his actions, we can be forgiven of and freed from our sin. We can be adopted children of God himself! We can spend eternity with God in a perfect Heaven in perfect love! All we need to do is accept the gift and make Jesus the Lord of our life.
When I made the decision to submit myself to Christ and to live according to the Bible, it was like someone had lifted a giant weight off my shoulders. No longer did I need to deal with the internal struggle of whether my sin was justified. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, I was able to defeat sin. Please understand – I still sin. Until that day when Jesus calls us home and gives us sinless bodies and minds, I will continue to sin. But now my desire is to serve him in the best way possible. When I make a mistake, I can confess it to him, he forgives me, and our relationship is restored. It is this peace that I pray for all!
To close, I have one very important question. Do you trust God? God has all wisdom and knowledge. Like a wise parent, he knows what will bring us peace and joy and what will bring us pain and anxiety. If you trust him, listen to him. Study his word and find the peace that living in his will can bring you .
Resources
“Heaven” by Randy Alcorn gives a wonderful overview of Heaven. You can purchase it on Amazon and you can read a sample of the book here: Heaven Sample
“The City of Glory” – Revelation 21:1-22:21” with Ray Stedman
“The New Earth – Revelation 20-22” with Ray Stedman The New Earth
“What is Hell Like?” by Emily Hall
“Love and Hell Don’t Mix, Do They?” by Rob Shiflet with Josh McDowell Ministries
“Is Everyone Punished the Same in Hell??” with John Piper
“Worthy – Heaven & Hell” by LuAnne Barnet
Songs of Victory