Why Would A Loving God Send People To Hell?

Why would a loving God send people to hell? Many people can struggle with the idea that hell exists and that if “God is love” as the Bible says, then why would He send His own creation to suffer unbearable pain and anguish for eternity in hell.
Therefore many people and even various religions may conclude that if God is truly loving, then hell cannot exist. Or if God is love, then God will never punish anyone for eternity because such a punishment would be deemed as cruel.

So before even answering the question of why a loving God would send anyone to hell, we must look at some of the principles, characteristics and the nature of God.

GOD’S PRINCIPLES AND NATURE REGARDING SIN
It is necessary to have a proper perspective of the nature and character of God. When we over-emphasize one characteristic of God over His other virtues, we risk falling into deception.
For example, the antinomian may over-emphasize God’s grace to a point where they believe and teach that grace is a license to sin.
Similarly the universalist over-emphasizes the love of God to the extent of believing that either hell does not exist or that everyone will be saved and nobody will be punished.
So indeed, while God is love, the Bible also explains that God also has other virtues and characteristics. Therefore it’s important to conceptually know what the Bible says about God’s nature and character.

God is loving, but He is also a just and righteous God. So even though God is loving, He can also be angered or grieved by unrighteousness or injustice. Psalms 7:11 says: God is a righteous judge, and a God who feels indignation every day.
Therefore God desires righteousness and justice because it is part of His divine nature and character.

God is loving, but it does not mean that God cannot hate. God loves all that is good, but God hates all kinds of wickedness and evil. Proverbs 6:16-19 says: There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him: 17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, 18 a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, 19 a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers.

God is loving, but He is also a Holy God. Therefore a Holy God cannot accept anything that is unclean or imperfect. God is not tolerant of evil in all its forms because He is holy. 1 Peter 1:16 says: Since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy”.

God is loving, but He cannot turn a blind eye to sin. According to God, there must be a penalty / punishment for sin that must be paid. Proverbs 11:21 – Be assured, an evil person will not go unpunished, but the offspring of the righteous will be delivered

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT ETERNAL PUNISHMENT?
The Scriptures are clear that hell exists and that eternal punishment exists. Hell is the worst place that anyone should have to go. Hell is an expression of God’s eternal anger against sin. However, the Bible warns us about hell so that we may take the necessary steps of accepting Jesus Christ so that we avoid eternity in hell and instead enjoy eternal life in the presence of God.
Below are a few scriptures which describe hell as being a place of eternal punishment:

Matthew 25:46 – And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.

2 Thessalonians 1:9 – They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might,

Mark 9:43 – And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire.

Jude 7 – just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire.

GOD’S SOLUTION FOR SIN & FOR AVOIDING ETERNAL HELL
2 Peter 3:9 says – The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

The truth is – God does not wish to see anyone go to hell. He does not take pleasure in seeing people suffering in hell. This is why He sent Jesus Christ to pay for our sins on the cross. Christ Himself took our punishment for sin so that if we receive Him in faith, we will become part of the family of God and escape hell.
However, when people reject God, they are making a freewill choice to choose hell. In life there are really only 2 choices: God or satan; Light or darkness; Life or death; Blessing or cursing; Heaven or hell.

As long as we have life, we still have the opportunity to choose Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour.
There is no other name by which we can be saved except by the name of Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12).

Since God desires that everybody would repent and not perish according to 2 Peter 3:9, God’s solution for the problem of sin is to save mankind from the punishment of eternal hell through His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ.
John 3:16-17 ESV – For God so loved the world, that He gave his only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 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.

Since EVERY person is a sinner and is guilty of sin (Romans 3:23), then every person deserves to be punished. However, because of God’s love, grace and mercy, He sent Jesus who was sinless, to take our punishment as the sacrifice for our sins in place of us (Ephesians 2:8-9).
Jesus came to take the punishment for our crimes against God. Therefore Christ died in our place as our Substitute. The price of our redemption had to be the shedding of Christ’s blood on the cross.
Hebrews 9:22 ESV – Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.

John 1:29-30 ESV – The next day he (John) saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”

2 Corinthians 5:21 ESV – For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.

1 Peter 3:18 ESV – For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit,

Our response to what Jesus Christ did for us on the cross is to believe and receive Him by faith as our Lord and Saviour. In faith we repent and surrender our life to Christ so that He may begin the process of forever changing us and conforming us into His image. In other words, through Christ we become born again or a new creation (John 1:12; John 3:3; 2 Corinthians 5:17)

DO YOU WANT TO BE A CHRISTIAN or A FOLLOWER OF JESUS CHRIST???

1. ACKNOWLEDGE: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).
This means that we have all broken God’s laws and God’s 10 Commandments like those mentioned in Exodus 20:1-17. For example, if you have told a lie; if you have stolen something; if you have lusted after somebody or if you have coveted. This means you are guilty of breaking at least one or more of God’s 10 Commandments. Breaking God’s commandments makes us sinners. The fact that we are sinners who have broken God’s law means that we are accountable to God who is the Lawgiver. Romans 6:23 says that “the wages of sin is death BUT the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord”
You must acknowledge that you are a sinner who has broken God’s commandments and that you therefore need Jesus in your life.

2. REPENT: “Unless you repent you will all likewise perish” (Luke 13:3), “Repent therefore and be converted that your sins may be blotted out” (Acts 3:19)
Repenting means: to change your mind; a sincere turning away, in heart, mind and action;
Therefore God wants you to repent of sinful values and of sinful living. God wants you to decide to
follow Him and to make Jesus the Lord of your life.

3. CONFESSION: “If we confess our sins. He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). “That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9)
God is a forgiving God. God will forgive any sin that you have done because Jesus died for ALL your sins and to set you free from the bondage of all types of sin in your life.

4. BELIEVE: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).
You must believe that ONLY Jesus can save you and restore your relationship with God. You must believe that Jesus is the ONLY way by which you can have everlasting life and escape from eternal separation from God. You must believe that Jesus died on the cross for you and resurrected from the grave.
“He came to His own, and His own did not receive him, But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name” (John 1:11-12)
By faith, You must receive Jesus as Your Lord & Savior and therefore; you become a child of God; you become born again; you become a Christian; you restore your broken relationship with God

Why Not Make Your Eternal Decision NOW?

We become born again Christians by GRACE through FAITH or TOTAL TRUST in Jesus Christ as our Lord & Savior (Galatians 3:26) & (Ephesians 2:8,9). Salvation is a FREE gift received through FAITH in Christ.

PLEASE NOTE: You can choose to pray in your own words. This prayer is a sample prayer and it is only an EXPRESSION of your faith, belief & trust in Jesus. Salvation is by GRACE through FAITH or BELIEVING in Christ Jesus as your Lord & Saviour.

“Lord Jesus, I thank You for Your love. I thank You that You died on the cross for me and resurrected so that I may have life through You.
I confess Lord that I have sinned against You and today I ask You to forgive me of all of my sins, past present and future.
Today I repent and have decided to follow you. Thank you for forgiving all my sins.
From this moment, come into my life Lord Jesus & take full control of my life. I want to follow You Jesus and I want to follow Your ways. Save me and from today, make me the person You want me to be.
I receive You Lord Jesus right now by faith. I trust You as my Lord and Savior – Amen”

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