The question of how a loving God can send someone to hell is a difficult one that many struggle with. At first glance, it may seem contradictory that a God who is perfectly loving and merciful would punish people eternally in hell. However, when we examine what the Bible teaches about the nature of God, the nature of man, and the nature of hell, we can begin to understand how God’s attributes work together in harmony.
The Nature of God
The Bible teaches that God is perfectly loving, merciful, and just. 1 John 4:8 states that “God is love.” His very nature and character is love. God desires relationship with human beings, as evidenced by sending His Son Jesus to die on the cross for our sins (John 3:16). However, God’s love does not negate or override His other attributes, such as justice and holiness.
The Bible also describes God as perfectly holy and righteous (Isaiah 6:3; Revelation 4:8). He cannot tolerate or overlook sin, but He must punish it in order to satisfy justice. When people sin and rebel against God, they deserve His punishment. So while God desires relationship with people, His holiness and justice require a separation from sin.
The Nature of Man
Human beings are sinful by nature (Romans 3:23). Every person has sinned and falls short of God’s perfect standard. The wages or consequence of sin is death (Romans 6:23). Because of sin, no one is worthy to stand before a holy God on their own merit. Our sin has separated us from relationship with God (Isaiah 59:2).
Left to ourselves, none of us would seek after God or desire relationship with Him (Romans 3:11). We are lost in our sin and trespasses (Ephesians 2:1). Only through God’s grace and the sacrifice of Christ to pay for sins can that separation be bridged (Ephesians 2:4-9). But unless we respond to the gospel and put faith in Christ, we remain cut off from God.
The Nature of Hell
Hell is the final destiny and consequence for those who reject God’s provision for salvation through Christ. Hell is described in Scripture as a place of punishment, fire, weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 13:42), and everlasting destruction (2 Thessalonians 1:9). It is separation from God’s presence and goodness forever.
Hell was not originally intended for human beings, but for the devil and his demons (Matthew 25:41). However, if people choose to follow Satan’s path of rebellion rather than repent, they will share the same fate. Hell shows the severity of rejecting God’s mercy and grace.
Hell is necessary because God must punish unrepentant sinners. He would not be just if He allowed sin to go unpunished. God does not want anyone to perish eternally (2 Peter 3:9), but He will not force people into relationship with Him. That is why He has provided the way of salvation through Jesus.
How Can a Loving God Send People to Hell?
When we understand the natures of God, man, and hell, we can see how a loving God can still sentence people to eternal separation from Him in hell:
- God’s holiness and justice require punishment for sin. He upheld His justice by pouring out wrath on His Son Jesus, so that mercy could be shown to sinners.
- People are sinful by nature and practice. Every person has sinned against God and broken His laws. Justice demands consequences.
- God does not want anyone to perish eternally in hell. He desires all to come to repentance and took the initiative to provide atonement for sins through Christ (2 Peter 3:9; Romans 5:8).
- But God will not force people against their will to put faith in Jesus. He allows them to choose. Those who reject God’s mercy will face His justice.
- Hell shows the severity and destructiveness of sin. God upholds justice by punishing unrepentant sinners.
- For those saved by God’s grace, heaven forever shows the riches of His mercy poured out on the undeserving.
A key aspect is that people choose hell by rejecting Christ in this life. C.S. Lewis described hell essentially as the prison people design for themselves when they turn away from God. Though God desires all to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9), He will not violate human free will to force them into relationship.
Some argue that no sin can merit eternal punishment in hell. But this view underestimates the severity and destructiveness of sin. The heinousness of rebelling against an infinitely holy God warrants eternal separation. Justice demands that sin be paid for – either by Christ’s atonement or the sinner himself. Hell shows the terrifying consequences of rejecting God’s mercy.
In the end, no one will be able to accuse God of injustice. God upholds both mercy and justice through Jesus Christ. He satisfied His wrath by bearing our sins, so that mercy could be extended to all who believe (Romans 3:25-26). Those who reject God’s gracious, undeserved gift will receive justice.
While God’s judgment may be incomprehensible given His love, He sees the end from the beginning. He desires relationship with all people. Hell is the sobering, tragic outcome for those who spurn God’s love. Yet we can be assured that when God sends someone to hell, He does so with perfect, unimpeachable justice.
The doctrine of hell may be difficult, but it is biblical. Above all, we must let God’s Word shape our theology and trust Him in all His attributes – both justice and love alike. While we may struggle to fully understand from our human perspective, we can take confidence that the Judge of all the earth will do right (Genesis 18:25).
Objections to the Doctrine of Hell
Some common objections are raised against the traditional doctrine of hell. How might one respond biblically to these objections?
1. A loving God would not punish people eternally
It is true that God loves people and desires relationship with them. However, He cannot simply overlook or excuse sin because He is also holy and just. Love does not eliminate justice. Hebrews 12:14 reminds us that no one will see God without holiness. God provided redemption through Christ, but those who reject Christ must bear the penalty for their own sins.
2. Eternal torment is disproportionate to temporal sins
This view fails to acknowledge the eternal consequences of rebelling against an eternal God. Our perception of justice is limited, but God sees all things eternally. Additionally, sin grieves God’s heart, not just violating a temporal law. Rejecting Christ spurns God’s enormous love and mercy. When people grasp the holiness of God, no punishment for sin seems too severe.
3. Hell doesn’t seem fair for those who never heard the gospel
We can trust God to judge rightly those who never had a chance to hear the gospel. Romans 1:19-20 reveals that all people have enough knowledge through creation to know God exists. No one is punished who might have responded to more revelation. Those condemned will be judged for rejecting the light they were given. God is perfect in both justice and mercy.
4. The existence of hell makes evangelism pointless
This argument assumes God cannot be loving if any perish eternally. Yet the atonement is only effective for those who place faith in Christ. God permits people to choose Him or reject Him. Were evangelism pointless, the Bible would not command us to preach the gospel. Hell should motivate us to heed Christ’s Great Commission with urgency.
While we may not fully comprehend how God’s perfect love and perfect justice relate, we can trust Him. Our struggle with this doctrine reveals our limited, finite viewpoint. Yet we can take great comfort that while God’s judgments are unsearchable, so are His ways beyond tracing out (Romans 11:33).
Practical Implications
The doctrine of hell should impact how we think and live:
- Gratitude for Christ’s atonement – Hell helps us grasp the enormity of Christ bearing God’s wrath on the cross for our sins. He suffered what we deserved so we could gain what we don’t deserve – eternal life.
- Urgency for evangelism – Knowing the terrors of hell awaiting the unrepentant should give us passion to proclaim the good news of Christ to a dying world. We must extend God’s grace before it’s too late.
- Holy fear and reverence for God – Contemplating God’s justice in hell should produce awe, reverence, and obedience in our lives. We serve a God of perfect holiness as well as love.
- Motivation for missions – There are still millions globally who have never heard the only message that can save them from hell. We must be vigilant to reach them.
- Longing for Christ’s return – The doctrine of hell reminds us that evil still reigns in our fallen world. But we await the day when God’s justice and glory will fill the earth at Christ’s return.
Above all, our struggle with the concept of hell should drive us humbly to the cross. Apart from God’s grace shown to us in Christ, we would all justly perish. Our response should be worship, gratitude, and obedience to the God who redeems undeserving sinners.
Conclusion
The doctrine of hell provides a sober warning of the terrible consequences of rejecting God’s mercy through Christ. But it also magnifies God’s love, in providing a way of salvation for sinful humanity. If God did not punish sin, He would not be upholding His justice or holiness. For the unrepentant, hell reveals the tragedy of the amazing grace they could have had, but ultimately refused.
Hell reminds us that our choices matter eternally. May this doctrine inspire urgency to live holy lives and spread the fragrance of the knowledge of Christ everywhere we go (2 Corinthians 2:14-15). By God’s grace, and for His eternal glory, let us labor to rescue souls bound for hell, pointing them to the matchless love and mercy found in Christ alone.