Why does God send people to hell?

[Chad]

The Bible says that God created hell for Satan and the wicked angels who rebelled against Him, but there are people in hell also (Matthew 25:41). Both angelic beings and human beings are in hell for the same reason, sin (Romans 6:23).

Because God is completely righteous and morally perfect (Psalm 18:30), He always does what is right—there is no “darkness” in God, not the smallest speck of imperfection (1 John 1:5). God Himself is the standard for what is right, good, and moral. If it were not for God being the standard of moral perfection, created beings would have nothing to measure themselves against. In other words, if God is perfectly righteous, then anything that falls short of said perfection is sinful, and every human being who has ever lived, since Adam’s fall from grace, has committed sin (Romans 3:23). Because Adam sinned, the entire human race now has a sinful nature (Romans 5:12). But people do not go to hell because of Adam’s sin; they go to hell because of their own sin, which they freely choose (James 1:13–16).

Since God is eternal, immutable, and infinite, and all sins are fundamentally against God, God has decreed the just punishment for sin must also be eternal (Matthew 25:46). There is another aspect to consider, which is that God also created people to live eternally. So when someone commits a sin against another person, the offended person has also been eternally wronged.

God, therefore, has deemed all who commit sin will go to hell because they have failed to meet His righteous standard; they have broken His Law of moral perfection. If God did not send people to hell for breaking His laws, it could be said that God is not just (Psalm 7:11). A good analogy is a court of law with a judge and a lawbreaker. A just judge will always convict the person who has been found guilty. If that judge did not pursue justice for the crime, he would not be a just judge (Deuteronomy 32:4).

However, the good news is that God is also merciful. In His rich mercy, He made a way for sinners to avoid the punishment of hell by trusting in the atoning work of His Son, Jesus Christ (Romans 5:9). For Christians, the penalty of sin has been removed and placed upon Christ on the cross (1 Peter 2:24). Because of the sacrifice of Christ, God is still just—the sin is punished—yet He is also merciful to all who believe.

article: Why does God send people to hell? | GotQuestions.org

 

[th1bill]

Yehovah does not send people to Hell nor into the Lake of Fire. People choose not to live with/for God, thus choosing not to live with Him in Heaven. God, not being a bully awards them with their clear choice of gods.

 

[KingJ]

The Bible says that God created hell for Satan and the wicked angels who rebelled against Him, but there are people in hell also (Matthew 25:41). Both angelic beings and human beings are in hell for the same reason, sin (Romans 6:23).

Because God is completely righteous and morally perfect (Psalm 18:30), He always does what is right—there is no “darkness” in God, not the smallest speck of imperfection (1 John 1:5). God Himself is the standard for what is right, good, and moral. If it were not for God being the standard of moral perfection, created beings would have nothing to measure themselves against. In other words, if God is perfectly righteous, then anything that falls short of said perfection is sinful, and every human being who has ever lived, since Adam’s fall from grace, has committed sin (Romans 3:23). Because Adam sinned, the entire human race now has a sinful nature (Romans 5:12). But people do not go to hell because of Adam’s sin; they go to hell because of their own sin, which they freely choose (James 1:13–16).

Since God is eternal, immutable, and infinite, and all sins are fundamentally against God, God has decreed the just punishment for sin must also be eternal (Matthew 25:46). There is another aspect to consider, which is that God also created people to live eternally. So when someone commits a sin against another person, the offended person has also been eternally wronged.

God, therefore, has deemed all who commit sin will go to hell because they have failed to meet His righteous standard; they have broken His Law of moral perfection. If God did not send people to hell for breaking His laws, it could be said that God is not just (Psalm 7:11). A good analogy is a court of law with a judge and a lawbreaker. A just judge will always convict the person who has been found guilty. If that judge did not pursue justice for the crime, he would not be a just judge (Deuteronomy 32:4).

However, the good news is that God is also merciful. In His rich mercy, He made a way for sinners to avoid the punishment of hell by trusting in the atoning work of His Son, Jesus Christ (Romans 5:9). For Christians, the penalty of sin has been removed and placed upon Christ on the cross (1 Peter 2:24). Because of the sacrifice of Christ, God is still just—the sin is punished—yet He is also merciful to all who believe.

article: Why does God send people to hell? | GotQuestions.org

I agree with most of this.

But just have two questions.

1. If sin gets you into fiery hell, why were some sinners in the OT before Jesus not in a fiery hell but rather in Abrahams Bosom per Luke 16:19-31

2. If being a Christian was as simple as believing in Jesus why does 1 Cor 12:3 say that nobody can of themselves believe Jesus is Lord?

I don't believe sin alone gets you into hell. A love of sin does John 3:19. Being sold out to it. Sin full measure. In the OT in Hades, there was a split between sinners who repented and sinners who did not.

We are given faith to believe Jesus is Lord, only when we repent of our sins. God judges our hearts and minds for sincerity Jer 17:9-12. Repentance is opening the door to Jesus Rev 3:20. God will never send to a fiery hell someone who truthfully repents of their sins Psalm 51:17.

 

[KingJ]

Yehovah does not send people to Hell nor into the Lake of Fire. People choose not to live with/for God, thus choosing not to live with Him in Heaven. God, not being a bully awards them with their clear choice of gods.

I agree with this but would word it differently. John 3:19 gives the perfect wording I feel.

John 3:19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.

 

[Sue D.]

God doesn't send anyone to hell. A person ends up there because they won't accepted God's way to get to heaven.
John 3;16.
So I'm agreeing with ' th1bill' .

 

[nolimitations]

Yehovah does not send people to Hell nor into the Lake of Fire. People choose not to live with/for God, thus choosing not to live with Him in Heaven. God, not being a bully awards them with their clear choice of gods.

Do you choose to sin, before you commit a sin?

 

[nolimitations]

God doesn't send anyone to hell. A person ends up there because they won't accepted God's way to get to heaven.
John 3;16.
So I'm agreeing with ' th1bill' .

If God does not cast anyone into hell, then who does it?

 

[nolimitations]

I agree with this but would word it differently. John 3:19 gives the perfect wording I feel.

John 3:19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.

So they have been lying to us all, You are saved by your deeds.

 

[KingJ]

So they have been lying to us all, You are saved by your deeds.

No, that verse is making the point that one who ''loves'' evil rejects Jesus. Rom 12:9 can give context.

Rom 12:9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.

As opposed to 'loving the darkness' we must 'hate the darkness'. When you 'hate' the darkness, you repent of your sins and accept Jesus.

True repentance is all it takes to open the door to Jesus Psalm 51:17.

----------------------

Now it also follows that those who don't repent of their sins and become new creations 2 Cor 5:17 will have bad fruits. Evil deeds. As Jesus says we are known by our fruits Matt 7:16 You will know them by their fruits.

 

[KingJ]

Do you choose to sin, before you commit a sin?

Yes. You are missing the point made though.

If God does not cast anyone into hell, then who does it?

God does. You are missing the point made though.

 

[B-A-C]

For me, this is a case of "follow the leader". Who are you following?

Matt 25:41; "Then He will also say to those on His left, 'Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels;

Hell wasn't originally created for humans, but some humans will go there. Satan is going there, and some people are just blindly following him not knowing where the path ends. Or perhaps some of them do know.

Jesus is in heaven, Satan is going to hell ( the Lake of Fire ). Which destination do you want? Who are you following to get there?
I suppose one day people will ask, "How did I get here". The obvious answer will be, who were you following?

 

[B-A-C]

So they have been lying to us all, You are saved by your deeds.

Yes, that's a lie if that's what you were told.

Jas 2:20; But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless?
Jas 2:21; Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar?
Jas 2:22; You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected;
Jas 2:23; and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "AND ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS," and he was called the friend of God.
Jas 2:24; You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.

Matt 16:27; "For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and WILL THEN REPAY EVERY MAN ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS.
John 5:28; "Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice,
John 5:29; and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment.
Rom 2:5; But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God,
Rom 2:6; who WILL RENDER TO EACH PERSON ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS:
Rev 20:12; And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds.
Rev 20:13; And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds.
Matt 25:30; "Throw out the worthless slave into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Matt 25:45; "Then He will answer them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.'
Matt 25:46; "These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."
2Cor 5:10; For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

None of those verses say you will be judged by what you say you believe, they all say you will be judged by your deeds.

 

[MedicBravo]

It's simple.
1. Christians know our existence doesn't end at physical death.
2. God has a guidebook; the Bible.
3. In that book are instructions and rules.
Commandments like "Do not do x sin." and "Love the Lord your God with everything."
Rules: Moral Law
4. One must truly repent and change. The latter requires sacrifice and usually family and friends.
5. True change results in a new (born again) person. That person knows the Truth and can't go back to being that old person. That he/she is dead.
6. Heaven has rules and punishment for breaking them and NOT changing for the better.
7. Heaven has walls, gates, and a strict immigration policy.

Don't do as God says and one's destination after death is permanent.
*There is no Purgatory.

 

[Sue D.]

If God does not cast anyone into hell, then who does it?

'we' do -- it's 'our' personal decision to either accept or reject. And once a person finds themselves in hell -- there is no getting out.

 

[MedicBravo]

'we' do -- it's 'our' personal decision to either accept or reject. And once a person finds themselves in hell -- there is no getting out.

There's no party in Hell and Satan will not rule it.

 

[KingJ]

There's no party in Hell and Satan will not rule it.

Scripture does not go into detail on hell. But what we do know with crystal clarity is that all who harden their hearts to Jesus and do not repent of their sins, will be there. So if there are parties, imagine having one with unrepentant sinners.

 

[MedicBravo]

There will be no party in any idea.
From inference:
Everyone who has died and those rejected God after the Final Judgment will know for certain, 100% God was real and the Bible 100% true.
Those in Hell will be denied God and any relief from thei sins. Imagine being unable to progress out of permanent depression and knowing all the truth of what one did.
It may not go into detail but the demons that were cast into the pigs wanted that instead of their final destination.

 

[Curtis]

John 3:19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

Hell is known as outer darkness.

2Th_2:10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

God loves man so much he lets him choose his future.

 

[KingJ]

There will be no party in any idea.
From inference:
Everyone who has died and those rejected God after the Final Judgment will know for certain, 100% God was real and the Bible 100% true.
Those in Hell will be denied God and any relief from thei sins. Imagine being unable to progress out of permanent depression and knowing all the truth of what one did.
It may not go into detail but the demons that were cast into the pigs wanted that instead of their final destination.

This statement is unscriptural and a 100% assumption by you.

If you read unscriptural things like Dante's inferno or books from people who claim to have travelled to hell you will believe such nonsense.

 

[KingJ]

John 3:19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

Hell is known as outer darkness.

2Th_2:10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

God loves man so much he lets him choose his future.

Not sure what your point is Curtis?

Hell is referred to as 'outer darkness' agreed. Darkness is a metaphor for a place where evil takes place. As John 3:19 explains. ''Loved darkness because their deeds were evil''. Those in hell love doing evil.