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One question that has stirred the minds of believers and skeptics alike is, “Why does God send people to hell?” It’s a question that taps into the very heart of our understanding of God’s love, justice, and the afterlife.
Why Did God Create Hell?
Perhaps the best approach in figuring out “why God sends people to hell” is to understand His purpose for creating hell in the first place.
Long before God created humanity to steward the earth, there was a rebellion in heaven. Leading this rebellion was Satan, also known as the devil. He managed to convince a third (33%) of the angels in heaven to attempt a coup and overthrow God.
His plan ultimately failed, and all the rebels were cast out of heaven. God created hell for these rebellious angels, but He never intended for humans to end up there.
So if God didn’t create hell for people, how do they end up there?
The Problem of Sin
The devil and his army, and every human who ends up in hell are there for the same reason: sin.
Sin is a rebellion against God’s laws and standards. The fallen angels literally tried to overthrow God, so their sin is obvious, but we’ve also rebelled against God.
It’s a long story, but the summary of it is this: Our first parents, Adam and Eve, rebelled against God when they chose to listen to the devil and do the very thing that God warned them not to do — eat the fruit of the forbidden tree.
They were created perfectly sinless, but since that moment of disobedience, sin has crept into every crevice of humanity and it’s been passed down from generation to generation…all the way to us.
Why Can’t God Just Allow Everyone Into Heaven?
The sin that our first parents passed down to us is like a disease that has spread through our beings. It has wholly corrupted the human race and prevented us from accessing God and having a relationship with Him.
God hates sin! He is perfectly holy and righteous, so He can’t just allow us into heaven. We sin against Him everyday because of the seed of sin that has been a part of us since birth.
As much as God loves us, He is also the Supreme Judge, and He can’t just overlook sin. Think about it this way: why should an infinitely holy God allow us dirty, filthy sinners into His home?
Is There Any Hope?
In steps Jesus, the Son of God!
God knew from the beginning that humanity would end up helplessly stuck in sin, so He prepared a solution beforehand. 2000 years ago, this plan was finally revealed and it unfolded in a small part of the world called Israel. God Himself became a Man and suffered on our behalf.
The price for sin is death, and we could not pay this price ourselves and still live to have a relationship with God. So Jesus came and fulfilled God’s Law perfectly, and just like Adam’s disobedience doomed all of humanity, Jesus’ obedience saves us!
Not only did He die for us, but He resurrected and is alive today, interceding for those who have trusted in Him.
We Can Go to Heaven
This means that God does allow anyone into heaven. That is, anyone who trusts in Jesus Christ as their Savior.
Trusting in Jesus means you have decided not to pay the price for your own sin. Because you trust in Him instead, He freely cleans you up and presents you sinless to God the Father. Now you can have a relationship with God because of what Jesus did on your behalf.
How Could a Loving God Send People to Hell?
I mentioned that God loves us, but as the Supreme Judge, He must punish sin. But remember that He Himself bore that punishment by becoming a Man. That was the demonstration of God’s love for humanity (John 3:16).
Jesus has provided the means to escape hell and be with God forever by simply trusting in Him, but people reject Jesus all the time. In doing so, they are choosing to pay for their sins themselves.
The real question we should ask is “why would people choose hell over a loving God who has provided a free means to eternal life?”
Is Hell a Place of Eternal Punishment?
Picture a place full of life. The atmosphere is dense with the laughter of children, the environment is ultra clean and healthy, and there is joy and peace in every home. Oh, there’s also no sickness, pain, or suffering. And this is not just a temporary bliss — it never ends! Just imagine that for a second.
Now imagine the exact opposite of that. That’s hell!
Hell is a place void of everything mentioned above because of one simple reason — God is not there! All the good things I described above will happen in God’s Presence on the new earth (a topic for another day).
By rejecting Jesus, a person chooses to not be in the place where God is. And since everything good and pleasurable is in the Presence of God, hell is a place of death, torment, pain, weeping, and suffering.
Who Ends Up in Hell?
Anyone who hears the good news about Jesus Christ and trusts in what He did on the cross will end up with God for eternity. Anyone who refuses to trust in Him has rejected the only way to life, and therefore they’ll end up in hell, away from the God they rejected, for all eternity.
Does God Predestine People to Hell?
No, He doesn’t. Predestination is simply God predetermining what faith in Jesus will give someone, i.e. eternal life. It is not God choosing who goes to heaven and who goes to hell.
How to Avoid Going to Hell
You can avoid going to hell by being in a relationship with God through faith in Jesus. This is what the Bible teaches regarding salvation.
Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He became a Man, lived a perfect life for 33 years, was crucified, buried, and resurrected on the third day. Through Him, we can be freely justified, made righteous (completely sinless), and spend eternity with God. He has rescued us from sin and death. The question is, do you believe this?
If you do, then let me be the first to welcome you into the family of God. You are a Christian now!
Conclusion
Why does God send people to hell? He doesn’t! Yes, He is the Judge, but He gives each person the result of their choice (just like a criminal is judged because of a crime they chose to commit). Those who choose to trust in Jesus Christ for salvation are saved because they’ve chosen to be with God for eternity. Those who reject Jesus have chosen to be away from God for all of eternity, and the only thing left is hell.
