How can a loving God send people to hell?
A loving God is more than love
Why would a loving God send someone to hell? This is a question that many people ask whether they are a skeptic or believer. Considering God is love (1 John 4:8), it can be difficult to reconcile how some people would go to hell. When asking this difficult question, it is important to consider both free will and that God is both love and just. First, consider the characteristics of God in that he is both just and love.
God being just is something that makes many people uncomfortable but also seems to contradict the love of God. Humans are created moral beings as they are made in the image of God according to Genesis 1. Being moral is part of being made in the image of God which, as moral people, believe that justice should be served to some people. For example, when innocent children are harmed, the world tends to cry out in outrage demanding justice. You can look through the headlines to find many examples of this. A just God brings justice to those that deserve it which all deserve some form of punishment considering that the standard for God is perfection. At the same time, God is love. I would never want to follow a God that let all people off for the atrocities they have committed. If Hitler did not receive justice because God was not just, I am not sure whether he would even be worthy of praise. God being love, sent Jesus and Jesus received the punishment that others deserved. It is how Christians can claim God is both loving and just. God is just in that he gave punishment but loving in that he did not place the punishment on us. One must keep in balance God’s justice and his love. God’s justice in that he allows some to choose the punishment they deserve.
Punishment: Slap analogy
Some argue that this is extreme in light of a little sin that one commits but this would be a mistake of understanding sin. The example I often use to show the severity of sin is the slap analogy. If a student in high school slaps another high school student on the face, what is the consequences? If the first offense, the student would receive a suspension or in school suspension. If a student, first offense, decided to walk up to the principal and slap them in the face with the same amount of force as the first scenario, the consequences would be greater. If a person walked up to the president of the United States and slapped the president with the same force, the consequence would be even greater. So why does the same action receive more punishment? The answer is based on who the offense is against. The prestige and status of the person being slapped matters. If God has the greatest status, infinite holiness, and infinite prestige, then it makes sense that the punishment would be far greater. A “small” sin is actually very large in consequence based on who it is against.
Conclusion
Why would a loving God allow someone to enter hell? It is because it is just. Each person has sinned, even if in “small” ways which deserve huge consequences because of who you sinned against. At the same time, God is loving in that he does not give all people what they deserve. Jesus took the punishment that people deserved. A term that can be said with truth, the crucifixion of Jesus is where we see the love of God and the justice of God without either quality diminished. God is loving in that Jesus took the punishment for us, but he is just in that punishment is still given. The question becomes, why does God not forgive everyone and place all the punishment on Jesus? To answer that question, we must turn to free will which one can read here (link coming soon).
What Now?
- Reflect on your sin, the times you have slapped God, and ask for forgiveness.
- Reflect on God’s love and write down five ways God has shown his love for you.
- Pray for someone close to you that has not accepted Christ.
- Share the good news of Jesus with someone this week.
- Reflect on the cross and the
want to read more? Check out these recent posts
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Consider reading more? Check out Attributes of God by A. W. Tozer. Click here to go to the book on amazon