HOW CAN GOD SEND PEOPLE TO HELL?
JUSTICE, WRATH, AND GOD’S INFINITE MERCY
Key Facts
72% Americans say they believe in heaven — defined as a place “where people who have led good lives are eternally rewarded.” [1]
58% of U.S. adults also believe in hell — a place “where people who have led bad lives and die without being sorry are eternally punished.” [2]
39% of adults believe that Hell is “a state of eternal separation from God’s presence” and 32% say it is “an actual place of torment and suffering where people’s souls go after death.” [3]
Key Scriptures
Revelation 21:8 –“ But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”
2 Peter 2:9-10 –“ the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment, and especially those who indulge the flesh in its corrupt desires and despise authority.”
Romans 10:19 –“Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.”
Ecclesiastes 3:17 –“ I said to myself, “God will judge both the righteous man and the wicked man,” for a time for every matter and for every deed is there.”
Other relevant verses include: 2 Peter 3:9, Ezekiel 33:11, and Deuteronomy 32:4
Want to Know More?
Heaven, Hell, and Purgatory: Rethinking the Things That Matter Most by Jerry L. Walls
Can a Loving God Send People to Hell? The Craig-Bradley Debate
Application
Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers once stated, “I don’t know how you can believe in a God who wants to condemn most of the planet to a fiery hell. What type of loving, sensitive, omnipresent, omnipotent being wants to condemn his beautiful creation to a fiery hell at the end of all this?”[4] Rodgers sentiment is echoed by many who have rejected the biblical doctrine of hell, labeling it ‘unjust’ and ‘unloving.’
God’s Justice is Perfect
However, God is perfectly just according to the Scriptures. He will rescue the godly and punish the sinful (2 Peter 2:9-10). God not only loves justice, but the Bible tells us that righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne (Psalm 89:14). God never makes wrong judgements or enacts a punishment unjustly.
An Innate Desire for Justice
Humans have an innate desire for justice. Not only do we hope that the just will be praised, but we desire punishment for those who have severely wronged us and those who have committed heinous acts. Multiple times in the Scriptures, the Lord says, “vengeance is mine” (Romans 10:19). He clarifies this because humans are constantly attempting to carry out justice on their own. Humans are not capable of bringing about perfect justice on their own. People have a limited perspective. God sees the full picture. We desire justice and we think that our view of justice and fairness is correct, but often it is not. God has an all-encompassing perspective that humans simply don’t have. Christians should trust in His judgment to bring about both praise for the righteous and punishment for those to whom punishment belongs.
Our Finite Understanding of Justice
While humans may find it easy to rush to judgements concerning the correct punishment or reward, our understanding of justice is compromised by both our sin nature and our inability to see the whole picture. After the fall of humanity, we have been born into sin (Rom. 5:12). As a people with sinful desires, we cannot trust our hearts to be just and righteous (Jer. 17:9). Our standard for justice cannot come from our own hearts as they have a desire for sinfulness. Therefore, we must look to God for a true and unwavering standard of justice.
From our limited perspective, certain acts of God may not make sense. However, we should understand why and even expect God’s perspective to not make sense to us since He views the world and justice with all knowledge while we cannot. Trusting in Him through the uncertain times allows humans to exhibit truth and justice in the midst of doubt (Prov. 3:5). Christians can have confidence that God is who He says He is, even when we don't know the exact reason behind every doctrine yet.
Conclusion
Even though it is sometimes difficult for Christians to understand the doctrine of hell, the Bible is clear that punishment exists for those who reject God. It is okay for Christians to admit that we have a limited perspective and that this often leads to confusion about God’s justice. However, even in the midst of this confusion, Christians should trust that God is the just judge who will ultimately be righteous in His decisions.