Youth and outreach pastor
FBC Haleyville
My youth group recently went through a DiscipleNow weekend where the students learned about apologetics. One of the questions studied was, “How does a loving God send people to hell?” What a great question. It seems many in our culture try to make God so loving that He cannot do anything but allow people into heaven. To them it would seem that God sending anyone to hell would disqualify Himself of being loving. However, we must remember God is the standard of all that is right and good. He cannot do any wrong. Therefore God cannot tolerate sin and must punish it. When I break the law by speeding down the interstate I am punished by receiving a ticket and a hefty fine. In the same way we have all broken God’s law and because He is a just God, He must punish us. Sin deserves eternal punishment in hell. God would not be just if He declared the guilty innocent. God is fair because He cannot be otherwise.
The good news is that Jesus satisfied God’s wrath on the cross. When believers trust God for salvation they escape the righteous judgment of God. Although God punishes evil, He triumphs over it.
God does not force humans to obey Him. We have the capability to choose whether we wish to follow God or our own ways. We can choose to submit to Christ’s Lordship in our lives or we can choose to be lord of our own lives. Therefore those who are in hell are there because they chose to reject God and all His goodness. It is unfair to ask how God can sentence sinners to hell when He has done all He can to stop them from going there. He sent Jesus to die in our place, to suffer instead of us so we can have the free gift of eternal life. He has given us His written Word and His Church to point the way. He has pursued us and He is not willing that any should perish. So what about you? Have you submitted to God’s ways through faith in Jesus?
Share with others: