How Can a Loving God Send People to Hell?
The essence of God’s being is love as 1 John 4:8 states. His love is eternal, and he is faithful and just to forgive (1 John 1:9). Yet, the Bible talks about hell and eternal damnation. How do we hold these two seemingly conflicting beliefs in tension? Critics of Christianity conclude that the God of the Bible is not really loving if hell exists; how can a loving God condemn some people, his own creation, to eternal suffering?
God is “compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love” (Psalm 103:8), but he is also holy and just, hating evil and holding sinners accountable. Jesus himself spoke a lot about hell — more than heaven; in fact, he spoke more about hell than any other recorded person in Scripture. A good and holy God cannot accept everyone. When a judge pardons a murderer or rapist, he would neither be considered loving nor just. So, the judgement of God is necessary — true love does not ignore wrong; it demands justice.
True love also cannot be forced; it demands freedom. God has, therefore, given people free will to either love or reject him. Anyone who chooses to reject God is, by inference, also rejecting heaven, for heaven is the experience of living with God himself — “God with us.” God desires that we love him in return, but he cannot demand or coerce us to do so because then we would not be truly free. So, those who reject God experience the natural outcome or consequence of their choice. C.S. Lewis rightly said that “the doors of hell are locked on the inside.” The popular view is that God has locked the doors of hell from the outside, not letting anyone out even if they want to. But those who choose hell do not want to come out of their own volition, continually resisting and rebelling against God.
But is everlasting condemnation fair? The punishment seems too harsh, some may object, considering God is love. Again, we must remind ourselves that God is loving, but he is also immeasurably holy and good. His love is different in that it is not sentimental but pure and holy — he absolutely hates evil. We may think of hell as extreme from our finite perspective, with an often-shallow understanding of both God and sin. However, in God’s view, sin is serious, and hell is a fair consequence for those who choose the life that leads to it. Hell, therefore, demonstrates how holy God is and what he really thinks of sin. Moreover, contrary to popular belief that those in hell have regretful, repentant hearts, Revelation provides us with an accurate picture of hell. “People gnawed their tongues in agony and cursed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, but they refused to repent of what they had done” (Rev. 16:10-11).
Finally, if good must conquer evil fully and permanently, then God’s judgement is necessary. Love demands justice and fair justice demands punishment. Without God’s judgement, the world would lack true significance and meaning. So, justice will eventually prevail and God will be victorious over evil because he is loving, just and powerful. The existence of hell reveals God’s justice. It reminds us that evil will be dealt and done away with someday and that righteousness will ultimately govern the world.
So, how can a loving God send people to hell? It may seem like a paradox and we may not understand all his ways, but we must wrestle with the truth that hell is necessary if God is to be truly loving and truly just. The real question we must ask instead is this: how can a holy God accept me into heaven? We then see God’s grace and mercy in Jesus, who, though sinless, bore our sin and punishment on himself. In his everlasting love, God rescues us from the depths of hell and offers us a way out.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Christina Martin
Christina holds an MDiv from SAIACS, Bangalore, where she developed a deep interest in theodicy. She is also passionate about the spiritual formation of children, a focus that resonates deeply with her current season of life. Now a stay-at-home mom, she delights in raising her two toddler boys and especially enjoys reading to them.