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Clearly, the Bible says that those who deny God will be sent to a place called hell. That is very offensive to a lot of people. In fact, it is so offensive that many try to deny it.
One claim made is that God does not send anyone to hell at all. They claim God simply doesn’t force them into His presence, leaving them with no other place to go. So today, let’s ask the question: Would a loving God send someone to hell?
The thought of a loving God—who isn’t willing for anyone to perish—actually sending people to hell may seem like slander on the character of God. I can already hear the rebuttals: “Surely a loving God wouldn’t do such a thing! Why would a loving God even submit anyone to it for any amount of time?”
But slander is speaking falsely about a person. The Bible tells us God will indeed do this, so it isn’t slandering God at all.
Matthew 5:29
29 And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
Luke 12:5
5 But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.
Revelation 20:15
15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
2 Peter 2:4
4 For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;
The word “cast” is used when God sends the devil and his angels into hell, and it is also used when He casts people into hell. To be cast into hell literally means they are picked up and thrown into it.
We see here that God actually casts people into a literal hell. You cannot look at these verses and deny this unless you close your eyes to it.
God doesn’t just let them wander into hell because they don’t want to be with Him. God actually throws them into hell.
Who is going to stand before God and choose hell over Him? People will not willingly walk into this place. An eternity of hell will not be a choice that people make over being in the presence of God. They must be forced—cast—into it.
Is it a surprise that a loving God would do this?
Obviously, this may seem contradictory. If God does cast people into hell, doesn’t that contradict what the Bible says about God not being willing that any should perish?
But let me ask you: Have you ever had to do something you did not want to do simply because it was the RIGHT thing to do? Just because God doesn’t want to cast someone into hell doesn’t mean He will not do it if it is the right thing to do.
Because while God is love, He is also just, true, and holy. Sometimes we have the wrong idea about what love is really like. Many of us believe love will not punish evil. We believe love will simply ignore it, no matter how bad it is.
But this is not loving, and it is certainly not the love of God, which is holy and true.
What is Love
1 John 4:8
8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
We need to get our understanding of love from God. Anything He does involves love in some way. That includes casting sinners into eternal punishment.
I know that seems like a harsh statement, and I’m sure it rubs some people the wrong way. But if this is something God does, then this is something love itself does.
Our task is not to decide if it is or isn’t loving. That is making ourselves the judge of all things, including God. We are not qualified for that!
Instead, we need to ask the real question: WHY does love do this?
Exodus 23:7
7 Keep thee far from a false matter; and the innocent and righteous slay thou not: for I will not justify the wicked.
Many like to quote that God is love, yet when we see God say that He will not justify the wicked, we detach that from being love. It’s as if we can’t comprehend that LOVE would condemn someone.
Matthew 25:46
46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
Why God Punishes the Sinner
Those who sin do so because, on some level, they enjoy it. Consider yourself: have you ever enjoyed sin? Of course—and if you say no, then you are lying.
Hebrews 11:25
25 Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;
Ephesians 2:3
3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
Sin is something we enjoy—it is pleasurable. But its end is death. While we may not want death, we do want pleasure. So what if we got rid of death and hell while keeping our sin?
Would we really have a reason to stop? It’s so much easier to do what we want without worrying about the consequences. Follow this to its logical conclusion.
Eventually, laws crumble when there are no penalties for breaking them. We end up in a world without law, without order, without justice, and with suffering.
Some argue that this wouldn’t happen because, as a human race, we would “pull together” for the common good. But would we? Have we ever? Last I checked, people still commit crimes everywhere—even with laws in place!
How many people hurt others? How many hurt themselves? There are countless reasons not to do these things.
But those reasons don’t stop us, do they? How many people don’t care who they hurt—or even if they hurt themselves? How long would it take, living in a world full of hate and suffering, before humanity as a whole became hardened by the world around them?
If there are no consequences for sin, it doesn’t stop. It spreads. It consumes everyone. Could a loving God allow this to continue forever?
Does Love Punish People
Proverbs 13:24
24 He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.
Hebrews 12:5-6
5 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: 6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
I’ve heard it said that some people will “love their children right into hell.” This means they refuse to discipline them. The result is children who never learn the fear of the Lord.
A love that doesn’t provide punishment for wrongdoing isn’t what the Bible calls love.
Punishment accomplishes a few key things. It instills a healthy fear of consequences in the child. They learn to think before they act and develop self-control.
Interestingly, punishment doesn’t always have to be administered directly to the child. Some people are wise enough to learn from the mistakes of others rather than discovering the hard way for themselves.
For instance, when a child sees their friend punished for stealing, they learn not to steal. They don’t have to feel the belt on their backside or the cuffs on their wrists—they’ve already seen the consequences.
You may ask: How is the punishment of a child like the punishment of hell? Punishment for a child is corrective and temporary, while hell does not correct and is eternal.
So why does God do it? Why would God send someone to hell that is not for correction and is eternal?
Scripture tells us that God teaches His children through the suffering of the wicked. This includes demonstrating the eternal consequences of sin.
Romans 9:17 and 22-23
17 For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.
22 What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: 23 And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,
Look at Pharaoh. In the book of Exodus, God sent ten plagues against him. God knew Pharaoh’s heart would not change and that he would always refuse correction.
Through Pharaoh’s punishments, God revealed two important truths. First, He showed the consequences of turning against God. Second, He demonstrated His mercy and patience.
God didn’t have to give Pharaoh ten chances to repent. He could have unleashed His wrath in a single moment, knowing Pharaoh wouldn’t learn anyway. But through this process, the children of God saw that He works even with the wicked, offering mercy and giving them opportunities to repent.
Love can be both gentle and fierce. Yes, a loving God will send people to hell. But no, He doesn’t want to.
In all of this, it is clear that saying God punishes those who do not repent is neither slander nor blasphemy. It is not wrong to say God will cast people into hell. This truth does not diminish His love or His desire to save.
However, if we were to claim that God would never cast anyone into hell, we would be stripping Him of His justice, wrath, and even His goodness. THAT, my friends, would be slander and blasphemy.
There are still important questions left to answer: Why does God wait instead of acting now? How is eternal punishment fitting for the crime? We will explore these questions in the next study.
Continue To Unit 2:12 – Why Does God Allow Evil OR
Return To Christianity 101 Unit 2 – Sin and Eternal Judgment
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