{"id":374,"date":"2023-08-06T17:39:40","date_gmt":"2023-08-06T21:39:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/embracingtruthescapingtradition\/?p=374"},"modified":"2023-10-06T13:12:11","modified_gmt":"2023-10-06T17:12:11","slug":"loving-god-wouldnt-send-people-to-hell-right","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/embracingtruthescapingtradition\/2023\/08\/loving-god-wouldnt-send-people-to-hell-right\/","title":{"rendered":"A Loving God Wouldn’t Send People to Hell, Right?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

Would a loving God send people to hell?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Absolutely.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Still, some suggest that God doesn\u2019t send people to hell. Instead, if we end up in hell, we chose to go there. So, basically, what is said is that we send ourselves there. Apparently, it\u2019s meant to soften the blow of the fact that the Lord sends people to hell.<\/span><\/p>\n

Excuse my language but that is complete hogwash.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Now, I recognize that people have different views on hell. Therefore to be clear, when I refer to hell in this post, I\u2019m referring to the eternal separation from God, and the final destination of his enemies.<\/span><\/p>\n

And I\u2019m 99.9% certain that nobody will volunteer to go to hell themselves. It\u2019s even unlikely that the foolish who say things like, \u201cI want to go to hell so I can party with my friends\u201d will waltz into those, what we believe to be, torturous flames all willy-nilly.<\/span><\/p>\n

Even if one makes a choice that sends them to hell, God is the one who will send them there. I can almost guarantee, that the decision to freely enter will not be made by people on their own. Let\u2019s stop trying to sugar coat it, and trying to deny the Lord his justice and righteous judgment.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Look, I understand the philosophy behind it but it\u2019s not true according to the Bible. <\/span>Let\u2019s consider these passages of Scripture. Hell<\/a> is believed to be referred to in the following verses:<\/span><\/p>\n

Matthew 8:12 \u2013 But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Matthew 22:13 \u2013 \u201cThen the king told the attendants, \u2018Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n

Matthew 25:30 \u2013 And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n

Matthew 18:8 : If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire.<\/span><\/p>\n

2 Peter 2:4-10 For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell,[<\/span>a<\/span><\/a>] putting them in chains of darkness[<\/span>b<\/span><\/a>] to be held for judgment; 5 if he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others; 6 if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; 7 and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the depraved conduct of the lawless 8 (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)\u2014 9 if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgment. 10 This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the flesh[<\/span>c<\/span><\/a>] and despise authority<\/span><\/p>\n

So, yes, God sends people to hell. But does he enjoy it? Not at all. He has no pleasure in the death of the wicked (Ezk. 33:112 Peter 3:9). He\u2019d rather see them live.<\/span><\/p>\n

So, if that\u2019s the case, why does he send them to hell? Some say it\u2019s because they broke God\u2019s law. <\/span>Gotquestions.org <\/span><\/a>claims: \u201cGod, therefore, has deemed all who commit sin will go to hell because they have failed to meet His righteous standard; they have broken His Law of moral perfection.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Although that may be true, I don\u2019t believe it will be the reason people will be cast into hell. Well, I used to believe that way, but not anymore. After all, the children of Israel broke God\u2019s law all the time, but the Lord implemented the Day of Atonement to cover their sins from the entire year. So, he knows we\u2019re going to mess up and break his law at times.<\/span><\/p>\n

Many will go to hell not because they sin and violate God\u2019s commandments, since all of us will do that until the end of time, but the reason they will meet their unfortunate fate is simply because they rejected God.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It will be because they wouldn\u2019t humble themselves and submit to the Almighty Creator, and because he pleaded with them to be reconciled to him, but they would not. This is the ultimate problem we encounter throughout the Hebrew Bible as well as the Gospels and Acts: God\u2019s creation rejecting him as its Creator.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Only those who trust in the Lord and are faithful to him until the end will be saved, or preserved on the day when God pours out his wrath on all wickedness and sin.<\/span><\/p>\n

When you think about it, it\u2019s really just common sense.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sin is essentially rebellion against God. In the end, everything that causes sin and all who do evil will be destroyed (Matt. 13:41). A person who has not trusted in God the Father through his son Jesus Christ for forgiveness and freedom from sin will still be in sin on that day, and will unfortunately be caught in the crossfire.<\/span><\/p>\n

God is making all things new. He\u2019s creating a new heaven and earth. This new creation will have no rebellion, but all will worship the one true God alone, and Christ will be their King. Therefore, God will be head over his people\u2014the way it was meant to be in the beginning.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

You remember the story right? In spite of his desire to be King over his people, the Israelites rejected him. The people wanted a king like that of the nations around them (1 Sam. 8 ). Though he wasn\u2019t happy about it, God gave them a human king and despite some good ones, they were ultimately a disappointment.<\/span><\/p>\n

So now, in his reasonableness and infinite wisdom, the Lord has satisfied everyone\u2019s desires by establishing a human king: the Lord Jesus who is Immanuel, meaning \u201cGod with us\u201d\u2014-It\u2019s God ruling over his people through Christ the man.<\/span><\/p>\n

However, many rejected Christ when he came, and many continue to reject him today. Rather than submit to his authority, they want to do things their way. They wish to continue in the way of Adam and the rebellion of creation against God. They seek to travel in their footsteps.<\/span><\/p>\n

They refuse to acknowledge the Lord as God and to submit to his ways. Therefore, because they reject him and his chosen King, Jesus, they will be sent into everlasting fire, which was originally prepared for Satan and his messengers (Matt. 25:41).<\/span><\/p>\n

I mean, where else do you expect them to go?<\/span><\/p>\n

Furthermore, would you invite an unruly and disrespectful person into your home who hates your guts?\u00a0 Then would God have someone enter his new creation in their rebellious state, spoiling it for everyone? Isn\u2019t that the purpose of the new creation? To set things right and in order? For goodness sake, we\u2019d be back to square one.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Therefore, it\u2019s not cruelty, it\u2019s common sense. People who don\u2019t want to trust in the Lord, who don\u2019t love and worship him here, won\u2019t want to do it in the New Creation either. Therefore they won\u2019t be included. And unfortunately, there\u2019s nowhere else for them to go, except hell.<\/span><\/p>\n

But, God, who is merciful, gives us a choice: Worship him or reject him, love him or hate him, submit to him or continue to rebel,\u00a0 live or die. The good news is that we don\u2019t have to perish. We can live with the Lord for all eternity and faith is the only requirement.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If you\u2019ve never acknowledged the God of Abraham as the only true God, and have never trusted in Jesus, the one who died for our sins-the soon to come King-then I beseech you today to think hard about your options.<\/span><\/p>\n

You virtually have none.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s either one or the other: Either eternal life with the Lord or eternal death and destruction.\u00a0 But, I urge you today\u2014submit to God and choose life.<\/span><\/p>\n

**Unless otherwise noted, the thoughts expressed in this post are my own, and are intended to guide, not replace one\u2019s own conviction and study of Scripture.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Would a loving God send people to hell?\u00a0 Absolutely.\u00a0 Still, some suggest that God doesn\u2019t send people to hell. Instead, if we end up in hell, we chose to go there. So, basically, what is said is that we send ourselves there. Apparently, it\u2019s meant to soften the blow of the fact that the Lord […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5064,"featured_media":383,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[98,89,92,95,24],"class_list":["post-374","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-eternal-destruction","tag-eternal-life","tag-hell","tag-lake-of-fire","tag-salvation"],"yoast_head":"\nA Loving God Wouldn't Send People to Hell, Right?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Would a loving God send people to hell?\u00a0 Absolutely.\u00a0 Still, some suggest that God doesn't send people to hell. 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