How Could a Loving God Send Anyone to Hell?

Hell turns people off. "How could a God of love allow Hell to exist? How come God just does not forgive everyone? A forgiving and loving God would surely never condemn someone for his/her sincerely held beliefs." For many Hell makes God seem petty, vindictive and cruel. It is interesting how opposed we are to God's judgment. Our "live and let live" culture today says, "I will not judge you, so don't judge me." Final and ultimate accountability is offensive to many.

Maybe this is because we do not understand love in our culture. When we love someone we hate what ruins their lives. We hate the cancer that ravages our loved ones bodies. We do not tolerate it, we desperately try to eliminate it. Its presence is absolutely unacceptable. We pump them full of the harshest chemicals, burn it with radiation and cut it out in surgery because its presence is detestable in the one we love. Love is like that. Love judges harshly anything that threatens the one loved. Hate, wrath and anger often have their roots in love. Love actually necessitates anger. It is because I love, I will oppose anything that hurts the object of my love.

God is like that. He loves everyone, but hates what threatens us. Sin is the cancer. He knows that sin is what is ruining our lives, robbing us of joy, peace, love, purpose and yes, a relationship with our maker. He has acted in extraordinary ways to wipe it out of our lives and give us the necessary treatment, to give us new life and restore what is broken. He hates sin, it disgusts Him, because it threaten us.

Cancer is nothing to toy with, it is serous business. God takes it seriously, He sent His son to die to offer us the cure. Yet amazingly there are many who even deny they are sick. "That mass on my neck, don't judge me. I am just fine. I don't want your treatment, I like this tumor. It makes me happy." God pleads and begs them to let go of the disease but many refuse, opting for death rather than life. God, in His love, honors free will so highly, He never forces the cure on those who reject it. It pains Him to see His loved one so cursed with disease but is honor-bound not to make them do anything they do not wish to do. Eventually, He reluctantly gives them their way. It pains Him, but it is their choice.

The rejection is actually a rejection of Him. He, in the form of His Son, is the cure. So when we deny that we are sick, embrace the disease and turn from the treatment, we are in fact turning away from God. We are in a sense saying, "I do not want you telling me how to live my life. Leave me alone. Stopping trying to tell me what to do." Hell is just a continuation of our choice on Earth. Hell is where we finally get our way. It is the absence of His presence, where we can finally be free of Him. He made it for the Devil, but when we are so desperate to live our lives without God, He eventually and reluctantly says, "Okay. Have it you way."

Love necessitates Hell. It is our choice.


Share your thoughts,

Mike





If you would like to hear more about this subject, check out this podcast.