How can a loving God send someone to hell?

Response

To tackle the issue of a compassionate God consigning someone to hell, we must establish precise definitions and rectify any misconceptions. Our definitions should align with the Bible, and our assumptions need to be accurate.

Initially, we need to clarify the concept of a loving God. This term implies certain characteristics about God, and basing our response on flawed assumptions can lead to incorrect conclusions. In our society, a “loving God” is often portrayed as a non-confrontational entity that accepts any behavior. However, this depiction is not consistent with a biblical perspective. According to 1 John 4:16, God embodies love. This means that love is not just a trait He possesses; it defines His essence, making it impossible for Him to act unlovingly. The principle of non-contradiction asserts that something cannot be both true and false simultaneously. Therefore, if God is love, He cannot act in an unloving manner.

The primary flaw in the question “how can a loving God send someone to hell?” lies in the assumption that permitting individuals to face the consequences of their actions is unloving on God’s part. If we presume that God is mistaken in allowing unrepentant sinners to experience the repercussions of their choices, we are essentially claiming to possess greater love than God. By positioning ourselves as judges over God, we hinder our ability to grasp deeper truths. Hence, the initial step in addressing this question is to acknowledge that God is love, and every action He takes is an expression of His perfect love.

The second misconception in the question “how can a loving God send someone to hell?” revolves around the term “send,” which implies a unilateral action by the sender. When a person sends a letter, a request, or a message, they are initiating the action. However, in the context of God sending someone to hell, it is crucial to recognize that individuals have a choice in their eternal destination based on their beliefs and actions. God’s role is not merely sending; it also involves individuals’ decisions and accountability for their choices.

Gift, all action was done by that man. No action was taken on the part of the letter, request, or gift. However, this understanding of the word send cannot be applied to the question at hand because God has given human beings freedom to participate in their life choices and eternal destinations (John 3:16-18). The way this question is worded implies that if anyone goes to hell, it is the result of God’s unilateral action, and the person being sent to hell is a passive victim. Such an idea completely disregards the personal responsibility God has entrusted to each of us.

“How can a loving God send someone to hell?” The entire question is wrong. A better wording is “If God is love, then why do some people go to hell?” Romans 1:18–20 lays the foundation for the answer: “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse” (emphasis added).

There are several key points in this passage that give us glimpses into the heart of God. First is the fact that people actively “suppress the truth.” People have been given enough truth to know and surrender to God, but they refuse it. Self-will wants to deny God’s right to tell us what to do. So, with the truth in front of them, many people turn away and refuse to see it. Atheist Thomas Nagel has said, “It isn’t just that I don’t believe in God and, naturally, hope that I’m right in my belief. It’s that I hope there is no God! I don’t want there to be a God; I don’t want the universe to be like that.”

Second, Romans 1 states that God has “made [God’s nature] plain to them.” In otherWords, God has taken the initiative to make His truth known to everyone. History has proven this since time began, as every people group has sought some understanding of a Creator to whom they owe allegiance. Such knowledge is an integral part of what it means to be created in the image of God «So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. », (Genesis 1:27). Romans 1:20 then says that “people are without excuse.” And to whom would they give such an excuse? The very One who says He has made Himself known to them, if they would only humble themselves and accept such revelations. God judges each of us according to the truth He has given us, and Romans 1 states that we each have enough truth to turn toward rather than away from Him.

When answering the question “how can a loving God send someone to hell?” another facet of God’s nature comes into play. God is not only love, but He is perfect justice as well. Justice requires adequate payment for crimes committed. The only just punishment for high treason against our perfect Creator is eternal separation from Him. That separation means the absence of goodness, light, relationship, and joy, which are all facets of God’s nature. To excuse our sin would require God to be less than just, and to allow sin-tainted humans into His perfect heaven would render that place less than perfect. That’s why only the perfect Son of God could go to the cross in our place. Only His perfect blood was an acceptable payment for the debt we each owe God «blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; », (Colossians 2:14). When we refuse Jesus as our substitute, we must pay the price ourselves «For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. », (Romans 6:23).

eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord., (Romans 6:23).

God gave us the freedom to choose how we respond to Him. If He forced us to love Him, we would be robots. To give us no option but obedience would be a violation of our free will. Love is only love when it is voluntary. We cannot love God unless we have the option of not loving Him. Because God honors our autonomy, He will never force surrender or loyalty. However, there are consequences for either choice. C. S. Lewis summarizes this truth in his classic work, The Great Divorce: “There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, ‘Thy will be done,’ and those to whom God says, in the end, ‘Thy will be done.’ All that are in Hell choose it.”