Questions about life after death: 3. How could a God of love send people to hell?

How could a God of love send people to hell?

This question is a big issue, especially when one begins to understand just how great is God’s patience and love toward us. I wonder whether we need to turn the question around and say how can a God of love not send people to hell?

Before we do that, however, it is important to ask another question? Why do we say God is a God of love? Where have we learnt that, or what has made us come to that conclusion? It is right to describe our Maker as a ‘God of love’ for the Bible teaches and demonstrates this repeatedly. It is because of His great love that Jesus died for us when we were still turning our back on Him.

However, the point to be made is this, if we are confident enough to accept one of the Bible’s teachings (that God is a God of love) why are we not willing to take on board other topics of its teaching, namely that Hell is real and that those who reject God are determining their own lost eternity? Can we pick and
choose from the doctrines of the Bible? It’s a dangerous game to play, that only leads us away from the complete truth that God has revealed.

On 16th April 2007 the world’s media zoomed its ‘lens’ on the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) in Blacksburg, Virginia. At 7.15am on that crisp Monday morning, a student named Seung-Hui Cho began one of two attacks that killed 32 of his peers and injured 23 others. After the second attack was complete he turned the gun upon himself and committed suicide.

Cho never stood trial for the vulgar crimes he committed. He never ‘had his day in court’. Justice had no chance to fall upon this man. In many ways he ‘escaped’. Three years later a similar event unfolded in Whitehaven in Cumbria when Derek Bird murdered thirteen people before taking his own life. Again, he could not be brought to trial. But is that fair? Is it just? We innately know that it is far from just. Do we not cry out for our loving God to punish wickedness? Something within us longs for justice.

The problem comes when we look at the issue of where to distinguish who deserves what. Compared to Cho and others, you and I may look like earthly saints, but this is not the standard that God sets for judgement. God doesn’t compare us like for like – He Himself is the standard of righteousness. We can
neither attain nor maintain this altogether impeccable standard.

The Bible says that no one is good, no one meets God’s perfect standard, and no one is without sin.
This leaves us in the same vulnerable position as Cho. The God of love cannot simply ignore our sin, however ‘small’ we may consider it to be. Part of God’s character is to be just, totally and utterly.

However, equally part of His nature is to love. It is on the cross where Jesus died that these two characteristics come together with equal power. Because of His justice a penalty had to be paid for our sin, which was death; because of His love for us, Jesus paid the sentence on our behalf in order that we might be rescued and go free. What love! The question is how will we respond? Will we just reject what Jesus did, reject His love and face the horrific eternal consequences, or will we gratefully accept the amazing rescue provided through Jesus?

Go to: What happens to someone who commits
suicide – do they go to hell?