How Can a Loving God Send Anyone to Hell? I. Introduction A. A difficult and challenging subject for believer and unbeliever alike B. How can a loving God send anyone to hell? C. For many, a reason given to doubt God 1. Many have a particular view of the way God must be 2. The idea of hell and eternal punishment does not fit that view 3. Leads to great doubt D. Even for many who believe, a stumbling block 1. How can God show love and yet condemn some to hell? 2. Very challenging ideas indeed E. The question is serious and deserves serious consideration F. Therefore, how is it that a loving God can send anyone to hell? II. Understanding "Hell" and "Loving" A. As we begin, we must work to understand the matter of discussion B. Hell 1. Hell is described in different ways in Scripture 2. Gehenna: the Valley of Hinnom near Jerusalem, place where garbage was burned; place where worm does not die, fire unquenched: demonstrates hell as unpleasant location (cf. Matthew 5:22, 29, 10:28, Mark 9:43-49, etc.) 3. The Outer Darkness: demonstration of complete separation from God; place of "weeping and gnashing of teeth," indicating great torture, misery (cf. Matthew 8:12, 22:13, etc.) 4. Hell as inflicting of vengeance upon unbelievers, those disobedient to Gospel, suffering eternal destruction away from God and His power (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9) 5. Hell also seen as the "second death," a "lake of fire and sulfur," a place of perpetual torment (cf. Revelation 20:10, 14-15) 6. It is also clear who will be sent there: those who do not believe in God, do not obey Gospel of Jesus Christ; those who have done evil; those involved in sin without repentance (Romans 2:5-10, Galatians 5:19-21, 2 Thessalonians 1:6-9, Revelation 20:12-15) 7. Hell, therefore, is a very real part of the Scriptures, something concerning which Jesus speaks often, and a place no one should want to go 8. But how could a loving God send anyone there? C. Loving 1. Before we consider the question any further, we must consider what "loving" means 2. Many times, "loving" is considered as something completely "positive" 3. Yet Scripture indicates what love is in 1 Corinthians 13:1-8 4. Love cannot rejoice with unrighteousness 5. Hebrews 12:5-11: part of God's love demonstrated through discipline 6. Love seeks best interest of the one beloved! D. Even so, if God loves everyone, how could hell possibly be in the best interest of anyone? III. Considering the Question A. Thus we are still left with the question: how can a loving God send anyone to hell? B. If we change the question slightly, perhaps an answer will be more evident C. How can a loving God send Adolf Hitler to hell? 1. Or, perhaps, Joseph Stalin, or Osama bin Laden? 2. After all, God loves them too, right (John 3:16)? D. For most people, the idea of such terribly sinful people being in hell does not pose much difficulty E. Why is that? What makes it more palatable to think that Adolf Hitler is in hell, or that such will be the destination of Osama bin Laden if he does not repent? IV. A Sense of Justice A. The reason why people have little difficulty with the concept of Adolf Hitler being in hell is because everyone recognizes that he has sinned greatly 1. After all, he caused the death of at least 12 million people and the suffering of countless more! 2. How could such a person be rewarded for that type of behavior? 3. In the eyes of most, he deserves eternal punishment for what he has done! B. What motivates this understanding is the principle of justice 1. Justice: "The virtue which consists in giving to everyone what is his due" (Webster's) 2. When we perceive that wrongs are not "made right," that is, when there is no justice, that such is a travesty! 3. If wrongdoing goes unpunished, it both cheapens doing what is right and encourages further wrongdoing! C. This concept of justice, of course, is not lost on God! 1. Psalm 33:5: God loves righteousness and justice 2. Isaiah 61:8: God loves justice D. God, therefore, is a loving God-- and that love is not just for mankind, but also justice 1. God cannot allow unrepentant sin to go unpunished and yet love justice 2. Hence, the day of judgment, and every one obtaining based on what they have done (Romans 2:5-10) 3. It is an affront to everything that is good, right, and holy to believe that God will let transgression go without due punishment (cf. Romans 12:19) E. A source of hope for the oppressed, downtrodden 1. It may not be as easy for us to understand since we, in general, live with wealth and do not suffer oppression 2. Yet a major hope in the New Testament focuses on God's righteous judgment against those who oppress, wrong the Christians (2 Thessalonians 1:6-9, Revelation 6:9-11) 3. Such believers were not excited about the prospect of people going to hell as much as fervently hoping that justice would be accomplished! F. We can see, therefore, that God can send Adolf Hitler, and, thus anyone, to hell, when and if they violate His justice! V. Love, Justice, and Grace/Mercy/Compassion A. While most people will understand that some people will be condemned to hell, and rightly so, on account of God's justice, challenges remain 1. Some believe that eternal punishment is too severe a penalty for temporal sin-- in their minds, such is not really justice, because they are getting more than their due 2. Others have difficulty with the idea that God would save some who sinned rather grievously yet repented, while those who sinned less terribly without repentance would be condemned-- a repentant serial killer being saved while one of his or her victims might be hell bound! 3. Many more certainly can understand why hell would be for those really "terrible" sinners, but cannot imagine themselves or their friends and associates who are not "that bad" going there! B. To face these challenges, we have to keep some very important Biblical truths in mind! C. Sin is Sin 1. While we humans have a whole series of criteria of how "bad" various sins are, it does not seem that God has such a view 2. Galatians 5:19-22, 1 Corinthians 6:9-10: murder, adultery, homosexuality on the same level as rivalries, sectarianism, outbursts of anger, lying 3. Showing partiality, not doing the good seen as sin, leads people to be transgressors (James 2:9; 4:17) 4. Therefore, if sin is transgression against God's purposes (James 2:9, 1 John 3:4), and any sin is as much transgression as any other sin, any who sin fall under the sentence of condemnation (Isaiah 59:1-2, Romans 3:9-23) 5. Thus, it does not matter if we murdered or lied or had an outburst of anger or simply failed to show proper love to one another-- in so doing, we transgress God's will, and without repentance, will reap the eternal consequences! D. God's Justice vs. God's Mercy 1. We also must remember that according to God's sense of justice, we all deserve condemnation for our sins (Romans 3:19-23; 6:23, Isaiah 59:1-2) 2. Yet God has shown us undeserved favor (grace) and mercy by providing the payment for our sin through the blood of Jesus Christ (Romans 3:24ff; 5:6-11, Ephesians 2:1-10, Titus 3:3-8) 3. That sacrifice satisfies God's justice, but only if we accept the terms of that sacrifice: obedience to the Son, God's purposes (Romans 6:17-22, 2 Thessalonians 1:6-9, 1 Peter 1:22) 4. Therefore, we must remember that the fact that anyone is redeemed from the sentence of hell is a sign of God's great grace and mercy toward us-- we do not deserve it! E. God's Ways Greater Than Ours 1. It is also essential for us to remember that we are the creation, God is the Creator, and He is greater than us! 2. Isaiah 55:8-9, Romans 9:19-21 3. Thus, even if things may not seem right or just or fair to us, we must keep it in mind that God's perspective is greater than our own, and the creation is not likely to have the understanding that the Creator has! F. Challenge: Penalty for Punishment Excessive 1. We do not know precisely how hell is set up and how punishment is inflicted 2. But we do know that there is punishment and that it is eternal (2 Thessalonians 1:6-9, Revelation 20:10) 3. Thus, is it "just" to punish someone eternally for earthly sin? 4. If God is a God of justice, and He declares it just, who are we to say that it is unjust (cf. Ezekiel 18:29-31)? 5. Does anyone complain about the idea of receiving eternal blessings for earthly obedience (cf. Romans 8:17-18, Revelation 21-22)? 6. Thus, who are we to argue? Is the argument worth losing so that our very souls end up in the eternal torment that we would seek to challenge? G. Challenge: Some Saved, Others Not 1. It may be that someone whom we believe has sinned "more grievously" might be saved while one who sinned "less grievously" will be condemned 2. That is because sin is sin, and if there is no repentance and obedience, there is no forgiveness; likewise, there is no sin beyond forgiveness (1 Timothy 1:12-16)! 3. All have received the chance to come to the knowledge of God and will be judged justly at the Judgment (Romans 1:19-20; 2:5-10) 4. While this may offend our sense of "fairness," we ought to know that no one ever promised that life would be "fair"! 5. "Fairness" is in the eye of the beholder anyway-- God has been more than fair, allowing us to live and breathe and be redeemed despite our sin, and every moment that anyone lives without accepting His grace through faith represents an affront to Him! H. Challenge: Hell for "Terrible" Sinners 1. It is not surprising how many people believe in hell and yet how few believe that they are going there! 2. The chilling and sobering truth, from Scripture, is this: those who die without having obeyed Jesus Christ and repented of their sins are going to hell (2 Thessalonians 1:6-9) 3. While that may include "terrible" sinners like Adolf Hitler and Osama bin Laden, it does not exclude "not so terrible" sinners! 4. There is no passage of Scripture that gives the idea that everyone will be saved, that good people will be saved by their own merit, or that there is somehow some last-minute exception clause for the majority of people 5. Instead, Jesus seems to recognize that the majority will not be redeemed (Matthew 7:13-14) 6. Let none be deceived: hell is not just for terrible sinners-- it is for every unrepentant sinner, believer or unbeliever (Matthew 7:19-21, 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, Galatians 5:19-21, Hebrews 10:26-31)! 7. This is just, for those who transgress God's will deserve condemnation! 8. It is only thanks to His grace and mercy that any are saved! VI. Conclusion A. How can a loving God send anyone to hell? B. A loving God can send people to hell because He remains a holy and just God 1. All that sin and transgress His ways really deserve hell 2. Some will be saved, but not by their own merit, but because they believed in God and obeyed Him, recognizing that His grace and mercy allowed them to be saved from their futile ways 3. Despite human definitions, God considers all unrighteousness (and the lack of doing righteousness) to be sin, and all who continue in such paths without repentance will be hell bound! C. Where do you stand today? D. Let us remember that while God has provided the way of salvation, we are the ones who choose our fate, whether we will be obedient and live, or be disobedient and condemned (Romans 2:5-11)! E. Let us be obedient to God and not one of the "anyone" who goes to Hell! F. Invitation/songbook