Why does God send people to hell?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

We are all created to exist eternally. Where we end up for eternity depends on whether we remain in rebellion to God and suffer eternal separation from Him (hell), or we surrender to Him, avoid hell, and live with Him eternally (heaven). God sends people to hell because He is perfectly righteous and just, and sin requires punishment. Hell is the default destination for humanity due to our sinful nature, which separates us from God both in life and in eternity. While God offers salvation through Jesus Christ, those who reject this offer choose separation from God and the consequences of their rebellion. Hell was originally created for Satan and his fallen angels, but it also becomes the eternal destination for those who refuse God's mercy and salvation. God's justice demands punishment for sin, but His love provides a way to avoid hell through faith in Jesus, offering eternal life instead of eternal separation.

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• God is perfectly righteous and moral (Psalm 18:30).
• God sends people to hell because He would not be just if He did not (Psalm 7:11). Like an earthly judge who does not punish the convicted, God would be unjust if He did the same (Deuteronomy 32:4). By choosing not to believe in Jesus and accept the offer of salvation God freely provides, people choose to remain condemned and be sent to hell.

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• Hell is the default destination for humanity. Because we fall short of God's standard (this is called sin), we are separated from God and cannot dwell in His presence (Matthew 25:41–46; Romans 6:23). This is hell.
• Hell was initially prepared for Satan and the angels who followed him in rebellion, but people who fail to choose salvation will be sent there, too (Matthew 25:41; Romans 6:23).
• The New Testament confirms that God is perfectly righteous and moral (1 John 1:5). When we don't live up to His standards—and we cannot through our own efforts—it is called sin (Romans 3:23).
• We all have a sinful nature (Romans 5:12) and are born dead in sin (Ephesians 2:1–9). We are also sinners by choice (James 1:13–16). Therefore, we are separated from God. On earth, separation means rebellion against God. In the afterlife, this separation is eternal and is called hell. God sends those who refuse His invitation for salvation and eternity with Him to hell. He gives them what they want, an eternity without Him.

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

Although God sends people to hell in His righteous justice and in response to people’s decisions to reject Him, we do not need to remain condemned. John 3:16–18 says, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God."

As God is just, He is also full of mercy. Because of His character of mercy and His love for people, He designed a way for people to avoid hell. He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to take our punishment for us (Ephesians 2:8–9; Romans 6:23; 10:9; John 3:16–18). When we accept Jesus's sacrifice on the cross as a substitute for us (1 Peter 2:24), believe His statements about His divinity, and agree with Him about our sin, we can avoid hell. More than that, we can receive true life (John 10:10; Romans 6:23).

UNDERSTAND

• God sends people to hell because sin requires punishment.
• Jesus made the way for people to be saved by willingly dying on a cross, taking the punishment for our sins.
• All who surrender to God receive eternal life with Him instead of eternal separation.

REFLECT

• How does understanding that God sends people to hell out of perfect justice shape your view of sin and God's character?
• How does hell as the default destination for humanity challenge your understanding of God's love and mercy?
• How does eternal separation from God influence your approach to sharing the gospel with others?

ENGAGE

• How can we understand the reasoning of those who reject God's offer of salvation through Jesus Christ, choosing instead to remain separated from Him?
• How can we reconcile the concept of God's justice sending people to hell with His nature as a loving and merciful God?
• How can we actively communicate the significance of choosing eternal life with God over separation from Him?