Why does God send people to an eternal hell

[Matthitjah]

Grace to you,

Heaven wouldn't be heaven if sin, hell, death, and the grave weren't dealt with and kept out. They ultimately would pollute heaven just like they've pollluted the creation.

God is Just and if you look into that part of His nature as well as His Grace and understand that neither aspect is lacking you will come to a clearer understanding.

What do you believe Just punishment for an unrepentant Hitler looks like? Do you believe that if God allowed the raging and raving mad rebellion of Stalin, even on his death bed, to go unchecked that Stalin himself might not even try to undertake his murderous ways even in heaven? (Stalin shook his fist at God even as he lay dying)

Sin unchecked is an outrageous thing. However God's Furious Love is even more Outrageous.

Spend some time looking into scripture and see if you can't find out why God created hell.

Peace,

Dave

[UncleAbee]

Ok so I'm a christian but I do have my doubts sometimes and lately several questions have been plaguing my mind. Heres one:

Why does God send people to hell? I know that we're all sinners and we dont deserve heaven, but why hell? I also understand that God is a just God and he is eternal and can't stand sin, and that our souls are eternal too, but I don't understand how burning forever and ever and ever is a just punishment.

I think when we answer the question we miss what the question is really all about. God is the creator of all things and set all things in order. God created the system and the consequences that we exist in. Hell didn't create itself. It is a place God created and reserved for the punishment of evil doers. So, we exist in a system that 1) God created and 2) We did not choose to be in (as far as I know). The question really is why did God create the system the way He did? Why did He put the tree of knowledge in the garden in the reach of Adam? Did God know before creation that Adam was going to eat the fruit, sin would enter the world, Hell had to be created, Jesus would have to go to the cross, and many people would end up burning in Hell for eternity? If He knew all this why didn't He avert it? Isn't God capable of all things?

These are questions we have no answer to. Isaiah 55:8 says - "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," declares the LORD." Farther down in vs 11 God says something significant. He says "So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it." I believe the "word" that goes forth is Jesus. It is clear that the system we live in is one that God desired. He created what He wanted. We don't understand this system that God created. All we can do is obey God and trust Him to run it. We won't understand until we all get farther along.

[~Shalhevet~]

When your child is disobedient do you enjoy punishing him? I don't.

[Matthitjah]

When your child is disobedient do you enjoy punishing him? I don't.

2Pe 3:9

The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

God takes no joy in anyone perishing.

peace,

Dave

[exrockstar]

Ok so I'm a christian but I do have my doubts sometimes and lately several questions have been plaguing my mind. Heres one:

Why does God send people to hell? I know that we're all sinners and we dont deserve heaven, but why hell? I also understand that God is a just God and he is eternal and can't stand sin, and that our souls are eternal too, but I don't understand how burning forever and ever and ever is a just punishment.

God doesn't send one to hell, they send themselves.

[Fez]

"We are punished by our sins, not for them".....

[MorningGlory]

Grace to you,

Heaven wouldn't be heaven if sin, hell, death, and the grave weren't dealt with and kept out. They ultimately would pollute heaven just like they've pollluted the creation.

God is Just and if you look into that part of His nature as well as His Grace and understand that neither aspect is lacking you will come to a clearer understanding.

What do you believe Just punishment for an unrepentant Hitler looks like? Do you believe that if God allowed the raging and raving mad rebellion of Stalin, even on his death bed, to go unchecked that Stalin himself might not even try to undertake his murderous ways even in heaven? (Stalin shook his fist at God even as he lay dying)

Sin unchecked is an outrageous thing. However God's Furious Love is even more Outrageous.

Spend some time looking into scripture and see if you can't find out why God created hell.

Peace,

Dave

That's a good point about keeping evil out of Heaven...I mean, it's understandable that God would want to keep the evil and rebellious souls out of Heaven (after what happened before!) but I had never put the two together before.....nor did I realize that hell was originally created for satan and his angels. I guess I'm not as mature as a believer as I thought.

[other one]

When your child is disobedient do you enjoy punishing him? I don't.

No, but I didn't set him in the corner forever either.

[~Shalhevet~]

No, but I didn't set him in the corner forever either.

Does this mean I should let my son come out of the corner now?

[exrockstar]

When your child is disobedient do you enjoy punishing him? I don't.

No, but I didn't set him in the corner forever either.

i think the way you look at it may be the issue. You look at hell as the punishment for doing something. The reality is that we are all destined to hell. From birth we are meant to go there. When God thought about making man He knew we would have to go there so he had to send His own son (Christ) as a substiute for any of those that accept Him (Christ). That is the main plea of scripture for man to receive everlasting life.