Why does God send people to hell?

Introduction

The Bible speaks of heaven, which is the best place imaginable, and hell which is the worst place imaginable.[1] It says after we die we will be resurrected and will end up either in heaven or in hell.[2] Where we end up depends on whether we believe in Jesus Christ or not.[3] Most people will go to hell,[4] including many who say they know Jesus.[5] Because this is so extreme, many find it difficult to understand and accept. Some think it foolish.[6] The purpose of this leaflet is to attempt to explain why it has to be this way.

God does not want
anyone to go to hell

He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). He wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:4). There must therefore be some reason why God can't save everyone and bring them to heaven when they die.

God cannot do something
against His nature

Jesus says that all things are possible with God (Mark 10:27). Although God can do all things, He cannot do something against His nature. He cannot stop being God, for example. God does not lie (Titus 1:2) because He is righteous.[7] We can also say that if His nature requires Him to do something, then He is obliged to do it.[8] These 'limitations' on God continue forever. God says I the LORD do not change (Malachi 3:6).

God has to punish sinners
because He is holy

Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come (Revelation 4:8). If God was not holy, He could ignore sin. It would not bother Him. But because God is perfectly holy, every sin has to be dealt with fully. The Bible says that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken (Matthew 12:36). If we are found guilty we will be due a punishment in keeping with God's perfect hatred of sin. I will not acquit the guilty (Exodus 23:7). Hell is the destination of all mankind because all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).

Why does God send
people to hell?
 

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How can anyone avoid hell?

Jesus said 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near' (Matthew 4:17). Unless a man is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God (John 3:3). The good news for us is that God has provided a way for us to be born again. Jesus Christ, gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age (Galatians 1:4). God sees the punishment due to us as being paid on our behalf by Jesus Christ, if we confess our sins and believe in Him. The blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin (1 John 1:7).

If you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved (Romans 10:9). If you do not believe in Jesus, you will indeed die in your sins (John 8:24).