HELL – Does It Really Exist and Why Would a Loving God Send Anyone There?

Is Anyone in Hell Now?

Granted we are temporal beings bound by time, but from the description we are given in the Bible, the answer appears to be, “No one is in Hell at this time.”  However, some clarification is necessary.  The Old Testament describes a place known as “Sheol,” which is referred to in the New Testament by the word “Hades.”   For the person who rejects God’s offer of forgiveness, there is nothing pleasant about this place.  For the unbeliever, it is best described as a “holding place” until the final judgment takes place (the Great White Throne of Judgment described in the Book of Revelation). More will follow on Hades in the next section.

Sheol / Hades should not be thought of as Purgatory, a teaching held by some that further punishment / payment for your sins will be required before you can enter Heaven.  This view is not supported by any passages of the Bible and has more to do with the history of the Catholic Church and the building of the Vatican City.  Fortunately, there is reform going on within the Catholic Church with greater emphasis on obeying the teachings of the Bible, rather than the traditions of the church.

HELL – Does It Really Exist and Why Would a Loving God Send Anyone There?

Like God we have many attributes and we share some common attributes with God.  In Genesis 1:27 we, like Adam & Eve, are described as being created in God’s image, and two of the ways all of us are like Him involve free-will and eternality.  Simply put, God’s love for us is so great that He will not force anyone to accept Jesus and the forgiveness of sins that is freely offered to all through faith in Him.  But make no mistake; God is very clear on faith in Jesus Christ as the only way to Heaven.  Unfortunately, there are individuals who have no interest in going to Heaven and they boast about being bound for Hell.  Next time we'll take a closer look at what the Bible tells us about Hell.

HELL – Does It Really Exist and Why Would a Loving God Send Anyone There?

So now that we've considered there is more to God than just His attribute of love let's look further.  Here are some of the descriptions in the Bible made directly by God or someone (Moses) who had encountered Him:

            “He (God) passed in front of Moses and said, “I am the LORD, I am the Lord, the merciful

and gracious God. I am slow to anger and rich in unfailing love and faithfulness.  I show

             this unfailing love to many thousands by forgiving every kind of sin and rebellion.  Even so
             I do not leave sin unpunished…”       Exodus 34:6-7a  New Living Translation

            “Say this to the entire community of Israel: You must be holy because I, the Lord your

            God, am holy.”    Leviticus 19:2  New Living Translation

            “I will proclaim the name of the Lord; how glorious is our God!  He is the Rock; His work is

perfect.  Everything He does is just and fair. He is a faithful God who does no wrong; how

just and upright He is!  But they have acted corruptly toward Him; when they act  like that

are they really His children?”     Deuteronomy 32:3-5  New Living Translation

In just these couple of verses look at what we need to further understand:

• God is holy (completely set apart from sin). 
• God is perfect (flawless, complete, lacking or needing nothing). 
• God is fair and just (He cannot judge with partiality or leave sin unpunished).

What follows is by no means a complete picture / description of God, but it helps to illustrate that all attributes of God must be considered:
            Love                                       Holy
            Merciful                                  Just
            Gracious                                Perfect
            Righteous                              Jealous – He will have no other “gods” before Him
            Compassionate                      Wrath – on those who reject Him
            Eternal                                   Unchanging
            Omniscient                            Omnipresent

HELL – Does It Really Exist and Why Would a Loving God Send Anyone There?

Referring back to the last posting, John 3:16 speaks of God’s great love for us and if asked to complete the following sentence, “God is ______,” most of us are probably going to insert the word – LOVE.  And while the statement “God is Love” is absolutely and unequivocally true, it does not present a complete picture of God.

What if someone described you totally by ONLY one of the following statements?

            She is blue-eyed.                 He is bald.
            She is short.                         He is tall.
            She is beautiful                    He is intelligent.

Even if the statement is true, it does not totally and adequately describe you.  You are the sum total of your attributes, personality preferences, physical characteristics, life experiences, memories, emotions, etc.  And neither does the statement that “God is Love” tell us everything God has revealed to us OR wants us to understand about Him. 

HELL – Does It Really Exist and Why Would a Loving God Send Anyone There?

The place to start the consideration of hell is with the realization that God has done everything that He could, short of forcing every person to go to Heaven (which would be a violation of each individual’s freewill), to keep each of us from spending eternity in Hell.  Sadly, there are many individuals who go to church on Sunday and yet, they are no closer to knowing with a certainty their eternal destination.  Perhaps the best-known verses of the Bible, which speak to God’s LOVE and WILL for us are: 

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him      

will not perish but have eternal life.  God did not send His Son into the world to condemn it, but to save it.  There is no judgment awaiting those who trust Him.  But those who do not trust Him have already been judged for not believing in the only Son of God.  Their judgment is based on this fact:  The light from heaven came down into the world, but they loved darkness more than light, for their actions were evil.”    John 3:16-19  New Living Translation

“The Lord isn’t really being slow about His promise to return, as some people think.  No, He is     being patient for your sake.  He does not want anyone to perish, so He is giving more time for everyone to repent.”   2 Peter 3:9  New Living Translation

HELL – Does It Really Exist and Why Would a Loving God Send Anyone There?

Many people today choose not to believe in an eternal place of punishment, referred to as Hell, and for others it is just inconceivable for such a place to serve a purpose.  Even within the greater Christian community there are those who do not believe what is clearly stated in the Bible concerning Hell.  Some contemporary authors are making headlines, following the course of many before them, by continuing to challenge the existence of Hell. They advocate various ideas of “universal reconciliation” – that God’s love for us is so great, that no human being will be condemned to Hell. Even a local newspaper announced one of these author’s books with the headline, “New Book Challenges Classic Notions of Hell.”  The word “notions” puts a particular slant on the belief, which could lead to the conclusion that the other truths God has revealed to us are to be regarded as “notions” (an opinion, whim, idea, fanciful impulse) as well.  So how do we begin a candid, honest investigation of this place that is self-described by its very name?

Gospel (Good News)

The word Gospel, simply means Good News, but ever wonder what that good news is?
Here's an acronymn using the letters of the word G-O-S-P-E-L with some references to passages in the Bible that will expand the observations:

GOSPEL

G         Gift of a Relationship by God’s Grace                Eph 2:8-9

O         Our’s by Faith                                                    Rom.  5:1-2; 10:19 & 2 Cor. 5:7

S         Salvation from Sin                                             Rom.  3:21-24; 10:9

P         Peace of God and Promise of Perfection          John 14:27; 1 Cor. 15:51-58; Phil. 4

E         Eternal Life in Paradise                                      Luke 23:42-43

L          Love Like no other                                            John 3:16; Rom. 5:8-11;1John 4:7-11

 If you don't have access to a Bible, I would suggest using www.biblegateway.com for access to many versions and languages.