Why Would a Good God Send People to Hell?

Many use the idea of hell a reason not to be a student of Jesus. This video is a way to look at hell that makes sense, allows justice, and helps others see that hell is only a human problem to whose who deny love.

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• hell
• Christian
• soulation

[famousdavis1]

Will a person be less free in the kingdom of heaven because they no longer possess the capacity to sin? No, they will be truly free. God is not less free because He cannot sin. Americans cling to the western idea that supposed possible choices equal freedom, but the Bible teaches that freedom exists in only being able to do what is right. Sinners aren't free; God is free -- and He cannot choose to sin. The Dutch theologian, G K Berkouwer, would be well worth your time.

[soulationdotorg]

@famousdavis1, Not only Berkouwer, but this idea was championed by Augustine 1600 years ago (he was Western in his thinking too as a Neo-Platonist). Yes, freedom is not necessitated by choosing evil. We can have libertarian freedom in some instances and not others. I don't think we're fully free, but we are free enough to love nor not love with God's grace raining on the just and unjust.

[famousdavis1]

I've stumbled upon you and your wife's ministry -- very interesting and needed. However I find your espoused view of salvation, free will, and grace disturbing. The only absolutely "free" will is God's -- all of God's creatures have wills that make choices based upon external influences and circumstances. Certainly the Bible teaches that's man's will is enslaved to sin and that apart from God's arresting grace he will persist in shunning and distorting God's displays of common grace.

[soulationdotorg]

@famousdavis1 We don't mean to disturb you. I agree that God's will is the only absolutely free one. But I don't think humans ONLY make choices based on "external influences and circumstances." A certain theological construct may say such, but that wouldn't be the only lens with which to see Scripture. The Bible does teach we are enslaved to sin, but it is quite insistent that we have choices to make whether to love or not. Unless God is being deceitful an only pretending we have choices.

[ridrid96]

I think the thing about god is its all about his glory, its not so much a conscious choose to go to hell but a lack of interest in glorify a power that says glorify me of suffer forever. We have no choice to be born and I feel the whole reason god created mankind is because he wants to be glorified and if one fails to glorify god than god at least has the satisfaction of knowing that one will suffer forever. Does sound like much of a choice.

[soulationdotorg]

@ridrid96, If God created humans ONLY because he wants to be glorified, that would seem a bit narcissitic to me. I think he is glorified and our purpose is to glory, but I don't think that's why he was created. After all, he didn't lack glory before he created, so we didn't add one whit to it.

And I don't think that God is satisfied when someone suffers forever.  I think he is saddened that people do not want his love. Hell just happens to be what it looks like without love.

[soulationdotorg]

@EmeiBaguazhang @EmeiBaguazhang @EmeiBaguazhang We all assume the baby wants to be rescued because of the flames. But our video isn't about flames. People of the lie refuse to be rescued because the flames are less painful than love.

Paul and his blindness was for his own benefit. We all experience pain unasked for. The question is what we do with it. There was enough love in Paul that he was redeemable. Again, this about love and unlove, not about pain and pleasure.

[soulationdotorg]

@EmeiBaguazhang We all assume the baby wants to be rescued because of the flames. But our video isn't about flames. People of the lie refuse to be rescued because the flames are less painful than love.

Paul and his blindness was for his own benefit. We all experience pain unasked for. The question is what we do with it. There was enough love in Paul that he was redeemable. Again, this about love and unlove, not about pain and pleasure.

[soulationdotorg]

All of these verses are out of context: Jesus chooses his disciples, not chooses who will be saved. Phil 2:12 is the free will portion of verse 13. John 15 is about abiding in Jesus love. Romans 3 is a quotation from Psalms where people did seek after God... it was the rebellious who didn't and are the subject of inquiry. So none of the verses you've listed mean what you want them to mean. And if that's what's keeping you from Jesus, good news!, you can reconsider him again.

[soulationdotorg]

Yes, he did THINK he was serving God by killing Christians. He thought "Christians" were distorting the Jewish faith. He didn't realize till later that Jesus was part of his faith.

Unless you see the Bible as a whole, both Old and New Testaments, you'll miss the context Paul was operating in before he met Jesus on the road to Damascus.

So, you see, it isn't absurd after all. It's pretty straightforward in the Bible. But if that's what's keeping you from following Jesus, I'd reconsider.