If God loves us, why does he send us to hell?

[BriBrit]

Sorry but you answer avoids the reality of my question and not least the reality that salvation is through the name of Jesus Christ, not our works or judgment for rewards!

 

[Armistead14]

"Everyone" has already heard. The world was a much smaller place when Christ was here. The Bible bears out the fact that every place had heard about Jesus' coming. Psalm 19...​

1The heavens declare the glory of God;​

the skies proclaim the work of his hands.


2Day after day they pour forth speech;


night after night they display knowledge.


3There is no speech or language


where their voice is not heard.a


4Their voiceb goes out into all the earth,


their words to the ends of the world.​

Colossians 1:23


This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.​

Psalms makes reference that people know a creator exist from creation, it doesn't state that they know or heard of Christ, the majority of humanity never heard the gospel for 1400 years after Christ, but followed in the beliefs they formed, which Christians called paganism. A complete study of early missions details the beliefs of other peoples throughout the world as Christianity spread.

Col. 1.23 is better translated that the gospel is being preached to the world, not proclaimed to every creature. If Christ indeed spread the gospel himself, then we would have no need for missions to go into the world to preach to those that have never heard.

History shows us before christianity spread, people had no concept of Christ, even today they're people that have never heard.

 

[BriBrit]

You are arguing against yourself and your last line actually proves my point!

 

[anunbeliever]

What punishment is to simply not be? In fact, it is a reward in a way for the guilty. Put a murderer in suspended animation (ala Sly Stalone's movie which title I can't recall) and he learns nothing. He is, he isn't, he is, just as he was before. In your scenario, God simply "unexists" the guilty. He pays no penalty. There is no motivation to reconsider one's actions while on earth.

It depends on whether the suffering in Hell is infinite in duration. The implication from the Gospels is that there are degrees of punishment. It is my opinion that even Hitler would not deserve eternal suffering. Infinite punishment would only be just in the case of infinite crime - something humans are incapable of doing.

As for those who die without knowledge of Christ, Paul makes clear in the first chapter of Romans that noone has been saved through observance of the law or by living up to "the light they have". Therefore one cannot argue that some are saved without the Gospel. Would a just God send an ignorant sinner to hell for eternity?

 

[WinBySurrender]

As for those who die without knowledge of Christ, Paul makes clear in the first chapter of Romans that noone has been saved through observance of the law or by living up to "the light they have". Therefore one cannot argue that some are saved without the Gospel. Would a just God send an ignorant sinner to hell for eternity?

As I said in another post on this thread, Romans 2:14-16 says otherwise.

 

[Biblefreak]

Roams 9:15 God said to Moses "I will bless those whom I will bless and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion."

To me this tells me God is in contol. It's his show.

However there are things I can do to insure I will not be going to Hell. Like telling people about Him. Then there is accepting the fact that Jesus is the son of God and his blood has covered all of my sins.

 

[Armistead14]

It depends on whether the suffering in Hell is infinite in duration. The implication from the Gospels is that there are degrees of punishment. It is my opinion that even Hitler would not deserve eternal suffering. Infinite punishment would only be just in the case of infinite crime - something humans are incapable of doing.

As for those who die without knowledge of Christ, Paul makes clear in the first chapter of Romans that noone has been saved through observance of the law or by living up to "the light they have". Therefore one cannot argue that some are saved without the Gospel. Would a just God send an ignorant sinner to hell for eternity?[/quote]

This has been a major conflict for Christians since a torturous hell became doctrine about 400 years after Christ. Christ was clear, no one gets to the father except by him, yet we know hundreds of millions never heard the gospel after Christ. The other issue is children that die young, for this another gospel was made up, age of accountability. Even though die hard hell believers believe in a God that tortures, even they don't accept God would torture ignorant kids, ignorant adults on the other hand.......

 

[GaramHeoMusic]

Hi Dr Jean. Can you support this from the bible?
When I claim that the result of sin is death instead of eternal torment in hell, I can refer you to Romans 6:23 which states: "The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Or I could use one of the many other verses that support the gospel that we can have eternal life in Christ instead of death without Christ, ie John 3:16 and others. OR I could point out 2 Thessalonians 1:9 which says "these pay the penalty of eternal destruction."

It's true that God doesn't send anyone to hell. In fact there is no hell. The words translated hell actually refer to death and the grave. (Except Gehenna which always meant the Valley of Gehenna outside Jerusalem)Either we die without God or God saves us from death. God is good and he didn't set up an eternal torture chamber. God does not want anyone to perish, he wants everyone to come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9)

Whatever it is you want to call Hell is up to you, but Jesus clearly speaks of a place of eternal suffering for those that die in their sins without Christ....moreso than He talks about anything else. It seems to me like you're adhering to the Jehovah Witness belief that there is no Hell. Keep in mind that they also reject the Trinity.

 

[daydreamergurl15]

Because we rejected His Son and didn't recognize the need for His Son's redeeming blood whom He loved and sent to the cross to die a suffocating death so He might be our reason for "getting sent to heaven".

 

[Timothew]

Whatever it is you want to call Hell is up to you, but Jesus clearly speaks of a place of eternal suffering for those that die in their sins without Christ....moreso than He talks about anything else. It seems to me like you're adhering to the Jehovah Witness belief that there is no Hell. Keep in mind that they also reject the Trinity.

That's interesting. So you believe that if someone reads the bible and comes to the conclusion that there is no eternal torture because the bible clearly speaks of destruction, not eternal torture, then that person is required to also reject the trinity? I see biblical support for the trinity all over the bible, so I accept that.

But you say that I'm adhering to JW belief. Mormons believe in the eternal torture pit of hell. It seems to me like you're adhering to the Mormon belief that there is a hell. Keep in mind that Mormons believe that if you wear the special underwear you can become a God.

Jesus clearly speaks of eternal life, or the opposite, perishing.
"whoever believes in him will not PERISH but will have eternal LIFE."
"Unless you repent you will likewise perish."
"The road is narrow that leads to LIFE, the road is wide that leads to DESTRUCTION."

 

[Timothew]

moreso than He talks about anything else.

This is not true. Check for yourself, count them up. The actual line is "Jesus talks more about hell than he talks about heaven." This is also not true, by the way. Your more outrageous claim is even less true.

 

[dollarsbill]

Why are people who work with children in the church so afraid to tell them the truth?

Are you serious? They would probably get lynched.

 

[dollarsbill]

God does not torture innocent people, because they do not believe in Christ.

The problem is that all have sinned and ONLY receive mercy and forgiveness through Jesus. We are not innocent. Those who choose to rebel against God will pay the eternal price in the fire.

 

[Timothew]

If God loves us, why does he send us to hell?

He doesn't. According to the bible, the wages of sin is death.
Hell is a man made add-on.

 

[dollarsbill]

He doesn't. According to the bible, the wages of sin is death.

Yes, human's bodies die because of sin. But we are still alive.

Hell is a man made add-on.

I don't know of any English translation that doesn't tell us about the punishment in the fire. Are you saying they are all wrong and you are right?

 

[Timothew]

Matthew 3:12 (NIV)
His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.

οὗ τὸ πτύον ἐν τῇ χειρὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ διακαθαριεῖ τὴν ἅλωνα αὐτοῦ καὶ συνάξει τὸν σῖτον αὐτοῦ εἰς τὴν ἀποθήκην τὸ δὲ ἄχυρον κατακαύσει πυρὶ ἀσβέστῳ.

κατακαύσει: verb, first person, active: burn up, consume entirely
Source: Strong's Greek Dictionary

 

[dollarsbill]

Matthew 3:12 (NIV)
His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.

Unquenchable, meaning not able to be quenched.

 

[Timothew]

Unquenchable, meaning not able to be quenched.

I agree with you brother! πυρὶ ἀσβέστῳ, fire asbesto, fire that cannot be quenched. The lost are not made of asbestos as I'm sure you will agree, and this verse says they will be burned up, consumed entirely until nothing is left. One might even say "annihilated." According to the bible.

 

[dollarsbill]

I agree with you brother! πυρὶ ἀσβέστῳ, fire asbesto, fire that cannot be quenched. The lost are not made of asbestos as I'm sure you will agree, and this verse says they will be burned up, consumed entirely until nothing is left. One might even say "annihilated." According to the bible.

I've listed at least 3 verses where they will be alive in the fire.

 

[Timothew]

I've listed at least 3 verses where they will be alive in the fire.

You did?
I'm sorry, I must have missed them. Could you kindly repost them?

Did you mean Shadrack, Meshach, and Abednego?