13 Sep It is What It Is (Discovering the true character of God…because He is not a car-wrecking, cancer causing Creator, but a loving, life giving Lord!) part 7
In 31 years of ministry, I have heard a question brought up over and over again: “Why would a loving God send someone to Hell?” This is a huge character question that must be answered Biblically. Last week we began to delve into it with “3 Hell Happenings”:
- Hell was not originally created for man (Matt. 25:41). “Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.” Here this verse tells us directly that Hell was originally created for the devil and his angels…not for mankind.
- God will respect your will all the way to Hell (Matt. 25:34, 41). Here the Bible says, “Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world;” and verse 41 says, “Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.”
In these two verses, you can plainly see those going to Heaven are “blessed of my Father”. However those going to Hell are not “cursed of my Father” they are simply cursed. How? They are cursed of their own choices. God created mankind as free-will moral agents (see Genesis 1:26-28). Therefore He will respect our choices all the way to Hell.
This week let’s continue with…
3. It’s not sins that send one to Hell, it is a sin that sends one to hell (John 16:7-9).
Here it says, “Nevertheless I tell you the truth: It is expedient for you that I go away; for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Of sin, because they believe not on me.”
Notice in these powerful verses the Holy Spirit is sent to reprove the world (people who don’t know Jesus) of sin. Not sins plural, but sin singular. So it is not sins plural that send people to Hell! Right now think in your mind of your favorite three sins (ok, maybe don’t do that…lol!). But it is not sins plural like adultery or fornication or drunkenness or homosexuality that send people to Hell. Jesus died on the cross for all those sins and more (see I Peter 2:24, Rom. 4:24-25, II Cor. 5:17-21).
That is why it is one sin (singular) that sends a person to Hell! Wouldn’t you like to know what it is so you don’t commit it?
Jesus tells us specifically what it is in verse nine, “Of sin, because they believe not on me.” In other words, it s not what we do with sins (plural) that send us to Hell. Jesus bore our sins and the punishment thereof on the cross. It’s what we do with Jesus that sends us to Hell or not. That’s why the Bible tells us in Romans 10:9-10, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
Notice to get saved we don’t confess our sins (plural), but our confession is that Jesus is Lord! I’m watching so many people in the Body of Christ walk away from the Biblical truths of a literal Hell. Heaven forbid! There is a real Heaven to gain and a real Hell to shun, but the real question is what are you going to do with Jesus? Will you accept or reject His sacrifice on the cross!
So whenever someone asks me the question trying to impugn the character of God, “Why would a loving God send someone to Hell?” I always turn it around on them as I don’t accept the premise of the question. I always tell them the real question you should be asking is “Why not accept all a loving God has done to keep you out of Hell?!”
Join us next week as we continue our series, “It is What It Is”.