The Reason a Person Might Go to Hell
Hell is a subject from which many Christians shy away. Some have even given up on the biblical teaching on Hell and have adopted a universalist stance, teaching that everyone will be saved and no human being will go to hell. Hell is sometimes offered by non-believers as the reason why they do not believe in the God of the Bible. Now, there is a part of me that wishes that Hell were not real, that everyone will all live happily ever after in a state of bliss. However, wishing for such a thing does not make it the case. The scripture clearly teaches that some people will end up in Hell for eternity.
It seems exceedingly unjust to some that “good” people will go to Hell just because they have never heard of Jesus. There is a misconception embedded in the preceding sentence. The reason people will go to Hell is not because they have never heard of Jesus. The reason people will go to hell is not even because they do not believe in Jesus. The reason a person will go to Hell is because they are guilty and deserve punishment.
Revelation 20:12 - And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done.
A person is judged on the basis of his deeds. On that basis, we are all guilty and deserve punishment. I am keenly aware of my moral failings and shortcomings and there is no doubt in my mind that I deserve Hell. If I end up in Hell, it will be because I deserve it. God owes no one a pardon. We all have violated God’s moral law and deserve Hell. So, to claim that someone will go to Hell because they don’t believe in Jesus is not completely accurate. There is some truth buried in that statement, but it does not accurately convey the reason a person will go to Hell.
The good news of the Gospel is only adequately understood from within the context of the guilt of all of humanity. God’s grace has been displayed to all in Christ’s incarnation, death, and resurrection, providing pardon for those who accept it. It is important to understand that those who go to heaven are not going because they deserve to be there. If I spend eternity in Heaven, it will not be because I deserve it more than others or that I am better than others. There are many who are not Christians who are probably better persons than I am. But they, like me, are still guilty and deserve punishment. The good news of God’s grace is manifest in the pardon which He gives to those who believe in Jesus of Nazareth.