Understanding that hell is an undeniable fact simply because the Bible declares it, I will proceed to discuss the justification of hell. Many ministers through the years have attempted to justify the existence of hell. At this time, I will show that hell's existence is certainly justified.
What is Meant by "The Justification of Hell"
By "justifying the existence of hell," I mean that I will endeavor to answer the question: "How can a loving God send someone to a literal, burning hell?" This is perhaps the utmost question asked concerning hell, and perhaps the very question that leads to a person's unbelief in it. It is evident to me that the Bible answers this question.
The Fact of Hell's Existence Needs No Justification
Allow me to begin this discussion by saying that, first and foremost, there is not a hint of justification needed in regard to the existence of hell. There is a literal, eternal hell because God Almighty said so! Period. That ends any needed discussion! God Almighty is certainly not obligated to explain WHY there is a hell, to warn us about hell, or to provide an escape from hell. But out of the eternal mercies of God, He has provided all these things!
None of God's Children Are Going to Hell
Yes, that is the question. It is unfathomable to some that a loving God would cast anyone into a lake burning with fire and brimstone. I have heard of some who ask the question a different way. A friend of mine had a friend to attended a church where they teach the lie that there is no hell. This man asked my friend, "Can any of your children do anything so bad that you would throw them into a fire and let them burn to death?" My friend answered, "No." Then the man continued, "Well, then how can God send His children to a place like that?" I do not know what my friend's response was, but I know that the man who posed the question missed something. God sends none of His children to hell. Perhaps the greatest lie in America today is the statement that we often hear: "We are all God's children." Let us get something straight right here. We are NOT all God's children. Jesus looked at the religious leaders of His day and said in John 8:44, "Ye are of your father, the devil." The children of God are named specifically in John 1:12, where it reads, "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name." Those who have their faith grounded in Jesus Christ are children of God; those who trust in atheism, Allah, Buddha, commandment-keeping, law-keeping, Hinduism, or any other religion, creed, ideal, or philosophy, are lost, and are therefore NOT children of God. Only those who have trusted in Jesus Christ to save them are God's children. None of God's children are going to hell. But those who are lost are most certainly hell-bound.
People Go to Hell in spite of God, Not because of God
It has often been correctly stated that God does not send anyone to hell. It is not necessary that anyone go to hell. Provision by God Almighty has been sufficiently made. It is not God's will that anyone go to hell. It is amazing to me that God the Father gave His only begotten Son to this sinful world to redeem us from sin and its penalty; and yet God gets the blame for people going to hell. But I can say confidently that, if you go to hell, you will be out of the will of God when you go. Note the following verses:
II Peter 3:9 - "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness, but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that ALL should come to repentance."
I Timothy 2:3-6 - "For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have ALL MEN to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for ALL, to be testified in due time."
I Timothy 4:10 - "For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of ALL MEN, specially of those that believe."
I John 2:1, 2 - "My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the WHOLE WORLD."
These verses clearly show that it is not God's will that any go to hell. It is therefore equally true that those who go to hell go in accordance to their own will. Jesus died to save you. If you do not believe on the name of the only begotten Son of God, it is not because Jesus does not want you to be saved! You only remain lost at your own will. Notice the following verses:
Matthew 23:37 - "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and YE WOULD NOT!"
John 5:40 - "And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life."
Clearly, it is not God's will that you die and go to hell. If you go, it will be according to your own will.
People Climb Mountains To Go To Hell
Allow me to tighten it down a little tighter. Those who go to hell not only go according to their own will; they insist on going. It is God Almighty who tries to keep people from going to hell. God erects mountains in the path that leads to hell, and sinners climb those mountains to go to hell.
Perhaps a reader reading this may ask, "What about those who live in remote places of the earth, where there is little or no gospel message? How can you say that God has tried to stop them?" I say clearly that those who live in the most remote places of the earth are guilty, and they are lost. It may not seem fair to some, but the Bible declares them guilty. Romans 1 deals with those who we may refer to as "heathen."
Romans 1:20 - "For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse."
You may ask, "How can one be guilty when he has never heard the gospel?" Note:
Romans 10:17 - "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."
So, it is clear that the only way one may place faith in Christ is by hearing the word of God. But, finish the quotation. The next verse states this:
Romans 10:18 - "But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world."
This verse says that they have all heard! "Their sound went into ALL THE EARTH." This includes remote places where there is little or no gospel! How can the Apostle make such a statement? He is quoting from the 19th Psalm:
Psalm 19:1-4 - "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun."
He is speaking of creation, and the voice in its declaration that there most certainly is a God. The heavens declare the glory of God in every language, in every nation, in every dialect, in every culture, in every region, whether the gospel of Christ is preached or not! I do understand that acknowledging that there is a God won't save anyone; the devils of hell acknowledge this, and they are not saved. However, if men would run to whatever light they have, even if it is small, God would shine more light upon their path. Those in remote areas of the world are guilty before God because they will not follow what light they have. When the wise men came to the Christ child, they were astrologers. They were wicked men. But even in their wicked astrology, one star led them to Jesus Christ. I am convinced that if men would follow what light they have, God would send them more light. But because men do not come to the light they have, they are condemned.
John 3:19 - "And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil."
Everyone climbs the mountain of creation to go to hell. But if you are reading this, you have more light than those who live in the jungles of the earth. If they are guilty, if you are lost without Christ, you are most definitely guilty. Most people in civilized areas in the world have a lot of gospel light available to them. The Bible is the most printed book to date. You have to climb over the Bible to go to hell. The Spirit of God deals with men to be saved. To go to hell, you must resist the dealings of the Spirit of God. You have encountered preachers who have tried to keep you out of hell. You have ignored them, climbing over their pleadings, and to go to hell would mean going in spite of God's servants who have tried to keep you out.
There is a literal, eternal hell. Men who go there go against the will of God; they go according to their own will; and they climb mountains to get there.
What is Meant by "The Justification of Hell"
By "justifying the existence of hell," I mean that I will endeavor to answer the question: "How can a loving God send someone to a literal, burning hell?" This is perhaps the utmost question asked concerning hell, and perhaps the very question that leads to a person's unbelief in it. It is evident to me that the Bible answers this question.
The Fact of Hell's Existence Needs No Justification
Allow me to begin this discussion by saying that, first and foremost, there is not a hint of justification needed in regard to the existence of hell. There is a literal, eternal hell because God Almighty said so! Period. That ends any needed discussion! God Almighty is certainly not obligated to explain WHY there is a hell, to warn us about hell, or to provide an escape from hell. But out of the eternal mercies of God, He has provided all these things!
None of God's Children Are Going to Hell
Yes, that is the question. It is unfathomable to some that a loving God would cast anyone into a lake burning with fire and brimstone. I have heard of some who ask the question a different way. A friend of mine had a friend to attended a church where they teach the lie that there is no hell. This man asked my friend, "Can any of your children do anything so bad that you would throw them into a fire and let them burn to death?" My friend answered, "No." Then the man continued, "Well, then how can God send His children to a place like that?" I do not know what my friend's response was, but I know that the man who posed the question missed something. God sends none of His children to hell. Perhaps the greatest lie in America today is the statement that we often hear: "We are all God's children." Let us get something straight right here. We are NOT all God's children. Jesus looked at the religious leaders of His day and said in John 8:44, "Ye are of your father, the devil." The children of God are named specifically in John 1:12, where it reads, "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name." Those who have their faith grounded in Jesus Christ are children of God; those who trust in atheism, Allah, Buddha, commandment-keeping, law-keeping, Hinduism, or any other religion, creed, ideal, or philosophy, are lost, and are therefore NOT children of God. Only those who have trusted in Jesus Christ to save them are God's children. None of God's children are going to hell. But those who are lost are most certainly hell-bound.
People Go to Hell in spite of God, Not because of God
It has often been correctly stated that God does not send anyone to hell. It is not necessary that anyone go to hell. Provision by God Almighty has been sufficiently made. It is not God's will that anyone go to hell. It is amazing to me that God the Father gave His only begotten Son to this sinful world to redeem us from sin and its penalty; and yet God gets the blame for people going to hell. But I can say confidently that, if you go to hell, you will be out of the will of God when you go. Note the following verses:
II Peter 3:9 - "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness, but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that ALL should come to repentance."
I Timothy 2:3-6 - "For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have ALL MEN to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for ALL, to be testified in due time."
I Timothy 4:10 - "For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of ALL MEN, specially of those that believe."
I John 2:1, 2 - "My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the WHOLE WORLD."
These verses clearly show that it is not God's will that any go to hell. It is therefore equally true that those who go to hell go in accordance to their own will. Jesus died to save you. If you do not believe on the name of the only begotten Son of God, it is not because Jesus does not want you to be saved! You only remain lost at your own will. Notice the following verses:
Matthew 23:37 - "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and YE WOULD NOT!"
John 5:40 - "And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life."
Clearly, it is not God's will that you die and go to hell. If you go, it will be according to your own will.
People Climb Mountains To Go To Hell
Allow me to tighten it down a little tighter. Those who go to hell not only go according to their own will; they insist on going. It is God Almighty who tries to keep people from going to hell. God erects mountains in the path that leads to hell, and sinners climb those mountains to go to hell.
Perhaps a reader reading this may ask, "What about those who live in remote places of the earth, where there is little or no gospel message? How can you say that God has tried to stop them?" I say clearly that those who live in the most remote places of the earth are guilty, and they are lost. It may not seem fair to some, but the Bible declares them guilty. Romans 1 deals with those who we may refer to as "heathen."
Romans 1:20 - "For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse."
You may ask, "How can one be guilty when he has never heard the gospel?" Note:
Romans 10:17 - "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."
So, it is clear that the only way one may place faith in Christ is by hearing the word of God. But, finish the quotation. The next verse states this:
Romans 10:18 - "But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world."
This verse says that they have all heard! "Their sound went into ALL THE EARTH." This includes remote places where there is little or no gospel! How can the Apostle make such a statement? He is quoting from the 19th Psalm:
Psalm 19:1-4 - "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun."
He is speaking of creation, and the voice in its declaration that there most certainly is a God. The heavens declare the glory of God in every language, in every nation, in every dialect, in every culture, in every region, whether the gospel of Christ is preached or not! I do understand that acknowledging that there is a God won't save anyone; the devils of hell acknowledge this, and they are not saved. However, if men would run to whatever light they have, even if it is small, God would shine more light upon their path. Those in remote areas of the world are guilty before God because they will not follow what light they have. When the wise men came to the Christ child, they were astrologers. They were wicked men. But even in their wicked astrology, one star led them to Jesus Christ. I am convinced that if men would follow what light they have, God would send them more light. But because men do not come to the light they have, they are condemned.
John 3:19 - "And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil."
Everyone climbs the mountain of creation to go to hell. But if you are reading this, you have more light than those who live in the jungles of the earth. If they are guilty, if you are lost without Christ, you are most definitely guilty. Most people in civilized areas in the world have a lot of gospel light available to them. The Bible is the most printed book to date. You have to climb over the Bible to go to hell. The Spirit of God deals with men to be saved. To go to hell, you must resist the dealings of the Spirit of God. You have encountered preachers who have tried to keep you out of hell. You have ignored them, climbing over their pleadings, and to go to hell would mean going in spite of God's servants who have tried to keep you out.
There is a literal, eternal hell. Men who go there go against the will of God; they go according to their own will; and they climb mountains to get there.
