Why Would a Loving God Send People to Hell?
By Colin Stewart

Will you indulge me to study 2Peter 3:9 with you? In the NIV, it reads The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

We see a few things in this passage. Firstly, God keeps his promise. Secondly, He is patient. Thirdly, God does not want to send anybody to Hell, he would rather they come to repentance.

I believe that if God really wanted to send people to Hell, He would kill them and send them to hell the first time they sinned. Yet, God gives us upwards of 90 years to turn from our sin and repent. We are given every possible chance. He brings people across our paths, like your dad, who bring a message of repentance. He brings circumstances into our lives that cause us to realize we need a savior. He speaks to us, even to those who have not yet repented, personally.

Those who get the hint, and repent, He gives eternal life. He gives the hope that you have heard your dad talk about. He gives strength and grace to face each day in a world that doesn't care, that pushes us to the side as though we were trash. He fills the emptiness that we've felt for years.

Those who reject Him, who say "I don't need You", He gives yet another chance, and another one. Unfortunately, eventually they run out of second chances. God then sends them to Hell, after they have exhausted every oportunity.

Now, what is this promise that the scripture talks about? Put quite simply, it is justice. Just as, when we break the law, there is a consequence here on earth, when we sin, there is consequence in eternity. The problem is, frequently when we sin, our sin affects not only ourselves, but somebody near us. Over the course of our lives, we will hurt many people. Those whom we hurt will cry out for justice. That justice comes in the form of Hell. Ok, I can hear you asking.... "But, what I did to him.... does it really merit Hell?" Yes, dear friend, it does. It merits hell because you didn't just hurt your friend, you hurt God. In hurting your friend, you rejected God. You rejected what is good. That's why it merits hell.

So, that being the case, how can we avoid hell? By acknowledging that you have sinned. By believing that Jesus Christ is God, that he died on the cross to pay the price for your sin, that He rose again on the third day; that some day He is coming back to judge the living and the dead. Finally, by confessing Jesus Christ as Lord of your life.

Yes, a loving God will send people to Hell. However, it doesn't have to be that way. You can have eternal life.