| How can God send good people to Hell? My son and I have long conversations about this topic. The place to start this conversation is the definition of Good, not Miriam Webster’s, but God’s. GOD IS Good – He is the definition. Psalm 73:1 says; Certainly, God isgood to Israel, and to those whose motives are pure! Millions of people are good people. They have pure motives most of the time. They may give generously to the poor or help in a food kitchen feeding the hungry. But this is not the standard by which God will judge us. God is the standard, not other people. Good people will go to Hell. How is this fair? This is not God’s plan. 2 Peter 3:9 says, The Lord is not slow concerning his promise, as some regard slowness, but is being patient toward you, because he does not wish for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. Romans 10:9-10 reads, because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and thus has righteousness and with the mouth one confesses and thus has salvation. Why is this so hard for people to do? It’s not hard, but it does require humility, and being humble can be very hard when you’re a good person. Some might say What do I need to repent of if I’m a good person? I’ve done … and you can fill in the list for yourself. There’s an old saying: “The road to Hell is paved with good intentions.” But good intentions are not the standard for goodness; God is. What does Miriam Webster define “good?” You can check it out here https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/good It’s a pretty long list of characteristics, but nowhere does it mention God. So the Word of God is our dictionary, not the world we live in. So it is by GRACE that we are saved. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came about through Jesus Christ. John 1:17 Grace is when someone else pays for our penalty on our behalf – that’s what Jesus did on the Cross. It was God’s plan from the beginning. The problem is that good people sometimes have difficulty seeing their own sin. It’s the job of the Holy Spirit to convict us of our sin, it’s our job to repent and receive forgiveness. So how can God send good people to Hell? He doesn’t! Good people who reject the offer of Salvation paid for by Jesus’ death on the cross send themselves to Hell. It’s that simple. |
