The following "Question" was asked by a member of the congregation at Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California, and "Answered" by their pastor, John MacArthur Jr. It was transcribed from the tape, GC 1300, titled "Bible Questions and Answers."  A copy of the tape can be obtained by writing, Word of Grace, P.O. Box 4000, Panorama City, CA 91412 or by dialing toll free 1-800-55-GRACE.

Question

If God is such a loving God, why does He send people to hell?

Answer

Do you know that there’s no verse at all in the Bible that says God sends people to hell? There is a verse that says He has the power to destroy both body and soul in hell. Once a soul is in hell, God has the power of eternal destruction on that soul, but it nowhere says God sends people to hell. The Old Testament says that God said, “I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked.”

II Peter 3:9 says, “The Lord is longsuffering, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” In Romans, chapter 9, it says that there are people “fitted for destruction”--passive verb--God isn’t even in on it!

Watch this--and here’s the complexity--God accepts all the responsibility of salvation and gives man all the responsibility of damnation. Always in Scripture that’s a man’s responsibility. Jesus said, “You will not come unto me that you might have life.” Jesus cried over the city of Jerusalem and said, “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that stonest the prophets and killest them that are sent to thee, how oft I would have gathered thee as a hen gathereth her brood, and you would not!” The Spirit and the bride say, “Come. Let him that is athirst come and take of the water of life freely.” Isaiah said, “Ho, everyone that thirsteth! Come without money...buy.” …Free gift.

Jesus said, “All that the Father gives to me shall come to me,” and then He said, “and no man that comes to me will I ever turn away; him that cometh to me I will not cast out.” You see, He gives men the opportunity. It isn’t God sending people to hell; it is God who has the power of destroying those who get there. All you have to do is look at Jesus Christ dying on the cross and the agony of the sins of the world and you know that God didn’t want men in hell. That was the wonder of the work of Christ.

Added to Bible Bulletin Board's "MacArthur’s Questions and Answers" by:

Tony Capoccia
Bible Bulletin Board
Box 119
Columbus, New Jersey, USA, 08022
Our websites: www.biblebb.com and www.gospelgems.com
Email: tony@biblebb.com
Online since 1986