Is God just in damning men eternally to hell?
Don’t pass over this question, because this is one of the hardest questions the Believer and non-believer will ever wrestle with. I admittedly struggle with it myself, because I know people that, unless God pours out His mercy, will spend eternity in hell. It really comes back to a fairness question in most people’s minds.
One of God’s attributes is justice and we can’t have a complete God without Him being just. I will not be able to completely cover this subject in one post and if you are bothered by this writing I’d encourage you to dig deeper, this writing is meant to arouse sleeping souls, and stir up Believers to preach the good news. Without the remedy of Christ we are all without hope.
As many question the validity of a place of judgment, Love asks, “Is God just in damning men eternally who sin temporarily in this life?” Even if someone lives only a brief time on earth, Love claims that such divine action is just for the following reasons. First, our punishment is not based on the amount of time that we sin, but on the fact that we sin, as when a thief is sentenced to prison for much longer than then the time it took him to break into a house. Second, we commit sin against an infinite God and so deserve infinite punishment, just as the penalty for striking a public person, such as a prince, is much greater than for striking an ordinary man in the street. Third, if we lived forever we would sin forever, or “as long as” we can, while we are alive. Fourth, we continue to sin in hell even after we leave earth, and so further provoke the wrath of God. Finally, even a momentary lapse into sin shows that we reject the infinite kindness of God and so deserve infinite punishment. That momentary sin justly brings eternal punishment ought to cause us to avoid “slight thoughts” of sin against an infinite and just God who imposes such torments, and any accusations of severity against Him for imposing them. Apart from His secret work of grace in salvation, He may even choose to do so in an infant who lives “but a minute in this world.” [1]
Most people will reject this. Most people that consider themselves Christians will reject this, and we must not shrink from the discussion. It will be unpopular. The question will always turn to the fairness of God. Friends, we do not want fair, we want grace and mercy. If God dealt in “fairness” we’d be without hope. It wasn’t fair that Christ suffered the wrath of God, the just for the unjust.
In connection with just in general comes a question related to the impartiality and universality of judgment; “Will most men and women in the world be tormented in hell?” Love believes that most will, and his confirmation of it he consider to be “one of the most dismal Doctrines” that a pastor can preach. First, most will go to hell because most do not look to Christ to deliver them from such a torment—whether Jews, Muslims, heathen, or Papists. Second, even among those who “profess Jesus Christ,” many are called, but few are chosen (Matt. 22:14), as most are “either profane in life, or hypocrites in heart.” [2]
Love cites four additional reasons that most are destined for hell and in conclusion says “If most are to be damned, we must see the folly of allowing the opinions of the majority to lead us in life and should try our hearts to know whether we are of the few that will be saved. We should not be offended at the “fewness of the number of believers,” but lament over the majority that will face such torments, rouse ourselves from delusions of the great number of believers in the world, and not hold “any ill thoughts against the mercy of God” that most men perish. [3]
These words are painful for me to write, and humbling for me to consider. Many people that I know, many people that I love, many people that you know and love will spend their eternity under the wrath of God. Anything good we have now will be vanquished and only misery and torment will remain. No waking up the next day and a better day is on the horizon, only pain and suffering.
Today there is hope if you are in Christ. Are you a new creation? Have you turned to Christ for salvation and forgiveness of sin? Don’t fight against God and despise His truth, but turn to Him and be saved.
Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” then Peter said to them, “Repent and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sin; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. – Acts 2:37-38
Kevin
- Love, Heaven’s Glory, Hell’s Terror (1671), 280-85. Cf. WCF, 10.3 and the Canons of Dort, 1.17.
- Love, Heaven’s Glory, Hell’s Terror (1671), 286-300.
- Love, Heaven’s Glory, Hell’s Terror (1671), 300-304.
Uncommon Faith 