6. Is it "fair" for God to judge sin by condemning people to an eternal hell?
This may well be the key complaint for those who object to the idea of judgment for sin. They may feel that there is something "un-proportional" about eternal consequences for temporal sins. But first we need some clarity on this idea of "fairness" and for this a helpful picture may be found in the realm of sports. For example when athletes compete against each other they expect that there will be some give-and-take so that the outcome is "balanced and even." This arrangement represents a peer-to-peer relationship where the presence of the referee merely ensures fair play. In such cases we are not surprised to hear a competitor complain, "That’s not fair!"
Justice, on the other hand, is an entirely different matter. Justice does not involve a peer-to-peer relationship, but instead an objective, and therefore independent, authority that metes out punishment for wrongdoing which is defined as "law breaking." Further, ignorance of the law is not allowed as an excuse for breaking the law. Now, a law is either just or it is not. Once a law is determined to be just, we do not even consider a complaint from the law-breaker that the judgement is "not fair."
The need for justice in the universe is undisputable. One need only consider the monstrous acts of evil committed by such agents of evil as Adolph Hitler, Joseph Stalin, and Charles Manson. Almost all people will agree that such wickedness demands a divine response, yet some argue that "lesser sins" do not merit eternal justice. But once again we need to ask, "What could one ever do to make up for a past sin?"(5). Whether we think of sins of commission, like murder, or sins of omission, like sloth, it is impossible to make up for the harm done, be it a lost life or a lost opportunity. Reason and wisdom both demand that we give up on this irrational desire to "cry over spilt milk" and simply accept the fact that we cannot make up for the sins of the past. And in the end, what peace can we find in a "I-did-my-best" rationalization of sin? Before we cross the threshold of eternity there is one more question we must all answer. "How can I be sure that I have not crossed the line of no return?"
In contrast to this attempt at self-justification, the Bible says that God is holy, and therefore he cannot even look upon sin; much less allow it to live in his presence (Isaiah 6:1-5; Habakkuk 1:13). Only the sinless life of the Son of God could be counted as worthy enough an offering to pay for our sins (Revelation 5:1-11). And if we will not accept the gracious gift of life through the Son, we have rejected the gift of life with the Father. So, what is this law that would condemn someone to hell, and is it just? The law of free will is simply this: Those who will not live with God, shall not live with God. Though man was created to live with God for eternity, if we refuse the gift of eternal life in his Son, then we have chosen eternal death in hell, which was "prepared for the devil and his angels" (Matthew 25:41). Hell is a free will choice of eternal consequence.
Now, for some final clarity on this question of "fairness." Let us consider a unique case where the requirement for independent objectivity cannot be met by a judge. In this hypothetical case, if a son were to stand before the bench of his father, we could not expect impartial justice. In point of fact, we would not allow this circumstance to arise at all, since a father could not be expected to give out justice, but only mercy. So it is with those who have been adopted into the family of God by faith in the death and resurrection of the Son of God. When God is your father you can expect the mercy of a loving, heavenly father. Such a judgment may not be "fair," but it is loving. And different from an earthly judge, the unconditional love of God, authentically received, ensures that his judgment is one day "justified" by our transformed lives (Romans 3:25,26). In the end, we choose to relate to God as either a judge or a father and this decision is completely dependent on our relationship to his Son.
7. Does the Bible really teach that those who do not believe in Jesus will go to hell?
No, the Bible does not teach that those who do not believe in Jesus will go to hell. The Bible teaches that sinners are going to hell. The bad news is that all of us have sinned (Romans 3:23) and there is no one who is righteous (Romans 3:10). The Good News is that Jesus died for our sins so that we may be reconciled to God through faith in him. The coming of Jesus into the world did not condemn people to hell; the coming of Jesus means there is a way of escape from going to hell (6). As the scripture says:
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. (John 3:16,17, KJV)
Conclusion
As King David realized, these Biblical truths are actually good news for both this life and the next, since no matter if we feel that we are in heaven or hell, Jesus promised that he would never leave us nor forsake us. David expressed it in this way:
Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me (Psalm 139:7-10 KJV).
Finally, Jesus used Peter’s confession of faith in him to give all believers a word of encouragement concerning hell:
And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it! (Matthew 16:18 KJV)
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