Why Did God Create Hell?

(Be sure to LISTEN to the Audio, as you READ the text below.)

Hell is not a blemish upon the character of God. It is a revelation of His holiness. Hell is not an embarrassing doctrine which Scripture whispers reluctantly. Jesus Himself spoke more about Hell and the judgment of the wicked, than anyone else in Scripture. If we would understand the terrible reality of Hell, we must first understand the infinite holiness of God and the exceeding sinfulness of sin.

God is perfectly holy. He cannot approve of evil, tolerate rebellion, or call wickedness good. "Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrong." Habakkuk 1:13. Sin is not a trivial defect in human character. It is rebellion against the infinite Majesty of Heaven. Every sinful thought, word, desire, and deed -- is an assault upon God's righteous authority.

This is why Hell exists. God created Hell as the righteous punishment of sin, and the final display of His perfect justice. "It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." Hebrews 10:31. The punishment of Hell is dreadful, because the holiness of the One against whom sin is committed is infinitely glorious.

The sinner's greatest problem is not that God is too severe -- it is that man has sinned against a God who is infinitely worthy of love, obedience, worship, and honor. We instinctively measure sin by the creature, rather than by the Creator. We compare ourselves with other sinners and congratulate ourselves that we are not as bad as they are. But God's standard is not our neighbor. His standard is His own perfect righteousness.

Hell also displays the justice of God. In this world, countless evils appear to go unanswered. Murderers sometimes escape justice. Oppressors sometimes die peacefully. Wicked men sometimes prosper, while godly people suffer. But there is coming a Day when God "will judge the world with justice." Acts 17:31. Nothing will remain hidden. No sin will be overlooked. No injustice will escape His judgment. Hell is God's prison, from which there is no escape.

Yet perhaps the most fearful truth about Hell is this: it is not merely a place of punishment -- it is the eternal destiny of those who remain enemies of God. The horror of Hell is ultimately the horror of being forever under the righteous judgment of the God whom the sinner refused to love, trust, and obey.

But here the darkness of Hell, makes the glory of the cross shine with incomparable brightness.

Why would the eternal Son of God willingly come into this world of rebellion? Why would Jesus humble Himself, bear shame, endure suffering, and surrender Himself to the sin-atoning sacrifice of the cross? Because God's justice could not simply be swept aside. Sin must be punished. And for all whom God saves, the punishment fell upon the Substitute.

"He was pierced for our transgressions,
 He was crushed for our iniquities;
 the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him,
 and by His wounds we are healed." Isaiah 53:5.

At Calvary, we see both the dreadful holiness of God, and the astonishing love of God. The cross tells us how terrible our sin truly is -- so terrible that nothing less than the sacrificial death of Jesus could atone for it. Yet the cross also tells us how astonishingly gracious God is -- that He would give His beloved Son to save guilty sinners.

Hell declares: God is just.
Calvary declares: God is merciful.

Hell declares: sin deserves everlasting judgment.
Calvary declares: Jesus bore the judgment deserved by His people.

Hell magnifies the justice of God.
The cross magnifies both His justice and His mercy.

Therefore, let no sinner trifle with sin. Let no professing Christian presume upon salvation. Let no one imagine that religious ceremonies, morality, church membership, baptism, or human goodness, can rescue him from the wrath to come. There is only one refuge from the judgment of God -- Jesus.

Salvation is not earned by the sinner. It is sovereign grace. The guilty are justified through faith in Jesus, because He has perfectly accomplished redemption for His people. What a Savior!

The existence of Hell should make us tremble.
The holiness of God should make us bow.
The wickedness of our sin should make us mourn.

But the cross should make every redeemed sinner fall upon his knees in wonder and cry: "Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us but to Your name be the glory!" Psalm 115:1.

The flames of Hell reveal what sin deserves.
The wounds of Jesus reveal what His love was willing to suffer to save the undeserving, the ill-deserving, and the Hell-deserving.

There are many ways to enter Hell.
There is one way to avoid Hell.
There is no way to escape Hell.

Flee, then, from the wrath to come -- and flee to Jesus. There is no safety in yourself. There is no refuge in your works. Religion cannot help you. There is no other Savior. But there is everlasting salvation in Him.

"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." Romans 8:1.

 

Why Did God Create Hell? (part 2)

Hell is not a blemish upon the character of God. It is a dreadful monument to His holiness, His justice, and His hatred of sin. We do not understand Hell, until we understand God. He is infinitely holy, perfectly righteous, and absolutely just. He cannot look upon sin as though it were a harmless weakness. "Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrong." Habakkuk 1:13.

Sin is rebellion against the infinite Majesty of God. We make light of sin, because we make light of God. We call it a mistake, a weakness, a bad habit, or a moral imperfection. God calls sin wickedness!

Man sees the outward act; God sees the corrupt heart.

Man compares himself with other sinners;
God compares man with His perfect justice.

Hell exists because God is holy, and sin must be judged.

"It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." Hebrews 10:31.

Hell is the final declaration that God will not forever tolerate rebellion. The Judge of all the earth will do right. Every secret sin will be brought into judgment.
Every hidden thought,
every corrupt desire,
every careless word,
every sinful act,
will be exposed before the holy God.

What makes Hell especially dreadful is its eternity. The sinner who dies outside of Jesus, does not enter a temporary rehab center from which he will eventually emerge. "Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into Hell! Yes, I tell you, fear Him!" (Luke 12:5)

Oh, the madness of sin! Men will sacrifice eternity for a few years of pleasure.
They will exchange . . .
  Heaven for money,
  Christ for lust,
  holiness for entertainment,
  truth for convenience,
  and their immortal souls for the fleeting pleasures of sin!
(The above article was AI generated.)