Answer
The Bible says that God created hell for Satan and the wicked angels who rebelled in heaven, but there are people in hell also (Matthew 25:41). Both angelic beings and human beings are in hell for the same reason: sin (Romans 6:23).
Because God is completely righteous and morally perfect (Psalm 18:30), He always does what is right—there is no “darkness” in God, not the smallest speck of imperfection (1 John 1:5). God Himself is the standard for what is right, good, and moral. If it were not for God being the standard of moral perfection, created beings would have nothing to measure themselves against. The Bible teaches that anything falling short of God’s perfection is sinful, and every human being who has ever lived, since Adam’s fall, has committed sin (Romans 3:23). Because Adam sinned, the entire human race now has a sinful nature (Romans 5:12). But people do not go to hell because of Adam’s sin; they go to hell because of their own sin, which they freely choose (James 1:13–16).
God is infinitely glorious and worthy of obedience, and all sins are fundamentally against God. For this reason, the only just punishment for sin—a violation of infinite glory—must also be infinite (see Matthew 25:46).
All who commit sin deserve to go to hell because they have failed to meet God’s righteous standard; they have broken His law of moral perfection. If God did not send people to hell for breaking His laws, He would not be just (Psalm 7:11). An analogy is what happens in a court of law between a judge and a lawbreaker. A just judge will sentence the guilty according to the law. A judge who ignores the law, overlooks the crime, and releases the guilty would not be a just judge (Deuteronomy 32:4). Corrupt or incompetent judges contribute to a disordered society: “Justice is driven back, and righteousness stands at a distance; truth has stumbled in the streets, honesty cannot enter” (Isaiah 59:14). If God failed to execute justice, we would have an anarchic universe.
As the Son of Man, Jesus has the authority to judge the world (John 5:27). Jesus Himself is the standard of holiness and the only one worthy of executing judgment. He spoke of the necessity of heeding His message: “All who reject me and my message will be judged on the day of judgment by the truth I have spoken” (John 12:48, NLT).
The good news is that God has mercy on the sinner. He made a way for us to avoid the punishment of hell. Salvation is God’s gift to those who trust in the atoning work of His Son, Jesus Christ (Romans 5:9). Believers are forgiven, and the penalty of their sin has been placed upon Christ on the cross (1 Peter 2:24). The sacrifice of Christ maintains God’s justice—the sin is punished—and at the same time extends His mercy and grace to all who believe.
