Expert: Clive Heath - 5/30/2011

Question
Hi Dr. Bateman,

I was hoping you could help me with some questions I have about hell.  

Is it just (or fair) that people go to hell?  We are told that because people cannot meet God’s perfect standard of a sinless life that, yes, it is fair that people will go to hell.  But my question is then- is it fair to be held to that standard of a sinless life?  Logically, shouldn’t the standards we are held to be standards that can be met?  For instance, why do we not set the height of the pole vault at 70ft?  The answer is simple- because nobody can meet that standard.  Similarly, nobody can meet the requirement of a sinless life.  Everybody sins and no one is capable of not sinning (except for Jesus, of course).  Therefore, is holding someone to a standard that is impossible to meet, indeed, fair?  

   Let me take the question a bit further.  Is it our fault we are sinners?  Certainly we choose to sin, but is it our choice to be sinners by nature?  There have been billions of people who have lived and how many of them have not sinned?  And if every person who has ever lived has sinned, then the failure rate seems to be 100% .  This being the case, then do we really have choice in the matter?  Let me make the point by way of analogy.  A mechanical engineer designs a certain widget.  Thousands and thousands of the widgets are created and all of them break after production.  Do we then blame the widget for its failure?  Of course not.  Yet this is precisely the case according to many churches.  

   Moreover, we have an ideal in our western democracy- “let the punishment fit the crime”.  Is it fair that people will be tortured for eternity for the sins they have committed during a short time?  Does torturing a person with fire for eternity not seem a little harsh?

Answer
Hi Aaaron,

Obviously you can see that I am not Dr Bateman, but I am more than happy to answer this question the best I can.

First of all I believe that Hell is on earth, people that have sinned and cannot move on because they have not asked for forgiveness or repented and find themselves as they say in Hell on Earth.
God is so loving do you believe that he would let us be in agaony and torture for all eternity, I think that those that do not go with the Lord when they die just cease to exist!

We must understand that we are not sinners because we sin but we sin because we are sinners, that was the legacy left us by Adam himself, that is why we all sin, and nobody is expected or can reach the standard of being sinless it is impossible.It is not our fault.Thus sometimes we cannot understand why nice people sometimes do bad things, it is because we are born sinners, thanks to Adam.
With the  being as you rightfully say Jesus!

I admit that I sin every day, but every day I admit to my sins , I repent my sins and I ask for forgiveness of my sins. This gives us Salvation, as it says in Jonh 14:1-3 " Do not let your hearts be troubled, trust in God, trust also in me, in my Fathers house there are many rooms, if it were not so I would have told you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me, so that you will be where I am"

I understand what you are saying about "let the punishment fit the crime" and fairness depending on sin, as I see it all will go to the Lord as long as they have repented their sins, but some will be judged when they get there, those that are banished will not suffer endless torture, a loving God would not do that but as I said they will just cease to exist.

Finally, we must always rember that God really wants us all to be with Him, as in Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ our Lord".

Hope some of this helps.

God Bless

Clive Heath