Rethinking Hell: Judgment, Choice, & Scripture

God offers, And You decide

When this topic comes up, it’s not uncommon for eyerolling, mistrust, and anger to surface quite quickly, especially in light of real church abuse, hypocrisy, and constant misinformation we are bombarded with each day.

I see and empathize with the mixed messages floating around out there.

But I do not condone abandoning critical thinking when it comes to something this important. I want to explain why hell is not something God forces on anyone, but is tied to personal choice in Scripture.

“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” 2 Peter 2:3

A lot of the confusion, honestly, stems from all the different divisions and doctrines of Christianity out there. It took me years to wade my way through a wide range of conflicting teachings, doctrines, and interpretations. There are still a few things I get confused about sometimes when I’m trying to figure out more details on something.

Each one of these differences, well does just that — teaches something different. Sometimes a huge, drastic difference, other times just a wee one, and a lot are not Biblically grounded interpretations.

Historically, hell has been used to scare the daylights out of people and has also been used to manipulate people. It should be a serious conversation, but not discussed in a way that becomes harmful or traumatic.

“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” [John 3:17](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%203%3A17&version=NIV)**

Scripture consistently presents that God’s heart is not toward the condemnation of mankind but toward its redemption. What people often struggle with is following Him. People want to do what they want to do; that’s just human nature. We see it everywhere and in everything.

People who see Scripture as restrictive most likely will interpret it differently or approach it through preexisting assumptions, church hurt, or perspectives that shape how they read what it says.

Tying It All Together

In every country, there are laws; doing something wrong will result in a consequence. That's not really fought or debated about (the actual action and consequence are a completely separate conversation), and part of me wonders if that is because it is run and supported by humans and generally removed from anything to do with God.

Either way, actions carry consequences.

That is the same for God. Sin leads to death; this is what Scripture teaches, but a large part of the issue is how that is communicated. Some church leaders may present this in hit or miss ways or include their own personal interpretations, others use it to manipulate and scare their congregation or to appease their congregation, and others teach that hell doesn’t even exist.

I truly can and do empathize with those who feel confused or uncertain about hell (and many other topics) and the various teachings out there on it. But it is still important for individuals to take responsibility, to step back from the mainstream popular voices and determine what Scripture says for themselves.

Also, despite popular belief, it is entirely possible to read Scripture thoughtfully and carefully, while working through and getting past prior assumptions, if you so choose.

The Main Claim

To claim that God is the one who arbitrarily just sends people to hell diminishes the teaching of and emphasis on personal accountability and responsibility in Scripture.

Judgment (hell) has been remixed and reframed like a bad 80’s song as something imposed externally rather than something aligned with the choices of mankind. Hell in Scripture is the result of a person’s choice, not a forced outcome, and the same applies to the offer of salvation. It is a personal choice by the person, not a decision made on a whim by God.

“Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.” John 3:18

Condemnation is described in Scripture as a result of rejection rather than a wanted outcome by God. We all know cause and effect, you push a pencil and the pencil moves, you drink water, and you get hydrated, etc….

You do something, and there is an effect. The important part to remember is that the choice ultimately belongs to each individual. I can give you water, but you can choose if you drink it. God offers salvation and heaven, but you choose if you accept it.

If a person chooses not to accept Him, then God will respect that choice because we are all given the free will to choose. Does He want that? No, that is why Jesus came and died for us; that is why 2nd Peter says, He is being patient with us.

If God wanted to rush this and be done with the world’s brokenness, He would, but He’s not. He keeps waiting because He does not want anyone to perish. Hell is the locational consequence of rejecting God, according to Scripture.

Rather than wanting a relationship with Him, if a person ultimately chooses not to accept a relationship with God, then they are not forced into one. That is their personal choice, and the outcome reflects that choice. It is a permanent separation from God’s presence; it is precisely what they want.

He is not going to bring someone into heaven to be with Him if they do not want to be there. He does not override a person’s expressed desire regarding that relationship.

Ultimately, Scripture says the person's response determines whether they accept or reject God, not the other way around.

(AI disclosure: Not AI, all human with Grammarly spell check.)

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