Do People Really Go to Hell?

Written By Crystal Reed

Let’s Talk About It! Pt. 4

Let’s be honest — few topics make us more uncomfortable than this one. The very word hell can make people wince. For some, it feels old-fashioned or harsh. For others, it’s tied to fear or trauma from years of religious shame. Some churches avoid it altogether, while others wield it like a weapon. But neither silence nor scare tactics help us understand what God actually says about it.

Here’s a real truth filled with grace and truth: Jesus Himself spoke more about hell than anyone else in Scripture — not to scare us, but to invite us into mercy.

This message isn’t about fear. It’s about clarity, compassion, and the reality that pretending hell isn’t real doesn’t make anyone safer. But understanding it rightly can move us toward the Savior who offers refuge.

So, let’s talk about it.

The Origin of Hell — Holiness Demands Justice

“Then He will also say to those on the left, ‘Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.’” - Matthew 25:41

Hell was never created for humanity. Jesus said it was prepared for the devil and his angels — a response to their rebellion against a holy God. But when humanity joined that rebellion through sin (Romans 5:12), we inherited its consequences.

Hell isn’t an overreaction. It’s the righteous outcome of rejecting the One who is perfectly good. A holy God cannot coexist with evil any more than light can share space with darkness.

Some say, “Hell exists because God respects human choice.” That’s partly true — but incomplete. Hell isn’t passive allowance; it’s active judgment. God doesn’t just “let people go their own way.” He pronounces justice.

If God ignored evil, He wouldn’t be good. His love and His holiness don’t contradict — they complete one another. Hell exists not because God delights in punishment, but because His love demands that goodness be protected.

The Reality of Hell — Separation from Mercy

Scripture uses vivid imagery to describe hell:

These aren’t contradictions; they’re metaphors that point to a sobering truth: hell is eternal separation from the mercy of God.

Psalm 139:7–8 reminds us that God’s presence fills all creation, even Sheol — meaning that in hell, it’s not that God isn’t there at all… it’s that only His justice is. Mercy does not visit. Relief never comes.

Hell is thirst without water, longing without comfort, memory without mercy. It is knowing forever that you traded eternal joy for temporary pleasure.

But Jesus’s words in Matthew 25 also show something else — hell is ethical. It reveals the truth about our hearts. The “sheep” and the “goats” are divided not just by belief but by how they responded to “the least of these.” Hell unmasks hypocrisy. It shows that fake faith can’t hide forever.

The Justice of Hell — Love That Takes Evil Seriously

“Isn’t eternal punishment too extreme?” someone might ask. But Scripture teaches that God’s wrath is not reckless anger — it’s righteous response. Romans 2:5–6 says His judgment is “righteous,” and Habakkuk 1:13 reminds us His eyes are too pure to tolerate evil.

We actually love God’s justice when it protects us from evil — but we wrestle with it when it confronts the evil within us.

Here’s the truth: God’s wrath is not the opposite of His love; it’s love defending what is good.

Ezekiel 33:11 reveals God’s heart:

“‘I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked person should turn from his way and live.’”

God doesn’t delight in judgment; He grieves over it. But love that never disciplines isn’t love — it’s apathy. Hell, then, is not the failure of God’s love; it’s the proof that His love is real enough to take sin seriously.

And the cross? That’s proof His mercy is strong enough to rescue us from it.

The Rescue From Hell — The Cross Stands Between

“But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. How much more then, since we have now been justified by His blood, will we be saved through Him from wrath.” - Romans 5:8–9

The reality of hell makes the grace of the cross shine brighter. When Jesus cried, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46), He wasn’t confused — He was taking our place. He absorbed the full weight of judgment so that mercy could reach us.

He took the wrath that made hell necessary so that grace could make heaven possible.

If hell seems too extreme, remember: so is love that dies for enemies. Jesus didn’t just warn us about the pit — He bridged it with His own body. 2 Corinthians 5:21 declares,

“He made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.”

He went through hell so you could go to heaven.

The Hope Beyond Judgment — Mercy Still Calls

In Luke 16, Jesus describes a man in torment, longing for relief that will never come. But Revelation 21 paints another scene — one of perfect restoration:

“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; grief, crying, and pain will be no more.” - Revelation 21:4

The same Jesus who warns of hell also promises heaven. The same lips that spoke judgment also spoke grace.

Hell shows the severity of God. The cross shows His kindness.

Romans 11:22 says,

“Consider the kindness and severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen but God’s kindness toward you—if you remain in His kindness.”

Both truths matter — not to terrify us, but to transform us. Because the goal isn’t to “escape punishment.” The goal is to know the Savior who bore it for you.

Hell is real, but so is hope. Mercy still calls your name.

Crystal Reed
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Why Am I Still Waiting for My Blessing?