Does God Send People to Hell?

There is a popular saying among Christians:

“God does not send anyone to Hell; people send themselves to Hell.”

This saying makes it seem as though God is not involved at all when a person goes to Hell. However, this is not true according to the Bible.

Human Responsibility

It is certainly true that people will go to Hell because of their own sinful decisions. Hell is the everlasting death penalty that people deserve for their sins. No person sins because he is being controlled like a robot, or because he was forced to sin against his own will (James 1:14). Hence, people are fully responsible for their sins, and they fully deserve their everlasting death penalty—in Hell.

God’s Activity

However, it is not true that God does not send anyone to Hell.

• In Matthew 10:28, Jesus said that God “can destroy both soul and body in Hell”.
• In Luke 12:5, Jesus said that God has the authority to “throw” a person into Hell.
• In Matthew 25:41, Jesus narrated that during the final judgment, he will say to unrighteous people: “Depart from me, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels!”

The Bible consistently teaches that God will personally and actively send people to Hell. It is not true that people will willingly walk into Hell of their own accord.

God’s Graciousness

Yet, God has provided salvation through his Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus died on a cross to pay the everlasting death penalty for all those who trust in him. So, if any person trusts in Jesus, then God will consider that Jesus has already paid his everlasting death penalty, and he will not go to Hell.

However, if a person does not accept this salvation, then the penalty for his sins remain unpaid, and God will be right to give him the penalty that he deserves for his sins: everlasting death—in Hell.