Do people end up in Hell because they’re ignorant? It’s easy to assume that those who refuse to be saved simply lack information. “If they had only understood,” we say. “If only they had known.” At first glance, these words feel compassionate, but they really expose an insufficient view of God.
Let’s examine the idea briefly. If a person goes to Hell because they’re ignorant, then God is unfair. That’s easy for us to see, isn’t it? Who could imagine that eternal separation from God could be just when the person in question simply didn’t know about God, or was never told about the gospel, or – even worse – had been lied to about who God is and how He works. That would certainly be cruel and unjust.
Again and again, the Bible tells us that God is just… that He will do what is right. If that’s true, then nobody – nobody – will end up in Hell because they simply lacked information. Romans 1:18-20 explains this clearly:
The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.
Satan knows God. He knows who God is, how He works, and what He wants. Satan’s problem isn’t ignorance, but selfishness and pride. That’s the basis for all rebellion, including yours and mine.
It’s been said that there are three kinds of reasons for rejecting God:
- Intellectual reasons: I lack information
- Emotional reasons: I’ve been hurt, so I protect myself from further harm
- Volitional reasons: I refuse to submit to God
These reasons are all easy to understand. I’ve talked with people who share each kind of reason. Don’t get me wrong: more information CAN BE helpful. After all, that’s why GodWords exists. Good theology makes it easier to trust God, and bad theology makes it harder. That doesn’t mean that anyone will end up in Hell because they just didn’t know better. We do our part to convince others to trust God, but no amount of knowledge can change the mind of someone determined to rebel.
This is one way to understand what happens when Christians sin: we know better, but we do it anyway. We don’t sin accidentally. We choose to rebel… every time. Fortunately, God is equally willing to forgive both Christians and non-Christians.
This article quotes a handful of prominent people who put volitional rebellion on display. God will do what is right. Those who want nothing to do with Him will get their wish. If you want to be with God in Heaven forever, you can… all you need to do is acknowledge your need for Him by trusting that He really does love you, and put your life in His hands.
If you have questions about this, feel free to contact me.
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