[i]Why did God create people knowing that some of them will go to hell?

• Many struggle with why God created humanity, knowing some would reject Him and face eternal separation in hell, raising profound questions about divine love, free will, and justice.
• Christianity affirms that God created people out of love, desiring a genuine, voluntary relationship with them while respecting their freedom to choose.
• The Bible emphasises that God offers salvation to all but does not coerce acceptance, preserving human autonomy.
• This text explores the reasons behind God’s creation of humanity, incorporating additional examples and explanations to address this complex issue.

  God created people out of love and relationship

• God created humans to share in a loving relationship with Him, a bond that requires free will to be authentic.
• Deuteronomy 30:19-20 (NIV): “This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the LORD your God.”
• This passage illustrates God’s offer of life and relationship, leaving the choice to humanity.
• Without free will, human love for God would resemble robotic obedience, lacking sincerity.
• For example, coerced love, such as forcing someone to express affection, is hollow; similarly, God desires voluntary, heartfelt devotion.
• Revelation 3:20 (NIV): “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.”
• This imagery of Jesus inviting, not demanding, entry underscores the voluntary nature of the divine-human relationship.
• God’s apparent “invisibility” in this context allows for a faith-driven choice, making the relationship with Him meaningful and authentic.

God is patient and wants to save everyone

• God’s love extends to all, and His patience provides ample opportunity for repentance, reflecting His desire for universal salvation.
• 2 Peter 3:9 (NIV): “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.”
• This verse clarifies that God’s delay in judgement stems from mercy, not indifference.
• Hell is not God’s intended purpose for humanity but a consequence of rejecting His love.
• Matthew 25:41 (NIV): “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.”
• Hell was created for Satan and his followers, not humans, indicating it is an unintended outcome for those who choose separation.
• John 3:19 (NIV): “This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.”
• This highlights that hell results from human preference for darkness over God’s light.
• For example, just as a family member may choose to distance themselves despite love offered, rejecting God leads to eternal separation, not God’s desire but human choice.

  God’s Love Provides a Way of Salvation

• God’s immense love led Him to provide salvation through Jesus, offering a path to escape the consequences of sin.
• John 3:16 (NIV): “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
• This verse underscores God’s sacrificial love, making salvation accessible to all through faith.
• Romans 6:23 (NIV): “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
• This contrasts sin’s consequence with God’s freely offered gift, dependent on acceptance.
• Jesus’ death on the cross atoned for humanity’s sins, enabling forgiveness for those who embrace His grace.
• For example, like a parent offering a better life to wayward children who may choose otherwise, God provides salvation, but its acceptance hinges on individual faith.

God respects our choices

• God honours human free will, meaning those who reject Him face the consequences of their decisions, aligning with His justice.
• John 3:18 (NIV): “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.”
• This emphasises that condemnation results from unbelief, not God’s initiative.
• God’s holiness and justice require accountability for sin, respecting human choices.
• Romans 2:6 (NIV): “God ‘will repay each person according to what they have done.’”
• 2 Corinthians 5:10 (NIV): “For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.”
• These verses affirm that divine justice evaluates actions and choices fairly.
• Hell, therefore, is not God’s desire but the outcome of persistent rejection of His love and grace, respecting human autonomy.

God’s love never ends

• Even when some reject Him, God’s love remains unwavering, continually seeking reconciliation.
• Romans 5:8 (NIV): “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
• This illustrates God’s proactive love, extended even to those in rebellion.
• Ezekiel 33:11 (NIV): “Say to them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live.’”
• This reveals God’s heartfelt desire for repentance over judgement.
• God persistently calls people to return to Him, reflecting His enduring love.
• For example, like a father longing for a prodigal child’s return, God waits patiently for humanity to embrace His offer of salvation.

God’s wisdom is beyond human understanding

• Human understanding may struggle with why God allows some to reject Him, but His wisdom surpasses our comprehension.
• Isaiah 55:8-9 (NIV): “‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the LORD. ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.’”
• This reminds us that God’s purposes operate on a divine plane beyond human logic.
• God created humans with free will to enable true love, accepting the risk of rejection as part of His sovereign plan.
• Deuteronomy 30:19 (NIV): “This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life.”
• This reiterates God’s offer of life, respecting human choice despite foreknowledge.
• For example, like a director granting actors freedom in their roles while knowing the story’s outcome, God allows human choice within His omniscient plan.

God’s love is beyond human understanding

• God’s infinite love drives His desire for every person’s salvation, justifying the creation of humanity despite the risk of rejection.
• He created humans for an eternal, loving relationship, offering salvation through Jesus to maximize the opportunity for acceptance.
• The potential for some to reject Him is outweighed by the joy of those who freely choose Him, experiencing eternal communion.
• For example, like parents who risk raising children despite possible disobedience, God created humanity for the possibility of authentic love.
• His persistent call to repentance reflects His boundless love, even for those who turn away.

 Conclusion

• God created people out of love, seeking a true relationship grounded in free choice, despite knowing some would reject Him and face hell.
• His respect for free will ensures that love is voluntary, as coerced devotion would be inauthentic.
• Through Jesus, God offers salvation to all, as seen in John 3:16, demonstrating His sacrificial love.
• His patience, as in 2 Peter 3:9, and justice, as in Romans 2:6, confirm that hell is not His desire but a consequence of human rejection.
• God’s wisdom, beyond human grasp, underscores the value of creating beings capable of eternal relationship with Him.
• These biblical truths invite people to embrace God’s love and live in obedience, securing eternal life with Him.

[i] The Reason for God" by Timothy Keller