At AmericasDebate, there was a question that was posted about hell…
How do you reconcile Christ’s teachings of compassion with the idea that people may end up in Hell to suffer for all eternity, particularly those whose “sin” may consist of merely ascribing to a non-Christian theology?
I responded with…
I can reconcile it because God’s compassion goes along with God’s justice. God is a holy god and is perfect in all his ways. There is no sin in him. And those who fellowship with him (heaven) cannot have any sin either. But, since all people are sinful, if the story ended there, then it’ll be a pretty lonely place up there. If God didn’t create some way to solve this problem, then everyone would be in hell. This would go against God’s compassion. So, God has created a way to be both 100% compassionate and 100% just. He exchanged peoples’ sins with Jesus’ sinlessness. So, Jesus was condemned (died on the cross and went to hell) for those who trust in him. In turn, those who trust in Jesus are completely sinless in God’s eyes and can go to heaven.