Watch the video above and talk about it with a group or mentor. Learn more.
If someone does not place their faith in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of their sin, is it really fair that they will spend an eternity in hell? The punishment doesn’t seem to fit the crime.
Crimes Have Different Magnitudes
If I steal five dollars from you for a whole year, that doesn’t warrant a year in jail – or any time at all. However, if I murder you, that might take five seconds, but I would rightly spend the rest of my life in jail. It’s not the length of the time it takes to commit a crime, it’s the seriousness of the crime and who is it being committed against.
Hell Has Different Punishments
Just as in heaven, there are gradations of reward, in hell there are also gradations of punishment. The average unbeliever will not be at the same level of torment as Hitler.
People Choose Hell for Themselves
People in hell have made their choice. They would rather be separated from God than to be with him. Someone who doesn’t want God now, in this life, would not want to be with him in eternity. If there is an afterlife, there are only two possible conclusions: you are either with God, or separated from God. Hell is separation from God, and people choose that for themselves.
- What is your initial reaction to this topic? What jumped out at you?
- Do you think rejecting Jesus’s salvation merits eternal punishment from God? Explain.
- Do you find the speaker’s illustrations convincing? Why or why not?
- What do you think the speaker means when he speaks of graduations in God’s punishment in hell? How do you respond to that idea?
- Write a personal action step based on this conversation.
