Do Good People go to Hell?

Do good people go to Hell ?

Exploring the Standard of God's Judgment

In order to answer the question, Do good people go to hell?, I'd like to pose to you, the reader, a scenario. My scenario is this: Say that you lived a perfect life until the day you died, and just before you keeled over, you stole a dollar from a stranger. Now you stand before God the judge. Would God send you to Hell?

Now, I know this scenario is ridiculous- who steals a dollar in their dying breath, right? But it is a good scenario because it begs a serious question. The question it begs is, how strict does justice have to be before it is fulfilled?

If you think that a person who lived a perfect life and stole a dollar just before he died should be acquitted of his crime, you're grading on a curve. This means that you are scoring people based on the performance of the group rather than a set standard. Is it good to grade on a curve? Let's find out.

Grading on a Curve:

Here's a second scenario for you. Say you were a student in a math class that did poorly on a test. The person who received the highest percentage on the test was you, who received a whopping 50%! Since the teacher is grading on a curve, you now received 100% and everyone else's score on that test is based on how well you did. Sounds great, right? You would likely praise that teacher for how kind he was until, well... you got out in the real world.

The lost enjoy forever the horrible freedom they have demanded.

- C.S. Lewis

If that same method of grading was used in all of your math classes throughout your schooling, you'd likely think that you were exceptional in math. In reality, you're not good at math at all- you've just received good grades because your teacher always graded on a curve.

Suppose now that you graduate as a math honors student only to become a scientist who crunches numbers all day long. What do you think would happen to you on your first day of work? You would be laughed out of the lab because you can't do the work – that's what would happen! All the sudden your dreams are crushed all because that kind teacher LIED to you by making you think that you were better than you are. High ho, high ho, to the local burger joint you go!

 

So what can we learn from this scenario of your pitiful life? How would you feel? Cheated? If you think you would feel cheated, then why? Before you thought your teacher was one to be praised, and now, when reality strikes, all the sudden you think that same teacher cheated you. That's interesting, isn't it?

Satan can make men dance upon the brink of hell as though they were on the verge of heaven.

- Charles Spurgeon

The fact is that a teacher who let's their students pass despite sub-standard work is not a good teacher. In fact, this sort of teacher is a terrible teacher. The heart of a good teacher is one that cares for the long-term well being of their students, therefore, good teachers work with students who struggle instead of simply raising a poor grade. Passing students who deserve to fail may make students feel like the teacher is nice, but in reality such a teacher cares nothing for his students.

Teachers give their students standardized tests to see if their students have learned what they have been taught. Test's are important, because if a student can't meet the standard, they will not be able to survive in the real world. If a student falls below the standard, that student needs extra attention and help. Based on this information, how does a good, caring, teacher grade his students? Wouldn't a good teacher strictly grade his students according to the given standard?

Lowering the standard just so someone can pass is not a good thing – EVER! This principle applies to teachers and to judges.

Grading according to the standard:

The question, do good people go to Hell? implies that there is a judge who sends people there based on their performance. But in order to judge someone's performance, there must be a standard. What is God's standard?

Romans 3:23 tell us what God's standard is. “For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” The italicized portion of that quote tells us what God's standard is. Do you know what it means that God judges humanity on the basis of His glory?

God is glorious because He is morally perfect. Based on this standard of moral perfection, you're not so glorious, and neither am I. We have missed the standard of God's moral perfection. Romans 3:23 defines this as sin.

What's the consequence for not being morally perfect? The Bible tells us in Romans 6:23 that the wages of sin (what we get for sinning) is death. Harsh, right? But isn't that the way that it's supposed to be? Just as a bad teacher would lie to make you feel good by grading on a curve, a bad judge would let a man who deserves death go free. That's not right!

God is a good judge who is just in all of His judgments. (Deuteronomy 32:4) He will never lower the standard simply because He doesn't want to make people feel bad.

Applying What We've Learned:

Let's now return to our first scenario. You've lived a perfect life, except for the time you stole that dollar, and now you are standing before God, the righteous judge. Most people would call you a good person, and compared to other men you are. But is the standard good, or perfect? If you think that you will be admitted to heaven because you did better than everyone else in the world, then you're calling God an unrighteous judge because the standard is perfection. You deserve death, not eternal life with God in heaven. This is harsh, but it is also good because it is right.

So now that you know the eternal destiny of your soul, what are you going to do about it? Most people would say that they are going to try harder, but that's ridiculous. You've already failed. There is only one thing left to do.

Jesus, the Son of God, came and lived a perfect life. He achieved what is impossible for man by having lived and never sinned. What is impossible for man is easy for God. (Matthew 19:26) Since Jesus never sinned you have an opportunity to escape the punishment of hell and live eternally with God in heaven by simply believing in Jesus. He paid the price for your sin by dying on the cross in your place. Further, He proved Himself to be God in the flesh by rising from the dead. He now offers you eternal life through all that He has done for you - living a perfect life in your place and dying the death that you deserve!

Hell isn't merely paved by good intentions; it's walled and roofed with them. Yes, and furnished too.

- Aldous Huxley

When Jesus was on this earth, He said on many occasions, “Believe in me and you will have everlasting life.”¹ The question for you is, do you believe in Jesus? Let me clarify the question for you. The question is not do you believe that there was once a man who lived named Jesus, or do you believe that this man died for you. The question is, do you believe that what Jesus did by living a perfect life, dying in your place, and then rising from the grave was enough for you to be acquitted of your sin before God, the righteous judge? If you think that you still have to try to be a good person, you do not trust Jesus.

So, do you believe in Jesus? The question is simple, and yet it may provoke a million questions. If you want answers to these questions, please contact to me and I will do my best to answer you based on what the Bible says. I have provided my personal contact information and would be more than happy to answer any questions you have. I would encourage you, however, to not allow those questions to cripple the simple faith that is required to have eternal life with God. Jesus is enough. Do you trust Him and nothing else? If you do, you are guaranteed eternal life and an escape from the punishment of your sin in Hell.

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1. John 1:12, 3:16, 3,18, 3:32, 5:24, 6:35, 6:40, 6:47, 7:38, 11:25, 11:26, 20:31