The Problem of Hell, Part Three: Free Will, Opportunity, and Responsibility

In the previous section, we explored why God allows those who reject Him to spend eternity in hell. Because He is just, good, and infinite, He must punish ongoing rebellion against Him. But this raises a question: if God is both all-loving and all-powerful, wouldn’t it make sense for everyone to go to heaven? After all, Scripture says that God desires all people to be saved (1 Timothy 2:4). The answer is because God gave us free will. But wouldn’t it be better if God created us without the ability to sin so that everyone would be in heaven? No, because doing so would be inconsistent with His nature. Let’s explore why.

1. Love Is Meaningful Only When We Choose
God gave us free will because love without choice is meaningless. Genuine love is most precious when it is freely given. Consider a husband who brings his wife flowers after a difficult day, choosing to show love despite his own feelings. Think of a missionary leaving home to share the gospel in another country. Or someone who sacrifices their life for another. These acts are loving precisely because they are chosen.
Now imagine the same scenarios without choice: the husband is compelled to bring flowers, the missionary is forced to go overseas, the life is given under command. The worth, significance, and depth vanish. Likewise, if God programmed us to worship Him without choice, it would not be true worship. Worship requires love, and love requires freedom.

2. God Draws Us with His Love
From the beginning, God created a perfect world in His image, providing everything except one tree. Yet Adam and Eve, representing humanity, chose to eat the fruit God forbade, bringing sin into the world. Even so, God did not abandon us. He sent His Son to die on the cross and continues to provide for us daily: our beating hearts, breathable air, food that sustains us, and the beauty of creation—from galaxies in space to the sun warming the earth.
God gives us free will but continually demonstrates His love, drawing us toward Himself. All He asks is that we love Him in return. During our time on earth, we face a choice: to embrace Him or reject Him. There are no changed hearts in hell, and no rejection in heaven.

3. Everyone Can Choose to Love Him
Just as it would be unloving for God to force us to love Him, it would also be unloving to force us to reject Him. Everyone is invited to respond, and when we choose rejection, we are responsible for our actions. Some Christians believe that certain people cannot accept Him, while others believe all can. This discussion is beyond our current scope. While Christians differ on how grace and human freedom interact, Scripture consistently holds two truths together: God is sovereign, and human beings are responsible. What Scripture makes clear is that God does not force anyone to reject Him, and we are accountable for our choices.
What about those who never hear the gospel—or infants who die? Scripture is not fully conclusive, but there is reason for hope. After the death of his infant son, David says, “But now he is dead. Why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me” (2 Samuel 12:23). While the passage does not explicitly mention heaven, it points to God’s justice and mercy extending even to those we cannot fully understand. Ultimately, no one will be condemned unjustly, for God acts in perfect justice and love.

Summary
God is perfectly just, and justice is good. Because we are sinful, His justice has real consequences. Yet God is also merciful. He did not leave us to face judgment alone but gave His Son so that we could be forgiven. Through Christ, we are offered pardon, restoration, and eternal life with Him. Hell, then, is not the absence of God’s love—it is the result of rejecting the only source of life and forgiveness.
It would have been unloving for God to create us without free will. But if He knew many would reject Him, was it loving to create at all? And how does His mercy shine even more brightly in light of our rebellion? These are questions we will explore in the final section, as we reflect on God’s incredible mercy demonstrated on the cross

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