How Can a Loving God Consign People to Hell?

Direct Answer

God consigns to hell only those who refuse the full pardon He has already provided for every person through the cross.

God has already loved every human being to the fullest extent heaven could offer, and every person has been pardoned by the work of the cross. The only reason people are not saved is that they will not believe and appropriate it. Since God has done everything possible to make salvation simple, He has every right to pour out His wrath on those who spurn His love.

Key Scriptures

Genesis 3:21 — Shows God's first response to sin is to provide a covering, pointing to His provision rather than immediate condemnation.

Romans 3:22-24 — Reveals that God's righteousness is available to all who believe and that believers are justified freely by His grace.

Romans 5:18 — Places condemnation and justification side by side, showing that Christ's righteousness brings life even where Adam's offense brought condemnation.

Romans 3:26 — Declares that God is both just and the justifier of those who believe in Jesus, because sin has been fully dealt with.

Isaiah 61:10 — Pictures salvation as a covering of righteousness, connecting to the imputed righteousness Les teaches.

What Does the Bible Say?

Genesis 3:21 records that after Adam and Eve sinned, "the LORD God made coats of skins, and clothed them." Before the full weight of judgment was declared, God provided a covering — a picture of His grace in the midst of judgment. Paul explains in Romans 3:22–24 that God's righteousness is "upon all them that believe" and that believers are "justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus." Romans 3:26 adds that God is both "just" and "the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus." Romans 5:18 contrasts the two outcomes: through Adam's offense, condemnation came on all men, but through Christ's righteousness, the free gift comes on all men unto justification of life. Isaiah 61:10 celebrates the result: God clothes His people with "the garments of salvation" and covers them with "the robe of righteousness." Scripture, therefore, shows a God who provides a way of escape before judgment falls.

What Does Les Feldick Teach About God's Love and Judgment?

Les Feldick answers the objection directly: God is not unjust or unloving in consigning people to hell. God has already loved every human being "to the very extent that heaven could offer" and gave His love to everyone (Clip 4). He has reconciled the whole world; every person has had reconciliation accomplished, and all they have to do is believe it and appropriate it (Clip 5). Because God paid the total price at the cross, He is just in justifying believers (Clip 1). Les also explains where condemnation comes from: people do not trust what God has done (Clip 2). At the Great White Throne, even "good people" are condemned for one sin — unbelief; they could not believe what God said about the work of the cross (Clip 3). Every human being has been pardoned by the cross; the only reason they do not receive it is because they will not appropriate it by faith (Clip 3). Finally, Les warns against seeing God only as a God of love. He was a God of love when He sent Christ to the cross, and He has poured out grace on humanity. But humanity has walked that grace underfoot; when that day comes, His grace ends and He becomes a God of judgment and wrath (Clip 7). Since God has done everything possible to make salvation available, He has every right to pour out His wrath on those who refuse it (Clip 5).

Why Does God Have the Right to Judge?

Les Feldick teaches that God has done everything possible to make salvation simple, so He has every right to pour out His wrath. God has loved every human being to the full extent heaven could offer, and He gave that love to everyone who has ever lived. When a human being spurns that love, God has every right to reject them at the Great White Throne. Since reconciliation is accomplished for all, the only thing left is to believe it and appropriate it by faith.

How Has God Provided a Covering for Sinners?

Before judgment is carried out, God makes coats of skins and clothes Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:21). Les says the last three words of Genesis 3:21 — "and He clothed them" — point to a spiritual garment that hides old Adam and gives him the imputed righteousness of God. Because of Christ's work, God does not wink at sin; He paid the total price, so He is just in justifying those who believe. Believers are justified freely by His grace, with no strings attached.

What Is the One Sin That Condemns People at the Great White Throne?

In Les's teaching, the one disqualifying sin at the Great White Throne is unbelief. "Good people" who appear there are condemned because they could not believe what God said about the work of the cross. They have not trusted what God has done. The remedy is not human effort; nothing can be done to get to heaven. The first step of faith is to believe what God says about us — that we are sinners — and then to receive His free justification. Since reconciliation is already accomplished, the only reason anyone does not receive it is that they will not believe it.

Does God's Love Mean He Can Never Judge?

Les Feldick teaches that you cannot say God is only a God of love. He was a God of love when He sent Christ to the cross, and He has poured out His grace upon humanity since then. But when humanity walks that grace underfoot, His grace ends and He becomes a God of judgment, a God of wrath. The same God who provided salvation out of love is the God who will judge those who spurn His love.

From the Teaching

Imputed Righteousness as a Covering

God clothed Adam after the fall with a spiritual garment of imputed righteousness, showing that God's provision precedes judgment.

God's Justice in Justification

Because Christ paid the total price for sin, God does not wink at sin and is just when He justifies those who believe.

Faith, Not Works

Salvation rests on trusting what God has done, not on human effort; God freely justifies those who believe.

Pardon and Unbelief

Every person has been pardoned by the cross; the only reason people are condemned is that they refuse to appropriate that pardon by faith.

God's Love and Right to Judge

God loved every human being to the fullest extent heaven could offer; those who spurn that love give God every right to reject them.

God's Complete Provision

Reconciliation is accomplished for everyone, and God has made salvation as simple as possible; therefore He has every right to judge those who refuse it.

Justification Declared

Justification is a judicial act of God whereby He declares the guilty believer just, all because of salvation's power, not man's work.

Grace Ends, Judgment Begins

God was a God of love when He sent Christ and poured out grace, but when grace is walked underfoot, He becomes a God of wrath and judgment.

Bible Verses

Genesis 3:21: Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.

Shows God providing clothing for Adam and Eve after the fall, a picture of His redemptive provision.

Romans 3:22: Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:

Reveals that God's righteousness is given to all who believe in Jesus Christ.

Romans 3:24: Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

Shows that justification is a free gift of God's grace, not something earned.

Romans 3:26: To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.

Explains how God remains just while justifying sinners who believe in Jesus.

Romans 5:18: Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.

Contrasts Adam's offense bringing condemnation with Christ's righteousness bringing justification of life.

Isaiah 61:10: I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.

Uses clothing imagery to describe salvation and righteousness as a covering.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is God a God of love and also a God of judgment?

Yes. Les Feldick teaches that God showed His love by sending Christ to the cross and pouring out grace on humanity. But once that grace is rejected and walked underfoot, His grace ends and He becomes a God of judgment and wrath.

Does God send 'good people' to hell?

Les says many at the Great White Throne will be good people, but their sin is unbelief — they could not believe what God said about the work of the cross. Good works do not substitute for personal faith in what God has done.

Has every person already been pardoned?

In Les's teaching, every human being has already been pardoned by virtue of the work of the cross. The only reason they do not receive it is because they will not appropriate it by faith.

Related Questions

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Source Video

Watch the Teaching: What the Bible Really Says About God's Righteousness — Romans 3