Why Is Hell Eternal?
First, hell is eternal because sin, though finite by itself, is primarily committed against an infinite God; the punishment must therefore also be infinite. Among men there are differences of both sin and its punishment, depending on the kind of sin and the one sinned against. It is not the same thing to tell a white lie as to murder a young child; nor is it the same thing to sin against the king or a neighbor. Threaten the life of your neighbor’s dog and it may anger your neighbor, but threaten the life of the King and it will cost you your life. Now imagine committing a sin against a God of endless, infinite holiness. If God did not exist, then human sin would indeed be finite and committed only against others and merit only finite punishment. But sin committed against an infinite God can hardly fit into the same category. Finite times finite equals finite; finite times infinite equals infinite, not finite. Finite human sin committed against an infinite God is, in effect, an infinite or eternal sin. As noted theologian John Piper once pointed out, what men think of our sin is relatively unimportant; what God thinks of our sin is infinitely important. [1] Again, the severity of the sin lies in relationship to the one sinned against. The great Israeli King David made the point that, even though he had in fact committed adultery with Bathsheba and commanded the murder of his faithful soldier Uriah to cover up the sin (2 Samuel 11), it was “Against you and you only I have sinned and done what is evil in your sight.” ( Ps. 51:4) Jesus Himself taught there is one eternal sin that does not have forgiveness even in this life — the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, which, however its immediate context is interpreted, must also ultimately refer to the rejection of the Holy Spirit’s testimony to the necessity for true faith in Christ. In other words, the eternal sin constitutes unrepentant unbelief until death (See John 16:8-9). Since all sins are potentially forgiven but one ( Mt. 12:310), the one sin that cannot be forgiven must be the one that leads to damnation, the final rejection of Christ. This must be the “eternal sin” Jesus referred to, which never has forgiveness, either in this life or the eternal one to come. The point is that no less an authority than Jesus himself — God in human flesh — clearly refers to a human, finite sin that is capable of eternal consequences, an eternal sin. “Whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin.”( Mk. 3:29; Mt 12:31-32). All sin is eternal in its consequence; the only issue is whether it is forgiven. But Jesus referred to one sin as eternal to emphasize that it could never be forgiven, either in this life or the one to come. If unrepentant unbelief is an eternal sin that never has forgiveness, then it is true that temporal actions in this life may indeed have eternal consequences. Everyone knows that the ideal of justice is that the punishment should fit the crime. Ideally, stealing a car and murdering a child should not receive the same punishment. In the ancient world there was no higher authority than the King. If sinning against a finite King would cost you your life, then sinning against an infinite King would cost you infinitely more. Again, if the kind and nature of the sin plus the circumstances determine the outcome or consequences of the sin, what happens when we move from human to human interaction to human to divineinteraction? We encounter something entirely new — a finite sin committed against an infinite being. What kind and nature of sin is this? Certainly it is massive, but in fact it is infinite. Again, anything finite multiplied by anything infinite produces an infinite result or consequence. If the punishment must fit the crime, what is the proper punishment for disobedience against infinity, an infinitely holy and righteous God? If our sins are finite when committed against other finite beings, then are they not infinite when committed against an infinite God, complete with eternal consequence? But note that if an eternal hell exists, it must by definition be consistent with God’s essential nature and character. God is infinitely holy, righteous, just, loving, and merciful. This means that once God declares an eternal hell exists (such as in Matthew 25:46), it is by definition in harmony with His infinite love and mercy. As Scripture notes,- “Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?” ( Genesis 18:25)
- “He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he.” ( Deuteronomy 32:4)
- “…everything he does is right and all his ways are just.” ( Daniel 4:37)
- “Does God pervert justice? Does the Almighty pervert what is right?” ( Job 8:3)
- “Far be it from God to do evil, from the Almighty to do wrong.” ( Job 34:10)
Go Deeper
Dr. John Weldon
John Weldon was associated with the Ankerberg Theological Research Institute for many years as both a researcher and as a writer. He earned degrees from Pacific College of Graduate Studies (PhD) and Luther Rice Seminary (Dmin). Among the many books he authored or coauthored for ATRI are Encyclopedia of New Age Beliefs, The Secret Teachings of the Masonic Lodge, Myth of Safe Sex, and One World: Bible Prophecy and the New World Order.
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