Divine Paradoxes: Resolving Seeming Contradictions in Christian Theology
Category 7: Heaven, Hell, and Eschatological Tensions
1. Introduction
A central paradox of divine justice and love is captured in this tension: God desires all to be saved, yet the Bible also teaches that many will perish and that hell is real and eternal. If God is love and wills that none should perish (2 Peter 3:9), why does He allow hell to exist—and why are people consigned to it? This entry explores the biblical, theological, and eschatological framework for understanding this apparent contradiction.
2. Biblical Foundations
- God’s saving desire:
- “[God is] not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).
- “[God] desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4).
- “As I live, says the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked” (Ezekiel 33:11).
- Reality of hell:
- “These will go away into eternal punishment” (Matthew 25:46).
- “The smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever” (Revelation 14:11).
- “Fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28).
3. Theological Explanation
The paradox arises from the distinction between God’s revealed (moral) will and His sovereign (decretive) will:
- God morally desires all to repent,
- Yet in His sovereign wisdom, He allows human freedom and the consequences of sin.
God is not morally contradictory; rather, His justice, love, and holiness coexist in a way that honours free will while upholding righteousness.
4. Doctrinal Implications
- Divine Love: God’s love is genuine and universal, offered without prejudice (John 3:16),
- Human Responsibility: Salvation is offered to all, but not all receive (John 5:40),
- Divine Justice: Hell exists not in spite of God’s love, but as the final expression of rejected love (Romans 2:5–6).
5. Christological Connection
Jesus spoke more about hell than any other biblical figure:
- Not out of harshness, but out of love, warning sinners (Luke 16:19–31),
- He endured the wrath of God on the cross to save us from eternal separation (Isaiah 53:10),
- The cross is the place where God’s desire to save and justice against sin meet (Romans 3:25–26).
6. Historical and Theological Witness
- Augustine: Hell is the “just wage of sin,” but salvation is offered to all,
- Thomas Aquinas: God’s justice and mercy are not opposed; hell exists because man freely rejects grace,
- Martin Luther: God’s will to save does not override man’s culpable refusal of the Gospel,
- C.S. Lewis: Hell is “locked from the inside” — a reflection of human choice, not divine cruelty.
7. Logical Resolution
| Apparent Contradiction | Clarifying Truth |
|---|---|
| God desires all to be saved | Yet honours the free choice of those who reject Him |
| God is loving | Yet just in punishing unrepented sin |
| Hell is eternal separation | But entered only by those who choose to remain separate |
8. Philosophical Reflection
If love is forced, it ceases to be love. God offers grace, not coercion. Hell is the tragic affirmation of freedom—a warning that love rejected leads to justice unshielded. Divine love without judgment becomes permissiveness; divine justice without love becomes tyranny. In hell, God’s holiness is upheld when His mercy is finally refused.
9. Application to Christian Life
- Evangelism: The reality of hell should stir believers to bold and loving proclamation of the Gospel (Romans 10:14–15),
- Humility: No one is saved by merit; only grace separates the redeemed from the lost (Ephesians 2:8–9),
- Trust: Believers can trust that God is perfectly just and merciful, even in judgment.
10. Worship and Devotion
- Songs of redemption often reflect both the horror of wrath and the glory of mercy,
- True worship holds together God’s kindness and severity (Romans 11:22),
- Fear of the Lord leads not to dread, but to deeper reverence and awe.
11. Eschatological Fulfilment
- Final judgment will vindicate God’s justice (Revelation 20:11–15),
- The Lake of Fire is the end for Satan and those who follow him (Revelation 20:10),
- Heaven will be fully inhabited by those who chose God’s mercy over rebellion (Revelation 21:27).
12. Conclusion
The paradox that God desires none to perish, yet hell exists, is resolved not by denying either truth, but by seeing both through the lens of divine holiness and human freedom. In the cross, we see the cost of salvation and the invitation to avoid eternal separation. Hell exists because love was refused—not because it was withheld.