Let's go back to the 10 Commandments. Why did God give them to us? Simple. They are the basic user manual. Follow them and we, personally, and the world, does well. Don't follow them, things fall apart; individual lives and the world. Think of any moral law or rule we have and it's based in the 10 Commandments. Name one that isn't.
Easy enough. So, we follow them, everything is good, right? Right. But there's a catch. Millennia have proven to us, that even if we want to live by these laws, we can't. We simply don't have the will power to do what's right. Well, where do we get the will power? God. That's right. The 10 commandments show us that we are powerless to live a truly good life without God.
Now Jesus came, and not only did he reinforce the 10 Commandments, he took them even deeper, explained their spiritual level. He summed them up as "love one another" and "do onto others as you would have them do onto you". Now, no one is going to argue that these are good things to do. But even more so, from this we realise we can't do it. We don't always love, and we don't treat others how we want to be treated.
The answer, presented by Jesus is, reconciliation to God. Connecting to God at a one on one level. Literally allowing God, the Holy Spirit, to live in us, and guide us in our lives. God enabled that through Jesus.
This is not a difficult concept. How many people today talk about trying to achieve enlightenment and connecting with God (higher power, the universe, consciousness). God is way ahead of us. Instead of us trying to figure out how to do that on our own, because we can't, he has a plan in place. Instead of accepting that, we keep trying to be our own saviours and reject God's plan. How's that working out for society so far?
Now, why would God want to punish those who do not want to connect with him, and reap the benefits of that connection, which are many?
Hell is described as a place of eternal torture and a place of destruction. Revelation 20:10 says Satan will be tormented forever, but 20:14-15 says death itself, and Hades (the realm of the dead) will be thrown into the fire for destruction. And also, all who are not saved, will be thrown in, calling it the second death. Well death, can only be either separation or annihilation. But, either way, I think we can agree it's something to be avoided.
Now, getting back to why the harsh punishment? If the created rejects the creator, especially if that created makes life miserable for those who have not rejected God, then someone has to go! After all, that's what we have now, both types of people on Earth. Do you think this is a good way for humanity to exist; endless wars, greed, abuse, corruption? All of it comes from those who reject God's teachings. Why should God be insulted, and expose those who love him, to continue to allow them to be around for eternity?
To be around for What? Eternity. God, through Jesus and the Holy Spirit, is elevating humanities consciousness and will create a Utopian future. Yes, once again, just like we're trying to save ourselves, we also think we are going to create a Utopia on our own. No, we're not. We can't, without being hooked into God. That's the plan. His plan. How are our efforts to create a Utopia, according to our own ideas, going so far?
And there's the rub. It can't be Utopia if everyone is not on the same page, if everyone is not at the same level of consciousness. The plan is:
- Repent (stop rebelling against God)
- Recognise Jesus as Lord and King.
- Be baptised for the forgiveness of your sins (your failures)
- Receive the Holy Spirit (the direct connection to God); allow God to guide you)
- The reward is eternal life in a world without suffering and death. Forever.
Get it. The price of admission, to Utopia, is Humility and Teachability. Admitting you're wrong and that God is right. Admitting that you don't know better than God. Otherwise, how would you possible take direction from God for eternity? If you can't do that much, than you're not salvageable, and for the sake of all who are willing to do that, and show respect to God, you will be removed. Permanently. While the rest will live forever in harmony with our God and the rest of his creation.
So, is God going to send people to hell? No. Those who reject him, and his salvation through Jesus Christ, that he gives freely to all, will send themselves to hell. The rebellious can not coexist with the obedient. The rebellious give God no choice, by their own choice.
God wants everyone to come to Repentance, but it's a choice. We have free will. That's it.
Now, I'm going to speculate here. Well, why doesn't God just given Satan, and everyone that rejects God, their own realm, their own world so to speak, where they can do as they please, instead of wiping them all out? Well, what would be the point? It goes without saying that it would be a miserable existence, and if you think there's suffering in the world not, go ahead and take away all the good there is and see where it goes. It literally would be hell. See, so there is only one way to avoid going to hell, or creating our own hell, and that is for creation to be reconciled to the creator. A personal relationship with God.
Go read the New Testament, and keep reading it, until you beat this into your thick skull, and I say that with love!