Is Hell Really a Thing? (And If So, Isn’t That Unfair?)

So, let’s just acknowledge this right off the bat: Hell is not exactly the feel-good topic of the year. It’s not the kind of thing you bring up at a dinner party unless you’re trying to clear the room faster than a fire alarm. Most of us would rather talk about literally anything else—puppies, coffee, that one time you accidentally waved at someone who wasn’t waving at you. But here’s the deal, if you’ve ever cracked open a Bible or sat through a sermon that wasn’t just about sunshine and blessings, you’ve probably bumped into this question: Is Hell actually real? And if it is, how is that fair?

I get it. The idea of Hell feels like a gut punch. We picture fire, pitchforks, and a grumpy guy in a tight red suit with horns who’s way too into his job. Or maybe you’ve got the more modern view—Hell as some eternal timeout corner where God sends people He’s mad at. Either way, it’s uncomfortable. It doesn’t jive with the “God is love” bumper sticker we’ve got plastered on our mental image of Him. And if you’re anything like me, you’ve wondered: If God’s so good, why would He even make a place like that? Doesn’t that seem… harsh?

So, let’s dig in. No fluff, no dodging, just the real stuff—straight from Scripture, with a side of honesty and maybe a little humor to keep us from spiraling. Because the truth is, the Bible does talk about Hell, and it’s not a fairy tale to scare kids into behaving or “simple-minded” people into believing (yeah, I heard that one recently). But it’s also not the cartoonish torture chamber we’ve built in our heads. And fairness? Oh, we’re gonna wrestle with that too. So, buckle up, and let’s figure this out together—one verse, one question at a time.

Hell: Real Talk from the Bible

Is Hell even a thing? Short answer—yes. The Bible doesn’t leave much room for debate on that. Jesus Himself talks about it more than anyone else in Scripture, which is wild when you think about it. The guy who’s all about love, forgiveness, and blessed are the meek? Yeah, He’s the one dropping the H-E-double-hockey-sticks-word reminding us it’s a real place with real stakes.

Take Matthew 25:41, where Jesus says, “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.’” Or Matthew 13:49-50: “This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Gnashing of teeth? If Jesus described it this way, can you even imagine? 

Then there’s Revelation 20:15: “Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.” And don’t forget Luke 16:23-24, the story of the rich man and Lazarus, where the rich man ends up “in Hades, where he was in torment” and begs for a drop of water to cool his tongue. Yikes.

So, yeah, Hell’s in there. It’s not some medieval fan fiction tacked onto Christianity—it’s straight from the source. But what is it? The Bible uses a bunch of images: fire, darkness, separation, torment. Gehenna (a very real trash dump outside Jerusalem that burned constantly) gets name-dropped by Jesus as a picture of it (Mark 9:43). Hades shows up as a holding spot for the dead. And the “lake of fire” in Revelation sounds like the final stop. It’s not pretty, and it’s not vague—it’s a place of judgment for those who reject God.

But here’s a curveball: Hell wasn’t even made for us. Matthew 25:41 says it was “prepared for the devil and his angels.”Humans weren’t the original target. It’s like God built a cosmic jail for Satan and the angels who were thrown out of heaven with him, but when people choose to follow that rebellion instead of God, they end up there too. Which brings us to the big, messy question: Why? And how is that not unfair?

The Fairness Problem: Why Does Hell Even Exist?

Okay, let’s be real. The idea of eternal punishment feels off when you first think about it. If God’s loving, why not just forgive everybody? If He’s all-powerful, why not zap us all into being good? And if sin is the issue, why not just give us a temporary place of punishment and then let us all into heaven? Eternal fire for a lifetime of mistakes feels… disproportionate, right?

Here’s where we need to back up and look at the bigger picture—because the Bible doesn’t start with Hell. It starts with God.

Genesis 1:1: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” He made everything—us included—and called it “very good” (Genesis 1:31). He didn’t rig the game with trapdoors to a fiery basement. He gave us freedom, a world to enjoy, and a relationship with Him. But freedom means choice, and we chose wrong. Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” That’s not a guilt trip; it’s just facts. We’ve all ditched God’s way for our own at some point.

Sin isn’t just “oops, I ate the last cookie.” It’s rebellion against the Creator of the Universe. And because God is holy—perfect, pure, 100% good (Habakkuk 1:13 says He “cannot tolerate wrongdoing”), sin can’t coexist with Him. It’s like oil and water. Or me and cardio. They just don’t mix.

So, Hell isn’t God throwing a tantrum. It’s the natural consequence of saying, “I don’t want You, God.” Check out 2 Thessalonians 1:9: “They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might.” The punishment of Hell isn’t the fire itself—it’s the separation from God. It’s what happens when someone says no to God’s presence forever. He honors that choice.

But here’s where it gets sticky: “Eternal punishment for a finite life? That’s still not fair!” I hear you. It’s a legit issue to wrestle with. One way to think about it is this: Sin isn’t just about what we do—it’s about who we reject. If you slap your boss (please don’t), you don’t just get a timeout; you lose your job because you’ve broken the relationship. Sin against an infinite, eternal God has infinite weight—not because of the act itself, but because of who He is. Rejecting the source of all life and goodness? That’s a forever kind of break.

God’s Justice Meets God’s Mercy

Now, let’s flip the script. If Hell’s real, and it’s fair because God’s just, why doesn’t everyone end up there? Because the same God who’s holy also happens to love us passionately. John 3:16—yeah, the one you’ve seen on billboards—says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

Hell exists because justice matters. But Heaven exists because love wins. Jesus didn’t come to flex God’s wrath—He came to take it. Romans 5:8: “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” He stepped into our mess, paid the price we couldn’t, and said, “You don’t have to go to hell. I’ve got this.”

2 Peter 3:9 drops another bombshell: “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” God’s not twirling His mustache, hoping people trip into Hell. He’s holding the door open, begging us to walk through it.

So, is Hell unfair? Not if you see it as the flip side of freedom. God doesn’t force us to love Him—robots don’t have relationships. He gives us the choice, and He’s done everything to make sure we don’t have to choose separation. The unfair part? That Jesus took our punishment when we didn’t deserve it. That’s the true scandal of grace.

What This Means for Us Today

Alright, so Hell’s real. It’s not a scare tactic—it’s a warning. But it’s not the whole story. If you’re freaking out right now, take a breath. This isn’t about fear; it’s about reality. Matthew 7:13-14 says, “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” Jesus isn’t subtle—there’s a choice to make.

I hope you’re getting the message that God is sending and has been sending since Eve tossed Adam the forbidden fruit. There’s a way out of sin and separation from God. If you’re reading this, you’ve still got time. Hell’s not a done deal—it’s a destination you can avoid. Romans 10:9 says, “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” All you have to do is trust that the sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross for you and me was enough to pay the price for our sins.

And if you’re still wrestling with the fairness bit, that’s okay. God’s not afraid of your questions. Bring them to Him. Crack open your Bible—start with John or Romans—and see what He says. Because the God who made Hell also made a way out. And He’s not hiding it behind a secret handshake or a perfect track record. It’s right there, free for the taking.

So, yeah, Hell’s a thing. But it’s not the point. The point is a God who’d rather die than let you go there. And that? That’s worth thinking about.

☕ A little faith, a little courage, and a whole lot of stubborn joy. – Tonya

What’s your biggest hang-up about Hell? Drop a comment—I’d love to wrestle through it with you!

© 2025 All posts written by Tonya E. Lee