Will there be “good” people in hell?

One of the biggest deceptions people believe and fall prey to today is moralism. Moralism seeks to define what is right and what is wrong as a standard to live by, but often leads to hypocrisy because it is very difficult to apply these standards consistently.

Moralism declares that “good people go to heaven or are rewarded and bad people go to hell or experience punishment”. This doctrine incorrectly teaches that good behavior results in salvation. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Eternity for a person isn’t determined by a scale and if your good works outweigh your bad works then you’re okay. There will be a lot of “bad” people in heaven and a lot of “good” people in hell.

The truth is no one is good. (Romans 3:10) All of us have done horrible things outwardly and inwardly.(Romans 3:23) Some people may do “worse” things than others but it is so unwise to compare yourself to another. We’ve all lied, manipulated, stolen, hated, hurt people, the list goes on and on. No one can say they are perfect and have always done everything right, unless they are completely and totally deceived.

The gospel is good news to the person who can recognize the depth of their depravity and sin, but the gospel is offensive to the one who is self-righteous. Jesus said it best in Luke 5:31-32, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” Unless a person acknowledges the truth and reality of their sinfulness, they cannot be saved.

Picture it like this, we are all in a sea drowning and Jesus literally reaches His hand down to save us. The person who doesn’t think they need a Savior, stuck in their pride, will say, “No thanks I am good down here, I don’t need your help” all to their demise. Meanwhile, the person who acknowledges the truth that they are drowning and that they can’t save themselves will gladly reach out to grab the hand, thanking God for His help.

God loves everyone and He has made a way through Jesus for all of us to experience abundant and eternal life, but the choice to acknowledge we need Him and to receive the gift He is extending is up to us. What choice will you make?