http://www.rbc.org/questions/answer/bible/hell/whyhell.xml/
The biblical doctrine of hell is often badly misunderstood.
Certainly, if God arbitrarily and unjustly punished His creatures
for eternity, He would be evil rather than good.
Luke 12:47-48 , however, shows that punishment will depend
on a number of factors, including ones knowledge of truth, ones
intent, and ones rejection of the good news and "light" of
Christ. Jesus denounced the cities in which most of His
miracles were performed ( Matthew 11:20-24 ) and told them they
would be judged more harshly in the day of judgment than Tyre,
Sidon, and Sodom. Jesus displayed compassion toward
sinners. Even when He was on the cross He said,
"Father, forgive them for they dont know what they do" (
Luke 23:34 ).
It is wrong to think of hell as a place where sinners will
receive horribly disproportionate punishment for their
sins. Certainly, there is an element of coercion. Justice
and retribution are involved. But a persons presence in
hell is also the result of a long series of choices. As a
person passes through life he either becomes more open to truth,
love, and spiritual life or he willfully withdraws from the
light that God has given him and begins a descent towards spiritual
darkness and death.
Hell is necessary in a universe where genuine free will exists.
C.S. Lewis has written a remarkable little book on the subject of
hell called The Great Divorce. While we do not endorse all of
Lewis imaginative descriptions of what hell might be like, the
value of his work is in his explanation of the need for hell and
eternal punishment. It can be purchased at most bookstores.
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My comment: GOD is Just in giving his punishments
to men. He is forgiving and yet cannot tolerate the sight
of sin. Men can never be righteous in
ourselves as we are prone to sin.
Only by acknowledging Christ as our saviour, can we be made
righteous in Christ and thus tolerable in GOD's eyes.
GOD has given us his grace freely, and all we need to do is
to receive it humbly and with humility, affirming the goodness he
has given to us and love him as our GOD.
2 Samuel 7 verses 18-29 shows how King David humbly receive
the blessings from GOD and affirmed this covenant in his heart. He
was surprised by GOD want to bless his house and overwhelmed. He
didn't know why GOD had chosen a humble servant (a sheperd by
background) like him and lead him to be king...giving him
all the blessings any man on earth would have wished for:
18 Then King David went in and sat before the LORD, and he said:
"Who am I, O Sovereign LORD, and what is my family, that
you have brought me this far?
19 And as if this were not enough in your sight, O Sovereign LORD,
you have also spoken about the future of the house of your servant.
Is this your usual way of dealing with man, O Sovereign LORD?
20 "What more can David say to you? For you know your servant, O
Sovereign LORD.
21 For the sake of your word and according to your will,
you have done this great thing and made it known to your
servant.
22 "How great you are, O Sovereign LORD! There is no one like you,
and there is no God but you, as we have heard with our own
ears.
23 And who is like your people Israel--the one nation on earth that
God went out to redeem as a people for himself, and to make a name
for himself, and to perform great and awesome wonders by driving
out nations and their gods from before your people, whom you
redeemed from Egypt?
24 You have established your people Israel as your very own
forever, and you, O LORD, have become their God.
25 "And now, LORD God, keep forever the promise you have made
concerning your servant and his house. Do as you promised,
26 so that your name will be great forever. Then men will say, 'The
LORD Almighty is God over Israel!' And the house of your servant
David will be established before you.
27 "O LORD Almighty, God of Israel, you have revealed this to your
servant, saying, 'I will build a house for you.' So your servant
has found courage to offer you this prayer.
28 O Sovereign LORD, you are God! Your words are
trustworthy, and you have promised these good things to your
servant.
29 Now be pleased to bless the house of your servant, that it may
continue forever in your sight; for you, O Sovereign LORD, have
spoken, and with your blessing the house of your servant will be
blessed forever."