This is a question of theodicy – the theological and philosophical attempt to reconcile the existence of evil and suffering with the belief in an omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent and wholly good God. It addresses apparent contradictions such as, if God is all-knowing and good, why did He allow evil to exist and sending wicked people to join the devil in the lake of fire; if God is all-powerful, why doesn’t He stop suffering; etc. Some struggle emotionally with the conundrum of why a loving God would permit any to be lost.

I would like to pose this query to whoever asked the aforesaid question. Say, you made it to heaven and enjoy the presence of the Creator with this great promise of God “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” 1 Corinthians 2:9, for all eternity; would you like to be created when knowing that others may not make it and would enter the lake of fire eternally? Would you tell God not to create you and all humans too, because of this reality that many will not want to choose to be with their Creator? The “best life” on earth that you have ever seen is nothing compared to what God has prepared for you in heaven, and you will have the finest there is, for all eternity, would you like to be created, or you will instead say to God, don’t create me because others don’t want you and their end will be in the lake of fire for eternity?

Thus, here is a logical problem with not creating people who choose to go to the Lake of Fire.  It would also mean that no one would go to heaven, including you, even though you want to be there. The people who choose to go to heaven (you, for instance) will be deprived of the chances to do so. Why would those who choose to be without God override your decision when you want to choose God, and to be with God for all eternity; would you agree with someone who said you should not be born and be in heaven, because they didn’t want it themselves?

God knew many want to be created when they can choose to live in an ever-blissful state with Him in heaven, forever and ever and conversely there are also many of those who didn’t and choose to side with the enemy of God. Would it be fair for God not to create humans, because many choose the Lake of Fire and thereby depriving the multitudes who actually respond and want eternal life with God in heaven? Thus, the only way for God to be truly fair to all His human beings would be to allow each of them the same opportunity to choose their own final destination. God has given every responsible person an equal opportunity to choose heaven. The Bible is clear that God allows all accountable humans to choose their own final eternal destination.

Are we also saying that perhaps God should create people who could freely reject him, and yet not have at least some people reject him? God does not cause anybody to go to the lake of fire, rather, man chooses to go there on his own.

Even knowing that some would ultimately choose defiance, God deemed creation worthwhile, because through it, countless souls would experience eternal life – for the sake of all who would freely choose His grace. Individuals grapple with the reality of suffering and evil in the world. The biblical narrative reassures us that God’s ultimate purpose is to redeem all who will come to Him by faith in Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9). He did not create humanity to populate the Lake of Fire; rather, He created us for communion with Him, which is reflected in accounts of miracles, both ancient and modern, testifying to divine intervention and confirming that God actively seeks human hearts.

The aforementioned inquiry touches on profound themes: God’s knowledge of human choices, the reality of eternal judgment, and the loving purpose behind creation. Many have wrestled with the interplay of divine foreknowledge, human freedom, and the final destiny of those who refuse reconciliation with their Creator. The Word of God as revealed to us humans, offers several touchpoints for reflection and it addresses these matters repeatedly and cohesively.

So, God put in a Plan for humanity and that’s His decision; as He considers the desire of those who will ultimately cherish God’s decision to create them. The invitation to life stands freely for all, yet the seriousness of sin is never trivialised. “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:23 This statement acknowledges the mystery of divine providence without denying human accountability. Rejecting God is ultimately a refusal of both the greatest good and the only true Source of life. This reality underscores God’s respect for the human will and the moral nature of love. Love, offered without the possibility of refusal would be coercion rather than authentic relationship. Though God foreknows who will turn away, such knowledge does not negate meaningful human choice.

Authentic love entails personal choice. Scripture portrays humans as capable of genuinely receiving or rejecting divine grace. Genesis 2-3 recounts humanity’s creation in God’s image, able to relate, reason, and choose and subsequent fall, illustrating that real moral choices exist.

Sin interrupts God’s plan as our choice of sin separates us from God, create a deep chasm between us and Him, resulting in serious eternal consequences. “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;” Romans 3:23

God’s creative plan incorporates a saving path for those who respond and which will also entail that many would voluntarily reject Him – humans can reject God’s fullest revelation of truth and love. God’s loving redemptive solution introduces Jesus Christ as the full answer to our deep predicament, emphasising His death and resurrection as a means of reconciliation with God. God did not merely foresee the human predicament; He acted decisively to provide an answer. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16 Christ’s death and resurrection constitute the path of redemption offered to all.

This eternal design operates alongside His foreknowledge of human rebellion, revealing His loving intention to offer salvation. This encourages individuals to respond to God’s offer of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ, abiding in Christ with repentance for their sins and baptism as a symbol of their new life in Christ and be one day united with God in heaven forever.

The Necessity of Judgment and the Lake of Fire.

The Word of God depicts God as a just and holy Judge whose purity cannot dwell with unrepentant evil “For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee. The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity.” Psalm 5:4-5 The lake of fire stands as the solemn place of final separation from God for those who refuse or harden their hearts against His mercy.

Throughout the Word of God, the divine message resounds – there is an eternal reckoning, one that distinguishes between everlasting life and eternal separation from God. These weighty truths remind us that the moral choices made in this life bear consequences beyond the temporal realm – as it holds everlasting weight. Some of the foregoing messages are as per the foregoing verses:

“And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” Rev 20:11-15

“And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.” Matt 25:46

“But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” Rev 21:8

“Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:” Matt 25:41

“And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.” Rev 20:10

“And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.” Rev 19:20

^“In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;” 2 Thess 1:8-9

“And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.” Matt 13:42

God’s desire that “everyone” would come to repentance, showing that He is not eager to condemn. Still, His justice demands an ultimate recognition of wrongdoing. Matthew 25:41

“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9 underscores this fact. See below for further elaboration.

God provides repeated opportunities for reconciliation. In Genesis 6, God allows humanity time to repent before the flood, exemplifying His willingness to extend warnings and rescue.

The Word of God consistently portrays God as patient and gracious. “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” Romans 10:9 invites anyone to “confess… Jesus is Lord” and be saved. The broadness of this invitation highlights God’s heart toward creation-granting genuine choice without forcing compliance.

The question of why God would create humanity under such circumstances touches on the notion of human dignity. The capacity to bear God’s image includes responsibility and moral agency. Psalm 8 marvels at humanity’s exalted position in creation: “You have made him a little lower than the angels…” God grants people a significant role in His universe, even though some tragically misuse their freedom. This reality aligns with the entire biblical storyline: moral freedom leading some to reject God, while others embrace grace, ultimately reflecting God’s glory in redemption and judgment alike.

The existence of the lake of fire highlights God’s commitment to justice. Salvation through Christ magnifies God’s love, demonstrating that He is neither indifferent nor incapable of delivering those who seek Him.

People choose to go to hell because they reject Christ, not because God causes them to go there. God has paid the price, revealed Himself to all, and now humans are without excuse. “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:” Romans 1:20.

God allows people to be born to give them the opportunity to believe, but it is a person’s responsibility to make that choice. Jesus Christ came in the flesh, “But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.” John 20:31. This is another witness to God’s existence and also stands to condemn those who choose to reject Christ as the Son of God. Because Christ came to pay the price of sin, and He came to make the Father known (“No man hath seen God at any time, the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.” John 1:18), people have no excuse for rejecting Him.

What we know about God’s nature and character, trust that His sovereignty and mercy do not contradict one another. God is not dependent on us to be happy and fulfilled. He does not need us to love Him, and He didn’t create us in order to have someone to love. We can clearly see this communion of the three Persons of the Godhead in Genesis 1:26, “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness.’” The ONE God in 3 Persons, videlicet the relational dimension of God the Father who is fully satisfied in the love He shared with God the Son and God the Holy Spirit for all eternity. God created us not out of need but out of the overflow of love and creativity among the Persons of the Trinity and out of a desire to reveal Himself to us so that we could also be in His presence to enjoy Him forever and ever. And God also declares He is One God. “Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.” James 2:19 “And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:” Mark 12:29  “Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one.” Galatians 3:20 

Jesus echoed this sentiment of God’s eternal communion when He prayed to the Father: “And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.” John 17:5.

God’s decision to create humankind, fully aware that many would reject Him, is best understood in the context of His sovereign nature, His perfect love expressed in free will, and His provision of redemption through Christ. While not all will choose Him, the invitation remains open to all.

God has done that we humans can never fully understand for the simple reason that God has not told us why He has done them. Or, perhaps He has told us, but His answer does not give all the details that our human curiosity might wish. Moses well understood this idea when he wrote: “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which have been revealed belong to us and our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law” (Deuteronomy 29:29). Some things God tells us; some things He does not.

When we approach the question of why God created humans, we find ourselves dealing with a question for which God has not provided an extensive answer. The simple answer given in the Bible is that God created humans, as well as the rest of creation, by His will and for His glory.

Revelation 4:11 declares: “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.” 

The fact that God does not need humans to “help” Him is also reflected in Psalm 50:10-12 : “For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills. I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are mine. If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof.” This passage is certainly not suggesting that God would actually get hungry. On the contrary, it is implying that God would never need anything from His Creation.

God created humans “for His glory and are also designed to enjoy God’s glory and find their own completeness in it. Herein lies the purpose of human existence to live blissfully perfect, receiving God’s goodness and to give him glory for eternity. God declared: “Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.” Isaiah 43:7 God chose to create us, He endowed us with meaning and importance by creating us in His image. God created humans to live a blissfully happy life receiving His glory and responding in turn to the gift of His glory. It is a perfect positive feedback loop of humans receiving God’s glory, responding with obedience and praise, and being complete and fulfilled by their reception of God’s glory as well as by their proper response to it.

God’s Desire for All to Be Saved.

God’s creation of humanity is presented throughout the Word of God, the Bible, as an intentional act of love and purpose. “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.” Genesis 1:27 Humanity’s unique position in bearing God’s image (the Imago Dei) speaks to dignity, intelligence, moral capacity, and the ability to relate to the Creator. Yet this creation, by definition, includes the capacity to choose between good and evil. The knowledge that some would forsake Him does not negate His purposeful act of creation, but rather sets the stage for genuine, freely given worship and love.

Human beings remain responsible for their choices. God’s knowledge does not remove genuine human responsibility – God’s foreknowledge does not necessitate a coercion of human decisions.

Throughout the Bible, God presents humanity with choices: It is in this light that the possibility of rejecting God-and thus separating oneself from Him-is part of a divinely established framework granting creatures the real capacity to embrace or refuse their Creator.

“I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: “ Deuteronomy 30:19. Jesus’ statement in Matthew 7:13-14 about the narrow and wide paths included the idea that His listeners had the ability “to enter” whichever path they chose. Joshua underscored this idea of choice when he declared to the Israelites, “And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:15

Any person who goes to the Lake of Fire will have consciously made the decision to be there. As atheist Dan Barker so clearly stated: “Speaking for myself, if the biblical heaven and hell exist, I would choose hell” (Godless, page 170 ).

“Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.” Isaiah 45:22

“…I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die,…” Eze33:11

God allows people to choose their final destiny and He wants all men to choose to be saved. He sent His Son as a sacrifice for sin to demonstrate His love, to dissuade people from choosing hell and to persuade them to choose heaven. It is not God’s desire for anyone to perish: the Bible testifies that God “For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.” 1 Timothy 2:3-4 This reveals the divine heart toward humanity, emphasising that individuals who end up in Hell do so because of willful, persistent rejection of God’s grace.

Each verse here has illuminated God’s heart, revealing His desire for everyone to experience the joy of salvation. These evidences witness about God’s character and His desire that no one be lost but that all may come to salvation.

“For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.” Ezekiel 18:32

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.” John 5:24

“Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord God: and not that he should return from his ways, and live?” Ezekiel 18:23

“I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:” Deuteronomy 30:19

“…Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin.” Isaiah 55:6b

“Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.” Isaiah 55:7

“And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.” John 6:40

“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” 2 Pet 3:9

“Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.” 1 Tim 2:4

“Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.” Acts 3:19

“But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me love death.” Proverbs 8:36

“Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord God. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin.” Ezekiel 18:30

“For he doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men.” Lamentations 3:33

“Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.” Acts 3:19

“In that ye provoke me unto wrath with the works of your hands, burning incense unto other gods in the land of Egypt, whither ye be gone to dwell, that ye might cut yourselves off,”  Jeremiah 44:8a

“Thus saith the Lord God; Repent, and turn yourselves from your idols; and turn away your faces from all your abominations.” Ezekiel 14:6

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” John 3:16-18

The Relationship Between Justice and Mercy

Key to this topic is balancing divine love and divine justice. Sin, as described in Romans 3:23 is a universal reality (“all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”), and its consequence is separation from the Holy God (“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:23. God’s justice requires sin to be dealt with, while His mercy provides a path of redemption through Christ’s sacrifice. Those who accept this sacrifice are reconciled to God; those who reject it remain outside His forgiveness.

The Lake of Fire as a Consequence.

Human Choice and Divine Sovereignty in Harmony.

Although our finite minds wrestle with the interplay of divine sovereignty and human freedom, the Bible demonstrates that both are realities that function in full harmony. God says in Daniel 4:35 “And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?” John 3:16  says “whoever believes” to receive eternal life. These fail to conflict when we view them through the lens of God’s infinite knowledge and moral governance, wherein He sovereignly creates a world in which human decisions truly matter.

The Bible reveals a Creator who is both loving and just, giving life and opportunity for repentance to every person. The Lake of Fire underscores the seriousness of sin and the sincerity of free will. Yet the overarching message remains one of hope: God provides a path of redemption and yearns for humanity to choose life in Christ.

“Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God…” (1 Peter 3:18). This heartbeat of the gospel is the ultimate answer. Rather than allowing foreknowledge of eternal separation to nullify creation, God in His wisdom made a way for salvation through the cross and resurrection, extending the invitation of eternal life to every human being who will believe.

CONCLUSION

There is no possible way for our finite human minds to fully understand all the reasons behind why God created humans. This is a mysterious aspect of God’s providence; in the balance of his providence, God is holding a lot of things together: freedom to choose and love, human dignity. There is however enough information about God and humans for us to reason properly to some extent why God created humans. Actual choices are necessary for actual freedom. And freedom is necessary for there to be love. God has given every responsible person an equal opportunity to choose heaven – in fact the Bible presents a completely consistent picture of God’s moral perfection in regard to His choice to create humans.

We leave the unknown to infinite God as we are finite. The fact remains for those of us who have a choice, (let’s leave out the baby in the fetus who’s aborted, etc) God gave us the decision to make a choice as to our eternal destiny. What then is your option? We can either believe in Him or don’t believe. We can’t accommodate Him to your own thinking. God says He has no pleasure of the death of the wicked as He had been made abundantly clear

In light of these truths, every person is invited to respond:

• Recognise that the offer of salvation is genuine. He continually holds out the promise of forgiveness.

• Reflect on passages like 2 Corinthians 5:20, which urges, “Be reconciled to God.” The very existence of this plea shows that humans can accept or reject God’s grace.

Conclusion

God’s decision to create humankind, fully aware that many would reject Him, is best understood in the context of His sovereign nature, His perfect love expressed in free will, and His provision of redemption through Christ. While not all will choose Him, the invitation remains open to all. The reality of the Lake of Fire reveals the gravity of rejecting the Source of all goodness, yet it also demonstrates God’s respect for genuine moral agency of free choice. In the end, Scripture presents a consistent picture of a Creator who, from the foundation of the world, had a redemptive plan in place, longing that people would embrace eternal life rather than perish.

“Whoever believes in Him is not condemned” (John 3:18). Even from the vantage of divine omniscience, God’s heart toward humanity is mercy, underscoring that such foreknowledge does not override the freedom He grants us to choose Him – a freedom that highlights both His justice and His astounding love.

Dr. Cheong Kok Weng

May 31, 2025