Christian Universalist FAQ > Did Jesus Die to Save Us From Hell?

Didn't Jesus Die to Save Us From Eternal Hell?

by Eric Stetson

Josh M. asked Eric by email (April 20, 2005):

How can you call yourself a Christian and at the same time say that hell doesn't exist! Being a Christian is accepting and believing the fact that Christ, through death took your place in hell, suffered for you, covered over your multitude of sins with his own blood. If hell doesn't exist, then what did Jesus even come for, why did he go through so much suffering if there was no hell. He did it because he wanted to save us from hell, so that we could live forever with Him in paradise, but since there is no hell, why did he do it. How can you believe Jesus is who he says he is and not believe in hell, hell is the essential reason Christ died, but if there is no hell, we don't need Christ to save us, therefore we don't need him.

The Christian faith is based on the fact that Christ came to die for our sins and afterward rose from the dead. This act saved us from sin which would have condemned us to hell, but if there was no hell then Jesus didn't save us at all, He just came and meaninglessly died. So if his death was meaningless then how can he be savior, if has not The savior then what makes us different from unsaved. To be a Christian is to believe that you were saved from hell. Without hell we don't need God.

In your paper that your wrote you talk about God being a savior "The truth is, Jesus Christ never taught eternal torment for anyone God has created, no matter how sinful or misguided they may be. On the contrary, he taught that he is the savior of all people," but I ask you this, how is he a savior, what did he save us from if hell isn't real, think about it I strongly encourage you to read Romans.

Hello Josh,

You raise an important question. However, I think it's sad that anyone would say, "Without hell we don't need God." What a narrow view of God, human life, and the universe! As if the only reason God exists is so that He can either torture people for eternity or else spare them from such torture.

As for Jesus, we still need him even though he died for our sins. Jesus Christ came to earth for many reasons, only one of which was to die. He also came to live, to teach people how to live a life of service to God and their fellow man, and to heal people of sicknesses and free people from their demons and help them see the Light of truth when they were living in darkness.

Anyway, I decided to write an article in response to some of the concerns you raised. There is a very good alternative explanation for why Jesus had to die on the cross that has nothing to do with hell. Below is my article which explains it.

Peace in Christ,
Eric

God's Love Can Never Fail: The True Meaning of the Cross of Christ

Why did Jesus Christ have to die on the cross, if there is no eternal hell for sinners and unbelievers? This is perhaps the single most important question that Christian Universalists must answer. Many Christians believe that Jesus's sacficicial death enables God to forgive the sins of those who believe in him -- but those who do not hold the correct beliefs about Christ in this lifetime can never be forgiven, and must eternally remain separated from God in hell. If there is no good reason why Jesus had to be crucified other than to allow people to escape damnation, then perhaps God really does condemn non-Christians to burn forever in the torments of hell.

Fortunately, there is a good reason for the cross of Christ other than what fundamentalists teach. And this alternative explanation can even be found in the Bible. The reason for the crucifixion of Jesus Christ is that it proves that God's love is unfailing and conquers all evil. The cross is not a dividing line, permanently excluding some people from the love of their Creator. No, the cross is a ladder to heaven through which all people may eventually return to the Father who sent His Son, Lord Jesus, into our world. ....

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