Live Free with Josh Howerton
Episode: How can a LOVING God send people to HELL!?
Date: March 23, 2026
Host: Lakepointe Church
Guests: Carlos Arazo, Pastor Paul Cunningham

Overview

This episode tackles one of the most challenging theological and emotional questions: "How can a loving God send people to hell?" Pastor Josh Howerton, along with Carlos Arazo and Pastor Paul Cunningham, break down scriptural teaching, historical doctrines, and common misconceptions about hell, the afterlife, and God's justice. The conversation weaves together biblical exegesis, practical implications for evangelism, and responses to both classic and modern objections. The episode is characterized by candid, sometimes fiery conversation, a sense of evangelical urgency, and passionate defense of biblical orthodoxy.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Justice, Evangelism, and Christian Engagement in Culture

Timestamps: 00:00–08:52

• The episode opens with a provocative comparison: society accepts criminals going to jail but rails against the idea of sinners facing eternal punishment.
  • "People don't have any problem saying that people convicted of a crime should go to jail, but they freak out when you talk about somebody that's guilty of sin going to hell. This is justice, man." – Josh, [00:00]
• Call to Christian engagement in public life: "If godly people don’t step into this arena, then godless people will…there is not one square inch of the universe over which Christ does not stand and cry, ‘Mine.’" – Josh, [05:30]
• Discussion of political activism and voter turnout, emphasizing that Christians must be "salt of the earth" and not stay silent on cultural issues.
  • "[T]his stuff matters because it determines the cultural inheritance we will hand to our children..." – Josh, [07:33]

2. Misconceptions About Hell and Afterlife—Biblical & Historical Context

Timestamps: 16:10–29:43, 42:57–69:52

• Explanation of "Gehenna": Jesus refers to the Valley of Ben Hinnom outside Jerusalem—a place of ancient child sacrifice then later a cursed garbage dump.
  • "It’s a place that’s unholy. There’s no worship… and there was fires and death there. And Jesus is going—it’s like that." – Josh, [25:26]
• Language in Scripture: Some biblical references to hell are metaphorical, but regardless, metaphors point to a reality more intense, not less.
• The "intermediate state": Most Christians misunderstand the afterlife's timing. After death and before final judgment, souls exist in an intermediate state—"Abraham's bosom" (for the righteous) and "Hades"/Sheol (for the unrighteous). Final destinations (new heaven/new earth and lake of fire) occur after Christ’s return (Revelation 20–21).
  • "There is no such thing as soul sleep…to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord..." – Josh, [29:04]

3. Historical Doctrinal Views on Hell

Timestamps: 41:34–61:47

Paul reviews four main Christian views plus the Catholic concept of purgatory:

1. Eternal Conscious Torment (ECT)

• The historic, majority view: Unbelievers consciously suffer eternally. Supported by passages like Matthew 25, Revelation 20, 2 Thessalonians 1.
• "All who don't repent and believe in Jesus suffer consciously, forever... if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire." – Paul, [44:26]

2. Annihilationism/Conditionalism

• The belief that the unsaved will ultimately cease to exist after judgment; historically rare and mostly recent (~1800s), especially in British evangelicalism.
• "[They] will simply cease to exist… this view is extraordinarily rare.” – Paul, [47:49]
• Addressed as a major theological error, but generally not outright heresy.

3. Generic Universalism (Heresy):

• "All are saved regardless of Jesus." Church history and scripture condemn this view.
• "If you don't believe in hell, you don't understand the cross..." – Carlos, [53:13]

4. Christian Universalism (Heresy):

• "All are saved because of Jesus (eventually everyone repents, even from hell)."
• No biblical support for post-mortem universal repentance or "postmortem evangelism."

5. Purgatory (Catholic View):

• A "hell-adjacent" state for believers to complete sanctification before heaven.
• “Not one verse in your Bible… even alludes to the concept of purgatory.” – Josh, [63:26]
• Originates from apocryphal writings, not canon; is at odds with the "It is finished" (tetelestai) statement by Jesus on the cross.

Notable Quote:

• "When Jesus hung on the cross…He did not cry, 'It is almost finished.' He cried out, 'It is finished.'" – Josh, [67:34]

4. The Rich Man and Lazarus: Parabolic Meaning and Social Context

Timestamps: 32:30–37:01

• Parable’s layers: Potentially a prophetic warning aimed at the high priests' family (Annas, Caiaphas), who were powerful, wealthy, and opposed Jesus.
  • "Some people think…this parable is a public prophetic warning to the most powerful and corrupt religious family in Israel." – Carlos, [35:47]

5. Evangelistic Urgency & The Weight of Eternity

Timestamps: 39:13–41:28, 75:12–79:14

• Quoting Charles Spurgeon:
  • "If sinners will be damned, at least let them leap to hell over our bodies…let not one sinner go there unwarned and unprayed for." [39:09]
• Illustration: life’s countdown clock—each soul only has so much time, then enters eternity.

6. Common Modern Objections to Hell

Timestamps: 70:09 – 100:58 (With responses)

• "How can a loving God send people to hell?"
  God doesn’t desire anyone to perish (2 Peter 3:9), hell’s original purpose was for the devil and his angels, and God loves people sufficiently to die for them.
  • Notable line: "God did not create hell…with the intent of people ending up in hell. He created heaven... hell was for the devil and his angels." – Josh, [71:06]
• "It feels unfair!"
  The gravity of sin is measured by the greatness of the One sinned against. Hell is justice; heaven is what’s not fair ("No one has ever asked…how a just God could send me to heaven").
• "What about people who never hear the gospel?"
  Romans 1–2: God judges everyone justly and reveals himself through creation; people are judged by the knowledge they had. Missionary urgency remains.
  • "God has revealed himself in creation... Sociologists point out there has never been a civilization without religion." – Josh, [82:13]
• "Isn’t Jesus all about love/forgiveness?"
  Yes, but Jesus is also judge; he will reign over hell (Revelation 20, 14:10).
  • "Jesus is not your homeboy... the first time he came as a lamb; the second time, he comes as a lion."
• "Hell isn’t real, just a metaphor."
  Video critique of pop-spirituality/relativist takes; the team highlights the biblical and historical realities of final judgment.

Notable R.C. Sproul Clip [76:36]:

• "If I do [go to hell], I could make no just complaint against Him. I've been guilty of treason. Every time I have sinned, I have asserted my will over the will of my Creator..."
• Commentary on the souls in hell: divided between “weeping” (devastation) and “gnashing of teeth” (fury at God).

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• “Go get you one more.” (Evangelism urgency)—Josh, [40:22]
• “There is not one square inch of the universe over which Christ does not stand and cry, ‘Mine.’”—Josh, [05:30]
• On wrongly downplaying mentions of hell: “In eternity, nobody is going to be saying, man, I wish you talked less about hell now.”—Josh, [37:11]
• “Hell is where everyone gets exactly what they deserved. The place where everything is not fair is heaven.”—Josh, [75:13]
• "What beliefs will compel you to be a good, righteous, and loving man that uses his strength for a purpose greater than himself?”—Josh, [95:32]
• R.C. Sproul: "If I know anything about theology, I know that if He sent me to hell tonight, I could make no complaint against Him..."—[77:29]

Key Timestamps

• Justice and Evangelism: 00:00–08:52
• Hell in Scripture/Gehenna: 16:10–29:43
• Intermediate State Explained: 29:43–39:13
• Historical Views of Hell: 41:34–61:47
• Objections to Hell & Responses: 70:09–100:58
• R.C. Sproul’s clip (on hell’s justice): 76:36–78:35

Tone & Style

• Direct, sometimes humorous, but pastoral and urgent—heavy topics are addressed with both gravity and compassion.
• Honors the weight of biblical teaching, pushes for clarity and courage, especially when addressing cultural or theological drift.
• Socratic back-and-forth and banter among pastors, but all aimed at equipping lay Christians with sturdy, historic, and biblical answers.

Conclusion

The episode challenges listeners to confront both the reality and the urgency of hell, not as a relic of religious tradition, but as a critical truth that should inspire reverence, humility, gratitude for Christ, and a burning heart for evangelism. The team dismantles popular cultural (and some Christian) misconceptions while holding out the hope and sufficiency of Jesus’ finished work.

For Further Exploration:

• See cited episodes for deep dives into annihilationism and other doctrines (links in shownotes).
• Recommended: Reading Luke 16 (Rich Man & Lazarus), reviewing key passages (Matt 25, Rev 20–21).
• Invitation to Easter services and connection to the ongoing discipleship mechanisms at Lakepointe Church.

"Live Free, brothers and sisters."