Author: MacArthur, John
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Rick Shrader‘s Review:
John MacArthur’s name is on this 2026 book, but either he dictated this, preached this, or somehow previously wrote it, or someone else penned the words after his death. That is not explained. That said, this is a short (25 pages) but good book on hell. It answers many common questions about the reality of hell, the character of hell, the eternal nature of hell, and others.
MacArthur even writes that a person will be in hell for rejecting the gospel. “Conversely, the others who squander their exposure to divine revelation by rejecting the gospel will receive strict judgment that corresponds to their degree of exposure to and defense of the truth” (p. 21). “It’s a far severer hell that awaits those who knew the gospel yet rejected it” (p. 22). “This is why we must preach the gospel, which includes the message that everyone who rejects Christ will go to hell” (p. 25). Several other similar statements could be quoted. I recommend the book for this reason. But I have a caveat.
The unspoken truth about MacArthur’s view is seen in many of his other books (see especially The Doctrines of Grace and his discussion on the lost being so dead in sin that they cannot respond at all to the gospel without first being elect). MacArthur is right but he isn’t saying (in this book) all he believes. People will go to hell because they have not believed the gospel. But he believed lost people were not elect and therefore when they sinned, they were left in sin due to their non-election which was decided from the foundation of the world. They are now so dead in sin they cannot respond to the gospel unless God first regenerates them (and He only regenerates those previously elected), “No one chooses to believe the gospel until God calls and regenerates him” (The Doctrines of Grace, 180). In addition, MacArthur taught that the non-elect in hell are there for God’s glory. “The entrance of sin into the world was necessary so that God could manifest His wrath and His judgment because they are as much elements of God’s glory as any other aspect of His nature. God allowed sin to exist so that He might display His holy wrath. No sin, no wrath. No wrath, no revelation of the full nature of God’s glory” (The Doctrines of Grace, p. 72). “Even after these arguments, you may be asking, ‘Why does God need to punish sin at all? Does he have to send people to hell?’ The answer to this begins with the character of God–His glory and honor are manifest in the punishment of the wicked. Because He is holy, absolutely righteous, and just, He must punish sin–and in doing so, He glorifies Himself” (The Truth about Hell, p. 14-15). This is partially correct. God does righteously punish sin. But to say that they are punished for not accepting the gospel when you believe that the lost cannot believe the gospel without being chosen by God is misleading at best.