“If God is All-Knowing, Why Does He Let People Go To Hell?”

“Divine foreknowledge doesn't cancel human choice- it makes it more meaningful”

On a call with my friend and he asked my thoughts on a question, “If God is all-knowing, why does He let people go to hell?”

This question- one that sat in my drafts for the longest because even I wasn't sure.

What makes the question unsettling isn’t just hell - it’s responsibility.

If God knows everything, then where does that leave us?

Are our choices real, or are we simply acting out what has already been written?

Sitting with that tension forced me to slow down. Not to find a neat answer, but to breathe in the mystery of a God who knows all — and still chooses to invite us to choose.

It provoked a thought in my head. There is a contradiction between God’s omniscience and humans’ free will.

It led me to reflect on God’s nature, human free will, and the story of Judas.

God’s omniscience seems to imply a level of predetermination. However, the Bible also emphasizes human free will, saying that our choices have consequences. In the case of Judas, God knew but still gave Judas the choice to do so. Time and time again, God warned him. In the case of Peter, we see Godly sorrow that led to repentance.

Unlike in the case of Judas, we see condemnation lead to his death.

The contrast between both men highlights the importance of our choices. Both made mistakes, but their responses were different.

While God is sovereign, He still gives us the freedom to choose. This means our choices have consequences, and we are responsible for them. At the same time, God’s sovereignty means that He can use our choices to accomplish His purpose. In the case of Judas, his betrayal of Jesus brought about crucifixion, which was part of God’s plan for salvation.

Reflecting on Judas and Peter reminds me that God’s knowledge does not cancel our agency. Knowing is not forcing. Foreseeing is not controlling. God stands outside time, yet He steps into relationship.

Hell, then, is not God delighting in punishment - but God honoring choice. A choice to receive grace, or to reject it. A choice between godly sorrow that leads to repentance, and condemnation that isolates and destroys.

I don’t claim to have a complete answer. I don’t think this question is meant to be solved cleanly. But I am learning this: God is just, God is loving, and God is patient - and our response to Him matters.

This is where my thoughts currently rest- but I’m still curious. What do you think?