Contrary to popular opinion, people don't go to hell because of their sins. They go to hell because they rejected the payment for their sins. They go to hell because they refused to receive the Savior.

When Christians proclaim, "If you don't quit dipping, cussing, chewing, and doing this and that, God won't accept you," you're imputing people's sins unto them. You are also demeaning and decreasing the value of Jesus' sacrifice. In reality, you're saying, "Your sin is bigger and more important than what Jesus did on the cross."

But God was in Jesus not imputing man's sins unto them. Sin isn't the issue. It's all a matter of what people are doing with Jesus. Have they made a commitment of their life to Him, or are they rejecting Him? If someone doesn't receive Jesus as their Savior, they reject the only payment available for their sins. There's no other way to the Father except through His Son.
Jesus saith unto [Thomas], I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
(John 14:6)
So if they don't accept the payment for their sins—the Lord Jesus Christ—they'll be rejected and cast into hell, not because of their sins, but because of rejecting Jesus. In hell, they'll be held accountable and have to pay for those sins. But the truth is, all those sins have already been paid for by Jesus. Therefore, sin isn't really the issue. The issue is what are you going to do with the Lord?

Receive God's Love
If you have already received the Lord Jesus Christ, then you've been born again. Sin isn't an issue. God isn't angry with you over your sin. The Lord wants you to stop focusing on sin and start receiving His love. God loves you even though you don't deserve it. He's pleased with you even though you're not pleased with yourself. If you could ever get a picture of the price Jesus paid for your sins, you'd fall head over heels in love with Him. And since faith works by love (see Gal. 5:6), your faith would shoot through the roof!

When you read the Word with this proper mindset, 1 John 5 makes much more sense.
By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
(1 John 5:2-3)
This passage is not saying, "Keep the commandments to get God to love you." It's saying, "If you understood the love of God, you'd keep His commandments. If you truly comprehended just how much Jesus loves you and the price He paid to reconcile you to God the Father, you'd serve Him more accidentally than you ever have on purpose. You'd live holier accidentally motivated by love than you ever have on purpose due to fear and dread. You'd experience a whole new joy and peace in your relationship with God that you've never had before."
God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
(2 Cor. 5:19)
This is the word that the church should be preaching. God's not angry. He's not even in a bad mood. He loves you and has paid the price for you. Receive Him. Receive His love. We shouldn't be proclaiming, "If our country doesn't repent, God's going to judge us. The wrath of God is coming!" It's simply not true. God didn't send the terrorists to kill all those people on 9/11. He didn't send all the hurricanes and tsunamis that have ruined cities and swept so many folks away. That wasn't God.

However, a time is coming when this current age of grace—the church age—will come to an end. The book of Revelation makes it very clear that there will come a time when the Lord says, "All right, that's it." At that time, those who have accepted Him will be received into joy and peace, but those who have rejected Him will suffer the wrath of God.

And when God's judgment is poured out as revealed in Revelation, nobody will wonder, Is this the wrath of God? They'll all know beyond a shadow of a doubt exactly what's happening. It'll make the devastating hurricanes that hit in 2004 and 2005 look like nothing in comparison. Nobody will be debating or guessing, "Was this the wrath of God?" They'll know it.

But right now, the grace of God is extended toward all people. We should be telling them, "God loves you!" We ought to be saying the same thing the angels sang at the announcement of Christ's arrival on earth. "Glory to God in the highest! Peace on earth from God toward men. God's not angry with you!" Isn't that good news?

Source: The War Is Over by Andrew Wommack
Excerpt permission granted by Harrison House Publishers