--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: HELL THUS NO ONE CHOOSES in the abstract…" description: "\"“HELL THUS NO ONE CHOOSES in the abstract to go to hell or even to be the kind of person who belongs there. But their orientation toward self leads the..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0db/dallas-willard-819_every-day_hell-thus-no-one-chooses-in-the-abstract_528062.png" --- # HELL THUS NO ONE CHOOSES in the abstract to go to hell or… ![“HELL THUS NO ONE CHOOSES in the abstract to go to hell or even to be the kind of person who belongs there. But their orientation toward self leads them to become the kind of person for whom away-from-God is the only place for which they are suited. It is a place they would, in the end, choose for…” quote by Dallas Willard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0db/dallas-willard-819_every-day_hell-thus-no-one-chooses-in-the-abstract_528062.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0db/dallas-willard-819_every-day_hell-thus-no-one-chooses-in-the-abstract_528062.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0db/dallas-willard-819_every-day_hell-thus-no-one-chooses-in-the-abstract_528062.png) > ““HELL THUS NO ONE CHOOSES in the abstract to go to hell or even to be the kind of person who belongs there. But their orientation toward self leads them to become the kind of person for whom away-from-God is the only place for which they are suited. It is a place they would, in the end, choose for themselves, rather than come to humble themselves before God and accept who he is. Whether or not God’s will is infinitely flexible, the human will is not. There are limits beyond which it cannot bend back, cannot turn or repent. One should seriously inquire if to live in a world permeated with God and the knowledge of God is something they themselves truly desire. If not, they can be assured that God will excuse them from his presence. They will find their place in the “outer darkness” of which Jesus spoke. But the fundamental fact about them will not be that they are there, but that they have become people so locked into their own self-worship and denial of God that they cannot want God. A well-known minister of other years used to ask rhetorically, “You say you will accept God when you want to?” And then he would add, “How do you know you will be able to want to when you think you will?” The ultimately lost person is the person who cannot want God. Who cannot want God to be God. Multitudes of such people pass by every day, and pass into eternity. The reason they do not find God is that they do not want him or, at least, do not want him to be God. Wanting God to be God is very different from wanting God to help me.”” [Dallas Willard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallas-willard/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human self‑orientation can lead to a state where one cannot desire God, resulting in spiritual separation. **In simple terms:** Self‑centeredness blocks desire for God. Key Takeaway Recognize and humble self‑worship. Themes spirituality free‑will humility Mood reflective serious Type theological philosophical When to use this quote - personal reflection - prayer - spiritual counseling Key Concepts theology anthropology free‑will Questions to Reflect On - Do you truly desire God, or only His benefits? - How can you cultivate genuine humility? A Different Perspective Self‑worship may be deeply ingrained, making change difficult. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Knowledge of god](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knowledge-of-god/) [Lost Person](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lost-person/) ## Related quotes > [Faith means wanting God and wanting to want nothing else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brennan-manning/faith-means-wanting-god-and-wanting-to-want-nothing-else/) [Brennan Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brennan-manning/) > [“But then again, that's what the Book of Job was about to her, a cautionary tale about wanting there to be a God, wanting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-latiolais/but-then-again-that-s-what-the-book-of-job-was-about-to-her-a/) [Michelle Latiolais](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-latiolais/) > [Humility is realizing your gifts comes from God and wanting God to use those gifts in His way at His time for His will.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-krause/humility-is-realizing-your-gifts-comes-from-god-and-wanting-god-to/) [Tom Krause](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-krause/) > [Neither of us can come to either a knowledge of God, or a denial of God by our scientific research.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-coyne/neither-of-us-can-come-to-either-a-knowledge-of-god-or-a-denial-of/) [George Coyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-coyne/) > [There is knowledge of God and the spiritual nature of man, as well as other types of reality..., that are not reducible to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallas-willard/there-is-knowledge-of-god-and-the-spiritual-nature-of-man-as-well-as/) [Dallas Willard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallas-willard/) > [We Christians forget (if we ever learned) that attempts to redress real or imagined injustice by violent means are merely another exercise in denial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-berrigan/we-christians-forget-if-we-ever-learned-that-attempts-to-redress-real/) [Philip Berrigan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-berrigan/) > [The person who loves his life will lose it: it could not be otherwise, for to love one's life is a fundamental denial of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-carson/the-person-who-loves-his-life-will-lose-it-it-could-not-be-otherwise/) [D. A. Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-carson/) > [“As all men are touched by God’s love, so all are also touched by the desire for His intimacy. No one escapes this longing;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/as-all-men-are-touched-by-god-s-love-so-all-are-also-touched-by-the/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [As the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom, so the denial of God is the height of foolishness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-the-fear-of-god-is-the-beginning-of-wisdom-so-the-denial-of-god-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [More consequences for thought and action follow the affirmation or denial of God than from answering any other basic question.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mortimer-adler/more-consequences-for-thought-and-action-follow-the-affirmation-or/) [Mortimer Adler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mortimer-adler/) > [“Yet, Step 2 and AA spirituality is about nothing if it isn’t about faith in God. Many good reasons exist why AA makes a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-a/yet-step-2-and-aa-spirituality-is-about-nothing-if-it-isn-t-about/) [Ray A](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-a/) > [Sin is basically a denial of God's right of possession.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-louis-cole/sin-is-basically-a-denial-of-god-s-right-of-possession/) [Edwin Louis Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-louis-cole/) > [“Indeed, for anyone who has a genuine knowledge of God, praise is the only appropriate attitude in which to live. It is the only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallas-willard/indeed-for-anyone-who-has-a-genuine-knowledge-of-god-praise-is-the/) [Dallas Willard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallas-willard/) > [There can only be two basic loves... the love of God unto the forgetfulness of self, or the love of self unto the forgetfulness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-can-only-be-two-basic-loves-the-love-of-god-unto-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Atheist’s denial of God’s existence needs just as much substantiation as does the theist’s claim; the atheist must give plausible reasons for rejecting God’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-copan/atheist-s-denial-of-god-s-existence-needs-just-as-much-substantiation/) [Paul Copan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-copan/) ## More by Dallas Willard > [Today it is the skeptics who are the social conformists, though because of powerful intellectual propaganda they continue to enjoy thinking of themselves as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallas-willard/today-it-is-the-skeptics-who-are-the-social-conformists-though/) [Dallas Willard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallas-willard/) > [“While it is in one sense a result of God’s presence within us, the New Testament also describes a process involved in our “putting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallas-willard/while-it-is-in-one-sense-a-result-of-god-s-presence-within-us-the-new/) [Dallas Willard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallas-willard/) > ["Spirituality" wrongly understood or pursued is a major source of human misery and rebellion against God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallas-willard/spirituality-wrongly-understood-or-pursued-is-a-major-source-of-human/) [Dallas Willard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallas-willard/) > [“Sabbath is a way of life (Heb 4:3; 9-11). It is simply "casting all your anxiety on Him," to find that in actual fact…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallas-willard/sabbath-is-a-way-of-life-heb-4-3-9-11-it-is-simply-casting-all-your/) [Dallas Willard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallas-willard/) > [In many cases, our need to wonder about or be told what God wants in a certain situation is nothing short of a clear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallas-willard/in-many-cases-our-need-to-wonder-about-or-be-told-what-god-wants-in-a/) [Dallas Willard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallas-willard/) > [Discipline, strictly speaking, is activity carried on to prepare us indirectly for some activity other than itself. We do not practice the piano to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallas-willard/discipline-strictly-speaking-is-activity-carried-on-to-prepare-us/) [Dallas Willard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallas-willard/) > [“The Spirit makes Christ present to us and draws us toward his likeness. It is as we thus behold the “glory of the Lord”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallas-willard/the-spirit-makes-christ-present-to-us-and-draws-us-toward-his/) [Dallas Willard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallas-willard/) > [We are unceasing spiritual beings with an eternal destiny in God's great universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallas-willard/we-are-unceasing-spiritual-beings-with-an-eternal-destiny-in-god-s/) [Dallas Willard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallas-willard/) > [We must understand that God does not "love" us without liking us - through gritted teeth - as "Christian" love is sometimes thought to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallas-willard/we-must-understand-that-god-does-not-love-us-without-liking-us/) [Dallas Willard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallas-willard/) > [We know we can't be spiritually transformed by just focusing on the will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallas-willard/we-know-we-can-t-be-spiritually-transformed-by-just-focusing-on-the/) [Dallas Willard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallas-willard/) > [To allow lust (or strong desires) to govern our life is to exalt our will over God's.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallas-willard/to-allow-lust-or-strong-desires-to-govern-our-life-is-to-exalt-our/) [Dallas Willard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallas-willard/) > [My central claim is that we become like Christ by doing one thing-by following Him in the overall style of life He chose for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallas-willard/my-central-claim-is-that-we-become-like-christ-by-doing-one-thing-by/) [Dallas Willard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallas-willard/) > [“The aim of God in history is the creation of an all-inclusive community of loving persons, with Himself included in that community as its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallas-willard/the-aim-of-god-in-history-is-the-creation-of-an-all-inclusive/) [Dallas Willard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallas-willard/) > [The greatest issue facing the world today, with all its heartbreaking needs, is whether those who, by profession or culture, are identified as ‘Christians’…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallas-willard/the-greatest-issue-facing-the-world-today-with-all-its-heartbreaking/) [Dallas Willard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallas-willard/) > [What we can do with these means (our own unassisted strength) is still very small compared to what we could do in acting in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallas-willard/what-we-can-do-with-these-means-our-own-unassisted-strength-is-still/) [Dallas Willard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallas-willard/) [Explore all 357 Dallas Willard quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallas-willard/) ## More Every day quotes > [“Don’t allow anyone to pressure you into taking a job in a field that doesn’t feel right in your gut. You are the one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-james/don-t-allow-anyone-to-pressure-you-into-taking-a-job-in-a-field-that/) Alison James > [OBSESSED, p.p. Vexed by an evil spirit, like the Gadarene swine and other critics. Obsession was once more common than it is now. Arasthus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/obsessed-p-p-vexed-by-an-evil-spirit-like-the-gadarene-swine-and/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [I loved the game so much that even though our playing field was muddy and we had many trees on it, I used to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roberto-clemente/i-loved-the-game-so-much-that-even-though-our-playing-field-was-muddy/) [Roberto Clemente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roberto-clemente/) > [On stage, you can bring all those strong emotions that you don't have the opportunity to live. You don't want to die for love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvie-guillem/on-stage-you-can-bring-all-those-strong-emotions-that-you-don-t-have/) [Sylvie Guillem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvie-guillem/) > [A real Christian in an odd number anyway. He feels supreme love for One whom he has never seen, talks familiarly every day to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-real-christian-in-an-odd-number-anyway-he-feels-supreme-love-for/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I think naturally I've been kind of a lead-by-doing guy. Just showing up to work every day. You never ask teammates something you wouldn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terrell-suggs/i-think-naturally-i-ve-been-kind-of-a-lead-by-doing-guy-just-showing/) [Terrell Suggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terrell-suggs/) > [Love is the Key started in 1994 with a simple idea: that Love is the Key that would open all the doors in life.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/love-is-the-key/love-is-the-key-started-in-1994-with-a-simple-idea-that-love-is-the/) [Love Is The Key®](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/love-is-the-key/) > [Being under-recruited coming out of Highland, I've carried that with me. I keep pushing forward, keep working hard every day, keep my head on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-daniels/being-under-recruited-coming-out-of-highland-i-ve-carried-that-with/) [Mike Daniels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-daniels/) > [“(one would say yes, if not every day, at least fairly regularly), whether only for yourself or also for others (often only for yourself,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/italo-calvino/one-would-say-yes-if-not-every-day-at-least-fairly-regularly-whether/) [Italo Calvino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/italo-calvino/) > [“Are you sure?" he asked in a low voice. "Because if I had the chance... I would spend every moment of every day with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-monir/are-you-sure-he-asked-in-a-low-voice-because-if-i-had-the-chance-i/) [Alexandra Monir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-monir/) > [I don't think I've ever bench-pressed anything in my life. Until about two years ago I swam a mile almost every day. Then I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-antosca/i-don-t-think-i-ve-ever-bench-pressed-anything-in-my-life-until-about/) [Nick Antosca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-antosca/) > [I have to justify my job every day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-silva/i-have-to-justify-my-job-every-day/) [Marco Silva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-silva/) > [Merlin' was awesome, but the costumes would drive you insane. Every day, you'd get into chain mail and wear 30 pounds of that stuff.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-macken/merlin-was-awesome-but-the-costumes-would-drive-you-insane-every-day/) [Eoin Macken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eoin-macken/) > [This cold weather has set all the young Folks to providing Bedfellows. I have signed two or three Licences every Day \[as a Fairfax…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-mason/this-cold-weather-has-set-all-the-young-folks-to-providing-bedfellows/) [George Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-mason/) > [I work every day. Sometimes I don't accomplish anything every day, but if I don't work every day, I get depressed and get afraid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-didion/i-work-every-day-sometimes-i-don-t-accomplish-anything-every-day-but/) [Joan Didion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-didion/) Browse all 16,614 Every day quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“HELL THUS NO ONE CHOOSES in the abstract to go to hell or even to be the kind of person who belongs there. But their orientation toward self leads them to become the kind of person for whom away-from-God is the only place for which they are suited. It is a place they would, in the end, choose for themselves, rather than come to humble themselves before God and accept who he is. Whether or not God’s will is infinitely flexible, the human will is not. There are limits beyond which it cannot bend back, cannot turn or repent. One should seriously inquire if to live in a world permeated with God and the knowledge of God is something they themselves truly desire. If not, they can be assured that God will excuse them from his presence. They will find their place in the “outer darkness” of which Jesus spoke. But the fundamental fact about them will not be that they are there, but that they have become people so locked into their own self-worship and denial of God that they cannot want God. A well-known minister of other years used to ask rhetorically, “You say you will accept God when you want to?” And then he would add, “How do you know you will be able to want to when you think you will?” The ultimately lost person is the person who cannot want God. Who cannot want God to be God. Multitudes of such people pass by every day, and pass into eternity. The reason they do not find God is that they do not want him or, at least, do not want him to be God. Wanting God to be God is very different from wanting God to help me.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Dallas Willard" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallas-willard/hell-thus-no-one-chooses-in-the-abstract-to-go-to-hell-or-even-to-be/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Every day" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallas-willard/hell-thus-no-one-chooses-in-the-abstract-to-go-to-hell-or-even-to-be/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0db/dallas-willard-819_every-day_hell-thus-no-one-chooses-in-the-abstract_528062.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0db/dallas-willard-819_every-day_hell-thus-no-one-chooses-in-the-abstract_528062.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0db/dallas-willard-819_every-day_hell-thus-no-one-chooses-in-the-abstract_528062.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“HELL THUS NO ONE CHOOSES in the abstract to go to hell or even to be the kind of person who belongs there…” — Dallas Willard", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Dallas Willard", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallas-willard/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“HELL THUS NO ONE CHOOSES in...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallas-willard/hell-thus-no-one-chooses-in-the-abstract-to-go-to-hell-or-even-to-be/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallas-willard/hell-thus-no-one-chooses-in-the-abstract-to-go-to-hell-or-even-to-be/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```