Hell

Methodist theology affirms the reality of eternal judgment and hell for those who reject God's grace and die without repentance and faith. Wesley clearly taught that God's universal offer of grace, if persistently rejected, leads to just condemnation. The Methodist confessional documents, following the Anglican Articles, affirm the final judgment and the differentiated outcomes for the righteous and the wicked. Universal atonement does not mean universalism — the fact that Christ died for all does not guarantee that all will be saved.

Within the broadly inclusive United Methodist Church, progressive theologians have explored universalist positions, and the official doctrinal standards do not define the precise nature of hell in detail. However, the mainstream Methodist confessional tradition has consistently affirmed that the possibility of eternal loss is real and that the Gospel call to repentance and faith is urgent precisely because of this. Wesley's preaching was deeply motivated by the urgency of warning people away from eternal condemnation.