Why do people who do some good go to Hell?

Answer:

I must disagree with your answer. Everyone is not born sinful. It is a common myth among the denominations, but it is not something that is taught in the Bible.

"Truly, this only I have found: that God made man upright, but they have sought out many schemes" (Ecclesiastes 7:29).

Thus, we learn that people are born sinless, but become sinful as they grow up. This truth is further emphasized by Ezekiel 18. In the first part of the chapter, God shows that sin is an individual's responsibility. He summarizes His points by stating, "The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not bear the guilt of the father, nor the father bear the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself" (Ezekiel 18:20). Since a son cannot inherit the guilt of his father, Seth did not inherit the guilt of Adam. Sin is not passed on genetically.

The core problem is understanding exactly what sin is. "Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness" (I John 3:4). Sinfulness is a state reached when an individual breaks a command of God. It is something a person causes to happen, not something that is placed upon him.

The Bible teaches that, outside of Christ, all men sin. Not because we are born already in a sinful state. The Bible teaches, by a straightforward declaration, that everyone ultimately breaks God's law. "Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned -- for until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come" (Romans 5:12-14). Death did not spread through mankind because everyone inherited Adam's sin; it spread because everyone, independently, has sinned. We know that Adam's sin was not spread to everyone because Paul said some did not sin as Adam did.

For another explanation, see "Are Babies Born Sinners?"

This universal problem of men choosing to sin leads to a difficulty. God wants everyone to be saved (I Timothy 2:4), but the just punishment of sin is death (Romans 6:23). How can God fairly save people from the mess they have made of their own lives without violating His nature?

God's answer was to send His Son into the world. He lived a perfect life as a man. He did not sin (Hebrews 4:15), which is another proof that people are not born sinful. Thus, he became the perfect sacrifice, able to redeem all sinners of the world. However, this forgiveness is not given automatically. People must choose it by yielding to God's terms. See What Must I Do to be Saved?"

The important thing about God's plan is that it is not based on how good or how wicked you once were.

"But if the wicked man turns from all his sins which he has committed and observes all My statutes and practices justice and righteousness, he shall surely live; he shall not die. All his transgressions which he has committed will not be remembered against him; because of his righteousness which he has practiced, he will live. Do I have any pleasure in the death of the wicked," declares the Lord GOD, "rather than that he should turn from his ways and live? But when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness, commits iniquity and does according to all the abominations that a wicked man does, will he live? All his righteous deeds which he has done will not be remembered for his treachery which he has committed and his sin which he has committed; for them he will die" (Ezekiel 18:21-24).

God looks at who you are and not at who you used to be. Thus, it doesn't matter if a man was once a murderer. If he leaves his murderous ways and follows the Lord, then his past is forgiven. It is not his "good" that saves him. It is Jesus who saves him based on his willingness to submit to Christ. However, the opposite is also true. A generally good man is not saved if he leaves the path of righteousness to commit evil and remains unrepentant.

People often see this as "unfair." They want the benefit of being forgiven of past wrongs, but they want any good that they might have done to be permanently on their record. How much good is good enough to cover a person's sins? In God's eyes, all sin is a debt beyond anyone's ability to pay. Only God can pay that debt, and he did when Jesus died on the cross. All He asks of us is to let go of our sins and follow Him. When a person turns back to sin, fairness demands that God treat him the same way -- looking at who he is and not at who he was.

"Yet you say, 'The way of the Lord is not right.' Hear now, O house of Israel! Is My way not right? Is it not your ways that are not right? When a righteous man turns away from his righteousness, commits iniquity and dies because of it, for his iniquity which he has committed he will die. Again,  when a wicked man turns away from his wickedness which he has committed and practices justice and righteousness, he will save his life. Because he considered and turned away from all his transgressions which he had committed, he shall surely live; he shall not die. But the house of Israel says, 'The way of the Lord is not right.' Are My ways not right, O house of Israel? Is it not your ways that are not right? Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, each according to his conduct," declares the Lord GOD. "Repent and turn away from all your transgressions, so that iniquity may not become a stumbling block to you. Cast away from you all your transgressions which you have committed and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! For why will you die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies," declares the Lord GOD. "Therefore, repent and live" (Ezekiel 18:25-32).