Question: How do I recognise and accept that I'm a guilty sinner deserving of hell forever and there's nothing I can do to save myself because I'm struggling to accept this?

Answer: Thank you for your inquiry.  Before we can rightly understand sin and our need for salvation, we must first have a true understanding of who God is—in the splendor of His holiness, majesty, and absolute perfection. When we see God rightly, we will see why sinful man cannot stand in His presence apart from His grace.

1. God is Absolutely Holy and Glorious
The Bible presents God as infinitely holy—set apart, pure, and glorious beyond measure. His holiness means that He is totally distinct from sin and cannot tolerate it in His presence.

-- Exodus 15:11 – "Who is like you, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?"
-- Isaiah 6:3 – "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!"
-- Revelation 4:8 – "And the four living creatures... never cease to say, ‘Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!’"

To say God is holy is to say He is utterly unlike us. He is perfect in righteousness, purity, and justice. No creature can stand in His presence apart from His mercy.

2. God’s Presence is a Consuming Fire
God’s holiness is not just a passive attribute—it is an active, consuming reality that no sinful creature can endure.

-- Hebrews 12:29 – "For our God is a consuming fire."
-- Exodus 33:20 – "You cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live."
-- Leviticus 10:1-2 – When Aaron’s sons offered unauthorized fire before the Lord, "fire came out from before the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord."

Just as a man cannot approach the sun without being consumed by its blazing heat, sinful humans cannot approach the holiness of God without being destroyed. The very nature of His righteousness demands that sin be judged.

3. Even the Holiest Beings Tremble Before Him
Even the greatest and most exalted creatures—seraphim and angels—cover their faces before God’s majesty.

-- Isaiah 6:1-5 – The prophet Isaiah, upon seeing a vision of the Lord high and lifted up, said:
-- "Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!"

Isaiah, though a prophet and a righteous man, was utterly undone in the presence of God’s holiness. He saw his own sinfulness only when he saw the holiness of God.

-- Job 42:5-6 – After encountering the majesty of God, Job declared:
"I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you; therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes."

Even the greatest saints and prophets felt utterly unworthy before the splendor of God’s holiness.

4. Sinful Man Cannot Stand Before a Holy God
If even angels cover their faces before God, and prophets like Isaiah and Job tremble before Him, how can sinful humans possibly stand in His presence?

-- Habakkuk 1:13 – "You who are of purer eyes than to see evil and cannot look at wrong..."
-- Psalm 5:4-5 – "For you are not a God who delights in wickedness; evil may not dwell with you. The boastful shall not stand before your eyes; you hate all evildoers."
-- Nahum 1:6 – "Who can stand before his indignation? Who can endure the heat of his anger? His wrath is poured out like fire, and the rocks are broken into pieces by him."

God’s holiness means He cannot and will not ignore sin. He cannot simply "sweep it under the rug"—His very nature demands that He judge it with absolute justice.

5. Without a Mediator, We Would Be Destroyed
Because of God’s holiness and our sinfulness, we need a mediator—one who can stand in the presence of God on our behalf.

-- 1 Timothy 2:5 – "For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus."
-- Hebrews 9:24 – "For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf."
-- Romans 8:1 – "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."

If we try to approach God on our own merits, we will be consumed. But through Jesus Christ, we can stand before God clothed in His righteousness, rather than our sin.

Conclusion: See God’s Holiness Before You See Your Sin
The first step in understanding our guilt is understanding God’s holiness. The more clearly we see who God is, the more clearly we will see who we are in contrast.

We are not just slightly flawed people in need of improvement—we are rebels against a holy God.

We do not just need better morals—we need a Mediator who can shield us from the consuming fire of God's holiness.

We do not just need forgiveness—we need a righteousness that comes from outside of us—Jesus Christ’s righteousness alone.

The right response to seeing God’s holiness is to humble ourselves, confess our sin, and cling to Christ. Only in Him can we stand before the Holy One without fear.

"Woe is me! For I am lost!" (Isaiah 6:5)
"Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29)

Challenge:

The Law of God is not just a set of moral guidelines—it is the perfect standard of righteousness. To be right before God on our own, we would have to obey every single command perfectly, without fail.

-- Deuteronomy 27:26 – "Cursed be anyone who does not confirm the words of this law by doing them. And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’"

-- James 2:10 – "For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it."

Here is my challnge to you: Read through Deuteronomy and Matthew 5–7 and ask yourself: Have I obeyed every single command without fail?" The answer, of course, will be no—and that realization should lead to conviction of sin. Many people think they are "good enough" for heaven because they haven't committed major sins like murder or adultery. But in Matthew 5–7, Jesus exposes the heart of the Law—showing that sin is not just about outward actions, but about our inner thoughts, desires, and attitudes.

After reading and trying to obey these commands, do you now see your inability to meet God's perfect standard? If so, where does that leave you? Once you see the impossibility of keeping the Law, you should be pointed to the only solution—Jesus Christ, who kept the Law perfectly on behalf of sinners and died to take the punishment we deserve.

-- Romans 5:19 – "For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous."
-- 2 Corinthians 5:21 – "For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."

The Law wounds, but the Gospel heals.  Trust in Jesus Christ today and you will live.