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If Jesus spent three days in hell to pay for our sins, why would people need to go there to pay for their own sins?

The question wonders whether Jesus' sacrifice was enough.  Did he pay for our sins by going to hell and, if so, why would people need to go there to pay for those sins again?  It sounds like a double payment or Jesus' death was not enough.

First of all, Jesus didn't go to hell.

The Apostles Creed states, in one of its lines, "He was crucified, dead and buried. He descended into hell."

The proper translation of that word HELL is HADES, which means "grave." He was put/lowered/descended into the grave.  The Apostle's Creed is not scripture, but because of that mistranslation, we commonly believe that Jesus went to hell for three days.  That's never stated in the Bible.

Second, going to hell didn't pay for our sins. 

Jesus' death on the cross was the blood payment of death for our sins.  Going to the grave proved he was dead. (If you were in the grave for three days, you were REALLY dead.)  His death was sufficient and more than paid for the sins of all people for all time.
                                                                  
When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.  Colossians 2:13-14

Third, the payment for our sins isn’t automatic.

It has to be accepted.  People want their sins forgiven, but they don't want the burden of following God and adjusting their lives to him to live more sin-free.  If you truly want forgiveness, you will want the relationship with God for eternity.

Jesus' death on the cross more than paid for our sins. 

However, if you don't accept that payment which comes with a relationship with Christ, then you will have to pay for your sins forever in hell. 

That's how big the debt is that needs to be paid.  That's how valuable Christ's death on the cross means to us.

So Jesus did not go to hell, nor did he need to.  His death on the cross paid for our sins.  Any appearance in hell was not necessary.

See more about this: http://www.reasonhope.com/2011/12/did-jesus-go-to-hell.html