Love Wins So Hell Must Not Exist
Rob Bell’s new book accompanied by his video introducing its contents has gotten a lot of attention in the Church-world leading up to its March 29th release.
If Rob Bell is anything he is a master of story telling, and he is seemingly a master of marketing. I’m pretty sure this book could be his best selling of all because those who think they will disagree with his conclusions are as likely to buy it as those who think that they will agree.
I enjoy reading Rob Bell, but not because he will validate a view. Instead I enjoy reading his books because he is willing to ask compelling questions and make compelling cases to support his views. He makes me think. In the end, this book will compel me to dig into the scriptures and look to see if it is possible that a loving God could not only allow people to go to Hell, but could create such a place to begin with.
It’s a great question. It’s one that should be wrestled with, and I hope that regardless of Rob’s conclusions people will be led into the truth by the Holy Spirit.
Personally, I believe that Hell is as much of a state of being as it is a place. It is the state of being in the presence of a Holy, Glorious, Righteous, and Loving God without the protection of the blood of Jesus Christ. I would think that to be a terrible moment that could lead to an eternal state of misery. The fact that all of those who may choose to enter into God’s presence unprotected and are gathered into one place called Hell is far less the terrible thought for me.
What about you? Have you ever wondered if God might really send people to Hell?
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The wrath of God is definitely something that we want to ignore and while some fail to see it in the New Testament they are ignoring what happened at the cross. Hell is real. I’m not arguing that fact here. People will be there. If Bell comes out on the side that no one will be there, then he would be ignoring Biblical testimony to the contrary and would in fact be minimizing what had to take place to provide a way out. If God was willing to pour out His wrath on His sinless Son, then I doubt, in the midst of our rebellion, we’d fare any better.
Thanks for making me think, Robert. I started the chronological reading of the Bible on Jan. 1st (my first time through), so that puts me roughly in the Numbers/Deuteronomy area, where I have seen that the Wrath of God is very real, and something that probably has no bounds, just like His Love. While I struggle with the understanding that God sends people to hell who strive to be good, but simply don’t know Jesus (especially those who haven’t had the opportunity to even deny Jesus), I also know that God can seemingly be persuaded from His Wrath through righteous prayer and petition, and that in itself is comforting, and even more reason to strive for righteousness through Him…