Beware: Hell exists

Just as President Obama wants to change what it means to be American, controversial author Rob Bell wants to change what it means to be Christian. The cover story for the Easter Week edition of Time magazine is about Mr. Bell’s book, “Love Wins.” Mr. Bell, perhaps the most widely known of a group of young, supposedly evangelical writers who emphasize love and dismiss the traditional view of judgment/retribution (referred to in Christian circles as “hell) has prompted nationwide discussions about the very meaning of Christianity.

Chris Matthews devoted a segment of his Palm Sunday show to a discussion of the issue with four non-theologian journalists/writers. Mr. Matthews asked if Mr. Bell’s theories weren’t necessary in light of the decline in church membership enabling ministers to cash in on today’s “you deserve it” attitudes. Andrew Sullivan agreed with Mr. Bell and explained, “Hell is simply the refusal to accept the love of God, and heaven is the ability to open your heart to God and let His love in.” Norah O'Donnell, though, thought the concept of hell helped keep us “on the straight and narrow.”

While most commentators freely shared their ignorance of basic Christian teaching without any inhibition, the Time magazine cover story (written by Jon Meacham, formerly of Newsweek magazine and a theology student in his undergraduate days) acknowledges from the outset that Mr. Bell’s views contradict traditional Christianity. Others are not as aware of what is at stake in Mr. Bell’s “soft” rhetoric about “love.”

My Baptist position, which some would consider extreme, is that “Hell” is the human’s natural condition and that the “god of this world,” Satan, is its ruler.

To avoid it? Well, the New Testament teaches that Jesus preached that “No man cometh unto the Father but by me.” That means that faith in Christ is the key to avoiding Hell and spending eternity with God the Father. Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross paid the price for us, if we will only accept His gift.

As for those who never heard of Jesus or do not “get” His message, the Lord may not necessarily shut that person out. The psalmist wrote that “The Lord has compassion on ALL he has made.”

You really didn't answer any of my questions. I'm really interested in the third question.

Will those in heaven feel pity for their friends and loved ones in hell?

You see, I have listened to and read Christian apologeticists for over three decades. Many of their arguments are thoughtful and almost convincing to me.

But the wall that separates me from Christianity is the fact that if that faith is true, both my loving agnostic parents are at this moment suffering infinite agonies.

And those agonies are eternal.

I do not desire the love of a God whose response to honest doubt is unceasing, unrelenting punishment.

I’ll see your “honest doubt” and raise you “honest faith”.

May I try to address your question?

First of all, God is absolutely perfect. He is without any blemish or defect. He is holy, perfect in His goodness and righteousness. He is the purest peace and the Trinity is perfect relationship and perfect oneness. He wants and has always wanted a perfect relationship with us. It’s us who embraced sin and messed it up for ourselves.

And God abhors sin.

There is and can be no place for sin anywhere near God because of his holiness, so when sin enters the picture there can be no closeness, no proximity of the sinner to God. Thankfully, he provided a way for us to regain that closeness, proximity and relationship even through we are sinners. By coming HIMSELF to make amends for us.

Ask yourself this. If you were a parent of say, 2 or 3 children and because you are a sinner a judge pronounced judgement on you for your sins and faults by saying all could be square again but you must chose one child to sacrifice, but that’s the deal take it or leave it. Would you choose one of your children.....not likely. Most parents would offer themselves up to save their children and this is precisely what God has done through Jesus. Immanuel...God among us.

And it’s us that demanded free-choice from God, we demanded our independence yet then we get angry with the God who loves us enough to give it to us. God doesn’t want to see any one of his people not able to be in relationship to him. Yet, he does and will respect our choice about the matter.

Is there a lake of fire? I don’t know. But if eternity means being separated from God, ....I believe there may as well be.

I understand your concerns about your parents, I have the same concern about my father and can only hope that he was wise enough before his death to come to Christ. It gets harder all the time to see friends and loved ones die and not know.

Take care.

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