I have been following with some interest the ongoing saga regarding Rob Bell's new book 'Love wins'. Although I'm not going to comment on the book, having not read it, and having read enough out there for me not to want to pay for it, it does raise a very important question.
What do I/you believe about hell?
Our understanding of Hell, and the Holy God, who created it for the devil, will help determine our response to those who are not yet saved.
Mark Driscoll within his blog post To Hell with Hell? writes this:
This is why the Bible speaks of hell as conscious, eternal punishment. One summary of the Bible’s teaching on the pain of hell says:
* Those in hell suffer intense and excruciating pain. This pain is likely both emotional/spiritual and physical (John 5:28–29).
* Hell is a fate worse than being drowned in the sea (Mark 9:42).
* It is worse than any earthly suffering—even being maimed (Matthew 5:29–30; Mark 9:43).
* The suffering never ends (Matthew 25:41; Mark 9:48).
* The wicked will be “burned with unquenchable fire” (Matthew 3:12).
* Those in hell will be thrown into the fiery furnace and will experience unimaginable sorrow, regret, remorse, and pain. The fire produces the pain described as “weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 8:12; 13:42, 50; 22:13; 24:51; 25:30).
* The intensity of the suffering seems to be according to the wickedness of the person’s behavior (Romans 2:5–8).
* Hell is utterly fearful and dreadful (Hebrews 10:27–31).
* This punishment is depicted as “coming misery,” “eating flesh with fire,” and the “day of slaughter” (James 5:1–5).
* Those in hell will feel the full force of God’s fury and wrath (Revelations 14:10).
* They will be “tormented” with fire (14:10–11).
* This suffering is best understood as endless since the “smoke of their torment rises forever and ever” (14:11).
* This suffering is constant because it is said that those in hell “will have no rest day or night” (14:11) and
* “will be tormented day and night forever and ever” (20:10).
As I have been reminding myself over these last weeks of the horror and eternity of hell, it drives me to pray even more for those who do not yet know the love of God.
Believing that a loving God would never allow people to be seperated from Himself eternally, removes our need to evangelise, "they'll be saved eventually anyway, let's just have some fun!"
"Go and make disciples" becomes unnecessary/pointless as however long someone may suffer after death, it would be like the blink of an eye against eternity.
However, my God is just and holy and loving! He will punish ALL sin, either through seperation from himself in hell for eternity OR through placing the punishment onto His son Jesus, the atonement for our sins.
No-one comes to the Father except through Him, and they will only get the chance whilst they are alive.
One good thing that has come out of the debate over the last few weeks; has been the strength in which those of evangelical faith have come out to state that we will stand up for our beliefs; and will refuse to change them to make them more palatable to a secular audience.
Let us use what is going on to spur our prayer and evangelism for those who may well end up in hell, if we don't tell them!
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