Rob Bell and other thoughts

I finished Love Wins by Rob Bell yesterday.

After finishing one of the most controversial books that has come out in a long time, I still didn't know what to think about Rob Bell. I, like many, have heard Rob Bell labeled as a false teacher, heretic, apostate, and other terms like that. In fact, men I know, love and respect have used those words to describe him. But what does it mean to be a heretic? When is it right to label someone that? I will talk about that in another post.

What Bell came out and said he believed was, that God cannot be loving and send people who do not believe in Him to a hell where they will be tormented forever. So Bell reconciles what I think the scriptures teach about hell (punishment and suffering) by saying he believes that no one will be punished in a place like that. He goes on to say that those who choose God will be in heaven, but some of us who decide to live selfishly and not follow God will be allowed to do so. God will somehow separate them from those who have chosen to follow God. But they will not suffer. That is the key of what Rob believes about hell. Hell is the experience any human will have if they choose to live for themselves compared to following Jesus. According to Rob, there is no lake of fire and no eternal torment. The "torment" or "hell" is not enjoying life up to the potential that God created life to be enjoyed. So this place is filled with people who don't want to live for God. They won't suffer God's wrath and they are able to live out their eternity with out God. It reminded me of an eternal version of what John Lennon describes in the song "imagine". The details of whether Bell believes one can re-choose God post death are left open, but definably not ruled out. The gates to New Jerusalem are left open, as Bell says in the book.

Like Bell, there have been other great minds have held similar views on God. C.S Lewis may have been one of them.


What saddens me is that any unregenerate, non- believing person would LOVE a God like this. This God is a God with no consequences. This an All-You-need-is-love God that doesn't punish anyone. Every human being, myself included, would love to not see others be punished. But is this biblical? I don't think it is.


Rob Bells gospel is a prime example of what post modern people want: a hippe, humanistic, "all-you-need-is-love", tolerant God who give everybody what they want. I don't think this is how God reveals Himself in the Bible. Sin is serious to God. Just look at the cross. Read Revelation 20, it talks pretty descriptively about hell.

In conclusion, I think Bell has some great things to say about living for Christ. His conclusion on hell is very different from the classical doctrine. I think he is wrong. But Bell is preaching Jesus. He is all about Jesus and living for Jesus. He believes in hell, just not the punishment or torment part. Is there a place for this in the evangelical Christian world? I think there is. If this book gets people into the bible to see if Rob is right, then i think that is great. I hope Love Wins forces people to examine for themselves what they believe scripture teaches about hell. Is bell a heretic or false teacher? No. I don't think he is. I think he is wrong and misguided. But he is not saying all roads lead to heaven. He is not saying pray to Budda or Muhammed. He is saying Jesus is the way, the truth and the life and true life is found in Christ.



JN

thoughts on "the christian life"

Here are some scattered thoughts i've been processing through lately.

Ive been thinking about what it means to follow Jesus in this American culture. The question "what does it mean to daily love God" keeps coming up in conversation. I don't really know the answer to that question. But I have a lot of questions about that question.

Is it more than being faithful to one spouse for life?
Is it more than living based on what you need rather than what you want?
Is it more than giving to the needy?
Is it more than being honest and having integrity with your money, your word, and your commitments?
Is it more than being a hard worker at your job, supporting a family, and not cheating the system to put a little extra away.

Frankly, I know many unbelievers whose lives look a lot like what I just described.

I think there has to be more to following Jesus than that.

But is it just reading the bible, praying daily, and fellowshipping with other believers?
Is it speaking the gospel to those who do not believe?


I feel like there is more to loving God than this. But I don't know. I often feel like these things are elementary in the faith. Whenever I am asked the question or ask the question "how are you doing in your faith" usually one of the answers above follows. "This is what i've been reading in the Word. or i need to grow in my prayer life. or i need to be a better steward of my money."

But i think there is more than that. I dunno, maybe there is not. Life seems pretty simple. Enjoy God. Try to enjoy your job. Enjoy people. Wait for Jesus to come back. I don't know what else there is.

Any thoughts on this one, please comment.


JN