Hell, a loving docrine, really...

I am concerned as I learn more about the latest book that Rob Bell has published.

I know that Hell is a doctrine that is hard to hear, but I think that it really is one of the most loving doctrines in the Bible. 

Now, don't tune me out, read what God has to say in the Bible, and then think it over.

Hell was the 3rd most frequent thing that Jesus talked about.  Number one was the Kingdom of God, Number 2 was money.  3rd, Hell.

Why? 

Jesus says that Hell is a place where the fire never goes out (Mk 9:43) it is a place to be afraid of being tossed into and it should refocus whom we are listening to (Mt 10:28) It is a place where God is sending death and hades, and Satan (Rev 20:10-14) and it is the place that those who's names are not in the book of life will end up (Rev. 20:14). 

We were not created to go to Hell.  Gen 1-2 tells us that we were made in God's image (Gen 1:26, 27) and that we were created to rule and have dominion over--a good hebrew translation of that would be to worship and obey, to enjoy God and live within His boundaries (Gen 2:15)

The Bible tells us of the angel Lucifer who rebelled in Heaven and desired to be god, and convinced a third of the angels to attempt a coup, and were soundly defeated (Ezekiel 28: 11-19; Is 14: 12-21; Rev. 12). 

Lucifer, being soundly defeated came to earth to hurt God the only way he could, by hurting what God loves--us.   In Genesis 3 we find the serpent tempting Eve and Adam with the very thing he could not have, being god of their own world.  In this betrayal Satan comes to maim kill and destroy (John 10:10) and steal the life that God has for us. 

God, being a God of justice, must deal with our sin.  This is a good thing for the times that we have been wronged.  We need God to make the sin done against us right again.  The hope of the Bible is that one day God will undue all the wrong, and make it as if it never was wronged (Rev. 21: 1-4; Is 25:8; 1 Cor 15: 54, 55).  The problem is...God is a holy God, and therefore sin cannot stand in His presence, and we are unable to deal with our sin, and therefore deserve punishment. 

The unfortunate truth about that punishment, is that it must fit the crime, and when the foundation of our sin simply is, I want to be god of my own world, to determine what is right and wrong myself, because I don't need God; and in that I destroy His creation...and this is the standard that I will be compared with, because Gen 1-2 make it clear that we were made good, and in God's image--we are in trouble.

For God to be just, the punishment must fit the crime.  Hell was created for the devil and his angels (Matt 25:41) because their coup deserves that punishment, and one day we will see them tossed into Hell (Rev 20). 

Now, Satan knew this was coming, so if he could get humans to rebel, they would too deserve this punishment, so he lies to us, and pretends to offer us things that are "good" but really they are temptations to sin, nice huh.

Frankly, without help, we are dead in our sins and trespasses (Col 2:13.  We have no way of making ourselves right before God (Is 6:46) and therefore deserve death, and hell (Rom 6:23).

So, the doctrine of Hell being loving--howso?

Jesus knew that we were lost without Him.  We would in no way be able to pay for our sin, and make our relationship with God right again, so He came to do it for us.

That is what the cross was all about.  Jesus lived a perfect life, without ever sinning.  He then was killed on a cross, what we deserved for our sin.  He also suffered separation from His Father, Hell, in utter torment, for us (Matt 27: 45-46) and then proclaimed, "it is finished" (John 19:30)--proclaiming that the payment to rescue us had been paid.  In three days, Jesus rose from the dead showing us proof that death and sin and Satan had been conquered (Col 1: 9-15).

Jesus knew that He was going to do this for us, and therefore told us about Hell, because we need to know that we are in trouble.  We are lied to by the enemy, who wants us to doubt God's existence, and love for us, and wants us to be separated from God too. 

Jesus came to rescue us from this.

Consider this:  If you were not feeling well, and you went to the doctor; what would you want to hear?  Oh, you'll be fine...

or

You have cancer.  You will need surgery, and it will be invasive.  Then you will need radiation, and you will lose your hair, and puke for 6 weeks.  You will also need to be on chemo for a year, and that will make you feel miserable; but, if we get on this today--you will have an 80% chance of living cancer free

I want the truth stated in the second answer, don't you!

Jesus loves us, and did not want us to go to Hell:

Romans 2:4 says, " Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?" 

Ezekiel 18: 30-32 says, " ³⁰ “Therefore, you Israelites, I will judge each of you according to your own ways, declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent! Turn away from all your offenses; then sin will not be your downfall. ³¹ Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, people of Israel? ³² For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent and live!"

Eph 1: 3-14 says, " ³ Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. ⁴ For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love ⁵ he^[b] predestined us for adoption to sonship^[c] through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— ⁶ to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. ⁷ In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace ⁸ that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, ⁹ he^[d] made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, ¹⁰ to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.
 ¹¹ In him we were also chosen,^[e] having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, ¹² in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. ¹³ And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, ¹⁴ who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory."

God loves us.  Romans 8 asks simply, who shall separate usfrom the love of Christ?  The answer:  no one.

God loves us.  He has made a rescue possible for us through Jesus Christ.

He also has satisfied justice by dealing with sin on the Cross, or one day in Hell--and God will in Heaven make all things new.

The fact that Jesus came to honestly tell us the truth, and to do what we needed to be rescued from Hell, and satisfy God's Holy Justice, is a most loving doctrine.

This rescue is a gift from God to us.  We are made right with God through Jesus, and invited into His family, and then invited to participate in great rescue with Him together.

I will leave you with some passages in the Bible to help you walk this discussion through with God, but if you have any questions, or would like to talk with me more about this, feel free to contact me, I would love to talk with you.

Here are some Bible passages to read through, and talk with God about

Romans 3:23,  2 Corinthians 5:21, Romans 6:23, Romans 5:8, Romans 10: 8-10

My email is nolachurchplant@gmail.com

Eric