i know i said that i was going to discuss the points i listed w/ problems i had w/ mr. bell and i guess i will be, but just taking a different route.
i read the passage below (don't look just yet) and what can be said other than that hell exists. i don't use hell as a scare tactic, but it is a real place. God doesn't want to send you to hell. if he did, then Jesus would not have been sent to this earth, to take on our punishment for disobeying God, and dying a horrible, horrible death for all of mankind! it wouldn't have happened if God wanted to send you to hell. He doesn't, but for those who are not in relationship w/ his Son, Jesus Christ, that is their fate when death comes, or Christ returns - whichever is first. God's love isn't the love that we think we know. It's holy, pure, agape, true, etc. Nothing that we have ever experienced. He loved us so much, that while we chose, and still choose, to disobey Him, he sent Jesus to die for us. And Jesus (God in human flesh!) was willing to die and he did! And God wants you to spend eternity with Him - in heaven - the home that has prepared for those who believe in him. God provided the way to everlasting life in heaven - through Christ. those who don't accept the gift of salvation through Christ - they are forever separated from the Love that saved them, reached down to touch them, to be among them. those that reject Him - they spend eternity in the lake of fire.
Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. Revelation 20:11-15 esv
next,we'll talk more about this great love and how love really wins!
i read the passage below (don't look just yet) and what can be said other than that hell exists. i don't use hell as a scare tactic, but it is a real place. God doesn't want to send you to hell. if he did, then Jesus would not have been sent to this earth, to take on our punishment for disobeying God, and dying a horrible, horrible death for all of mankind! it wouldn't have happened if God wanted to send you to hell. He doesn't, but for those who are not in relationship w/ his Son, Jesus Christ, that is their fate when death comes, or Christ returns - whichever is first. God's love isn't the love that we think we know. It's holy, pure, agape, true, etc. Nothing that we have ever experienced. He loved us so much, that while we chose, and still choose, to disobey Him, he sent Jesus to die for us. And Jesus (God in human flesh!) was willing to die and he did! And God wants you to spend eternity with Him - in heaven - the home that has prepared for those who believe in him. God provided the way to everlasting life in heaven - through Christ. those who don't accept the gift of salvation through Christ - they are forever separated from the Love that saved them, reached down to touch them, to be among them. those that reject Him - they spend eternity in the lake of fire.
Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. Revelation 20:11-15 esv
next,we'll talk more about this great love and how love really wins!
True story. Love does win, but would a loving God let us go about our own foolish ways instead of redirecting us to be a part of His perfect will? I'm not sure how much you dug for resources, but I found this FAQ on the book interesting: http://marshill.org/files/2011/03/LoveWinsFAQs2.pdf
ReplyDeleteI would be willing to read the book, as long as I didn't have to pay for it.
in my first post about this topic, i did post the link to the exact FAQ you mentioned - which leads me to wonder if you read it or checked those links.
ReplyDeleteand secondly, there will be more said as to God letting "us go about our own foolish ways" -- it doesn't end well for those who were turned over to the evil desires of their heart.
it seemed to me that mr. bell had a hard time viewing that if God is so good, then why would he send people to hell. and bell defines hell as what we see and experience now - war, rape, murder, natural disasters, etc. even though those things are horrible - they don't even begin to scratch the surface.
and we can't let people go around believing that in the afterlife they still have a chance of getting into heaven - if they hadn't confessed in Christ in life right now. we need to let them know how love really won - and how they can claim that victory!