Love Doesn't Always Win

Last month a book was published entitled Love Wins by esteemed author and pastor of Mars Hill Bible Church, Rob Bell. Pastor Bell is an interesting fellow because he follows Christianity with Eastern overtones. His latest book has caused a stir amongst evangelicals due to the interpretation of the doctrine regarding Hell. Pastor Bell asserts that this book deals with the misguided understanding of Hell as a place of eternal torment and that a "loving God" would not permit His creatures to fall prey to such a place. In this book Pastor Bell becomes another promoter of the fallacious doctrine of universal reconciliation or universalism, which is the same doctrine that caused popular evangelist Carlton Pearson to be ousted from bishopric and labeled as an heretic. Pastor Bell's  description of his book, in his own words, is that it "is a case for living with mystery rather than demanding certitude." The problem with this statement is that the Bible is quite clear on whether hell exists, why people go there, and ultimately what could be done to prevent a person's entrance. God does not leave us in ignorance.

Love is a very real and popular tone all throughout the scriptures and is ultimately epitomized in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Love was the motivating factor that lead God the Father to send His only begotten Son to save a wretched world from sin. Love does win when it is properly recieved and not taken advantage of, but as with all of the commandments of God and His desires towards mankind-the decision is left up to the individual.

One of the things that the world suffers from now is the lack of personal accountability. Many doesn't like to take responsibility for their actions nor do they happly agree with a doctrine that holds them morally culpable for their life. But the truth of the matter is that God is not a being that will force mankind's affection. "I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:"-Deut 30:19  God in His grace and wisdom does 3 things: reveal His will, give man a choice, reveal the consequences of either decision. Its truly as simple as that. He lets mankind know what He requires and what His standards are, give people the opportunity to decide for themselves, and disclose the consequences of either decision. If a man choose God's way, you get life and blessing; if a man refuses God's way, you get death and cursing, but God's desire is that you would choose life.

Therefore in this heretical book Love Wins we see the perversion of clear Christian and Biblical doctrine on the teachings concerning Hell and why people go there and how you can escape. Pastor Bell would tell you that everybody experiences Hell on earth; its an ideology, a state of mind, a plane of existence-everyone's going to heaven because (you guessed it) LOVE WINS....My apologies but that's not the truth. Love doesn't always win because God gives you a choice and not everyone ultimately chooses God's way. So let's consider the TRUTH according to the word of God:

1. Just as heaven is a prepared place for a prepared people so is Hell. Hell is not a state of mind or point of existence. Hell is a literal place. Hell is a place originally prepared for the devil and his angels, but throughout eternity has become a place of torment for those that reject God's salvation. Hell is described as a place that literally makes room daily to include more people (which debunks the erroneous belief that everybody goes to heaven). Hell is where the tormented will feel God's unrestrained wrath and vengeance for an eternity-not a few years. It gets worse: those that didn't want anything to do with God's salvation will go from Hell to another place...the Lake of Fire, for Hell and death will be cast into the Lake burning with fire and brimstone.
2. People will go to Hell because they reject Jesus Christ. There is only one living God and His Son is Jesus Christ. When a person reject Christ, they are not just rejecting an historical figure, they are rejecting the provision God made for mankind to be redeemed from the curse of sin. Sin ultimately causes separation from God and is manifested in rebellion to God's law through habits of sinful acts. Sinful acts testify that a person hasn't been born again and hasn't confessed faith in Christ. Here was the "dilemma": God hates sin, but He loves mankind; God can't live with sin, but He wants to have fellowship with mankind; for God sin can't go unpunished, but He knew mankind couldn't save themselves. So He fixes this "dilemma" by offering Christ, His Son, to die in mankinds place thereby satisfying His need for justice, which created the reality of fellowiship, that displayed God's love. What a genius! Therefore we see what a great insult it is to God, for an already unworthy, undeserving sinner to reject their only way out.
3. Sinners (those who break God's law) can escape the damnation of Hell by repenting of their sins and turning to Christ, in faith, for salvation thereby initiating a lifestyle free from the condemnation or guilt of sin. The deliverance from a real literal Hell is in Jesus Christ, NOT Hare Krishna, Buddha, Joseph Smith, Watchtower society, Allah, Mary Baker Eddy or anyone else! You don't have to experience the wrath of God, Christ bore it for you at the cross of Calvary on Golgotha's hill.

This is the truth about Hell. Death is not the end, and love doesn't always win. God will not force you to love Him, but what He will do is give you an opportunity to accept His gracious gift of love so that He may fellowship with you forever. Don't be deceived, Rob Bell is a heretic that promotes damnable and erroneous doctrine. Believe on Christ and be saved. Be Blessed!