if you remember, last time I mentioned Rob Bell. and if you remember, he's a complete, blasphemous heretic. he claims there is no hell, or at least, God doesn't use it for people. lucky for him, there will be a first-class room with an excellent view waiting for him there. and I can say that confidently, since Paul declares
"I am amazed are so quickly deserting him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!" Galatians 1:6-9 (NASB)man, it's so true and important that Paul says it twice.
tonight, we listened to a sermon by Ted Donnelly on Romans 9. I couldn't help but think of Rob Bell and his defenders when Professor Donnelly mentioned the politically and socially incorrect truth about God's elect and effectual calling.
let's amuse the emergent, post-modern, Rob-Bell-ish thinking for a second.
- there is no hell.
- or at least, God doesn't intend to use it on anyone. God is love, dudes. peace.
- God will save everyone.
- they could be Muslim, and the door is open. doubly wide, apparently.
- or Hindu.
- or really any religion besides true Christianity.
- heck, they could be flat-out atheists.
- they'll get to heaven!!!! party hats for everyone. the candy bags are by the door, don't forget to take a swing at the devil pinata!!!!
awesome! but.
- hell and Muslims, Hindus, Jews, atheists, agnostics, nominal Christians, etc:
"Then another angel, a third one, followed them, saying with a loud voice, 'If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of his anger; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever; they have no rest day and night, those who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.'" Revelation 14:9-11 (NASB).
"And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire." Revelation 20:15 (NASB)
- God saves everyone:
"And not only this, but there was Rebekah also, when she had conceived twins by one man, our father Isaac; for though the twins were not yet born and had not done anything good or bad, so that God's purpose according to His choice would stand, not because of works but because of Him who calls, it was said to her, 'The older will serve the younger.' Just as it is written, 'Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.'" Romans 9:10-13 (NASB)
"So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires." Romans 9:18 (NASB)
- God is not love if He doesn't save everyone:
"What shall we say then? There is no injustice with God, is there? May it never be! For he says to Moses, 'I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.' So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy." Romans 9:14-17 (NASB)there are plenty more verses, but that would make a super long blog post that no one would read.
to claim that God will save everyone, that all people, no matter what they believe, will go to heaven, is to discount His mercy and grace. if everyone can make it to the pearly gates with little more than a little friendliness, why did Christ need to die? according to Rob Bell and many other emergents and like-minded people, we don't need Him. He is useless. God, the Son of God, is useless to them.
O God, don't let me fall into the same, apathetic trap... don't let me lose my wonder.
"The beauty of grace is that it makes life not fair." Relient K.
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