Rob Bell – right or wrong?

I have not read Rob Bell’s book “Love Wins.”  I have only watched a couple of recent interviews he has given in response to the controversy in the midst of which he now finds himself.

It’s easy to see that Mr. Bell is very much like the rest of us – and I mean ALL of us – Evangelical Christian, Catholic, Muslim, Hindu, Jew, snake handler, etc.  We frame our beliefs about heaven and hell, judgement and mercy, and other teachings in the Bible around the things we know (or the things we think we know).  We’ve all grown up hearing the rhetoric taught by our parents, which was passed down from their parents, which was passed down from their parents, and so on, and so on.  What we need to remember about that is that nobody will get it completely right this side of heaven.

Yes, I do believe in heaven – and hell, as literal places. Why?  Because the Bible tells me so.  Will we all end up in one of those places?  I believe that is inevitable.  What do they look like?  Truly, I have no idea.  The Bible talks about a new heaven and a new earth.  Where does all that fit in?  We will all find out soon enough.

Rob Bell is right about one thing. Love absolutely wins.  I’m just not sure that Mr. Bell, or any of us for that matter, knows exactly what that means.  It does concern me that people looking for a user-friendly gospel listen to people like Pastor Bell and simply accept what he says as “gospel truth.”   Gospel truth is very simple.  Man sinned.  God loved us so much (still trying to figure that one out), that he sent Jesus to earth by way of a virgin, to live among us. He shed his blood and died in our place.  Man saved.  Anything outside of that gospel is simply speculation and a different perspective on the same story.  That’s what we do.  We look at something in a different way and think we have made some sort of wonderful discovery.  I don’t know if this makes God laugh at us or cry over us.  Either way,  right now, we only see in part.

I have people who I listen to and believe much of what they say.  But I would be extremely unwise if I did so blindly.  We have to leave room for human error.  As children of God, we must constantly be in communion with God.  What does that mean? What does that look like?  Turn off your TV. Put down your books – yes, even your Bible, and sit in God’s presence.  Shhhhh, don’t talk.  Just listen.  No doubt, he has something he wants to say.  Don’t be disappointed if you don’t hear anything at first.  It takes practice.  And some sessions are more fruitful than others (according to OUR expectations).  The point is this.  We can read about God, hear about God, discuss God, learn stories about God, sing about God, preach about God and tell others about God.  But if we don’t spend time with God, we can’t really know God.  Think about your closest friend.  Is that person your friend because other people keep telling you about them?  Are they your friend because you read about them, or you sing songs about them?  I would contend that they are your friend because you have come to know them on a level that touches you deeply.  They’ve gotten into your “knower.”

We must develop our own relationship with God.  And everything we hear has to be run through that relationship grid.  God may not be the only one in our life that tells us the truth, but he is the only one in our life that has the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

We can’t simply say “if he has a good message, then let him be.”  We’re talking about eternal life and death here.  His message has to be more than good.  It has to be truth.  Not your truth or my truth (I hate relativism!).  It has to be God’s truth.  And won’t we be searching for that the rest of our lives?  I think that’s what I want to be doing when he returns.

Someone asked him, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?” He said to them, “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to.  Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’  ”But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from,’  ”Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’ “But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!’ “There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out…” Luke 13:23-28