Tuesday, June 14, 2011

"Love Wins": Itching Ears Listen In

Walking down the streets of any major metropolis, anyone may hear messages of hell and damnation. Christians scream of fire and brimstone through piercing bullhorns while others pass out tracts, convinced that their efforts will “win more souls.” Unfortunately, this only turns people off to any human sporting the Christian label. Recognizing this downfall in the trend of Christian tradition, Rob Bell attempts to disarm such harsh judgment. Sadly, his efforts take a step too far in the wrong direction.


In March of this year, Rob Bell released a controversial book entitled, Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived. The heart of this book releases an atmosphere of tolerance and suggests new alternatives to Jesus’ message of “the straight and narrow” (Matthew 7:13-14). Throughout his book, Bell reiterates consistently the importance of the here-and-now. He claims that Christians too often focus on the heaven awaiting them, only to miss out on the heaven available on earth. True. God offers current blessings, making Him a personal God, and some Christians tend to overlook the present for the future. However, such a supreme Being cannot dwell in such a sinful world; thus, eternity comes hand-in-hand with belief in Jesus. To ignore the gift of everlasting life will result in a very unpleasant surprise in eternity.


In Love Wins, similar doctrines are hidden between flowery words and countless questions. One such argument proposes the idea of the ability of all people to make postmortem decisions about Jesus. Bell argues against the mentality in which only followers of Christ who accept Jesus before death advance into heaven and scoffs, “[M]ake your bed now and lie in it...forever” (110). He later assures that despite his belief, “you don’t have to believe it to be a Christian” (110). As he claims, “The Christian faith is big enough, wide enough, and generous enough to handle that vast a range of perspectives” (110).


One question: Since when do we chase after the Christian faith? The word “Christian” derives from the appearance of Paul and Barnabas at Antioch, where the locals deemed them “Christian” due to their semblance of Jesus (Acts 11:26). All beliefs must line up with Jesus, our true source, even if we do not understand God’s logic. Many of Bell’s rationalizations eliminate the possibility of hell, likely due to the confusion that accompanies stories of God’s wrath and judgment and debating the contradiction in a loving God who inflicts eternal punishment on His people. Lamentations 3:33 declares, “For He does not willingly bring affliction or grief to the children of men” (NIV). God offers opportunities to accept Him; we choose to ignore His cry.


While attempting to balance the turbulent pendulum created by Christian tradition, Bell belittles the significance of eternity in a persuasive attempt to satisfy society’s “itching ears” (2 Timothy 4:3-4); he stirs up controversy while submitting new doctrine. Whatever the coming days may bring, may all of our theories line up in accordance of God’s Word, and may we listen in humble submission to His convictions.