I found it interesting that Rob says something about people who are searching are taught that Jesus rescues us from God (and God will send you to hell if you don't believe in Jesus). I think I know what he is getting at...it's not that there is no hell, it's that we aren't being rescued from God, we are being restored to God. We were separated because of our sin not because of God....
Ok, I am going to wait to post any more thoughts....thank you for your comments, they are so good and helpful!
http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/video/video.php?v=10150104061084774&oid=10553794179&comments
Rob Bell portrays God as one Who is full of hatred, One who is to snap without a moments notice. But we read in IJohn 4:8 that "God is love". (This is not the mere human emotion. This is deeper and something we do not understand in its depths.) But this Eternal Love is Who God is. Love is breathed to and from each person of the Trinity, and in and around and under the 3 persons of the trinity. The whole of the Trinity of God breaths and speaks Love. The chapter then continues with how this Love within the Trinity was to include certain people of the human race. He sent His only begotten Son for a "propitiation for our sins", his people's sins.
ReplyDeleteGod is long suffering and has patience toward His people because of their sins. He is not willing, nor will He, to destroy any of His own that were saved by His Son's sacrifice on the cross.
God is a just God; perfect in all His doings. When sin entered the world, sin had to be punished with death. God said that to Adam from the very beginning: "In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die" Gen. 2:17. This death was both physical AND spiritual. Adam died after 930 years, and spiritually he no longer reflected the image of God in his love, holiness and righteousness toward God, but was the reflection of the devil in his hatred and wickedness, and unrighteousness. But what about Adam and all God's people and their sin? They had to be punished with the death of hell, and no-way can a mere man take on the punishment of hell and live and bare up under the terrible wrath of God in hell. Christ was the only One who is able; and God sent Him because of His love for us. God always loved His people, not because of what we do, because all we do is hate God. But God had chosen us from the very beginning, to love us with His perfect Love and to send His Son for a propitiation for our sins because our sins still had to be punished. He is a just God.
Rob Bell denies all this with his subtly asked questions. (The serpent was subtle with his questions to Eve in the garden and see where that has taken the whole human race.) Bell makes people question hell. He makes people question the justice of God. He makes us think God is not fair. The next step to take is, if there is no hell, then how can there be heaven. If we need to be rescued from God, then God is a God of hatred toward us. And the list can go on.
If one reads or listens to Bell's other articles or videos, you will know right where he stands on the place of man before God. He believes man is pretty good and ought to believe in himself because God believes in man. (I saw the whole sermon in which he preached this...this is not taken out of context.)
I and 2 John: gives a warning about deceivers who do not bring the doctrine of Jesus Christ as is taught in God's Word and that is summarized in the Heidelberg Catechism, Canons of Dordt and Belgic Confession and other reformed confessions that were held by our fathers. What is presented by Rob Bell is "another gospel" Gal.1:6-10.
Please beware of what is going on.
If it is simply man and his sin sending himself to hell where is the all-powerful God? If it is sin that sends one to Hell, we would all be going there! It is of God's Soverign plan that some are sent to hell and others are brought to Heaven with him.
ReplyDeleteRomans 9
Here is an article on Soverign Reprobation:
http://www.prca.org/pamphlets/pamphlet_44.html