Universalist Rob Bell: Embraced by NYT and Huffington Post

Considering the Tree of knowledge of good and evil as good to eat when God said it will bring death (It should be noted how the liberal secular media is coming to defend Rob Bell. This should be a red flag.) :

New York Times states:

One leading evangelical, John Piper of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, wrote, “Farewell Rob Bell.” R. Albert Mohler Jr., president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, said in a blog post that by suggesting that people who do not embrace Jesus may still be saved, Mr. Bell was at best toying with heresy. He called the promotional video, in which Mr. Bell pointedly asks whether it can be true that Gandhi, a non-Christian, is burning in hell, “the sad equivalent of a theological striptease.”

Others such as Scot McKnight, a professor of theology at North Park University in Chicago, said they welcomed the renewed discussion of one of the hardest issues in Christianity — can a loving God really be so wrathful toward people who faltered, or never were exposed to Jesus? In an interview and on his blog, he said that the thunder emanating from the right this week was not representative of American Christians, even evangelicals. According to surveys and his experience with students, Mr. McKnight said, a large majority of evangelical Christians “more or less believe that people of other faiths will go to heaven,” whatever their churches and theologians may argue.

End quote.

Then those McKnight interviewed were not Christians. But I digress.

Then there's the horrid views of Huffington Post's Christopher Latondress:

Quote:

We won't know for sure how Rob Bell answers these questions until the book comes out. Nevertheless, this controversy offers an important opportunity for Christians to reflect on a few principles that should inform this debate as it moves forward:

1. Christians should hope that all people can be (and will be) saved.
Hell: Population 0

Those who believe God modeled the ultimate example of true love in the person of Jesus -- and who, therefore, aspire to love their fellow humans as they love themselves -- should also believe that, in the end, God's love will win the day. So is it really that radical to suggest that this belief should accompany the earnest hope that it is actually within the scope of God's sovereign power and unrelenting grace to reconcile all things to himself?

For biblical passages alluding to this idea, read: Colossians 1:19-20; 1 Corinthians 15:22,28; Romans 5:18, 11:33-36; and Philippians 2:10-11. This is just a limited digest.

I haven't read Bell's book, but I suspect that this is one of the ideas he explores. This would put him in good company. Far from being unorthodox, this idea has captured the imaginations of theologians since the early days of Christianity. In 2001, Richard John Neuhaus -- founder of First Things, a religion and policy journal, and (though a Lutheran convert to Catholicism) featured onTime Magazine's list of The 25 Most Influential Evangelicals in America -- reflected on this idea and its long Christian history in an articled titled, "Will All Be Saved?"

“Rob Bell is tapping into a younger generation that really wants to open up these questions,” he said. “He is also tapping into the fear of the traditionalists — that these differing views of heaven and hell will compromise the Christian message.”

End quote.

Why even bother with the question? There's nothing to question. God said the road to eternal life is narrow and hard and few that find it, the rest are on the Broad road that leads to destruction. Its that simple. To ask the question or to deem it valid to debate the issue and consider the "options" is to rebel against God and say what the Serpent said: "Hath God said?" YES HE DID. The question is actually an attack to deconstruct and destroy the authority and clarity of Scripture and therefore God. There is no question, there is no ambiquity, there is nothing to wring our hands over. God is just and holy and therefore will send unbelievers to hell for their sins. God is also merciful and full of grace and therefore will save some of the unbelieves and make them believers that glorify Him forever for His mercy and grace. The rest will stay in their eternal unbelief and rightly stay in eternal torment. That is just. That is fair.

There is nothing valid to any arguement that sets itself up against Christ and the Scriptures. NONE. It should be slammed down, thrown out and thoroghly rejected as the heresy it is, not considered on any level as having any validity whatsoever.

2Co 10:5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,

Hell is just as real as Heaven, and God's justice is just as real as His mercy. God chooses to whom He will give justice and to whom He will give mercy.

Rom 9:11 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,

Rom 9:12 it was said to her, "THE OLDER WILL SERVE THE YOUNGER."

Rom 9:13 Just as it is written, "JACOB I LOVED, BUT ESAU I HATED."

Rom 9:14 What shall we say then? There is no injustice with God, is there? May it never be!

Rom 9:15 For He says to Moses, "I WILL HAVE MERCY ON WHOM I HAVE MERCY, AND I WILL HAVE COMPASSION ON WHOM I HAVE COMPASSION."

Rom 9:16 So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy.

Rom 9:17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, "FOR THIS VERY PURPOSE I RAISED YOU UP, TO DEMONSTRATE MY POWER IN YOU, AND THAT MY NAME MIGHT BE PROCLAIMED THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE EARTH."

Rom 9:18 So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires.

Rom 9:19 You will say to me then, "Why does He still find fault? For who resists His will?"

Rom 9:20 On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, "Why did you make me like this," will it?

Rom 9:21 Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for common use?

Rom 9:22 What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction?

Rom 9:23 And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory,

Rom 9:24 even us, whom He also called, not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles.

There are two groups of people in this world: the elect that God chose to save and then does save, those are the vessels of mercy prepared for glory, and the unsaved who are the vessels prepared for wrath.

God doesn't will all to be saved and therefore keeps the veil over their eyes and closed ears closed:

Mat 13:13 This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.

Luke 8: ^9 His disciples asked him what this parable meant. ^10 He said, “The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to others I speak in parables, so that, ”‘though seeing, they may not see; though hearing, they may not understand.’but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!’

Luk 18:34 But they understood none of these things. This saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said.

Rom 11:8 as it is written, "God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that would not see and

ears that would not hear, down to this very day."

Matt. 11: ^27 “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and

no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

1Sa 3:12 On that day I will fulfill against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house,

from beginning to end. 13 And I declare to him that I am about to punish his house

forever, for the iniquity that he knew, because his sons were blaspheming God, and

he did not restrain them. 14 Therefore I swear to the house of Eli that the iniquity of

Eli's house SHALL NOT BE ATONED FOR by sacrifice or offering FOREVER."

And without atonement, there is no salvation: Heb 9:22 And according to the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.

Joh 10:26 but you do not believe because you are not part of My flock.

Only those who are part of Jesus' flock believe in Him and will see eternal life.

Joh 17:9 I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you

have given me, for they are yours.

Jesus doesn't pray for the whole world therefore not all the world is being interceded for nor will be

saved. He is the intercessor for His own only (1John 2:1-2; Romans 8)

Luk 2:14 "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is

pleased!"

Notice in Luke 2:14 God's peace isn't with all people but its qualified to be with people on

whom His favor rests.

Act 1:16 "Brethren, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit foretold by

the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested

Jesus.

1Peter 2: ^8 and, “A stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.” They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were DESTINED FOR.

Jud 1:4 For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

2 Thes. 2: ^3 Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness ^is revealed, the man DOOMED TO DESTRUCTION.

John 17: ^12 While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled.

Phil. 3: ^19 Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things.

We know this is the second death, eternal destruction, because eternal unbelief (the state they die in) earns eternal punishment. There is no second chance after death (Hebrews 9:27)

Isa 66:24 "And they shall go out and look on the dead bodies of the men who have rebelled against me. For their worm shall not die, their fire shall not be quenched, and they shall be an abhorrence to all flesh."

Matt. 25: ^41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.

2 Thes. 1: 8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: 9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His power

Rev 14:11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up forever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.

Mat 25:46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal

life."

Mat 13:41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, 42 and throw them into the FIERY FURNACE. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.

Rev 19:20 And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur.

And in stark contrast:

Rev 20:4 Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.

Any person who denies a literal Hell and therefore by necessity a literal Heaven (see the passage I posted above), anyone who is a universalist, is not a Christian. Jesus taught on both Heaven and Hell. He also taught there are two kingdoms; that of the devil and that of God. Jesus taught two roads; one leads to eternal life which is narrow and few find, the other is broad on which many are on and this leads to destruction. Fear of a metaphorical hell is nothing and is no fear at all. Instead its a call to a metaphorical fear of a metaphorical God, which is no god at all but rather a liar.

Luk 12:5 But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him!

Darwin and Islam

Darwin sailed the ocean blue--and spent some time in Africa too. No Christopher Columbus was he, but I have to ask, just what did he learn there? I'm trying to find out if he was influenced by Muslims because his view of women is very similar to that of Islam's.

Darwin:

As Dr. Jerry Bergman states in his article, "Darwin's Teaching of Women's Inferiority" (excerpts):

In a telling indication of his attitude about women (just before he married his cousin, Emma Wedgewood), Darwin listed the advantages of marrying, which included: ". . . constant companion, (friend in old age) who will feel interested in one, object to be beloved and played with—better than a dog anyhow—Home, and someone to take care of house . . ." (Darwin, 1958:232,233)...

Darwin concluded that adult females of most species resembled the young of both sexes and from this and the other evidence, "reasoned that males are more evolutionarily advanced than females" (Kevles, 1986:8)....

One reason nineteenth century biologists argued for women's inferiority was because Darwin believed that "unchecked female militancy threatened to produce a perturbance of the races" and to "divert the orderly process of evolution" (Fee, 1979:415)....

Darwin used examples of cultures that require the men to fight competitors to retain their wives to support this conclusion. Because "the strongest party always carries off the prize," the result is that "a weak man, unless he be a good hunter . . . is seldom permitted to keep a wife that a stronger man thinks worth his notice" (1896:562).

Islam:

Surah 4:34: Men are the managers of the affairs of women...those you fear may be rebellious admoinsh; banish them to their couches, and beat them.

Hadith - Burkhari vol. I, no. 301: Allah's Apostle...said, "O women! Give alms, as I have seen that the majority of the dwellers of Hell-fire were you women...I have not seen anyone more deficient in intelligence and religion than you."

"Men are superior to women on account of the qualities which God hath gifted the one above the other, S. 4:34 …. and on account of the outlay they make from their substance for them. Virtuous women are obedient, careful, during the husband's absence, because God hath of them been careful. But chide those for whose refractoriness ye have cause to fear; remove them into beds apart, AND SCOURGE THEM: but if they are obedient to you then seek not occasion against them: verily, God is High, Great!" S. 4:34

Rick Warren Is Not the Problem Now: Its Reformers Who Claim To Be Solid and Discerning Yet Are Anything But

Joh 7:24 Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment."

Mat 7:15 "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous

wolves. 16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs

from thistles? Mat 7:17 So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit.

I acknowledge the legitmacy of the concern over Rick Warren using the Reformed circle to gain credibility. I have stated this as one of my concerns as well. However, I have also stated, and think its worth repeating again, that the real issue isn't Rick Warren. Warren has not changed. He is what he is and has always been: a fake Christian, a wolf in sheep's clothing, a huckster dying for popularity.

The issue is why anyone who considers himself mature in the faith, educated, knowledgeable, and discerning would even consider that Rick Warren is one of us? The dellusion of these Reformers is what is the problem, because they have gained a wide acceptance in the last several years as being biblically solid. The reality is, they are liberal. They are the problem now. While claiming TULIP and the 5 Solas, they embrace men who reject these things, therefore proving that they see these as merely an option, not actual biblical truth.

If Justification is by faith alone, then any other claim (that is, adding works to it) is damnable.Therefore the man who brings another gospel himself is accursed by God. He is not to be greeted, let alone paraded about as a brother in the Lord, and used as someone to whom you should listen to, as Piper did at the Q&A after Warren's teaching at DGC.

If Justification is by faith alone, not of works, as Romans 4 clearly states, then Rome and Luther were both wrong when they said baptism saves:

Luther’s Larger Catechism

#24] Therefore state it most simply thus, that the power, work, profit, fruit, and end of Baptism is this, namely,TO SAVE. For no one is baptized in order that he may become a prince, but, as the words declare, that he be SAVED. 25] But to be saved, we know, is nothing else than to be delivered from sin, death, and the devil, and to enter into the kingdom of Christ, and to live with Him forever.

# 83] Thus it appears what a great, excellent thing Baptism is, which delivers us from the jaws of the devil and makes us God's own, suppresses and takes away sin, and then daily strengthens the new man; and is and remains ever efficacious until we pass from this estate of misery to eternal glory.

RCC Catechism:

#978 "When we made our first profession of faith while receiving the holy Baptism that cleansed us, the forgiveness we received then was so full and complete that there remained in us absolutely nothing left to efface, neither original sin nor offenses committed by our own will, nor was there left any penalty to suffer in order to expiate them.

#1213 Holy Baptism is the basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to life in the Spirit (vitae spiritualis ianua), and the door which gives access to the other sacraments. RCC #1213 Through Baptism we are freed from sin and reborn as sons of God; we become members of Christ, are incorporated into the Church and made sharers in her mission: "Baptism is the sacrament of regeneration through water in the word."

This salvation by works is no different than what Rick Warren teaches. Works is works. Grace is opposed to works. That is why salvation is by grace NOT works, so NO ONE can boast; it is a GIFT of God (Eph. 2:8-10). If someone sees the Doctrine of Justification as optional on any level with any one, then they will embrace someone like Rick Warren. To see legitimacy in Rome will lead to seeing legitimacy with Warren or Paul Tripp or Mark Driscoll for that matter.

We need to be biblically consistant. Whoever brings a false gospel should be rejected entirely for that man is accursed by God (Gal. 1:7-9). That may mean we reject a dead man we thought was a Christian teacher or it might mean we reject a teacher who is living among us today, or it might mean we reject an entire church or movement if its based upon the validity of a false gospel and illegitimate authority like the RCC.

Is. 8 ^20 To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, they have no light of dawn.

2Jo 1:9 Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not

have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son.

2Jo 1:10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, 11 for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works.

Mat 7:5 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and THEN you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.

1Jo 2:21 I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth.

No Tolerance of False Teachers Or Apostates

Here comes Jesus at His Second Coming and it is a massacre of all the ungodly on the face of the earth. And they are all together at that point judged and executed physically. And then...and we'll say more about this in a little bit. There is a kingdom of a thousand years. At the end of that kingdom is the tribunal to which all those spirits in torment are brought and the judgment is made final and they receiving a body suited for eternal punishment are then cast into their eternal torment. That is a picture of judgment.

Let's go back then to Jude and what turns out to be a rather provocative reference that Jude uses to this judgment. Black darkness, divine judgment awaits these false teachers. In fact, verse 14 begins, "And about these, also Enoch in the seventh generation from Adam prophesied saying, 'Behold, the Lord came with many thousands of His holy ones to execute judgment.'" About these...these refers back to the hidden reefs of verse 12, the clouds without water, the autumn trees without fruit, doubly dead and uprooted, the wild waves of the sea, the wandering stars, the false teachers, the apostates for whom the black darkness has been reserved forever, about these, Enoch prophesied the Lord would come to execute judgment. This then is the final touch on their portrait. And this really is the most important component because not that we might know the fact of judgment, but that we might understand that the fact of judgment gives us God's view of these false teachers.
How severe are we to deal with them? How severe does God deal with them? You cannot be accommodating. You cannot be tolerant. You cannot be accepting. You cannot be open. You cannot be welcoming. We remember, don't we, from John's epistle that if you bid, "God's speed" to a false teacher, you become a partaker in his evil deed. Any deceiver fits into this category, any false teacher, any apostate. And this is how God Himself feels about them and therefore it's about how we must feel about them, not that we can execute judgment on them, not that we want to burn them at the stake, as has been done in the past, not that we want to string them up or crucify them. Not that we want to take them to the guillotine. Not that we want to take vengeance into our own hands, but we must view false teachers the way our Lord God views them.

~ John MacArthur on Apostates and their Judgment

Definitly NOT what many "Christians" say we should do--listen to the "good" parts of false teachers nor are we to "throw out the baby with the bath water" even though God commanded we shouldn't even GREET such a person.

Gal 1:8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed. 10 For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.

1Jn 2:22 Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son. 23 No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also. ..26 I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you.
2Jo 1:9 Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. 10If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, 11 for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works.
1Co 5:11 But now I am writing to you NOT TO ASSOCIATE with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler--not even to eat with such a one.

Mat 7:15 "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Mat 7:17 So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit.

Eternal Punishment and Eternal Life: Rob Bell Denies This

Redefining words as Rob Bell apparently does in his new book inappropriately called "Love Wins" (true agape hates evil and the wicked and rejoices with the Truth---his notion of love is really tolerance of all manner of falsehood), shows his unbelief in Scripture.

The fact that Christians are having to fight for the truth of the biblical Hell and biblical eternal punishment is unbelievable, but that's where the battle rages the most these days.

As reported by Apprising Ministries in a review by the Tenth Leper:

Quote:

That’s why I’m glad I sat down to read this book for myself, because Bell doesn’t really seek to say “This isn’t in the Bible” as much as he does “That’s not actually what the Bible is saying here.” “Do I believe in a literal hell?” he asks. “Of course.” (p.72) So it’s perhaps not the best route to rebuke Bell’s argument by pointing to places in Scripture that talk about Hell as a real place. Nor is it as simple as quoting Matthew 25:46 which says that those who do evil go off to “eternal punishment.” He’s ready for that.

Invoking the original language of the New Testament, he’ll argue his case that the punishment referred to here (better translated, he believes, as “correction”, or “pruning”, or “trimming”) doesn’t last forever in the way we understand the term “forever”. If I were to rebuke his thoughts on Hell by pointing to Matthew 25:46, it would be clear to anyone who has read Love Wins that I had not.

The definition of “eternal” in Matthew 25:46 (which I’ll devote a whole entry to) is probably the most blunt thing I remember reading in Love Wins. As I said, he doesn’t ever say “Hell isn’t real.” He just challenges what we mean by it. He’s too smart to be overly blunt throughout most of the book. But he makes no apology for his declaration that while Hell is a real place, and people will go there, it’s not forever. Ultimately, God’s love will prevail for every person and they will be restored.

End quote.

Many things are wrong with both Bell and Leper's views.

Scripture clearly and simply states eternal punishment is just that: punishment for eternity. Its so simple a child can easily understand it, and many do. Too bad adult "Christians" can't.

There's no semantic games here, no mysterious parable to uncover, no deeper hidden truth here. God made eternal death and eternal life understandable for those who actually believe what He said.

Eternal punishment:

Matt. 25: 41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.

2 Thes. 1: 8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: 9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His power

Rev 14:11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up forever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.

Rev 20:10 And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

When Christians talk about eternity in Hell we mean eternal punishment. Technically Hell will be thrown into the Lake of Fire to burn forever. We know what we mean, though. So, to be clear, Eternal Punishment is what I'll use for this article.

Why is Eternal Punishment eternal? Well, why is Eternal life eternal?

Christians go to heaven b/c they have placed their trust and faith fully in the Person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. This faith will turn to reality--to what we see---when we enter Heaven. We will live in a state of belief for we shall see Him as He is, worshipping Jesus Christ the risen Master/Owner for ever and ever (Eph. 1). Correction is NOT punishment as Bell and Tenth Leper claim. Rather, Rom 8:1 Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Furthermore discpline is a different word:

Heb 12:7 It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8 But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.

paideia
pahee-di'-ah
From G3811; tutorage, that is, education or training; by implication disciplinary correction: - chastening, chastisement, instruction, nurture.

Hebrews 12 is clearly making a distinction between those who are save and thus being conformed to the image of Christ Jesus (see also Rom. 8:28-30) and those who are not. Unbelievers are condemned and punished, believers are no longer condemned since Jesus took their punishment fully, but rather conformed to the image of God's dear Son through discipline or training. Totally different. Bell calls himself a pastor but can't see this clear distinction?

In Mat 25:46 "These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life" "punishment" is "kolasis" which means penal inflicktion, punishmen, torment. Different word for a different reason: these are the people for whom Jesus DID NOT DIE FOR.

Again this distinction is made here:

1Jn 4:2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; 3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world. 4 You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. 5 They are from the world; therefore they speak as from the world, and the world listens to them.

1Jn 4:6 We are from God; he who knows God listens to us; he who is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. 16 We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 17 By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.

"Punishment" in v. 18 is " kolasis" as in the earlier passage I just mentioned. John shows the clear distinction between those who are loved by God and saved, and those who are not.

Those who go to Hell (and then the Lake of Fire), die in unbelief. Scripture says Heb 9:27 "And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment." Those who die in unbelief stay in eternal unbelief. What is the penalty for unbelief? Hell and eternal punishment.

Eternal unbelief earns eternal punishment.

This demonstrates God's eternal justice.

Just as eternal life demonstrates God's grace and mercy, Hell proves God's justice and thrice holiness. So, to deny one IS to deny the other and means one has an UNholy God without justice.

God Himself throws unbelievers (aka the wicked) into the Lake of Fire Himself; its not merely that they earned their rightful place there, but He commands them to go and even puts them there:

Matt. 10: 28 Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

Matt. 25: 41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.

Rev 19:20 And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur.

Rev 20:13 And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. 14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

All who are rebellious against God, whether demons, Satan, or men, all get the righteous judgement of Hell and eternal punishment. Man's rebellion against God is just as bad as that of the fallen angels.

Hell glorifies God's attributes of justice and holiness. With this backdrop, it also then glorifies God's grace and mercy for those whom He saves.

To deny Hell is to deny Heaven because God says they are equally real and eternal:

Mat 25:41 "Then He will also say to those on His left, 'Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels....46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

Mat 13:41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, 42 and throw them into the FIERY FURNACE. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.

The gnashing of teeth is not one of sorrow and pain, but its of hatred and rebellion. The Greek word "brugmos" means grating of teeth. Its the same word used here:

Speaking to the high priest Stephen said, Act 7:52 "Which one of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? They killed those who had previously announced the coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become; 53 you who received the law as ordained by angels, and yet did not keep it." 54 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the quick, and they began gnashing their teeth at him. 56 and he said, "Behold, I see the heavens opened up and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God." 57 But they cried out with a loud voice, and covered their ears and rushed at him with one impulse. 58 When they had driven him out of the city, they began stoning him; and the witnesses laid aside their robes at the feet of a young man named Saul.

The reality of eternal punishment demonstrates the glory of God's grace and mercy. We see this with Saul/Paul. He deserved Hell, but God demonstrated His love, grace, and mercy to him in order to be a display of God's power and workmanship forever, just as He does with each person He saves (see Eph. 1-2).

Hell is a literal place which will be thrown into the literal Lake of Fire where unbelievers, Satan, and the demons will burn forever as they live in eternal unbelief: this IS eternal destruction. "Has God said?" Yes He has! He has spoken and HE and therefore His Word is faithful and true:

Rev 19:20 And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur.

Rev 20:13 And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. 14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

Rev 19:11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war.

Rev 21:5 And He who sits on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new." And He said, "Write, for these words are faithful and true...

Rev 22:6 And he said to me, "These words are faithful and true"; and the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent His angel to show to His bond-servants the things which must soon take place. 7 "And behold, I am coming quickly. Blessed is he who heeds the words of the prophecy of this book."

All of Scripture is to be believed and obeyed (in its context correctly applied) and no one is to add nor subtract from Scripture. The warning of doing this both in the OT and NT is to be delaread a liar by God and we know liars do not go to Heaven.

Fear Him Who Judges Righteously. You cannot change what He has declared, has done, or will do.

Ecc 3:14 I perceived that whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it. God has done it, so that people fear before Him.

As John MacArthur said:

Fear of eternal judgment, friends, is a very essential component in heart preparation for salvation. I hinted at this, I think it was last Sunday, I speak so many times I don't know whether I'm coming or going, truthfully, but I think in one of the services I commented on this, and just for your own edification I'll mention it to you. We have today an absence of the fear factor in evangelism. I say that and I think of that stupid TV program where they create artificial fears. I don't need any artificial fears. Instead of people dealing with artificial fears, traumatizing themselves through contrived means, they really ought to find out what true fear is and that is to understand the judgment of God. Let me tell you something about what I would say is the essential...essential element of salvation. Really there are four things that are necessary for a person to be saved. You could call this the science of salvation. One, fear...you have to be saved from something, from hell. I don't think people would want to be saved from their sin if they could have their sin and have heaven too, agreed? Does that sound reasonable? If I could have my sin and go to heaven, that sounds like a deal. But hell, that's another matter. And I don't think evangelism is done properly and I don't think a heart is prepared properly if there isn't a component of fear of eternal judgment, eternal hell. And in our evangelism we have to do that, even with our children we have to do that. Second component, the second element is humility, humility. Not only do you have to be afraid of eternal hell, but you have to also understand that you can do nothing to rescue yourself. You have to humble yourself and deny yourself and see your utter unworthiness and your utter nothingness and your utter bankruptcy. This is heart work, folks, in the matter of evangelism. This is the plowing of the soil. And the third element is repentance. You have to come to the place where standing, as it were, looking into the yawning mouth of hell, fearing that you will spend forever there, understanding that you can do nothing to change that, understanding your utter wretchedness and sinfulness and unworthiness, and then coming to the point where you say, "I want to be delivered from this, I want to be rescued from this. I want You to forgive my sins. I acknowledge my sins." That's all the heart work and only then do you come to the fourth element which is to believe the gospel. Most evangelism today is "Jesus died for your sins, believe that, pray this prayer, and you're in." What about the first three? What about the heart preparation? You may have to put the fear factor back in the gospel. It's all through Scripture.

Dumpster-Diving To Find Spiritual Food

Why do "Christians" find "truth" in heretical teaching and promote the reading of such accursed things? Rom 12:9 "Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good." A truth plus a lie is a lie. "No lie is of the truth" John said. The Tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil had nothing to offer but DEATH, yet today people still argue with God and say "YES IT DOES!".

Here is an example from Facebook:

I said:

"Good example of why not to read Bell. If one thinks there is truth in everything, they will not separate from such a heretic--in fact they won't find a heretic anywhere. Instead Bell is a "brother". We have to take heed of what we hear AND ...read, as Pink said. It matters what we think on."

The response of another commenter named Justin:

"But i do think it is good to read Rob Bell. It is good to know what others are saying and what they believe. It is not what goes in to the body that defiles it but what comes out. We are to be discerning about ALL things test them with the Word of God and keep what is good. But i do think it is very helpful to read others we do not agree with to help us understand where they are coming from. And although i do disagree with Bell, he does say some good things. I think we are not to run but read and test these things to help understand what they are saying as well as being critical with their material."


‎1Th 5:21 But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; 22 abstain from every form of evil. This means test everything, hold to that which PASSES the test of Scripture and reject that which doesn't which will come in various forms. Seems people think it means dumpster diving and finding something good to eat in the decaying and rotten food. That's NOT what Scripture says.