Curt Bradford

"Nothing in this book hasn't been taught, suggested or celebrated by many before me."

This is in the first pages of Rob Bell’s new book Love Wins. He is preparing the reader for the ideas he presents in this book about heaven, hell, eternity, and the nature of God.  I agree with his introductory statement. This isn’t new stuff. It’s all been heard before and refuted. In my opinion (as well as Al Mohler and Ed Stetzer), many of the mainline denominations (non evangelical) still embrace all or portions of the theological ideas in this book. I think they are distortions of Biblical truth that many have considered before and rejected.

 For example: “The message that Christians will spend eternity with God in heaven while the rest of humanity will spend eternity in hell is toxic and misguided and subverts the message of God’s love.”

Revelation 20:15 (ESV) ^“And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.”

Matthew 10:28 (ESV)  And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

Luke 12:5 (ESV) 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!

Revelation 21:8 (ESV) But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”

In order to consider the Biblical message about hell “toxic, misguided and subversive”, one has to ignore the words of Scripture. I personally hate the idea of hell and would like to see every person escape the eternal separation of hell, but I cannot ignore the Scripture. Hell is real and God has provided a way to avoid that terrible destiny-Jesus. Mark Driscoll (pastor of another Mars Hill Church in another part of the country) has a great video about that truth here.)

Another example: “And whenever people claim that one group is in, saved, accepted by God, forgiven, enlightened, redeemed- and everybody else isn’t- why is it that those who make this claim are almost always part of the group that’s in?”

Luke 13:22-24 (NIV) Then Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem. ²³ Someone asked him, "Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?" He said to them, ²⁴ "Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to.

Matthew 7:21-23 (NIV) "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. ²² Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' ²³ Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'

Jesus Himself in these two different passages clearly communicates that some would be “in” while others would be “out”. This is not an unloving judgmental perspective; it is truth spoken by Truth that there is an ‘in” and there is an “out”. While it may be wishful thinking that everybody is "in"; it is not Biblical Truth.

There are many other examples of error in Bell’s book and I do pray for him to re-think these dangerous and deceiving teachings.I don't know the man or his heart, but he has chosen to publish his beliefs and market them to people I love, so I must address them as a shepherd who stands before God daily and ultimately. I do pray for him.

I have a greater concern for the Believers who are not grounded in God’s Word and orthodox Christian teaching. I fear for those who are swayed by doubt more than truth. I pray for those who build their lives on possible scenarios rather than clearly declared truth. I pray for those who are weak in their faith and now have been made more unsure of their faith by one who is supposed to speak for Truth and help them live lives of deep faith.

In these times the idea that truth is relative and that one can be the authority in one’s life, the Bible is reduced to one of many books; and the centuries old teaching of the Christian church is reduced to mere opinion. I tremble at the consequences of regarding God’s Word and Truth as subjective rather than rooted in God Himself.

I guess I pray that Rob Bell’s thinking will be countered by a renewed commitment to teach Truth as revealed in the clear teaching of the Bible and the two thousand year old orthodox teachings of the Christian Church.

Curt's opinion.

In our study about helping the needy, I talked about the Good Samaritan parable Sunday.

In my personal study of the Scriptures, I often try to project myself into the story to get a better sense of what the Lord would have me be or do. It helps me get different perspectives. 

For example, in the parable in Luke 18:10-14, I have sometimes identified with the self righteous guy so I repent. Other times I’m the repentant sinner standing extremely grateful to God for his sacrifice for me. In the teaching from Jesus in Matthew 6 about worrying, I project myself into the story as a worried guy sitting on a hill listening to Jesus tell me to trust Him.  In the OT story of Joseph (Genesis 37ff), I have been the brothers, the Dad, and Joseph. The difference in perspective helps me see the Lord’s word to me personally.  I think the Lord often speaks differently to us at different times in our life. His perspective is always best.

In the story of the Good Samaritan I put myself into the story in a place I have never been before. I was the wounded guy on the road. I have been the guy who stops to help the wounded guy. And I have been the two who passed on by and did nothing. But when I saw myself as the wounded guy on the road that needed help, it gave me a perspective on the mercy and grace of God who stops for the unworthy and undeserving.  Jesus the Savior stopped to help; but not bandages and lodging. The help I needed was reconciliation to God. I was alienated from God and He took notice, came to me, picked me up, and made things right with God and me. All His decision to save.

I could have died separated from God forever, but Jesus stopped.

From this perspective, I have a different view towards the needy. I realize I am one of them. I have a different motive for helping others now. As one for whom God stopped to help, I am now a wounded healer who stops to help because he has been helped by God the Healer and Savior.

Just thinking….

We’ve begun a journey at Riverbluff Church that will probably change how we do church…again!

We’re studying The Hole In Our Gospel by Rich Stearns, President of World Vision. Stearns challenges the church to “plug the hole” in our Gospel. He doesn’t suggest that there is a hole in THE Gospel, just in OUR Gospel. That hole is our ministry to the poor and the pursuit of justice for the oppressed. It’s not making the Gospel a Gospel of good works, but suggesting that God sends us to get people saved AND to meet their needs. It’s what we do. It’s enlarging our work in the world to do good as well as help people get saved. It's the results of being saved, not a way to be saved.

I know there will be some who hope we're not taking a step towards the theological error called the Social Gospel. Me too. We are a conservative Bible believing church who takes all of the Bible to be authoritative, not just the parts about life after life. So I ask the Lord to keep us tuned into His Spirit. I think we have to pursue obedience to all of God’s commands to His people, especially those concerning the poor.

I’m also hoping we don’t just come out of this study with some new optional program that some of our folks get involved in periodically. I’m asking God to do such a work in us that we make helping others as regular and essential as lunch or sleeping. I want to make it a regular part of our budgteing and ministries.

I do think we will have to act from a motive other than duty, guilt, avoiding punishment, or anticipated rewards.

In my opinion, the only lasting motive is to realize our own deep need of the Savior, and the extent to which He sacrificed for us. We have to see ourselves not as the Good Samaritan but as the wounded man lying in the road. The more we consider ourselves worthy and others unworthy, the less we grasp the depth of our own sin. The more we realize what Jesus did for us and how unworthy we were and are, the more we will live as he lived simply out of gratitude and love. And we will begin to see people as He does.

Pray for us in this journey….