Highly Exalted

Rob Bell is about a month out from releasing his latest book, Love Wins.  Rob Bell recently released a promotional video (link at the bottom of the article) that outlines the themes he addresses in his upcoming book.  His summary begins with an incident at an art show his church was hosting.  An attendee of the art show left a written statement of damnation on a piece of art depicting Gandhi.  In the video, Bell proposes that what we believe about heaven and hell largely shapes our understanding of who God is and the good news of the Bible.

From this launching pad, Bell asks a series of questions that suggest his disdain for the historic, orthodox gospel and of the substitutionary atonement.  Bell begins with the question, “Will only a select few make it to heaven and will billions of people burn in hell?”  Quite simply put, yes.  Our default position, if you will, is hell.  The Bible clearly teaches the depravity of mankind and that we have offended a righteous and holy God by our sinful nature.  Although, mankind was made for fellowship with God, the entrance of sin by Adam’s disobedience put man in rebellion to the Creator-God.  As a result, death came to man and man is separated from God. 

Leaving the narrative, which Bell has refused to acknowledge, we do find a dismal but nonetheless just situation.  The creatures have violated a holy God.  Bell, then asks, “How do we become one of the few?”  He goes into a long list of possibilities of which he correctly suggests the need to be born again among a list of other options.  The beauty and wonder of God’ s grace is first found in the fact that He did not have to offer His creation any type of salvation.  So to answer Bell’s question, one must say that we do not do anything to be the few, God does everything so that we, who deserve eternal separation from God, can become the few.  The Bible is clear in more than thirty different passages that God chooses or elects sinners to salvation.  Ephesians 1:5ff says, “In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will to the praise and glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved” (emphasis mine).  Bell’s question is not new.  The Bible records Nicodemus’ same question and Jesus responds, “I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3).  Indeed, in our natural state, we must be converted and trust Christ as Savior in order to be one of the few.  Does God’s election of the “few” negate His grace altogether?  Of course not!  Even if God chose to save one person, He would be completely within His right and could be called graceful.

I realize some of my Christian brethren will disagree with me on my interpretation of Ephesians 1:5, but I think Bell is pointing to another issue as well that deserves attention.  Bell poses a broader question when he asks, “What is this kind of God like?” [the kind that will let people go to a hell].  Bell confronts historic Christianity when he says that we are taught that, ”God will send you to hell unless you believe in Jesus and so what we are subtly taught is that Jesus rescues us from God, but what kind of God is it that we need to be rescued from him?”  This shows that Bell does know the narrative but solidly rejects the meta-narrative of the Bible.  Indeed, Jesus’ life, death, burial and resurrection does rescue us from God’s wrath.  Perhaps, it would be helpful to clarify the wrath of God.  The wrath of God certainly exists, but it does not exist as many understand it.  Many think of wrath or anger in human terms, but we are talking about the wrath of the Creator (not a human being).  God’s nature is such that He is perfectly righteous, holy, without sin, omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent.  So anything less than that is an offense to God and brings about the need to make things right (God’s wrath).  Until things are made right or God’s wrath is satisfied there is separation between man and God.  Wrath, here, is not pictured as a person throwing a temper-tantrum or stewing in discontent.

Bell asks the question, “How can that God ever be good and trusted or how can that ever be good news?”  The good news is not wrapped up in God’s wrath, the good news is wrapped up in God’s choosing to send His Son, Jesus Christ to pay the penalty for sin through death on a cross.  When Jesus hung on the cross, God thrusted the weight of the penalty of the sins of man on to the person of Jesus.  Jesus assumed God’s wrath for us.  The Bible teaches that God made Jesus who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21).  That’s not just good news – that’s great news!  Jesus took our place – He was our substitute who atoned for our sin. 

Bell’s clear refusal of this narrative is evident as he claims, “Whatever we’ve been told or taught, the good news is better than that – better than we could ever imagine.”  Bell says, “The good news is that love wins.”  As Paul addressed the church at Galatia, he said these words, “I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel [good news].”  I’m not sure what kind of “love” wins outside of, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16), but I do not want any part of it!

Beware church.  This strain of so-called Christian is, in fact, not Christian at all.  Bell rejects much of the premise of Christianity and clearly does not know the God of the Bible or how He has intervened in the rescue of sinners from hell.    Remember what Jesus told His disciples, “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it.  For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it” (emphasis mine), Matthew 7:13-14.  The God of the Bible is the only God, period.  And He exists in three persons:  God, the Father, God the Son and God, the Holy Spirit.  He has revealed Himself to us in His Son, Jesus Christ, of which the Bible gives a clear and inerrant testimony.  Always be alert, my friends, of those who bring an attractive message without the gravitas of the Gospel narrative clearly explained.

Bell’s video:  http://vimeo.com/20272585