beautiful people.

In Erasing Hell does it really mean that Love Wins?

So I was finally able to read Rob Bell’s controversial book Love Wins as well as Francis Chan’s response to it, Erasing Hell. (I will be referring to Rob Bell as RB, Love Wins as LW, Francis Chan as FC and Erasing Hell as EH for the duration of the post.)

LW has been the ‘it’ book to argue, I mean, discuss about for the last few months. The book is actually not introducing a new perspective on Christianity. RB is persuading to see a different interpretation that Heaven and Hell are not real places, but are in the here and now. As well as how can an all-loving, all-powerful God would send people to torment and punishment forever in Hell simply because we made the wrong choice in this short life. He also discusses the idea that Jesus is not the ‘only way’ to heaven.

I wanted to read LW out of sheer curiosity to see what all the hype was about. My plan was to give it a fair chance, to not jump to conclusions or get angry at the first statement I didn’t agree with. I’m not here to knock RB, to be holier-than-thou or be a ‘spiritual peacock’ and self-righteously spew out all my biblical knowledge on the topic. I’m here to give my take on it. So without further ado, I found it to be a tough read for two reasons.

My first reason is that it was really hard to follow. It’s one question, followed by another question by another, leading you down this perplexing journey of questions. These questions had a tendency to go off on strange tangents. Simply because I was confused by his writing style, I decided to take notes (not in the good way) so i could work out his thought process fully in the way it deserved.

Asking hard questions are not necessarily a bad thing, actually asking hard questions is quite important. I don’t believe you should believe anything blindly. Asking questions helps you reach a better understanding.

But in my very honest (and bookworm) opinion is that he was trying to throw dust in your eyes, play devil’s advocate and manipulate people. I have read enough books in the same nature and genre to realize this type of writing. He’s playing Christians like a violin to intentionally stir controversy. 

Which got me thinking, if he really is writing with this in mind, what are his real intentions? Does he really care about people like he is claiming to do in LW? **

My second reason was that everything discussed in the book disturbed my soul deeply. It brought up some hard questions that I needed to come to some conclusion myself. When you’re asking these types of questions, one book is not enough to form a conclusion. RB is asking a lot of questions,  so you should look further and ask more. I had to read EH to see both sides of the argument and get a fully rounded understanding. It was a huge help in directing me to my own conclusions.

So it boils down to one question in the end.

In erasing Hell, does it really mean that love wins?

(See what I did there? I’m so clever. Haha JK)

In LW, it brought something to light. We don’t like talking about Hell. We don’t like talking about the possibility of people we know and love being punished because of a choice made in this life. We don’t like a God that judges us. We’re not big fans of a preacher who talks about fire and brimstone and condemnation. When I say, I’m including myself in this. It’s scary.

But just because we don’t like to talk about some things does not make it okay to ignore them completely.

If Hell is a real place that means that what we do in this life has real and serious consequences. The reality of Hell reflects a heavier responsibility on us.

With this knowledge, you and I cannot simply sit around and argue that I like the term Christ Follower more than Christian over our Starbucks coffee anymore. The harsh truth that Hell exists should compel us to act immediately. We need to get out of our own comfort, to reach out to everyone and share that there is a God who loves them.

RB in the first chapter also brings up a few good questions about what it is to be Christian though he never gives us a clear answer. The conclusion I came up with is this. To be ‘Christian’ it is not just believing and saying the right words with your eyes closed. RB was right when he said Jesus is bigger than any one religion. It is the daily decision to choose your fate. It is constant denial of your selfish intention, to die daily. It is to get to know God more intimately by studying His Word everyday. It is to love your neighbor (which is EVERYONE). It is to care for the single moms, the elderly, the least of these. It is to help the helpless, feed the hungry and care for the poor. It is to baptize and create disciples in every nation.

God’s amazing and overflowing love can only win if we change how we live and share that Jesus is the only way as is clearly stated in John 14:6.

“This is not just about doctrine; it’s about destinies. And if you’re reading this book and wrestling with what the Bible says about hell, you cannot let this be a mere academic exercise. You must let Jesus’ very real teaching on hell sober you up. You must let Jesus’ words reconfigure the way you live, the way you talk, and the way you see the world and the people around you.”

-Francis Chan, Erasing Hell

So in erasing Hell does Love win? Well, the answer for me is no. Hell is a harsh truth and a real consequence. Jesus is the only way. I won’t apologize for my complex God. And being a Christian isn’t all rainbows and unicorns but a daily choice and action.

But don’t take my word for it. Ask the hard questions and find out for yourself.

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Here are some other books I suggest for you to read as well as Love Wins and Erasing Hell:

Mere Christianity and The Problem of Pain by C.S. Lewis… actually, all of his books.

The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins

The Dawkins Delusion by Alister McGrath

god is Not Great by Christopher Hitchens

Notes from Underground by Fydor Dostoevsky (It’s not totally on the same topic, but it’s kind of a stream of consciousness writing about thinking too much and existentialism. One of my all time favorite quotes is from this novel, “To be acutely conscious is a disease, a real, honest-to-goodness disease.”)

**As a reader, I like to get to know the author a bit. I think it helps in understanding their writing no matter what the genre is.

Francis Chan was the founding pastor for Cornerstone Community Church in CA and stepped down recently in 2010 from his pastoral role. He has written several books (Crazy Love is on my list of books to read next) as well as speak at conferences (which I have had the pleasure of seeing him in September 2010). 

He “gives away about 90 percent of his income (though his church administrator preferred the phrase "most of his income"). Chan doesn't take a salary from his church, and his book royalties, which total about $500,000, mostly go to organizations like International Justice Mission, which rescues sex slaves in foreign countries.”

Rob Bell has also stepped down from his pastoral role at Mars Hill Bible Church pretty recently to pursue other avenues in publishing and speaking tours. One such project is a new spiritual drama on ABC. The show will be cowritten with a writer from the hit show LOST. The show ‘Stronger’ will be loosely based off his life. He and his family have relocated to LA for this new venture.

‘While based on biblical principles, Bell's brand of spirituality is not about hard-core evangelical, fire-and-brimstone teachings,’ New York Magazine reports. ‘Instead, his goal is to service folks' spiritual needs without the overlay of religious dogma.’ "

Sources

Love Wins by Rob Bell.

Erasing Hell by Francis Chan

Article on Franics Chan

Article on Rob Bell stepping down from Mars Hill

Article on Rob Bell’s spiritual drama