Thursday, December 15, 2005
How Big Is Hell?
Thanks to the Thinklings for linking to this post from Doug Wilson. Wilson is critiquing McLaren and the emergent movement particularly on the issue of hell. Wilson defends its existence then says
Jesus tells us the way is narrow and few are chosen. Christ Himself did not want us to think the odds were in our favor.
The problem lies in how we present the story, not in the doctrine. We condemn when we should encourage. We declare people bound for hell when we should be reaching to pull them out. We tell people they are going to hell when we should simply be telling them there is one. The problem is not what we believe, but who we are.
If we spent as much time trying to become as God would have us be as we do trying to figure out our doctrine, hell would not be much of a concern.
And having said this, there is another element to the scriptural narrative that many conservative believers really have missed. No, not the reality of hell, but I believe most evangelicals are wrong about the comparative size of it....I truly believe it is God's desire for all to be saved, and I truly believe that grace, and grace alone is the sole source of that salvation. But I am forced to comment that whether it is McLaren's lack of acknowledgement of hell, or this declaration of the poor odds of getting there, I am troubled.
...Jesus came to save the world, and when the thing is done, the world will in fact be saved. He didn't come to give saving the world the old college try; He came to save the world....
...When God is done with His gracious intervention, the number of the saved is going to far exceed the number of the lost. Why? Because the human race deserves to be saved? No, because God is piling grace upon grace in this sorry mess of a world....
Jesus tells us the way is narrow and few are chosen. Christ Himself did not want us to think the odds were in our favor.
The problem lies in how we present the story, not in the doctrine. We condemn when we should encourage. We declare people bound for hell when we should be reaching to pull them out. We tell people they are going to hell when we should simply be telling them there is one. The problem is not what we believe, but who we are.
If we spent as much time trying to become as God would have us be as we do trying to figure out our doctrine, hell would not be much of a concern.
