“Love Wins” – the problem begins with the book’s title

By: American Decency Staff

By now many of you have read about Rob Bell’s newly released book entitled “Love Wins.â€ÂÂ Â Â  Rob Bell is the founder and pastor of Mars Hill Church in Grandville, MI. Mars Hill has burgeoned to purportedly 10,000 members (according to the Detroit Free Press). According to the Detroit Free Press, In his book, Bell raises questions about a central tenet … that only saved Christians will avoid the fiery depths of hell. Bell argues that many people are turned off by overly harsh ideas of God and urges Christians to focus more on improving conditions on Earth than worrying about the afterlife. Heretic, some have branded him. See bulletin insert: april 2011 Bulletin Insert Here is what highly regarded Dr. R. Albert  Mohler Christian speaker, author, blogger, and President of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky stated recently: “… There is no reason to doubt that Bell wrote this book out of his own personal concern for people who are put off by the doctrine of hell. Had that concern been turned toward a presentation of how the biblical doctrine of hell fits within the larger context of God’s love and justice and the Gospel of Jesus Christ, that would have been a help to untold thousands of Christians and others seeking to understand the Christian faith. But that is not what Bell does in this new book. Instead, Rob Bell uses his incredible power of literary skill and communication to unravel the Bible’s message and to cast doubt on its teachings. … Bell clearly prefers inclusivism, the belief that Christ is saving humanity through means other than the Gospel, including other religions. He rejects the belief that conscious faith in Christ is necessary for salvation, but he never clearly lands on a specific account of what he does believe. … In truth, any human effort to offer the world a story superior to the comprehensive story of the Bible fails on all fronts. It is an abdication of biblical authority, a denial of biblical truth, and a false Gospel. It misleads sinners and fails to save. It also fails in its central aim — to convince sinners to think better of God. The real Gospel is the Gospel that saves — the Gospel that must be heard and believed if sinners are to be saved. Yes, we have read this book before. With Love Wins, Rob Bell moves solidly within the world of Protestant Liberalism. His message is a liberalism arriving late on the scene. Tragically, his message will confuse many believers as well as countless unbelievers. … The message of the Gospel is not merely that love wins — it is that Jesus saves.'" http://www.albertmohler.com/2011/03/16/we-have-seen-all-this-before-rob-bell-and-the-reemergence-of-liberal-theology/ ========================== A Striking Contrast – Mainstream Biblical thought from J.C. Ryle: The Reality of Hell The words written below were written by J.C. Ryle.  Today, more than a hundred years after his death, his works stand at the crossroads between the historic faith and modern, liberal evangelicalism. His words (and works) are signposts directing us to the “old paths.â€ÂÂ  And holiness, no doubt, is not least among them, for without it no man shall see the Lord. "There is such a place as hell. Let no one deceive you with vain words. What people do not like, they try hard not to believe. When the Lord Jesus Christ comes to judge the world, He will punish all who are not His disciples with a fearful punishment. All who are found unrepentant and unbelieving; all who have clung to sin, stuck to the world, and set their affections on things below; all who are without Christ; all such shall come to an awful end. Whosoever is not written in the book of life shall be “cast into the lake of fire.â€Â [Rev 20:15] I call on all who profess to believe the Bible, to be on their guard. 1) I know that some do not believe there is any hell at all. They think it impossible there can be such a place. They call it inconsistent with the mercy of God. They say it is too awful an idea to be really true. The devil of course, rejoices in the views of rejoices in the views of such people. They help his kingdom mightily. They are preaching up his old favorite doctrine, “You shall not surely die.â€Â 2) I know furthermore, that some do not believe that hell is eternal. They tell us it is incredible that a compassionate God will punish people forever. He will surely open the prison doors at last. This also is a mighty help to the devil’s cause. 3) I know also that some believe there is a hell, but never allow that anybody is going there. All people with them are good. As soon as they die, all were sincere, all meant well, and all, they hope, got to heaven. Alas! what a common delusion this is! If I never spoke of hell, I should think I had kept back something that was profitable, and should look on myself as an accomplice of the devil. Reader, I beseech you, in all tender affection, beware of false views of the subject on which I have been dwelling. Beware of new and strange doctrines about hell and the eternity of punishment. Beware of manufacturing a God of your own: a God who is all mercy, but not just; a God who is all love, but not holy; a God who has a heaven for everybody, but a hell for none; a God who can allow good and bad to side by side in time, but will make no distinction between good and broad in eternity. Such a God is an idol of your own, as truly an idol as any snake or crocodile in an Egyptian temple. The hands of your own fancy and sentimentality have made him. He is not the God of the Bible, and beside the God of the Bible, there is no God at all." [Taken from J.C. Ryle, Daiily Readings from all four Gospels] A word from the past “… Here is the reason why we have a moral breakdown in every area of life. The titanic freedoms which we once enjoyed have been cut loose from their Christian restraints and are becoming a force of destruction leading to chaos. And when this happens, there really are very few alternatives. All morality becomes relative, law becomes arbitrary, and society moves toward disintegration. In personal and social life, compassion is swallowed up by self-interest. …â€ÂÂ Â  Dr. Francis A. Schaeffer ===================== Your support is important to our ability to make a difference. Donate online at: https://secure4.afo.net/ada/donate.php American Decency Association is a member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability. American Decency Association Bill Johnson, President P.O. Box 202 Fremont, MI 49412 ph: 231-924-4050 www.americandecency.org http://www.twitter.com/billwjohnson

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