Lots of stuff going on in the blogosphere about hell. This is a really difficult issue on many levels, but important nevertheless for those who labor to see Muslims, most of whom have never heard the gospel, embrace the Messiah for all he is.
I think this quote from J.I. Packer quickly gets to the heart of the matter:
It has been urged that if non-Christian devotees come to know themselves as guilty, defiled, and unworthy, and to confess and renounce their sins, asking mercy from whatever gods there may be, they will receive the forgiveness they seek because of the Jesus they do not yet know, but will know hereafter. God forbid we should dispute this. But have we reason to think there are such people? The New Testament only speaks of penitents being saved through knowing about, and coming to trust, the crucified and risen Lord.
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I watched the promo video for "Love Wins" yesterday, and what struck me most was the profound lack of theological understanding that Bell conveys. His logic is overly reductionistic, almost simplistic, as he fails to grasp some fundamental principles of theology. In the end, yes, love does win, praise God! But it's love according to God's conditions of justice, not man's. The sarcasm with which Bell mocks the person who said that Ghandi was in hell is also telling of his own preconceived and extrabiblical logic. If Bell is right, then we might as well just shut this blog down today! He's far from the first person to make such claims. In the end, God's word is clear, alhamdulillah, and hopefully his book will fade on the same wave of hype it entered on.
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