Thinking about Universalism and Hell is Healthy

Regardless of what you and I think about the whole Rob Bell controversy, I do believe it is very healthy for us (conservative, evangelical Christians) to think through issues like universalism and hell. The trajectory of our nation and world are forcing us to have good, solid, biblically based answers to hard, difficult, postmodern questions.

Two more places that I have found helpful in recent days to think through these things carefully are:

Danny Franks' blog post here entitled "Hell? Yes."

[Note: Even though it is a very serious post, Danny is one of the funniest men I know. I would put the coffee mug down if I were you while reading ANYTHING he writes....enjoy, and, trust me.]

At one point, Franks very wisely notes:

"This isn’t a doctrine to gloat over. I fear that many pastors, bloggers, and armchair theologians will use the Rob Bell controversy to prove once again that they’re cackling pharisees waiting to blast someone for error. If Bell proves to be a universalist, that’s most certainly an error. But universalism isn’t something for us to be self-righteous over, it’s something for us to weep over. Heaven and hell are on the line, and we can’t waste our time getting into heated debates in blog comments. We must be all the more passionate about clearly sharing the gospel and calling people to repentance."

And Tim Keller titled "The Importance of Hell" linked here.

He offers four reasons as to why it is so important:

1. It is important because Jesus taught about it more than all other Biblical authors put together.

2. It is important because it shows how infinitely dependent we are on God for everything.

3. It is important because it unveils the seriousness and danger of living life for yourself.

4. The doctrine of hell is important because it is the only way to know how much Jesus loved us and how much he did for us.

So, at the end of the day, regardless of Rob Bell is on the issue (and I hope and pray I am wrong in my own assessments, or if I am correct, he will repent), I think it will serve all of us well to think through these matters biblically and from wise and biblically saturated advisors.