Tough Love Wins (Part Six)

So Where Do We Go From Here With Rob Bell?

From what we’ve looked at so far, I think it’s pretty clear that I differ from Rob Bell on the issues addressed in “Love Wins”.  In some ways I feel a disappointment that someone who can write and communicate well has produced such poor arguments for his position.  It’s a bit like watching a sports team, one you know can do so much better, playing poorly (an experience I’m well used to as a supporter of Arsenal Football Club).

However, I’ve also been extremely disappointed by the antics of John Piper and others who seem to take delight in writing off Rob Bell as a heretic.

This morning, in the Solid Rock Church in Drogheda, I preached from 2 Samuel 11:1-4.  We looked at David’s temptation and sin with Bathsheba.  There is one particularly telling phrase in verse 4 where it says, “She came to him, and he slept with her. (Now she was purifying herself from her monthly uncleanness.)”

Did you get that?  David and Bathsheba were concerned that she observed her ritual purifying – yet they jump into bed together to commit the extremely impure act of adultery.  Talk about an exercise in missing the point!

We do that kind of thing a lot as Christians.  We observe the niceties and formalities of being Christians – but then we treat one another with an appalling lack of love.

I was really tempted to entitle this morning’s message “Why I Think Rob Bell is Wrong About Hell But I’d Still Rather Have What Rob Belll’s Got Than What John Piper’s Got” – but I decided not to, partly because it wouldn’t squeeze onto the Powerpoint slide, but also because 99% of the congregation have no idea who Rob Bell and John Piper are!

We can be really precise about having all the correct doctrinal beliefs, and what we believe is important, but it doesn’t really count for much if we can’t treat one another with love.

When it comes down to it, belief in hell is not one of those defining doctrines that marks you out as being a Christian or not.  There are certain beliefs that are essential to being a Christian (eg the deity of Christ, His atoning death, His bodily Resurrection).  It is difficult to see how anyone can deny such truths and still be called a Christian – but belief in everlasting punishment is not such a doctrine.  If Rob Bell differs from me concerning hell then I think he is wrong – but he is still my brother in Christ.

But I do hope his next book will be better!

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