CommentsDisplaying loveartgirl's 10 most recent comments.

• Pastor Fired After Backing New Rob Bell Book Questioning Hell

  March 24, 2011 at 10:24pm

  In reply to WSGAC.

  You guys do not have a clear understanding at all about what hell means. Hell is probably symbolic and not literal fire and brimstones, but it’s symbolic of something bad enough that Jesus deemed it a good trade to die on a cross to save us from it. Hell is simply the complete absence of God.

  CS Lewis says it well in “The Great Divorce” : “There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, “Thy will be done,” and those to whom God says, in the end, “Thy will be done.” All that are in Hell, choose it. Without that self-choice there could be no Hell.” And may I add for the sake of this conversation that without Hell, there could be no self-choice…it is simply the alternative to eternity spent with God…which would be truly terrible indeed.

• Pastor Fired After Backing New Rob Bell Book Questioning Hell

  March 24, 2011 at 1:16pm

  There is much in the Bible that is symbolic, what is important to remember is that while hell may not include fire and brimstone it IS symbolic of something really bad…bad enough that Christ deemed death on a cross a good trade in order to save us from it. If someone does not believe in hell, then why believe in Christ’s sacrifice, which He made clear was His entire purpose in coming to save us? Very illogical…these guys are creating a religion of their own making.

  If one will not believe in who God says He is, then they are not believing in Him at all. He is both loving AND just. Anyone who is not separated from their evil, and yes, we are all evil, will not be with Him…it really is that simple. If there was not a separation of good and evil, then He would not be just…and yet He offers to separate us from our own evil, by taking it upon Himself on the cross, so that we can be with Him. This is how He can be both just and loving. There is no point to belief Christ if there is no hell to save us from, because that would mean His sacrifice meant absolutely nothing. If someone removes the idea of eternity without God, which would mean eternity apart from everything good and loving, then they remove the belief of Him as savior which would boil down to believing in Him as just a good teacher which was not an option He left open to us. As CS Lewis states, He is either Lord, or a liar or lunatic…precisely because of what He claimed about Himself, belief in Him as a good teacher was not left open. “Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father save Me from this hour?’ But for this PURPOSE I came to this hour.” Without a hell to save us from, Christ would have had no purpose to separate us from our sin so that we might be saved from an eternity apart from Him. He offers us eternity WITH Him, He is truly Loving AND Just. :)

  Belief in an alternative to spending eternity with a glorious God who embodies everything that is good and Holy is also essential to our free will. We are given a choice, good or evil, eternity with God, or without God.