Rob Bell & "Love Wins"

View this video and then you can read my response below.



I had a good friend e-mail me and ask me about all of this and what I thought. So, I typed up the response below. Understand that I could say a lot more about this, but this is the "quick" response.

He makes some good points, but he’s definitely moving toward a man-centered theology where it’s all about us, what we want to believe, what we can understand. What scripture calls “the mysteries of God” are things that are too deep for us to fathom in this life. The Ghandi question is simple. Ghandi is in hell if he did not call on Jesus as Savior. Period. End of story. When Jesus said, “I am THE way, THE truth, and THE life, and NO ONE comes to the Father except through me,” that’s exactly what Jesus meant. He’s the end all! He’s supreme! He’s the righteous judge!

My concerns with Rob Bell lately is that he’s slowly becoming a pluralist and a false teacher as he bends scriptures to make himself feel better about his eternity. And knowing that we all struggle with that concept, he’s gonna sell us a book about it. Rob has had some good stuff in the past. He’s also had some bad stuff. He needs to be perceived with caution, holding up his “truths” to THE truth, scripture.

We must be ever more discerning, especially as the end draws near. I leave you with this scary passage. I wonder how Rob would handle it.

Matthew 7:13-14 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” Matthew 7:21-23 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’”

Notice that it says “many…on that day”. Not a few, not a handful, but many will not enter the Kingdom. Scary. The ESV (Eric Standard Version) of this scripture would read like this: Many on that day will say, “Lord, Lord, did we not attend Sunday School and even give a little bit in the offering plate and we even served in the nursery?” And Jesus will say to them plainly, “I don’t even know you. Depart from me you who loved the world more!”

Again, Jesus brings it back to the point that it’s about a relationship with Him, not what we do. The actions and deeds show the heart and should follow the heart. But deeds cannot save. The main thing is that we know Him and accept Him as Savior and LORD and participate in the power of His resurrection.