In Case You Were Wondering

I like books. I can browse the shelves of Barnes and Noble for hours on end. I like novels, biographies, history, sports-books (especially about baseball players and golfers), books that challenge me spiritually, and, of course, the Bible. There are different means through which our faith grows; reading is a big one for me. It’s a good thing I like to read, because it is essential to my job. My sermons are enhanced by what I read. I cringe at the thought of how uniformed and boring my sermons would be if I stopped reading.

I’m a slow reader, a plodder. It may take me 2 months to read a book my wife knocks out in 3 days. I may be slow, but I’m persistent. Usually I’m reading 4 or 5 books at the same time. I keep a couple in the office that I read for the job. I always take a book with me if I’m going to be waiting in a doctor’s office or in a barbershop. I keep several books beside my favorite recliner at home and a couple more beside my bed. I love starting a new book, wondering if the story is going to capture my imagination or the spiritual insights are going to push me to think deeper about my faith. I love finishing a book and placing it on my shelf like a shiny trophy, unless it’s a great novel, and then I feel sad when it ends. I keep a running list of the books I’ve read. So far this year I’ve read 27 books, some very good ones, and some not-so-great ones. Just for fun (fun for me anyway), I thought I’d post brief reviews of every book I’ve read this year… just in case you were wondering what I’m reading. My goal is to post one review a day. Here’s book review #1…

Is Hell For Real or Does Everyone Go to Heaven? Edited by Christopher W. Morgan and Robert A. Peterson.
http://www.amazon.com/Hell-Real-Does-Everyone-Heaven/dp/0310494621/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1355337175&sr=1-1&keywords=is+hell+for+real

I began the year with this small paperback book that is basically a response to the controversial book Love Wins, by Rob Bell, which I read in 2011. The book offers 5 chapters by 5 different Evangelical theologians who answer questions such as, “Is hell for real?” “What did Jesus say about hell?” and “Does everyone go to heaven?” The best chapter by far, in my opinion, is the one written by J.I. Packer. He gets right to the point when he states, “…the task of the universalist is to circumvent the seemingly clear New Testament teaching on eternal punishment.” (Pg. 67)

Then he turns the argument on its head insisting, “Everyone… deserves eternal punishment in hell, the supreme mystery is that God should save anyone.” (Pg.70)
He makes a strong case for taking seriously both the dark sinister nature of sinful humans and the shocking love of a holy God who moves to save them. Authentic Christians have disagreed on the issue of hell and who ends up there for 2000 years. Neither Rob Bell nor J.I. Packer is likely to get the last word. Bell’s book is well worth reading too. There is a loving kindness in Bell’s writing toward unbelievers that is too often missing in books by Evangelicals. Did Bell win me over to the Universalist point of view (that all people are saved and go to heaven in the end)? No. I agree with Packer, that in terms of the New Testament, Universalism is wishful thinking. However, there is one statement from Rob Bell that I do completely agree with: “It is our responsibility to be extremely careful about making negative, decisive, lasting judgments about people’s eternal destinies.” (Pg. 160)

My gospel witness is more inclined toward emphasizing the shocking love of God, than the reality of His eternal wrath. The Apostle Paul put like this: “Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance?” (Romans 2:4) (NIV)

While I’m certainly not for compromising the truth, I learned long ago that it isn’t my job or my place to make final judgments on people’s eternal destiny.