Ashamed of the Gospel?

Recently a firestorm has been ignited over the release of a book entitled “Love Wins” by a pastor named Rob Bell. While I have not read the yet-to-be-released book, a significant amount of information has come out about it, including a short promotional video by Mr. Bell. Based on this limited information, it has become clear that the author is ashamed of the gospel. It is clear that he cannot bring himself to proclaim the gospel as clearly explained in the Bible, so he has created another gospel that, much more satisfyingly to him and others, guarantees every person freedom from hell and a spot in heaven no matter what they believe about Jesus Christ in this life.

I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is God’s plan and I don’t get to or want to change it. The good news is that God has had compassion on His rebellious creatures and has provided a perfect way to rescue us from the inevitable result of that rebellion. The truly amazing thing about the plan that God has designed is that it 1) is consistent with the entirety of His infinitely righteous character, 2) demonstrates the infinite character of His love, 3) completely satisfies His wrath against sin, and 4) provides a “once-for-all” payment for sin that holds up against any sin we may commit, except for one.

That one sin is the subject of significant debate. But Jesus makes it quite clear in Matthew 12:32, when He says: “Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.” This “unforgivable sin” is consistently rejecting the Holy Spirits testimony to the Truth.

If a person remains in that position through indifference to or rejection of the Spirits testimony to the Truth, he remains under the wrath of God, which must be eternally unquenchable if it is to be consistent with God’s righteousness. God holds humans accountable for their response to the truth. (Romans 1:20)

The good news is that the price has been paid and God’s wrath has been poured out on Jesus Christ instead of us. The task of God’s people is to do everything we can to tell people this good news. No doubt the gospel can be offensive, because it paints a grim future for the person who rejects it and remains under the wrath of God. Getting a diagnosis of cancer is also bad news, but that bad news is often followed by the good news that it can be cured. Telling people with cancer that intervention is unnecessary and that everything is going to be okay is not a loving act, but is in fact a hateful one.

“I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.” Romans 1:16

The gospel requires a response of faith, or I remain under the wrath of God against my sin. Telling anyone anything else is a hateful lie. Rob Bell posits that Gods love will “melt the heart” of the unbeliever in the afterlife, and so ultimately all will be saved. It would be a wonderful doctrine except for the fact that, not only does it lack a single piece of Biblical evidence, but it stands in opposition to a mountain of Biblical evidence for the eternal and conscious nature of hell. Fanciful exegesis and the creation of more pleasing doctrines do not change the glorious truth of the gospel.

Pastor Jon MacKinney