There are certain topics we must approach with more humility and care than others. This is one of them: Hell
Why? It is mysterious.
· God has not seen fit to bring absolute clarity on the subject
· For 2000 years followers of Jesus have debated it without arriving at any complete consensus.
· Frankly, it’s confusing and deep theological questions emerge swirl around it.
Why? It’s deeply personal
· Most of us have had loved ones die leaving us wondering about their eternal state.
· IL – my first funeral. From the time I walked into the hospital room until the end of the funeral there was a dark foreboding over the whole family. The man had zero spiritual desire and wasn’t a very nice man.
Why? This is an extremely sacred topic. We’re treading on holy ground here…the eternal state of human souls.
So we must approach this subject with great humility and with as palms up an attitude as we can. But we cannot ignore it because the fate of those we love is indeed at stake.
That has been the focus of the first two weeks of this series – American Soul. Our goal has been to be honest about the fate of millions and determine what we must do about it. (don’t miss this as the core reason why we are talking about the American Soul)
What we’ve learned so far:
1 out of 5 Americans claim no religious affiliation.
Only 1 out of 4 American’s attend a church regularly. (Actually the number has dipped to 17%)
Only 1 out of 10 Americans participate in church beyond weekend services.
Americans are shedding traditional Christian theological values rapidly.
A huge chunk of a new generation has concluded they want nothing to do with us. As Christians, we are widely mistrusted by a skeptical generation. Fewer than one out of ten young adults mention faith as their top priority, despite the fact that the vast majority of them attended a Christian church during their high school years. David Kinnaman & Gabe Lyons. “unChristian.”
Despite all this, 8 out of 10 claim some kind of identification with Christianity.
I’ve painted this composite picture of your neighbour: A former Christian who now isn’t so sure any more. They like the Bible but don’t regard it as special. They believe there are many paths to God. They have only marginal connection with any church and are sceptical of organized religion in general. Mostly they just want to be comfortable, enjoy life, be busy, raise their family, and hang on to just-enough-God in case some problem arises.
We’ve also looked carefully at God’s image of the American Soul:
The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness. Romans 1:18
“Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to” …sin and idolatry. Romans 1:24
But also the beautiful potential of the human soul…
But now the righteousness of God has been made known. This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus (excerpts from Romans 3:21-25)
Today then what if they do not determine to place their faith in Christ? What is the eternal state of the American Soul that will not surrender to Jesus?
Romans 5:1-12
1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. 6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! 10 For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! 11 Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. 12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned— Romans 5:1-12
Here are some truths we need to wrestle with:
Sin creates an adversarial relationship with God
o V 10 – God’s enemies
Sin leads to death
o V 12 – physical and spiritual (separated from the life of God)
Sin leads to God’s judgment
o V 9 – wrath
§ God will respond to sin when we die.
Other places in scripture also speak to this impending judgment:
Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, Hebrews 9:27
For we will all stand before God's judgment seat. Romans 14:10
So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God. Romans 14:12
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. 2 Corinthians 5:10
Then there’s this…perhaps the most poignant of scriptures on the future judgment of God is… (keep a finger in Romans 5)
Revelation 20:11-15 page _____________
Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. 12And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. 13The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 15 If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. Revelation 20:11-15
· An image of the future of every human being – appearance before a great white throne upon which God is sitting.
· V 12 - All the dead – every human being
· V 12 - 2 books or sets of books are opened.
· 1 set of books held the deeds of every human being…what we have done – our deeds
o Everybody is judged and will be found to be sinners
· Then a 2nd book will be opened – the book of Life – and names will be cross referenced.
o People will be separated – those whose names were in that 2nd book and those whose names weren’t
o Names not in that book will be thrown into the lake of fair for further judgment.
So, then, this seems to be the key for every human being…this 2nd book. The fate of every person rides on whether their name is in that 2nd book.
How does that happen? …Go back to Romans 5:
1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.
6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.
8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
9 Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! 10 For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! 11 Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
There is a way to avoid the worst of the judgment of God
Vs 1 – we can have peace with God through Jesus Christ
Vs 2 – faith in Jesus grants us access to God’s Grace
Vs 6 and 8 – Christ’s death made this possible
Vs 9 – We can saved from the wrath of God through Jesus
Vs 10 – Jesus can turn this adversarial relationship with God into friendship. We can be reconciled with God and avoid his wrath.
I cannot possibly overstate the importance of these truths. They are the sacred foundation upon which we stand.
And yet…belief in these truths is fading as quickly as any traditional Christian doctrines. One of the fastest growing beliefs in America is that of Universalism.
· There are a number of variations on it:
o Everybody gets in, nobody will face the judgment of God – because God is love.
o There are many paths to God choose any one and you’re good.
We believe that Romans 5 does not leave room for that thinking. Nor does plenty of other scripture: For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men 1 Timothy 2:5-6
We believe the scripture is clear:
Sin creates an adversarial relationship with God
Sin leads to death
Sin leads to wrath and judgment
There is one way to avoid the judgment of God: Faith in Jesus that leads to surrender.
So, you see don’t you why the fate of the American Soul is so important? If we embraced universalism then just leave people alone…they’re good! But if indeed it is true that there is a rather narrow road to reconciliation with God…we’ve got a problem.
We’ve got loved ones around us who have never surrendered to Jesus. Or, at least we wonder about whether they have. Or maybe they’ve rejected what they once believed about him.
What are you going to do about that?
· You see, that’s what this series is about – not a theological treatise
· This isn’t a drawing of lines and circling the wagon (typical thing the church has done and why we’re hated by some)
· This is a moral dilemma…for you…what will you do knowing that your loved one is destined for the judgment of God?
Before we go there…I want to acknowledge that I’ve barely scratched the surface with all the murky details about hell.
· Is the judgment of God eternal? Will some people be in torment forever?
· What is hell like? Is there a literal hell? Is it literally physical fire?
It may disappoint you but I’m not going to address those questions – why?
· In these details this topic turns incredibly mysterious and contentious among those who are followers of Christ.
· Everyone points to some piece or pieces of scripture to prove their point.
· Not just ordinary followers of Jesus but giant theologians CS Lewis, John Stott, NT Wright and many, many others disagree on the details.
Do I have opinions on those deeper more complicated subjects – yes, of course I do. Perhaps another day we can probe deeper but if I did today, we would absolutely lose our focus on what I believe is the crying concern of God - the “lostness” of our neighbors. And the fate that awaits them.
So, no I will not go in depth on hell…but there are a few details I feel I must address:
· What about children and mentally disabled (mind of children) … will they face the judgment of God?
o Only if and when they achieve a state of accountability before God for their actions and choices regarding Jesus.
o Not knowing where that line is we very early on introduce kids to the truth about Jesus.
· What about someone who grows up without any source of knowledge about Jesus (the kid who from Mozambique)
o I have no idea but I have a hope and perhaps a hunch that God will hold them accountable to what light they did have. What did they do with the light they did receive?
· When a person dies – is that it? Their last chance?
o Again, I am uncertain but let me remind us that we have no idea what happens in those moments between this world and the next. What if all those long tunnel of light stories we hear of with mysterious person is indeed Jesus appearing to confront them a last time? I dunno.
o Is it possible that after a person dies and enter judgment that Jesus would give them another opportunity to repent and trust him?
§ No scripture points that way but there is nothing in scripture that denies it either. Again, I don’t know but who knows what God will do?
Again, there is immense mystery here.
· We must trust God
· We must be careful and humble with each other
· We must respond with what we DO know…and DO believe!
· Our purpose is not to debate this subject…not theology it is mission
Sin creates an adversarial relationship with God.
Sin leads to death.
Sin leads to wrath and judgment.
There is one way to avoid the judgment of God: Faith in Jesus that leads to surrender.
Believing that we must wrestle with this verse:
Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. How can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? Romans 10: 13-14
Returning to David Kinnaman’s work:
To shift our reputation, Christ followers must learn to respond to people in the way Jesus did.
- We have to be defined by lives that exude humility and grace. (they expect us to be bigoted and insensitive)
- We have to work primarily through relationships and friendships. (to have conversations we have to be in the same room – have a “talking relationship”)
- We have to have “the right perspective when facing criticism”. And not “be bothered by critics.” (we have to stay in the room when they push back)
- We have to consider below-the-surface motives. Distinguish between hostility and hurt. And address the core of people’s spiritual condition. (there’s a reason they are so hostile – ask good questions!)
- We have to find new stories, new parables, new ways of telling the timeless truths of the Bible’s message. Using tired expressions and clichés make us seem not only old-fashioned but simpleminded. (tell your story and avoid canned presentations)
Realize that the Holy Spirit is working along with you – you can’t mess this up.
Friends, it’s time to roll out of our beds of indifference and insecurities and show people the way to life.