God's Wrath And Bell -- Err Hell

Can I level with you? I've felt burdened the past few days. I've felt as if the time for speculating is past, and the time for reviewing the truth and only the truth is upon us.

Sure, I know all about living by faith and not feelings, but that's not really what this is. I can't quite explain it unfortunately. All I can say is that there's this uneasiness within my soul and a definite need to invest the time to read and study His Word more than I have been. Yet, even that's not entirely accurate either.

I suppose a better way to describe whatever this is would be to say that I feel an urgency to research, study, and write about repentance, obedience, and judgment. So much so, in fact, that I've put everything else on hold -- and I mean everything!

From the last minute cancellation of an end times prophecy report this week courtesy of Right Now Radio, to using every waking hour today to bury my face in my Bible and write, write, write as much as I possibly can on this important subjects, today has been an...odd day for sure.

The strangest part? None of these sentiments have been stoked by other news media outlets and/or the long list of online Christian prophetic ministries that I usually frequent because I just haven't had the time to listen to, let alone read, any of them all week long. It just is what it is. Please take that under prayerful consideration for what it's worth.

Ok, so what have I been so preoccupied with for nearly the entire day? In the aftermath of the tragedy in Japan, and in the wake of the beginning of a state of war in Libya, I keep coming back to the simple truths given to us in Scripture.

Hebrews 9:27 (KJV) And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

One great thing (yes, "great") to come from the constant news about the death and destruction in Japan (and even just the mere threat of radiation making its way to the Western US) is that it forces people to come face-to-face with their own mortality.

Some might think it's morbid of me to point this out, but I hope that others see it as a compassionate gesture. We all die. Eternity is a long time. To live like we'll never die, or to act like it all doesn't matter one way or another, is a tragic state to be in.

I would argue that what we believe about what happens to us when we die determines how we live our lives while we still have them to live. Of course, God's Word gives us the answers to both this life and the life to come.

Do we know the truth though? Are we reading and studying His Word like we should? Are we ready to give an account of the truth to those who ask and challenge us about it (2 Timothy 4:2)?

In the previous post, we looked at what the Scriptures have to say about earthquakes and why God allows them to happen to mankind. They are more than signs. They are commentaries from Almighty God about His feelings toward our unrepentant sins.

With that in mind, this felt like a good time to revisit some surprisingly "controversial" subjects in Christian circles today: God's wrath, Hell, and the relationship between the two.

But it's not just me! Anyone else notice a similar theme within various Christian ministries lately? Everywhere I turn lately it seems like THIS is the subject on everyone's heart and mind -- even if it's in a community and forum that I've never been to before! Might that be the Holy Spirit moving throughout the Body of Christ in preparation for what's to come? I believe it very well could be.

You know, with Japan's devastation still weighing on us, the resulting symbolic analysis by other watchmen on the wall, and now plausible scenarios about what lies ahead for this nation (and the world) in the next several days, I'm beginning to wonder if "spiritual preparation" (a "last call" of sorts) is what's at play here after all.

WHAT DOES SCRIPTURE TELL US ABOUT GOD'S WRATH?

Let's begin with the doctrine of the wrath of God. What do we know? Well, for starters, that the Lord is a "righteous judge" (2 Timothy 4:8; 1 Peter 2:23; Revelation 19:11).

Charles Spurgeon summarized...

"You must have, more or less, a distinct sense of the dreadful wrath of God and of the terrors of the judgment to come, or you will lack energy in your work and so lack one of the essentials of success."

It's so much more than that though. The Scriptures tell us quite a bit about God's wrath. For some of you, this will be the uncomfortable part.

Psalm 21:9 (KJV) Thou shalt make them as a fiery oven in the time of thine anger: the LORD shall swallow them up in his wrath, and the fire shall devour them.

Psalm 90:7-8 (KJV) For we are consumed by thine anger, and by thy wrath are we troubled. Thou hast set our iniquities before thee, our secret [sins] in the light of thy countenance.

Psalm 89:14 (KJV) Justice and judgment [are] the habitation of thy throne: mercy and truth shall go before thy face.

Romans 2:2-6 (KJV) But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things. And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; Who will render to every man according to his deeds:

Psalm 7:11-13 (KJV) God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry [with the wicked] every day. If he turn not, he will whet his sword; he hath bent his bow, and made it ready. He hath also prepared for him the instruments of death; he ordaineth his arrows against the persecutors.

This is the message we must bring to a sinful world now more than ever. God is angry with the wicked every day. His wrath abides on them (John 3:36). Every time they sin, they are storing up for themselves wrath that will be revealed on the Day of Judgment (Romans 2:5). Unless they are convinced that there is a wrath to come, they will not flee to the One who can deliver them from the wrath to come (1 Thessalonians 1:10).

Even now, with all that's going on in the world just this last week alone, there are still people out there who assume that Heaven's silence is Heaven's sanction. The reality is that God threatens fearful wrath, then offers salvation to those who will listen. This is the Biblical order of Gospel proclamation -- Law before grace -- and it must be preached ASAP!

Obviously, the Word contains proclamation after proclamation of God's wrath. The problem is that we fail to remind ourselves that it's a righteous wrath that He exhibits.

C.S. Lewis commented on this truth when he wrote,

"When we merely say that we are bad, the 'wrath' of God seems a barbarous doctrine; as soon as we perceive our bad-ness, it appears inevitable, a mere corollary from God's goodness."

May we always perceive our "bad-ness" from now until our last dying breath.

Not to get us too sidetracked here, but whenever a discussion about the wrath of God comes up it invariably evolves into one of the most common objections: "Why does the Old Testament show a God of wrath and the New Testament a God of mercy?"

Actually, the God of the New Testament is THE SAME as the God of the Old Testament. The Bible says that He never changes. He is just as merciful in the Old Testament as He is in the New Testament.

Read Nehemiah 9 for a summary of how God mercifully forgave Israel, again and again, after they repeatedly sinned and turned their back on Him. The Psalms of David often speak of God's mercy, poured out on sinners.

He is also just as wrath-filled in the New Testament as He is in the Old. He killed a husband and a wife in the Book of Acts, simply because they told one lie.

Jesus warned that He was to be feared because He has the power to cast the body and soul into Hell. The apostle Paul said that He persuaded men to come to the Savior because he knew the "terror of the Lord" (2 Corinthians 5:11). Read the dreadful judgments of the New Testament's Book of Revelation. That will put the "fear of God" in you, which incidentally is "the beginning of wisdom" (Proverbs 9:10).

Perhaps the most fearful display of His wrath is seen in the cross of Jesus Christ. His fury so came upon the Messiah that it seems God enshrouded the face of Jesus in darkness so that creation couldn't gaze upon His unspeakable agony.

Whether we like it or not, our God is a consuming fire of holiness (Hebrews 12:29). He isn't going to change, so we had better...before the Day of Judgment. If we repent, God, in His mercy will forgive us and grant us eternal life in Heaven with Him.

But there's one verse that sums things up quite nicely for us...

Psalm 7:11 (KJV) God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry [with the wicked] every day.

The NIV clarifies the truth even further, and while I fully recognize the problems with the NIV please note that I'm merely including it here for absolutely clarity (for those who argue the KJV is "too difficult to understand") and to simply hammer home the point: "God is a righteous judge, a God who expresses his wrath every day."

Though they seem like contradictions in a politically correct world like the one we live in today, this verse clearly tells us that righteousness and wrath go hand-in-hand.

I think R.C. Sproul gave us a hint as to why we've fallen away from the truth of God's Word...

"There's probably no concept in theology more repugnant to modern America than the idea of divine wrath."

Right on cue, the apostates within Christianity gave us more reason to know (not assume, but know) that he was right because they totally reject such foundational Biblical truths. Totally.

That's because the toxic teachings of the "Emerging Church" and one of its rock star "Pastors", Rob Bell, have been compiled into a new book just released called "Love Wins", which despite it's universalist "We All Worship The Same God And God Loves All" title will only lead to apostasy, blasphemy, and heresy.

More on that in a moment. For now, I just wanted to mention it and point out how this topic was at the forefront of Christian apologetics this past week and rightfully so. More importantly, I think it's timing is providential having come on the heels of the tragedy in Japan and everything that such an event should force the world to confront about itself. That being said, let's continue by pointing out a few more things about God's wrath.

Bill Muehlenberg recently wrote an in-depth commentary on the wrath of God that served as a catalyst for this piece today. We'll continue by examining this doctrine first.

While I don't agree with all of his statements (i.e. "or if they believe that God forces people against their will to enter into a Christless eternity, that too I reject", which is in direct contrast with sovereignty, regeneration, and Romans 3:11 assuming that's what he was writing against with that comment) I generally agree with most of them because that are rooted in Scripture...

"If their idea of the wrath of God is that God is an emotional tyrant who explodes in petty anger at every little thing, then I reject that concept as well."

"Christians readily – and rightly – leap upon John 3:16 to showcase God’s love. But the very same pericope speaks of the other side of the coin – his wrath. John 3:36 says this, 'Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.'"

"People often mistakenly assume that love and wrath are opposites. They are not at all, as this passage demonstrates. If you really love someone you will hate that which harms that person. Leon Morris argues that wrath 'stands for the settled and active opposition of God’s holy nature to everything that is evil.' Indeed, 'If we abandon the idea of the wrath of God we are left with a God who is not ready to act against moral evil.'"

"Paul says much about God’s wrath. Consider Romans 1:18: 'For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness.' Some think this wrath just means the impersonal consequences to bad choices in a cause and effect universe, and it should not be attributed to God himself. 'But his wrath against sin is too comprehensive in Scripture to allow such a reinterpretation. It is part of his very nature – the holiness of God demands wrath against the sinner and mercy toward the repentant' (Grant Osborne in his commentary on Romans)."

"Consider also Ephesians 2:3: 'All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath.' But in the very next verse Paul speaks of God’s great love and rich mercy. As Clinton Arnold states, 'This wrath in no way contradicts his love; rather, it is a manifestation of his character as holy and blameless, which is what he requires of us (1:4). It is also his necessary and appropriate response to the rebellion of his creation against him, which he will ultimately subdue (1:10).'"

"A final passage to consider is Revelation 6:15-17: 'Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and everyone else, both slave and free, hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. They called to the mountains and the rocks, ‘Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can withstand it?’' This text is remarkable for many reasons, but the point to emphasise is the one unleashing the wrath. Yes, the same meek and mild Jesus who we read about in the gospels is now dispensing judgment and punishment. Many forget that the Lamb of God is also the conquering King who will comes to exercise divine judgment."

"Or as G.K. Beale rightly states, 'The earth-dwellers have not trusted in the Lamb who was slain for the sin of the world (cf. 1:5; 5:9). Therefore, they will have to suffer his destructive wrath and will not be able to withstand it. The gentle Lamb who was slain on the cross is now in an exalted position over the whole cosmos (1:5; 3:21; 5:5-6) to pour out his wrath. He is not only loving to his people but also a just judge to his enemies.'"

Simply put, Muehlenberg points out how critical it is for Christians to "get it right" when it comes to knowing the truth and preaching the truth. The doctrines of Hell and God's Wrath are certainly a part of that, but far too many Christians leave them out of the discussion entirely.

You can't say "God is love!" without also saying "God is wrathful!" The two aren't mutually exclusive; they're not polar opposites. The love of God does not make any sense without the wrath of God. Remember, it's not for nothing that the Scriptures record the "fear of God" so very often. Hopefully, that clarifies the doctrine of the wrath of God for us.

Earlier, we mentioned Rob Bell and the Emerging Church movement in Christianity today. It was good to see Dr. Mohler himself pen a stern response to the rank apostasy originating from such people and preaching,

"If you actually read the Bible, you are going to end up having to say that this is a dishonest attempt to make the Bible say what is does not say."

That's the bottom line here. If you still doubt that such a rebuke was warranted, then please spend some time being like a Berean (Acts 17:11) and examine the evidence for yourself.

Matthew 7:15 (KJV) Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

Those within the Emergent Church/Liberal Christianity sects have created a mythology of Heaven and Hell and redefined what it means when the Bible speaks of God's wrath, and it's all at the front-and-center of Bell's new book too.

What's this book about? Why is it so dangerous? One religious leader has weighed in...

This brings us to the controversy over Rob Bell’s new book, Love Wins. As its cover announces, the book is "about heaven, hell, and the fate of every person who ever lived." Reading the book is a heart-breaking experience. We have read this book before. Not the exact words, and never so artfully presented, but the same book, the same argument, the same attempt to rescue Christianity from the Bible.

As a communicator, Rob Bell is a genius. He is the master of the pungent question, the turn-the-picture-upside-down story, and the personal anecdote. Like Harry Emerson Fosdick, the paladin of pulpit liberalism, Rob Bell is a master communicator. Had he set out to defend the biblical doctrine of hell, he could have done so marvelously. He would have done the church a great service. But that is not what he set out to do.

Like Fosdick, Rob Bell cares deeply for people. It comes through in his writings. There is no reason to doubt that Bell wrote this book out of his own personal concern for people who are put off by the doctrine of hell. Had that concern been turned toward a presentation of how the biblical doctrine of hell fits within the larger context of God’s love and justice and the Gospel of Jesus Christ, that would have been a help to untold thousands of Christians and others seeking to understand the Christian faith. But that is not what Bell does in this new book.

Instead, Rob Bell uses his incredible power of literary skill and communication to unravel the Bible’s message and to cast doubt on its teachings.

The problem begins even with the book’s title. The message of the Gospel is not merely that love wins — it is that Jesus saves.

In fact, Bell already made an appearance in front of millions on MSNBC recently, and it highlighted why this is serious cause for concern...

MSNBC To Rob Bell: "You're Amending The Gospel So That It's Palatable!"



One blogger astutely wrote the following in response...

Whatever else one can say about generous orthodoxy, it should not include suggesting that polar opposite views about God are equally orthodox, nor that contradictory views on key Scriptures are equally plausible or possible. Rob once defined orthodoxy as like a trampoline, with some flexibility. Flexibility yes, on some things, but still definable and recognizable boundaries, especially when it comes to the issue of soteriology. Even a trampoline has boundaries and if you fall outside them you get hurt, and so do others who try and follow such an example.

Apprising Ministries added...

I showed you that at the corrupt heart of this Liberalism 2.0 is the doctrine of universalism; and the popularity of men like McLaren and Bell within mainline progressive churches is perfectly understandable because — they speak from the world, and the world listens to them (1 John 4:5).

Here’s the crux of the matter, both Brian McLaren and Rob Bell claim to be evangelical all the while espousing a newer postmodern hybrid form of progressive Christian theology that’s completely at odds with evangelicalism...

Sadly, neither Rob Bell nor Brian McLaren can even see the evangelical neighborhood from where they’ve currently drifted; and in my opinion frankly, I don’t think they even want to see it. With this all in mind, it does speak loudly against the mystical musings of Rob Bell when Word Faith universalist Carlton Pearson decides to come to his defense below with an all-out attack on Holy Scripture, which is the only way one could ever defend Rob Bell’s mythology.

I think that's entirely warranted and entirely accurate too by the way.

In fact, I'm reminded of of this...

2 Corinthians 2:17 (KJV) For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.

Titanium bends and twists, but it always retains its shape. That's what a Christian should be like. We bend; we are flexible on certain issues. However, we always retain our integrity. We refuse to compromise the truth of God's Word.

Sadly, that's what these Emergent types offer a heavy dose of -- compromise when it comes to the truth of God's Word. Make no mistake, the Lord will send His righteous wrath upon such as these. Thus, unless they repent of their sins in this regard, they may have a reservation for eternity in Hell.

WHAT DOES SCRIPTURE TELL US ABOUT HELL?

How many times have we heard someone say, "Hell isn't a place! This life is hell" or something to that effect? Skeptics who say this are trying to dismiss the reality of Hell. They might like to think that life as we know it couldn't get any worse (and people in Japan and Libya might feel that way right now), but the sufferings in this life will be heaven compared to the suffering in the next life -- for those who die in their sins.

This life is the closest thing to Hell that Christians will ever know, and the closest thing to Heaven that sinners will ever know unless they repent.

To warn of Hell is fearful, but it is absolutely legitimate because the Bible says that it is a fearful thing for a sinner to fall into the hands of the living God (Hebrews 10:31).

Despite the fact that the world is teetering on the precipice of the Tribulation, and the simple fact that you could die tomorrow due to causes entirely unrelated to the fulfillment of end times prophecy, apostates like "Pastor" Rob Bell are only making things worse.

When the doctrines of God's wrath and the existence of Hell aren't being ignored outright, they're being severely misinterpreted although there is an abundance of Scriptural texts that clearly define them for us.

Dr. Albert Mohler wrote two exceptional commentaries on this topic recently...

Doing Away With Hell? Part One

Doing Away With Hell? Part Two

I'm not going to try to select excerpts. Please just make the time to sit down in a quiet place today and read them both back-to-back. They go hand-in-hand with the content of today's piece.

The bottom line? "Is evangelical theology about marketing God to our contemporary culture, or is it our task to stand in continuity with orthodox biblical conviction–whatever the cost?"

Watcher's Lamp referenced Apprising Ministries, which shared this essay from Dr. John MacArthur, which I believe to be a fitting conclusion to this lengthy -- but oh so necessary -- commentary/study...

Hell is a place of unrelieved torment for both body and soul. When a nonbeliever dies, his soul leaves the presence of God, and goes into Hell. His soul probably doesn’t go into the Lake of Fire that all unbelievers will be thrown into after the Great White Throne Judgment (because a transcendent body would be required to endure the fire), but it still goes to a place of torment (as was illustrated by the rich man who died and went to Hell in Luke 16).

When an unsaved person dies, his soul descends into Hell. In the future, there will be a resurrection of the bodies of the damned, and at that time the condemned will be given a transcendent body so they can be thrown into the Lake of Fire. Christians will also be resurrected at that time, and be given a transcendent, glorified body to enable them to live eternally in Heaven. Those who are condemned to Hell will be raised and given new bodies for the sole purpose of being punished forever in those bodies (Jn. 5:25-29; Rev. 20:11-15). That’s why Jesus said, “…fear not them who kill the body…but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Mt. 10:28).

Some people think that Hell will only be experienced by the inner consciousness. But Hell will be experienced by the body, too. Transcendent, eternal bodies are going to be given to the damned; they will suffer in those bodies forever.

Please let that sink in. Please, please, please. Remember, we're on borrowed time here.

Hell is a literal place just like Heaven is a literal place.

Absolutely nothing -- I repeat, absolutely nothing -- on this earth could ever even begin to compare with Hell and the wrath of the Lord God Almighty.

Hebrews 10:26-31 (KJV) For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? For we know him that hath said, Vengeance [belongeth] unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people. [It is] a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

God's love cannot be separated from His wrath.

Ironically, those who attempt to do so may ultimately face the very thing that they try to teach isn't something to worry about when it comes to God and the end of a life.

I'd say that in such a case "the joke's on them", but our Lord's righteous wrath and a place in Hell for eternity is no laughing matter. Look, even Jesus Christ Himself spoke of the reality of Hell and warned us about rejecting Him and spending eternity there.

Matthew 10:28 (KJV) And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

Pray for these truths to change hearts and minds. Pray for those caught up in this vile apostasy, blasphemy, and heresy related to these end times.

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Posted in: America In Prophecy,Apostasy,Bible Study,Great Commission,Sola Scriptura,Spiritual Deception,Spiritual Growth,Witnessing