The doctrine of hell and it being a real place of eternal torment never sits well. Of course no one should like the idea of a place of “gnashing of teeth” where “the worm never dies”. The Bible describes hell as a place of eternal fiery damnation. In fact, Jesus spoke of hell more than anyone else and yet in today’s postmodern culture the doctrine of hell is, you guessed it, under attack.

The idea in today’s churches (especially the American churches) is that we have to be politically correct in how we deliver the Gospel. We can’t hurt anyone’s feelings or offend anyone. You see, it’s all about numbers. If churches today preach like Charles Spurgeon or Jonathan Edwards then we might offend and our mega church numbers would go down. My response to this - BOLONEY! It’s not about how many people you have in your church - it’s about being faithful to the true word of God. It’s not about entertaining your congregation with “your best life now” messages and light and sound shows - it’s about teaching, equipping an edifying the saints to “go therefore…”. It’s about teaching the whole word of God - even the difficult doctrines like election.

The reason, I believe, that many of the sound Biblical doctrines are attacked today is because the church has slipped away from preaching and teaching the Bible and moved to “feel good” sermons or messages that focus on “our best life now” or our “purpose driven life”. Our focus should not be about us, it should always be about Him and His glory! And when there is a focus on us it should be a focus on godliness, sanctification, a hatred of sin and edification - all things that in turn point immediately back to God.

It’s time we get back to the true Gospel. It’s time we preach the God of the Bible - our God who is loving but who also is just, righteous, sovereign and wrathful. Hell exists and it’s a literal place of eternal punishment. Every single one of us deserves hell and punishment for our sin.

Jonathan Edwards couldn’t have said it better from his sermon “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”:

They are already under a sentence of condemnation to hell. They do not only justly deserve to be cast down thither, but the sentence of the law of God, that eternal and immutable rule of righteousness that God has fixed between him and mankind, is gone out against them, and stands against them; so that they are bound over already to hell. John 3:18. “He that believeth not is condemned already.” So that every unconverted man properly belongs to hell; that is his place; from thence he is, John 8:23. “Ye are from beneath:” And thither he is bound; it is the place that justice, and God’s word, and the sentence of his unchangeable law assign to him.

My inspiration for this post comes from two sources. First and foremost from observing the postmodern viewpoints so active in the emergent church today. In Rob Bell’s book “Velvet Elvis”, he likens theology and doctrine to springs on a trampoline that are meant to stretch. This viewpoint can (and frankly is) dangerous in that it promotes the question of truth. In fact, that is the motto of the emergent, postmodern generation that “there is no absolute truth”. It reminds me of Pilate’s question to Jesus. This is precisely why this generation questions all doctrines, both essential and non-essential and creates new, more “palatable” versions such as “there is no literal place called hell. This is part of the “springs” that can be molded and stretched to suit your life. I have a real problem with that!

Second, I must give a hat tip to Tim Etherington from his blog “By Farther Steps“. He wrote an excellent post on hell and how the doctrine of hell as it is outlined Biblically is being attacked. I’d encourage you to jump over and take a read - he has some excellent articles!

Soli Deo Gloria!

- Jay