Love Wins?

***disclaimer***  I am in no way a bible scholar, but these thoughts come from my faith, what I have learned through studying God's word on my own and through bible studies.  I don’t have it all figured out, but as someone says, I am just adding to the conversation.

So, that being said I don’t know if I am going to be able to do this justice or not, because I am not the greatest debater.  But I want to at least try and add my insight on the book I just read titled : Love Wins By Rob Bell

I do not want to pick a part the whole book, so this will be my only post.

First, there are some truths wrapped up in this book.  We as Christians sometimes do a poor job of showing Christ’s love to others and our environment.  I think it’s important that we take care of the earth and those around us.  Whether you believe Heaven is here or we will be whisked away to some other place.  It is important to do good with what you have been given.  Jesus' parable of the talents illustrates this point.  

Matthew 25:14-30 

14 “Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. 15 To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 16 The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. 17 So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. 18 But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.

   19 “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. 20 The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’

   21 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

   22 “The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’

   23 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

   24 “Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’

   26 “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27 Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.

   28 “‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. 29 For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. 30 And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

I think it’s important that when we become Christians we are to become doers of the word as it says in James 1: 22-25.

22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.

I also agree that there might be people that are in heaven that may surprise us to see them there.  But ultimately, we are not God, we are not the judge of the heart.  These are decisions  I do not want to make and am glad that these are left to the God of the universe. 

I have many issues with the book, some of Bell’s arguments seem used out of context and some greek/hebrew words he uses are incorrect with the scripture he is using.  But I wanted to focus on what is the most important issue of all humanity.  The issue of salvation.  In the book through many ideas, questions, and proof-texting verses (which I just learned about!) he seems to be saying all will be saved. Those that have not chosen Jesus will have many chances after death to come to the realization of how great God is and all will eventually be reconciled to God.  Because, he argues, this is what God ultimately wants.

On Sunday my pastor gave a sermon from Luke 13.  We have been in the book of Luke for quite sometime and for me it was the perfect time to hear this particular passage in light of what I just read.  While Bell’s dances around in the book of Luke he never seems to mention these verses which seem to contradict a lot of his arguments.

This is what Jesus say’s in Luke 13:22-30 

22 Then Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem. 23 Someone asked him, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?”

   He said to them, 24 “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. 25 Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’

   “But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’

   26 “Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’

   27 “But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!’

   28 “There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out. 29 People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God. 30 Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last.”

Now I am in no way able to judge who is in and who is out, but to me Jesus is clear on the subject.  To say that all will be saved water’s down the message of the gospel.  What is our purpose on earth if in the end it doesn’t matter?  To me it does matter and that is why we must further God’s kingdom on earth rather than to wait to be rescued.  Because God might look at us and not recognize us as one of his and as Jesus say’s the owner of the house will get up and close the door.

In the end after reading this book, I have learned A LOT about my faith, and what I believe, and why I believe it.  More importantly it has reminded me the importance to test everything.  Test this book, any book.  Test it with all scripture.  Scripture will not contradict itself - we can’t put God into our own box of what we think he should be like.  God is love, but he is also holy, just, and righteous.  If what someone is saying does not line up with scripture, it simply is not true.  

As one writer put it...in the end God wins.


This is a very good and honest review about Love Win's.  You can get to it from this link and there is also a pdf version available (because it is really long).
http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/kevindeyoung/2011/03/14/rob-bell-love-wins-review/