Love Wins & Abba in Heaven.

Covers and Commercials.
Rob Bell's upcoming book, "Love Wins" is already a hot topic, even though it isn't even on sale yet (March 29th is the release date).  The source of the buzz: A commercial (half way down this page) and the description of the book by the publisher.

By the cover and commercial it seems the book could go down a couple different paths.  Truly, covers and commercials are meant to entice people to read them, right?  You can't judge a book by it's cover!  The adage remains.

Problem 1: Wordies
However, from this description (Bell seems to be claiming hell is temporary and, eventually, empty) as well as this one by The Tenth Leper, it seems Rob Bell (or at least his writing) has hit Problem 1: Getting used to answering questions to the point you being to think you can answer ALL of them in your own power. Don't get me wrong, I love questions and I LOVE discussions and debate!  Even if I get shut down, debate is refreshing, like a sudden icy shower, or, like when Toddler (only 5 months old here) dumps a glass of iced coffee on you when you least expect it:                                                

Answering questions from a position of authority (especially a book you can't talk back to!),  must always be dependent on Christ, God, the Holy Spirit Luke 12:11-12 “When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say,  for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say.” Humility/weakness/utter dependence on God's Grace will help us: 2Cor12:9"But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me."

It must be ridiculously difficult not to lose balance when you're set before mankind as a great teacher, as Rob Bell is.  But that's what verses, like the ones above, are for. That's why Paul wrote 1Cor13:12”For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.”  That chapter is all about love, and it wins (literally! EVERYTHING without it is "dust" and "clanging" etc.) and yet, in the end Paul confesses he doesn't understand it all, but that God knows him fully.


"i dunno."
In other words it's ok to say "I don't know." Better yet--in regard to hell--to say, "I trust God knows that person more than I could ever judge." That's right, by that conviction I myself admit: I do not know if Hitler is in hell or Mother Theresa is in heaven. (Do you?) I must rest in God's knowledge.  I am sure of His love and my salvation through Him.  I am thankful! He is Holy!  I don't want to even play judge and jury: I couldn't bear the burden of being God, that's why He IS God.


Hearsay.
So far this post is very broad, and much more about "answering questions" than about Rob Bell's book.  It's because I haven't read it, but was inspired by the topic to discuss how we are free in Christ to trust in God and say, "I dunno."


Personal Relationship
There is, so far, one pointed quote which requires discussion. 
           From this post (quoted from The Tenth Leper)  

      "What he does positively state is that the phrase “personal 

      relationship” appears nowhere in Scripture. ”Nowhere in the 

      Hebrew scriptures, nowhere in the New Testament.  Jesus 

      never used the phrase.  Paul didn’t use it.  Nor did John, Peter, 

      James, or the woman who wrote the Letter to the Hebrews.”
      (p.10)  (And yes, you read that last sentence right.) " 

I don't want to assume why it was necessary for Rob Bell to set this stage in the first chapter of his book. It is one thing not up for debate.  We have a personal relationship with Christ. 

1) It is obvious we have a relationship with God when Christ mentions over and over God as Father, and not just His Father (Matt.6, Luke.11. any Gospel anywhere, really).  

2) It's obvious we're to have a relationship with our Heavenly Father when Jesus quotes from Deuteronomy that the greatest command is to Matt 22:37 "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind."  That's more relationship effort required than what we put into our marriages on a daily basis! Admit it! And it's ok to admit it, we are to love God first, it helps us love others better.  1John4:19 "We love because He first loved us"

3) How can a personal relationship not exist when Christ lives in us? 1John 4:13-16, 19 "We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us....We love because he first loved us." 

4) Our very personal relationship with God is most obvious when Christ taught us to pray and told us to call God "Abba" or "Daddy." What an intimate relationship there is between child and father! 

        

                                          Daddies Protect 

                                          Daddies Adore

                                    ...and so much more...

4 final notes: 
1There's much much more to this topic, but it's covered on The Tenth Leper.  
2Heaven and Hell are so much more than what's just implied when we say them, I'm trying to keep it simple.  I've enough "wordies" issues of my own.
3It's possible Rob Bell brings up the specific lack of the phrase "personal relationship" with Christ(/God/Holy Spirit)" in order to disassemble the current fundamentals for salvation.  But so far, I haven't seen that argument raised (it seems to have been, but it hasn't, yet).  My current point: a personal relationship is established!  It is more than obvious!  And it is a lovely thing to talk about, anyway!  
4 Videos on blogger are annoying, if the posted video gets in the way of the text, refresh the page.