There’s a song that I was recently made aware of by Mark Schultz. I love his song “I Have Been There,” but I was troubled to learn of one called “Love Has Come.” Here are some of the lyrics:
Well, I know this life is filled with sorrow
And there are days when the pain just lasts and lasts
But I know there will come a day
When all our tears are washed away with a break in the clouds
His glory coming down and in that moment
Every knee shall bow, every tongue confess
That God is love and love has come for us all
Every heart set free, everyone will see
That God is love and love has come for us all
The line “Every knee shall bow, every tongue confess” comes from Philippians 2:10-11:
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
Unfortunately, Schultz’s song misstates these verses to suggest that without confessing Christ’s lordship everyone will be saved by God’s love. This contradicts Scripture.
You may have heard by now about a controversy concerning an upcoming book by Rob Bell entitled, “Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived.” I won’t go into the details (you can read about it here), but after a friend asked for my thoughts, I felt compelled to write a note. Marketing genius that Bell is, he is no doubt thrilled by the controversy and its attendant media attention.
If one were to judge the content of Bell’s new book based solely on this trailer, you might be able to argue that he’s simply raising questions that have long been settled within mainstream Christianity. However, based on the write-up on HarperCollins’ website, Bell argues “that a loving God would never sentence human souls to eternal suffering.” And judging from Bell’s track record -- he has also raised questions about the necessity of the Virgin Birth -- I’d say this is just one more area in which Bell is clearly confused.
I’m guessing one of Bell’s justifications for his position is Jesus’ words in John 3:17:
“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”
Taken out of context, this could mean that Christ’s death on the cross was for everyone, including those who have never heard of him. But if you read the verse before, Jesus says this:
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
Note the words “whoever believes in him.” Clearly this means that some won’t believe in him. What happens to them?
“The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 13:41-42)
“This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 13:49-50)
But what about the people who haven’t heard about Jesus, the so-called “unreached people groups”? Again, the words of Jesus:
“Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.” (John 3:36, ESV)
Then there’s the passage known as “The Sheep and the Goats,” which ends:
“Then they [those who do not know Christ as Savior and Lord] will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous [those for whom Christ is Savior and Lord] to eternal life.” (Matthew 25:46)
And in Revelation 14 we read:
“Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water. ...
“If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on the forehead or on the hand, he, too, will drink of the wine of God’s fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. He will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment rises for ever and ever. There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and his image, or for anyone who receives the mark of his name.” (Revelation 14:7, 9-11, emphasis added)
What I’m saying will undoubtedly be unpalatable to a lot of people, but it’s in God’s word. The apostle Paul, for whom I was named, warned Timothy:
"For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.” (2 Timothy 4:3-4)
Let me close by returning once again to the words of Jesus:
“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ (Matthew 7:15-23)
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