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A couple of weeks ago, as a part of our series entitled, “What is Heaven Like?”, I preached a message entitled, “Does Everyone Go to Heaven?”. The focus of my message, of course, was to answer the question, specifically and primarily by using Jesus’ own words. And the answer that Jesus provides in the gospel accounts alone is emphatically, “No. Everyone does not go to Heaven.”
This blog post by Keven DeYoung coincides really well with my message because it provides an outstanding orthodox response to a teaching known as universalism, the belief that everyone gets into heaven at the end of the day. Universalism stands in direct opposition to the orthodox position of eternal punishment, which is clearly taught in scripture and has been a core doctrine consistently taught by Catholics and Protestants alike for centuries.
Kevins post is in response to a video promo that Rob Bell did for a new book he has written entitled Love Wins. No one has read the book yet, but based on the video that he produced, it seems that Bell is taking a universalist approach. Read this post. It is excellent.
Two Thoughts on the Rob Bell Brouhaha – Kevin DeYoung.
Here is another take on the latest controversy, a link that was posted on the FB of a friend, a Nazarene pastor who works for CCO and is based in the Unversity of Cincinatti-Man I gotta read Bell’s book, because I have to wonder if the promo video is accurate/portraying unversalism:
http://blog.beliefnet.com/omeoflittlefaith/2011/02/thoughts-rob-bell.html
Thanks. I’ll check it out. None if us will ultimately know exactly what his position is until we read the book, but he certainly revealed enough through his promo that warranted an orthodox response.