There has been a lot of debate about Rob Bell's book, 'Love Wins' lately and while I've been thinking and praying about what my response would be to Rob's ultimate conclusion that everyone will have multiple chances to receive Jesus as Saviour and Jesus leads me back to this thought...'Dav, study My Word, study the words I literally spoke in My Word and My Spirit that dwells within you, will impart The Truth to you, so you can proclaim it boldly and unashamedly.' Part of the problem is this: many people want to take one of the characteristics of God, such as love, and either make it equal to God, or put it above God - thus, 'forcing' Him to be subservient to Love itself. A quality or characteristic of God cannot become God or greater than God - it simply is not possible. It is this that many people can get easily deceived.

Rob Bell's assertions that I'll simplify, are that depraved, sinful people are given multiple opportunities to receive Jesus as their sin-bearer - even after their physical death. Jesus is very clear that once a person has passed through the 'curtain' of life to death, they are either 'present with the Lord' or apart from Him in constant, conscious, physical, mental, emotional torment, for eternity. The writer of Hebrews states this: 'And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment', (Hebrews 9:27 ESV) and the Apostle Paul states, 'So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, [7] for we walk by faith, not by sight. [8] Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. [9] So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. [10] For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil. (2 Corinthians 5:6-10 ESV).

Jesus in the 4 Gospels speaks more of hell (the reality, who it was created for and why, and those destined for it) than He does of heaven, and I believe it's very purposeful and intentional. Hell was created for Satan and his followers (formerly, angels in heaven, created by God to glorify Him, worship Him and bring glory to Him and when Adam and Eve rebelled against God, disobeying His Law in the Garden of Eden, sin and death immediately entered the world and the human heart - passed down to every one born on this earth making us all enemies of God.

God is a Holy, Perfect, Righteous, Just God and demands perfection (sinlessness) in adherence to His Law, His Standard and cannot and will not allow sin to go unpunished and unaccounted for. It is this Truth that get people angry at God and become indignant, self righteous and bitter, that makes them say, "That is NOT FAIR!! Who does God think He is?! I'm not a 'bad' person - I haven't killed anyone or done anything 'really bad' and I'm sentenced to go to hell anyway?! Forget it and forget God!" We have this sense of self righteousness, self entitlement that naturally wants to fight against God and not let us face and accept who we truly are apart from God. Where can we go for the honest assessment?

We must go to THE source of Absolute Truth to get the only true, accurate state of the human heart - God's Word, the infallible, inerrant (without error) Word of God - the Bible. Jeremiah the prophet states this about the condition of the human heart - 'The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? [10] “I the LORD search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.”' (Jeremiah 17:9-10 ESV) So then, because of the wickedness and sin that lives in the core of our very being - our heart, what do we deserve as a result of our hearts condition? The Apostle Paul again states this, 'For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23 ESV)'. We deserve death, but God doesn't leave us there! Out of His miraculous love for us, He provides a way back to Him through His Perfect, Sinless Son - Jesus.

Let's look at it this way - say you were driving in your car and didn't realize you were in a 'School Zone' where the speed limit is 25 MPH and your car was going much faster than the Law allows in that section of the road. You get clocked at 50 MPH by a police officer, are fined and sentenced to go before a judge at court. You arrive at court and the Judge looks at you and says, "Many people have been speeding through this 'School Zone', breaking the Law as you have. Because you have broken the Law, you are Guilty and must pay the penalty of breaking the Law." He sets the fine and penalty and you realize it's beyond what you are able to pay. You plead your case saying, "Your Honor, I had no idea I was in a 'School Zone' and had no idea what the legal speed limit was. Also, the fine is greater than what I'm able to pay - can't you please give me a warning and let me go? I'm not a bad person - I promise never to do it again." The Judge replies, "Because I'm a Good Judge and a Righteous Judge, I cannot just 'let you go'. I must uphold the Law - pleading 'ignorance' of the Law is no defense - if I were to let you go, I would be guilty of breaking the Law myself, and I cannot and will not do that. You are Guilty and must pay the penalty the Law requires - also, your position of 'Guilty' will remain on you and on your record."

Then something truly amazing and incredulous happens...Jesus comes into the room, stands next to you and says, "Judge, this person is no longer Guilty of breaking the law. I have come to pay their penalty and not only that - but also, to take their Guilt of breaking the Law away from them, and put it all on Me. Their record is clean - it has been removed from them and never to be held against them, ever again. Charge me with the crime and penalty, release them - they are now Free." Can you imagine?!! You don't have to! Jesus has already done this! He did this when He died on the Cross - He died the death meant for you, me and everyone on this earth that our sin demanded of us. He also took the Guilt away from us, put it upon Himself and in dying fulfilled the penalty that the Law required. We never have to be Guilty of our sins again - Jesus paid it all at the Cross. Wait...there's more - Jesus also defeated sin, death and Satan by rising again from death - coming back to life, just as He promised He would - as it was prophesied thousands of years before He even came to earth. The tomb His dead body was placed in, is empty! He is alive and reigns as Almighty God, for eternity! He died to save you from hell and save you into God's Family as an Adopted Child of God. See the following verses: 'For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16 ESV)' & 'But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, [13] who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1:9-13 ESV)'.

Jesus came to earth, to live a sinless, perfect life to pay the penalty of our sins and reconcile us to a Holy, Righteous, Just AND Loving God - we cannot come to God apart from Jesus. If we try to come to God on our own attempts, our own perceived righteousness, He will not accept us. We must realize that we cannot do or say anything to earn Salvation from God. We must kill the pride inside that is killing us, humbly come to Jesus saying, 'Nothing in my hands I bring, but simply to the Cross & to Jesus I cling' - coming to Him by faith & faith only. What a truly amazing concept - I know it's very hard to try and wrap your head around, but if you draw near to God, He promises to draw near to you. He created you, in His Image - He loves you, you have worth, you have value, you are not a mistake or fluke of science or evolution - you were Created by a Creator who loves you and wants a real, 1 to 1 relationship with you.

If you have any further questions, comments or concerns, please don't hesitate to call the church office or email me directly at davk@taprootchurch.net - I'd love to talk with you further.

If you want to receive the free gift of Salvation, forgiveness of sins, reconciliation with God that Jesus offers you freely, just say to Him, "Jesus, I admit that I'm a sinner. I confess and repent of my sins - please forgive me, make me clean. I receive you as my Lord and Saviour, for life - forever. Never to be taken away from me. I am now a Child of God and I will live the best I can with Your Help, until You call me home to Your Kingdom. I will tell others of what you've done for me, that You've also done for them. I love You - thank you Jesus." If you have said this to Jesus, He has saved you from hell & into His Family - you are a Child of God! Please contact me asap so I can help you in your new relationship with Jesus. We love and care about you and your family. May God bless you and I look forward to helping in any way I can.

God bless,

Pastor Dav