Going to Hell

Their young son, now a student in college in Georgia, rejected the Christianity that was the core of his life as a boy, becoming a militant atheist. The parents, broken in heart, told the reporter doing the story on CNN that they were convinced their son was going to Hell. I surely hope that is not their first concern right now for him! Do not get me wrong. I accept what Jesus and the Bible teach about the existence of an eternal place of suffering devoid of the presence of God. As much as I find the doctrine difficult and even repugnant, if I believe in Heaven based on the Bible’s promise, (and I do!) then I must also accept Hell as a real place. But, I am also convinced that some kind of failure of love right here is a much more important issue than worrying about going to Hell!

The newly minted young atheist in Georgia spoke of being rejected by friends and family because of his atheism.  While I do not know ALL of the story, I hope he does not face hatred in the Name of God which will reinforce his fascination of a life without God.

I have not known many atheists but of the few I do know, I have heard them tell me that they rejected faith in God because of some kind of prior failure of the Church or Christians!  Some were poorly treated during a crisis time in life. Others were harshly judged and ostracized by Christians at the very moment they needed to be loved.  One man was abused by a priest and concluded that all of Christianity was a fraud. Then, too, some confuse the dogma of their denomination with the Word of God, rejecting some doctrine and throwing away belief in God at the same time.

Telling a person who is already struggling with doubt or reeling from disappointment that he is now “going to Hell” is surely not the best or first response. Christians, secure in the faith, held in the grasp of the loving Father, can and should be lavish in their love for those who hate their faith.  That does not mean we agree with their mistaken rejection.  It does not mean that we throw out a welcome mat for their hatred of God and Christ. But, we can love them!  Jesus does!  We remember that Christ died for us while we were still sinning against Him and we know that He died for those who hate Him still.  A deep and patient love becomes a powerful witness to the Truth of our convictions.

A fear-based “Christianity” that is long on laws and short on love misses the point.  John teaches us that ‘perfect’  (which is best read as complete or mature, not as flawless) love replaces fear with great confidence. We no longer concern ourselves with fear of Hell because we are in possession of the Promise of Heaven!  "This is real love. It is not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love has been brought to full expression through us. And God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us. Furthermore, we have seen with our own eyes and now testify that the Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. All who proclaim that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God. We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in him. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we are like Christ here in this world. Such love has no fear because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of judgment, and this shows that his love has not been perfected in us. We love each other as a result of his loving us first." (1 John 4:8-19, NLT)

Hell is not my first concern for those who do not know God.  My desire is to share the love of the Lord, to hold the door open  that they might be drawn by the Spirit into His Kingdom, and find ‘life to the full’ (John 10:10) that Jesus offers.  Hell is real but neither you nor I sit on the Judgment Seat to determine who goes there!  Our privilege is to share the love of Christ.  Let’s do it:  honestly, gently, always reflecting the goodness of the Lord to the world in which we live.

And here is a word from the Word. Lord, help us to truly hear it. Amen.
"Do you want to be counted wise, to build a reputation for wisdom? Here’s what you do: Live well, live wisely, live humbly. It’s the way you live, not the way you talk, that counts." (James 3:13, The Message)
"Real wisdom, God’s wisdom, begins with a holy life and is characterized by getting along with others. It is gentle and reasonable, overflowing with mercy and blessings, not hot one day and cold the next, not two-faced." (James 3:17, The Message)
"My dear friends, if you know people who have wandered off from God’s truth, don’t write them off. Go after them. Get them back" (James 5:19, The Message)