[EXCELLENT video] Francis Chan & Preston Sprinkle: Erasing Hell — “He gets to define what love is, and not us.” “That means my sin is way worse than I could ever even imagine.” | ~”I think this whole concept of ‘how could God do this’ is woven into the fabric of our culture that says ‘how dare my dad tell me what I can and cannot do!’ We’ve lost the idea of authority, and it’s killing our culture.”

On December 4, 2011

In Doctrines Demystified, Doctrines of Demons?, Francis Chan, Hell is Real - Forever!, Who Goes to Heaven

Francis Chan and Preston Sprinkle are coauthors of: Erasing Hell: What God said about eternity, and the things we made up, which I have read, and highly recommend; however, I was disappointed with one of their points. When Jesus mentions the worm that never dies and the fire that is never quenched, I do believe the worms and the fire is real, not figurative, which Mary Katherine Baxter experienced. She explains how the fires and utter darkness are fully compatible in that realm. It’s a place we don’t want to go, period!

I listened to the audio book a few times through. Francis wrote the final draft, but Preston narrates the text, which to me, isn’t ideal, since I’m used to hearing Francis express his own thoughts. But as you can see here, Preston is a great guy too!

There is one thing he says though…. Not wanting to go to hell is actually a good motivation for serving God and living a life in love, in Christ. Jesus, Himself used the threat of hell as a motivational warning. For example, on lusting:

27 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.

Very important topic and discussion!

jeff

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Transcribed by Jeff Fenske

“He gets to define what love is,
and not us.”

•

“We question things like ‘does a loving God torture those in hell?’ But I have another question. Does a fair God just forgive you for all the stuff that you did? Does a fair God let you escape hell? Does a fair God have His own Son come down and die for your sake? It’s weird how we’ll question ‘God, how could you punish anyone,’ but we never ask the question, ‘God, how could you forgive anyone?'”

•

“His thoughts are WAY BEYOND mine.”

•

“There’s just a sense of arrogance when I tell God ‘look,
this is right or this is wrong….'”

•

And Francis’ excellent statement @ 52:25 ends with:

“… And then when you disobey God, Himself, there are consequences to that. But the way that we teach love [to children – editor] has been: oh, you never punish; you never discipline; you never say ‘no.’ Just let them act out. It’s like: no, that’s not what God does. That’s not love.

So I think this whole concept of ‘how could God do this,’ it’s woven into the fabric of our culture that says ‘how dare my dad tell me what I can and cannot do.’ And we’ve lost the idea of authority all together, and it’s killing our families; it’s killing our churches; it’s killing our culture.”

– Francis Chan

•

Preston Sprinkle adds:

“When I think of hell, it’s made me kind of think of the enormity of our sin.
If God is at all just, and He says that the punishment for sin is hell,
that means my sin is way worse than I could ever even imagine.”

* * *

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8zluOaMKGA]Francis Chan: Erasing Hell

Crazy Love