Five Truths About Heaven, Hell and Rob Bell

Wisdom from 'Love Wins'

Author Rob Bell's latest book, Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived, sparked controversy before it even hit book stores. Early criticism of the book casted doubt on the Christian pastor's belief in Hell, and some labeled him a universalist and a heretic.

In reality, Love Wins seeks to break down the walls of rigid religiosity; it exposes the heart of faith, the fate of the world and how they are connected. The book is a challenging read, but a necessary one because, within it, the author reveals where the Church has missed the mark in sharing the most important message of all time.

In the midst of heresy and confusion regarding the book's content and its meaning, here are five simple truths to take away from Love Wins.

Jennifer E. Jones is the Inspiration Editor.

Photo courtesy of Daley Hake.

It's Okay to Ask the Big Questions

It's easy to skirt around the mysteries of God and simply believe that the blanket "for the Bible tells me so" answer is sufficient for all the world's concerns. Thus, many people sit silently in church pews, confused and afraid to admit it. However, in Love Wins, Bell begins with the big questions. What does it mean to be "saved"? Why would a loving God cast millions of people into Hell and torment for all eternity for not saying a prayer? Who's in, who's out and how do we know for sure? In the first chapter, Bell establishes something many need to know... that it's okay to ask the big questions. It's all right if you discovered that your Sunday School lessons didn't make sense in the real world. Wisdom begins with wondering and being brave enough to say, "I don't understand. Can we talk about it?"

Eternity Is Now

"Eternal life doesn't start when we die; it starts now. It's not about a life that begins at death; it's about experience the kind of life now that can endure and survive even death." - Rob Bell

In Love Wins, Bell writes that life as we know it, with births, aging and funerals, is part of eternity. We are not merely being good to get into Heaven one day, but to bring Heaven to Earth today through how we live our lives. When we think of Heaven, we think of peace, love, health and the wiping away of every tear, but it doesn't have to start in the afterlife. It can begin right now. We can love more and let go of grudges. We can let peace rule our hearts and minds. We can bring Heaven to Earth everyday.

It All Comes Down to Jesus, and He's Bigger Than Christianity

"Jesus wasn’t something God cooked up at the last minute to try to rescue us from what happened when we were given the freedom to truly make a mess of things. Jesus... was the ultimate exposing of what God has been up to all along... Unity. To All things. God is putting the world back together, and God is doing this through Jesus."- Rob Bell

He didn't come to Earth to be a guru or a good teacher. He didn't come to establish a new religion or plant a church. Jesus came to be the way, the truth and light (John 14:6), allowing anyone and everyone to be a part. So Bell is not saying that all roads lead to Heaven, but that any road can lead to Christ because Jesus is big enough to encompass them all.

Life Leads to Death Leads to Life Again

"When we open ourselves to Jesus's living, giving act on the cross, we enter in to a way of life. He is the source, the strength, the example and the assurance that this pattern of death and rebirth is the way into the only kind of life that actually sustains and inspires." - Rob Bell

At the end of the day, the gospel is a story that hits to the heart of what everyone's longing for in this broken life: a second chance, a spring after the winter, redemption, and resurrection. Jesus succeeded on the cross at saving humanity, and He did it because "God so loved the world" (John 3:16). That includes you, me and "every person who ever lived", as Bell said. The "Good News” is that ultimately love wins.

Learn more about Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived.