Book Review of Counterfeit Gospels

I recently discovered a new blog that I really enjoy.  It was mentioned by Tim Challies...it is called Blogging Theologically and is written by Aaron Armstrong.  I don't know much about Aaron, but I really like his blog.

Today, he posted a book review that was excellent.  (By the way, if you don't know a good reason for reading blogs, one of the best is book reviews.  You can't always trust that reviews on Amazon.com are legitimate...those can be easily staged.  But reviews on blogs are the real deal. Here's a link to all my reviews on Amazon.com, in case anyone cares.)

His review was of Trevin Wax's book, Counterfeit Gospels.  Here's the link to Aaron's review.

Aaron tells us not only what the content was of the book, but why the content was important, why we need to read what the author wrote, and how it can help us bring glory to God in our daily lives. 

And the book itself seems to ring a resonant chord, especially in light of the recent Rob Bell mess and the blogosphere battles over Bell and his critics and supporters.

I'm ordering a copy of Counterfeit Gospels on Thursday (pay day).  I just need to decide if I'm getting the Kindle version or the hardback version.

Chronology on the Rob Bell Issue

Here is a good chronology of the events that precipitated the 'Rob Bell' controversy that I blogged about in the past couple weeks.  It is from the Resurgence blog (Mark Driscoll et al.).

A Chronology of Rob Bell on Hell

Update on the Hell Issue (Or, One Hell of an Update)

After I posted my note a couple days ago, Al Mohler posted a two-part series on the controversy.

Here's part one. 

Here's part two.

R. C. Sproul, Jr., added this interesting article called, Can a Person Be Evangelical and Not Believe in Hell?

Then Justin Taylor added this excerpt and description called, Rob Bell on Martin Luther and Salvation in Hell. (Bell claims Luther believed one could be saved from hell after death.)

Finally, we have a review of the book itself (still not released yet) via a pre-release PDF version granted for review purposes.  One of the most talented Christian book reviewers around has done that review for us.

Here's Tim Challies' review of Bell's book, Love Wins.

What the Heck is the Fuss About Hell?

If you follow the Christian blogosphere at all, you've seen a lot of traffic lately about the idea of the reality of Hell.  (No, not the place Cubs fans live every year in October, but the place in the Bible.)

It was all generated by media releases on Rob Bell's new book that's coming out...one in which (according to the media push) he reveals himself to be a universalist.  (Ironic what 'Bell' rhymes with...).

What's a universalist?  Universalism is the theological position that claims everyone will end up in heaven after all is said and done.  There are some creative ways to get there, but either now, later, or really later, everyone gets to paradise.

Can a believer be a universalist?  I don't think so.  Tim Challies posted this thoughtful blog entry this morning, and he says things more succinctly and thoughtfully than I usually do, so I'll point you to his post for the summary of why one can't be a universalist and a believer (at least, the way I think 'believer' is to be defined) at the same time.

Why do I believe in a literal hell?  The primary reason I believe in a literal hell is that Jesus did.  I haven't physically counted the references, but I've read in several places that claim Jesus mentioned hell more often than he mentioned heaven in the gospels in the New Testament.  That seems to mean it is an important concept.  If you look at the story of the rich man and Lazarus, you can't but clearly see Jesus thought of hell as a physical reality.

Isn't it unlike a loving God to condemn people to hell for eternity?  This one's been around a long time, and still is (I've read it on blog comments just this week).  Those who think this way are imposing a humanistic form of fairness on God.  They understand neither the holiness of God nor the sinfulness of man; or for that matter, the ugliness of our sin before that holy God.  I always recommend a particular book to them:  The Holiness of God by R. C. Sproul.  It makes as clear and concise a biblical statement on these issues as I think anyone has ever made in print.

So why do people deny a literal hell?  In some ways, that question is hard to answer.  On the one hand, I myself wish hell wasn't a real place...contemplating people who I'm pretty sure have gone or are going there is unsettling at best.  On the other hand, there are certain people who seem to deserve it (Hitler and the usual suspects).  But I have to constantly remember that the thing that separates me from Hitler in terms of deserving hell or heaven has nothing to do with the deaths of 20 million (plus) people.  It has to do with the fact that I'm a sinner, just like he was; but I am a sinner saved by grace.  I have no evidence he was.  I don't know of anyone who does have that evidence.

I suppose the biggest reason people deny the existence of hell relates to my first idea...it is too terrible to contemplate.  But not being thinkable doesn't make it go out of existence.  The idea that Jesus would die on a cross for someone like me is too hard to contemplate as well, but it happened.  That's the nature of God's grace.  But for there to be anything called 'grace' at all, there has to be something called 'justice'.

The great irony of time is that the moment in history where God's grace is seen the clearest, at the cross, is also the moment in time where God's justice is seen in all its power the clearest.  Grace and mercy come together with justice and wrath at the cross.  Wow.