"Love Wins" ch. 4

"Love Wins"...unless you are Rob Bell. Ever since the release of his new book, Rob Bell has seen praise from the New York Times and backlash from the evangelical church. It seems there has been no end to the opinions expressed by those that have not even read the book. So, in an effort to find out if "Love Wins" for me, I have bought a copy and will be blogging my reflections through it as I read. My hope is that I will be affirmed, edified and enlightened in the truth of the Gospel message, but if not, then the $24 I spent on the brand new hard cover edition can just be my early birthday present for Rob...

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Chapter 4


Does God get what God wants?


I came into this chapter having great expectations. Bell has used the first few chapters to ask questions and set some foundations about heaven and hell, but now I expect to start getting some answers. Reading this book has been like watching LOST, I constantly find myself asking questions and pondering outcomes. What this chapter revealed in my heart is that I am treating Rob Bell like Simon treated Jesus in Luke 7:36-50. Instead of simply setting my heart to receive, I am building a wall to in order to accept or reject his viewpoint. (Before someone flies off the handle, I am not likening Bell to Jesus, only my heart to the Pharisee's.)

This chapter shattered that wall. This chapter isn't about what Bell believes; it's about what I believe.

Does God get what God wants?

There are a couple of viewpoints Bell shares that attempt to answer this question. One, that most Christians are familiar with, argues that all we have is this life to make the decision to follow Jesus. Bell's critique is valid, as he questions whether it is loving to only have this life to decide our eternity, then an eternity of punishment should we chose wrong (of course, if it is true, then Bell's critique of love is flawed).

Another viewpoint argues that we have the "image of God" inside us and we are responsible for cultivating that image. If we allow that image to evolve in us then it is conceivable that it will evolve us into a better, "posthuman", version of ourselves. This idea carries with it the concept that even after death, people can still choose to follow Jesus. It is the restoring or reconciling of all things discussed in Matthew 19 and Acts 3. Bell cites Clement of Alexandria, Origen, Gregory of Nyssa, and Eusebius as Church Fathers who espoused this idea. Bell summarizes their thought process this way:


At the center of Christian tradition since the first church have been a number who insist that history is not tragic, hell is not forever, and love, in the end, wins and all will be reconciled to God.


I hear critics argue that Bell agrees with this doctrine, but he never overtly states he believes it. I believe he expounds on this concept simply because it is a perspective not common in the modern church and because some would discount it as heresy without processing and engaging the scriptures for truth. I am not espousing this idea, however I am willing to admit that I have no empirical, experiential data to firmly proclaim that I know what happens after death. Bell's thought process helps remind me that, though I am called to represent Jesus to people, I am not all-knowing...which is a good thing!

Bell also discusses how the Book of Revelation describes the city of God as having gates that "never shut". A question I pose from that passage, however, is how does this argument factor in the Book of Life, which is also mentioned? Is it a static document and once your name is in, you are solid? Or is it an active document with names being added, even after death? Again, the only sure thing from scripture is that your name has to be in it. Which forces the questions: how does one go about having one's name written in the Book of Life? (cricket...cricket...)

But here is the most provocative portion of the chapter. Bell describes the life of God as almost irresistible. I say almost because he poses this question:


How could someone choose another way with a universe of love and joy and peace right in front of them-all of it theirs if they would simply leave behind the old ways and receive the new life of the new city of the new world?

The answer to how is "Yes".

Then he highlights the tragedies we witness daily: people selling themselves short for the temporary pleasures of this world -- incidentally, pleasures that have a knack for becoming permanent nightmares.

This is the reason we need a savior. This is the reason why I feel for people in their struggles and why I have grace for myself in mine. We somehow, time and again, say NO to the life God offers. Bell would argue this is because we have a flawed understanding of the life God has for us (but that comes later in the book). Regardless of the reason, we too often deny the free gift of life God offers, which brings us to Bell's climax:

It's not "Does God get what God wants?" 
but 
"Do we get what we want?"


I watch the show Intervention. Every episode is dedicated to this very idea. People want drugs, or purging, or sex, or alcohol, or whatever their hook may be. They have given themselves to it, and they feel good, but only until the chemical response fades. Sin operates the same way. It sells us short: Adam and Eve with the apple--when they could have kept eternal life, Esau with his birthright--he could have been Israel, and us with whatever has deceived us into a path other than God's best for us.

Yes. Sadly, for some of us, the answer is yes..we get what we want.

Today, let's reflect on what we are getting. Realize that God loves us enough to let us fall short of the life he promises, but he loves us enough to pursue us and empower us to embrace the gift of life he offers!