Rob Bell responds to Universalism in "Love Wins" debate

but is it fair to say you do believe in a universalism in the sense of that everyone will ultimately freely choose to be one over by the love of God I don't know do you well do you it's interesting because I don't think Jesus did because Jesus talks about hell he talks about a fire that won't go out torment that's unending um and you know certainly in your book you say that no one can resist God's Pursuit forever because God's love will eventually melt that is a perspective of I mean there has been that strand within the Christian tradition there are people who have said oh yeah given enough time God will win everybody over what a what a beautiful thought but I don't I don't know and to sort of stake a claim that that's going to happen how would anybody know that I mean obviously you outlin different positions in the book so you say some people think this some people think this and here's here's now I suppose what struck me when I read it was that it it is that position of everyone ultimately being one which is the one you kind of major on that you give the most time to in your chapter does God get what God wants and and so just to quote from a couple of bits there um on one page you say will all the ends of the Earth come as God has decided or only some will all Feast as is Promised in Psalm 22 or only a few will everybody be given a new heart or only a limited number of people will God in the end settle saying well I tried I gave it my best shot and sometimes you just have to be okay with failure now when I read that although they're phrased as questions yeah I I I obviously think well Rob obviously doesn't believe that God fails and God settles back and says oh well you know tried but didn't work I it comes out that you're not agnostic on this rob it comes out that you do believe everyone will ultimately be saved of course you acknowledge that's just one in a variety of options but it sounds like that's the one you prefer or you you're most convinced by do you long for that to happen oh yes well Adrian well look do do you long for it to happen I I'm not a Christian who believes that only a few will be saved that's for sure um I think there are and and that's one of the positions I think you kind of react against in the book you know this idea that billions and billions of people are going to end up in hell um and that the that the minority will be saved but I think there's a different question about whether you believe the majority will be saved at all and so I don't feel that my reading of the scripture would allow me to say uh that hell will be empty I don't I don't see that and my observation from what I see in our world right now is I see lots of people choosing hell and I think it's incredibly important that we hold on to hell and if you're asking me I see lots of people resisting God's love right now resisting Christ right now and my assumption is they are free to resist when they die and uh I talk about the momentum Theory you tell a lie you have to tell another lie that our choices have very real consequences and we can build a head of steam in a particular direction and we can build a head of steam in a direction away from God so I see lots of people who at looks clearly like they're choosing hell now their consequences are spreading hell to others and I would kind of assume that they'll continue on in that direction I guess this is the thing that many people are feeling a bit frustrated by Rob is that they they feel like they've read you making statements in this book and then when you've talked about the book afterwards they feel you you've backpedal or at least soft pedal what you've actually said about it because it I have to confess when I read the book without any knowledge that you'd be coming into my studio um I thought wow Rob Bell's come out as a Universalist now it's why did I Come Away with that impression if if you are really just setting out a range of options and you not really saying you are firmly in any Camp I mean is is that being a bit disingenuous I think in the book I talk about hell now and Hell later I see people choosing hell now I I I live with the assumption that people will choose hell when they die there's this picture in Revelation of this new creation new Heaven and new Earth Earth and Heaven become one this beautiful city and there are people outside it but do you believe ultimately everyone will will they be one I know I know I'm asking question what is the do you know no I don't do you know well I think Jesus knew uh and Jesus said that there'll be those that he would send away

Channel: Premier On Demand

Views: 108,280

Keywords: Rob Bell, Adrian Warnock, heresy, Love Wins, Unbelievable, Justin Brierley, Premier Christian Radio, heaven, hell, universalism, evangelical, debate, theology, Mars Hill Bible Church, nooma, emerging church, reformed, blogger, heretic, Bible interpretation, Justin Taylor, Kevin DeYoung, Gospel Coalition, John Piper

Id: 2m49jau2gOM

Length: 4min 25sec (265 seconds)

Published: Wed Apr 27 2011