She was new to town. My wife struck up a personal conversation with her welcoming her to town. Soon into the conversation my wife invited her to worship with us. Her invitation was quickly rebuffed, as the kind mother of young children said something like, “I don’t like the Bible Belt culture and I’m not much into going to church. I don’t want people telling my kids they or their relatives are going to hell.” She revealed that she had some family members in openly sinful situations, but she didn’t want anyone telling her kids those actions were sinful or would cost them their souls.
I believe this thought is epidemic and widespread amongst our culture today. People don’t want to be told what they are doing is wrong. They don’t want to be told their sinful choices will cause them to go to hell. I would like for you to consider three thoughts about this concept.
- This concept misunderstands the sinfulness of man. “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). All men are sinful and are deserving of hell. “None is righteous, no, not one” (Rom. 3:10). Evangelism is difficult today, because no one believes they are lost. A person must be convicted they are lost and in need of salvation. This concept of “I don’t want people telling me I’m going to hell,” is spiritually equivalent to saying, “I don’t want people telling me the ship is sinking, when the water is pouring in!” The purpose of the Word of God is to “convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment” (John 16:8). The world must be convicted they are lost and going to hell!
- This concept misunderstands the grace of God. The “I don’t want anyone telling me I’m going to hell” fails to understand and cheapens the marvelous grace of God. It is only by understanding our own moral depravity, can we understand the great love and grace of God. Sadly, American pop-culture Christianity is a Christianized-version of universalism. It’s like participation trophy youth sports, everyone gets a reward no matter what they did. Heaven is a real place, but it is the destination for the saved! Thus, heaven demands a hell. In fact, the very thought that Christ died and God offered up his Son for lost humanity, demands that people are lost without Jesus. The “I don’t want people telling me I’m going to hell” concept really is the “I don’t want people telling me how much God loves me” concept!
- This concept misunderstands the proper humble attitude needed. Hebrews 4:13 says that we are “all naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” We cannot hide from God. Hebrews 4:12 says the Word of God is a sword that is able to discern “the thoughts and intentions of our heart.” We must have a humble heart that is willing to “receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save [our] souls.” (James 1:21). Each person ought to have a humble heart desiring to learn our sins and mistakes so we can repent of them. We ought to ask like the crowd on Pentecost who realized their sin and guilt, “What shall we do?” (Acts 2:37)
I pray for each reader to receive this post with the right spirit. I am not seeking to condemn or judge you, Jesus is the judge and He will judge you on the last day based upon his word (John 12:48). I also am not saying we should evangelize beginning with the abrasive concept of you are going to hell, but I am trying to address this current thought in our world that must be overcome before someone can open their life to Jesus.
