a touchy subject

As I listen to Rimrock's pod casts, I find that I want to write about the things I'm learning. Because, well, this is a blog, after all.

I listened to this sermon about a week ago but a part of it came back to my mind today that was so insightful. So I pulled the podcast (here) back up and transcribed the part that particularly interested me.

He's going to be referring to Rob Bell, his book Love Wins and the controversy therein.

The Dividing Line of Eternity

Pat Karn, 7/5/11

Mat 25: 31-46

12:46

We could have talked about eternal judgement and hell and all those. And by the way, lest you have been reading, considering the news in Time magazine and by some of the religious leaders now-a-days. Hell really does exist. It really does exist. And what hell is, is it’s a separation, a continued state of existence apart from God - who is the bread of life [John 6:35], the fount of living water [John 7:38], and is the light of the world [John 8:12]. And so that’s why hell is the place no one wants to go b/c it is a place of hunger. It is a place of thirst. It is a place of total blackness and isolation. It is everything that the human being is not designed to experience. Everything that we look for - light, food, life, water. Everything that we are wired for, everything that we need is in the person of Jesus Christ. And those who put their faith in Jesus will be with Him for all of eternity. Those who do not will receive the consequence of their choice. Their choice being - I don’t need a Savior. I don’t want a Savior. I don’t want to know that there’s a God. I don’t believe that there’s a God. I don’t think anybody needs to pay my debt for me, if I owe one. I don’t want to be with God. And God will honor their decision. And they will be separated for all of eternity from God. By their choice, not His.

If that freaks you out, listen to the whole sermon b/c there is hope.

I've always known Jesus was all of those things, but I had never realized that of course those things are absent from hell. And in this context, it makes so much more sense to me how Jesus said he was bread, water, light, life. He really IS those things.

Also, while I was reading this morning another verse stuck out to me. It was for me. But since it could relate to this subject, I'll include it:

John 6:37

"All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out."

I WILL NEVER CAST OUT.

That was very encouraging to me.