Some Thoughts from Francis Chan #1

It’s been a while since I’ve written here, mainly because I just haven’t been moved enough to take the time from other things. Now I’ve got some time and I thought I’d throw out some quotes from a great book.

Erasing Hell was inspired by the flap over the Love Wins by Rob Bell. According to Chan the book inspired him to do his own research about what the Bible taught about hell, and write about it. I think that there is much to be learned from this book and that it goes beyond the doctrine of hell. Ultimately as context is important I am offering some quotes in the hope that you will pick up the book and see things in context.
He starts by saying this in the preface.
“However, no matter how many human filters we solicited to purify the words of this book, it’s still fallible. Because of this we have included many direct quotes from Scripture. Read the Scriptures we’ve quoted as truth directly from the mouth of God. Pause and meditate deeply on these verses whenever they arise. Those words are ultimately what God wants you to cherish and embrace.

From the introduction.
“So I decided to write a book about hell. And honestly-I’m scared to death; I’m scared because there is so much at stake. Think about it. If I say there is no hell and it turns out that there is a hell, I may lead people into the very place I convinced them did not exist! If I say there is a hell and I’m wrong, I may persuade people to frantically spend their lives warning loved ones about a terrifying place that isn’t real. When it comes to hell we can’t afford to be wrong.” . “Let’s be eager to leave what is familiar for what is true. Nothing outside of God and His truth should be sacred to us.”
“But this book is actually much more than a book on hell. It’s a book about embracing a God who isn’t always easy to understand and whose ways are far beyond us; a God whose thoughts are much higher than our thoughts: a God who, as the sovereign creator and sustainer of all things, has every right to do , as the psalmist says, “whatever he pleases” Ps115:3.”
“God has the right to do WHATEVER He pleases. If I’ve learned one thing from studying hell, it’s the last line. And whether or not you end up agreeing with everything I’ve said about hell, you must agree with Ps. 115:3. Because at the end of the day our feelings and wants and heartaches and desires are not ultimate-only God is ultimate. God tells us plainly that His ways are infinitely higher than ours (Isa. 55:9). Expect then, that scripture will say things that don’t agree with your natural way of thinking.”

He closes the introduction with a prayer that we should all spend more time praying.
“God, I want to know what is true. I know I have cravings that sway and distort my ability to reason. You promise that Your Holy Spirit will guide me into all truth. I pray that He will now. I don’t want to be wrong. I don’t want to be deceived by others or myself. You alone possess all truth, and I want to be on Your side. Give me eyes to see and ears to hear. Give me the courage to live and speak what is right no matter what the cost. I don’t want to believe anything about you that is not true. Amen.