According to a recently study, only half of
Americans believe that hell is a real place.
The research was done by Baylor University and published in
Christianity Today. From my perspective people struggle with the concept of hell because we have not only trivialized hell but the devil. It puzzled me how a faith based university
could have a Blue Demon as its mascot, and why one of my favorite coaches is leading the Blue Devils. It’s not
surprising people do not believe Satan is real.
We have turned him into a caricature with a pitchfork. We might even chuckle at cartoons where
people are sitting surrounded by flames shoveling coal to keep the fire
going.
Having grown up in an environment where it is all about
“fairness,” it is easy to understand why Millennials and Gen Z’s struggle with
the existence of a place where people are punished eternally. Remember, “It’s not fair” is one of their
favorite expressions. Many young people
are Therapeutic Moralistic Deist. If all
roads lead to the same God, then Heaven is the place for all “good”
people. Such a perspective does not
leave room for punishment.
In the past many Christians have used the “Turn or Burn” approach to bring people to faith. I see that being part of the problem.
When the church comes off as judgmental or accusatory we run the risk of
turning people off. I would suggest rather that we love people into heaven. When we exhibit grace, we are opening the door
to a possible dual relationship. People are
going to be more open to a long term relationship with us. That provides us the opportunity to introduce
them to Jesus. That could lead to another
long-term relationship. As they explore
God’s Word the realities of both heaven and hell will become more real.
I
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