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Why I’m Going To Hell

Posted May 25 2011 by Jonathan Brink in , , , , with 26 Comments

I had a thought the other day.  If God’s judgment leaves someone out of the Kingdom of Heaven, which can be rationally described as hell, then I’m going to hell.

Did I get your attention?

Here’s why I’m going to hell.  The broad assumption in evangelical Christianity is that in order to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, one must speak a specific belief of Jesus.  This was called the sinner’s prayer when I was growing up.

So let’s say that is true.  It is then arguable that most of the Eastern world, Australia, Asia, and much of the Arab and Jewish world would be excluded. The primary assumption in that model is that grace is only true once it is accepted.  It becomes true in the cosmos, when we accept it.  As Rob Bell asked, “Will billions and billions of people burn forever in hell?”

I’ve said that prayer. I learned to recite it daily in college because I constantly wondered if I had said it right.  When someone speaks this prayer, they are considered in…mostly. ;-P  So I’m assuming that I’m in.  In fact, as Paul would often suggest, I must be in.  I’ve committed my entire life, my entire way of being to following this Jesus guy.  I gave up my career in business to pursue ministry.  I spent most of my life savings so I could spend time developing community based discipleship programs. I wrote a book on the Gospel.  None of that get me in heaven. It simply is.

But if I’ve learned anything from following Jesus, if I’ve learned anything from the Gospel, it is that it is relentless in its pursuit of the lost.  Jesus spoke parable after parable of the lost sheep, coin, and son. If there are people on the outside of the gates of heaven, then I’m rallying the troops inside to go find them.  I’m going to hell to remind them of who they are: children of the living God who are called very good.

Love doesn’t end.  The mission isn’t over if someone is on the outside of the gates.  There is still someone who doesn’t know the message.  Call me a dreamer, but I just can’t see Jesus going all the way to the cross and then saying, “Yep, they just didn’t get it while they were alive.  Let’s leave ‘em to rot and burn.”

Care to come with me?

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About the Author

Jonathan BrinkI am an business development and communications consultant. I am also the senior editor and publisher for Civitas Press. I recently published, Discovering The God Imagination: Reconstructing A Whole, New Christianity. (Civitas, 2011)View all posts by Jonathan Brink →

  • Anonymous

    You are so right… especially in view of the fact that the apocalypic, eschatalogical message of the scripture has an equally plausible interpretation that allows it to be fulfilled in the time frame it wasu00a0prophesiedu00a0and to the people it was prophesied too. Believing in the first century was not found in a recited prayer but, in a committed way of life.

    • http://jonathanbrink.com Jonathan Brink

      Joe, yeah what you said. ;-P

    • http://jonathanbrink.com Jonathan Brink

      Joe, yeah what you said. ;-P

  • http://www.brandonmouser.com Brandon Mouser

    Do I need to say a different specific prayer to join you? I mean… I’m down with the cause, I just want to make sure I’m actually with you. nnIt would suck to get stuck on the gate.

    • http://jonathanbrink.com Jonathan Brink

      Brandon, we have a prayer and a secret handshake that gets you a robe. Once you get the robe is has a secret pocket with instructions. I can’t tell you what the instructions are until you pass through the portal of truth, which requires you to tell us every bad 90′s song you listen to, and sung at the top of your lungs in your bedroom while growing up.

    • http://jonathanbrink.com Jonathan Brink

      Brandon, we have a prayer and a secret handshake that gets you a robe. Once you get the robe is has a secret pocket with instructions. I can’t tell you what the instructions are until you pass through the portal of truth, which requires you to tell us every bad 90′s song you listen to, and sung at the top of your lungs in your bedroom while growing up.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_33JCKKKIIM2I76NSCEGU6ICWQQ Leanne

    Yes!u00a0 I’m with you!u00a0 (So are Huck Finn, Tom Sawyer, and many, many others).

    • http://jonathanbrink.com Jonathan Brink

      You and the bunch are more than welcome Leanne.

    • http://jonathanbrink.com Jonathan Brink

      You and the bunch are more than welcome Leanne.

  • David

    Truth is as Jesus said there will be those who in fact go to hell !u00a0u00a0 Of course God’s thoughts are not ours and he’s the creator of all, a potter if you will.u00a0 He makes some for honer and some for dishoner !u00a0 (not my words by the way)u00a0…..nnQuestions is, just because we would like to think, like Bell, that many if notu00a0all people will be with God in heaven forever thats just not what is outlined in Scripture….u00a0No matter how we twist it it appears to be really plain…in the print.u00a0 nnIf I had my way, I do thinku00a0all would go to heaven.u00a0 But my way isn’t God’s….I think he has aurthority over this one.u00a0 nnIt apperas to me that there will be some outside the gates….it may be even many !u00a0 Hope it’s not, but your so very right Jonathan we have a God given mission like Paul to be and tell the Gospel.nnFrancis Chan is currently writting a book about heaven & hell and it should be out soon.u00a0 I think it should be veryu00a0interesting.u00a0u00a0 Looking forward to reading it.u00a0 u00a0u00a0

    • http://jonathanbrink.com Jonathan Brink

      David, much of our Evangelical understanding of hell I think is based on two flawed assumptions.u00a0 The first is Augustine’s original sin, which suggests that humanity is on the outside looking in from a cosmic perspective.u00a0 The second is our concept of time, referenced as eternity, which suggest that Rev 20 is eternity or forever.u00a0 I don’t hold either one of the doctrines, and for very good reason.u00a0 I’ve done the research to suggest neither are true.u00a0 But that’s another conversation.nnI saw this today and thought of you, give your response: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnrJVTSYLr8nnI will say this. I love your heart.nnI do like that you bring it back to God’s authority.u00a0 I agree.u00a0 But here’s the tension for me, which I established in the book.u00a0 God’s authority is established in creation.u00a0 So hell as a conscious eternal location of torment, goes against God original established order and design.u00a0 Hell is real, but I just don’t think it’s a location.u00a0 I think it’s a state.

      • David

        Thanks Jonathan.u00a0 I love this clip by Chan.u00a0 Looking foward to his book.u00a0 Because I need help on this one.u00a0 I really like your perspective and what you say concerning hell and I trust your correct.u00a0 nnI juts don’t know.u00a0 It scares me as well.u00a0 Because well God is a bit scary.u00a0 I know He loves me as expressed in Jesus and thats so GREAT !u00a0 nnI need help Jonathan.u00a0 I just don’t know.u00a0

        • http://jonathanbrink.com Jonathan Brink

          David, as you probably would assume, I think “I don’t know” is a very powerful position.

      • David

        Wow !u00a0 This brought tears to my eyes jonathan..!u00a0 I know and am certain beyond any doubt that God Loves His creation …all of it.u00a0 I like how Chan comunicates and his honest simple perspective.u00a0 I am so looking forward to read what he has to say.u00a0u00a0Because, Jonathan, I don’t know…I just don’t enough about hell to really say other than what I read in the narritive of Scripture as I understand it.u00a0 It’s a bit scary to me because I don’t understand so very much.u00a0 I also know what Iu00a0think seems to be muddy water at best.u00a0 nnI have to rely on Jesus because I know for certain He Loves me as well as everyone.u00a0 So with that certanty then I am trying to live that out in how I relate to others.u00a0 Somtimes I do okay at that and others I fail really badly.u00a0 But this issue of hell is a bit of darkness to me and it’s my hope that there’s no one there.u00a0 Just don’t think that’s the case.. nnI appreciate your perspective a lot.u00a0 I even hope it’s true !u00a0 Really….Just don’t know.u00a0 I do like how Chan puts the issue of God’s actions when they seem so out of place….”really God ?”…ndid you do that and think that ?u00a0 and do I put my opinions and thoughts above God ?u00a0 Good questions.u00a0 I need help on this one.u00a0u00a0u00a0 (this was my first responce…having trouble posting)

  • http://openmindedconversations.blogspot.com/ jshmueller

    From a logical point of view, for God to give up on those outside the gates, one of two assumptions would have to be true, either:nn1. u00a0God’s love for the enemies and the lost DOES end at some point, and the cut-off time to receive that temporary love and forgiveness would be the moment of physical death, or:nn2. God’s love doesn’t end but He just knows that these people have made up their mind eternally andu00a0even His continued efforts of reaching out wouldn’t be able to everu00a0change their rejection of him.nnNumber 1 would conflict with the biblical portrayal of love as beingu00a0unending and central to the very character of God.nnNumber 2 would make man’s sinful determination stronger than God’s ability to save.

    • http://jonathanbrink.com Jonathan Brink

      Oh Josh, I’m so borrowing this for my next book. But I’ll give you credit. ;-P

    • Obscuritus

      Is it possible that God’s grace and love (reflections of God’s transcendence- His ways are higher than ours) are and will be greater than man’s meager capacity to reject them? It seems arrogant to me to assume that our choices in this life, being both enormously tarnished by our sin and limited to our humanity, will overpower a capacity in God that we will only experience once these limitations are shed.nnWould you be angry if this is true and God “lets” everyone in?

      • http://openmindedconversations.blogspot.com/ jshmueller

        If you read my comment closely, you’d know that I’m all with you in this one!

        • Obscuritus

          Forgive me, jsh, i meant to simply call further attention in a general way to what you clearly mentioned in “Number 2″. Perhaps I should’ve used “we” instead of “you”….

          • http://openmindedconversations.blogspot.com/ jshmueller

            K, got it!u00a0 No worries!

  • http://zandeschro.blogspot.com Zack

    Bell also talks quite a bit about how Hell is here now, and I’d personally like to see more people going to the hells on earth here and now. What makes you think we’ll want to go to hell after-death if we’re not willing to face it now? Living in Cambodia I see a lot of people who like to talk about being with the poorest and neediest, but end up more setting up shop right at the gates of hell waiting to catch a few of those who are already on their way out and help them along. Really entering into other people’s pain making relationships with people who are literally killing themselves sucks and is painful. It’d be like if Jesus came all the way to earth, and instead of living as a homeless teacher and being tortured he decided to listen to the devil and become a powerful earthly ruler.nnReally great post, but take it a step farther. If you’re willing to go to hell after-death why not now? I’d love to see more lights spreading out into the darkness rather then clustering with other lights.

    • http://jonathanbrink.com Jonathan Brink

      Zack, I’m confused as to why you assume I’m not doing the latter.

      • http://zandeschro.blogspot.com Zack

        I’m sorry for implying that you aren’t doing the latter. It can be difficult and lonely at times. I know you are doing amazing work helping people get healed up from wounds often inflicted from within Christendom, and guiding others to discover something better than what they might have thought following Jesus meant. I am truly grateful for that.

  • http://thetomeinthepebble.wordpress.com/ mike

    One of the most profound, even perplexing images in Revelation is seen in the gates function of New Jerusalem in the new heavens and new earth, that is, after the cosmic war and defeat of sin and death. u00a0In Rev. 21:25 it states:nnIts gates will never be shut by dayu2014and there will be no night there.nnCould it be that unrepentant sinners, or those working out there repentance, are welcome in the eschaton, that is, if and when they choose to partake of life and rid themselves of their deathly ways? u00a0Could it be that we are to take literally “every knee shall bow and every tongue confess?” u00a0This imagery is telling in at least one crucial way, narratively speaking: it leaves an openness to the biblical story, even after the antagonist has been defeated and the plot conflict resolved; it is the end of the story, and yet it suggests something more; it is the beginning of the end of the age of the old.nnAfter all, even the torment of the “second death” is rendered in ages, or: time and space is not jettisoned come judgement. u00a0Satan’s doom, along with his followers, in Rev. 20 is not “forever and ever” — it is not eternal in the way we understand eternal — but “aion and aion” — literally, “ages and ages.” u00a0Thus, one might argue, those outside the gates may very well be outside of the Book of Life, but after a time of reflection, repentance and reslove, they are allowed acceptance into the gates, writing themselves in (which is a confession of life).nn.. And so, it seems that hell outside the gates and life, or heaven on earth, inside the gates is marked by a permeability. Might the gates, then, also be open so that those written into the Book of Life may also venture out?

    • Obscuritus

      Your perspective assumes that Revelation is to be interpreted eschatologically.

      • http://thetomeinthepebble.wordpress.com/ mike

        ..and I assume your assumption is different.

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