'Hell Is Not Eternal': The Rise of a False Gospel

Sin always demands a penalty. We learn this from the book of Leviticus. Sin required the death of an animal sacrifice.

The Bible frequently connects sin with death.

Romans 6:23 states, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord".

This death is not just physical, but also spiritual.

Gehenna was a garbage dump outside Jerusalem's walls

Contrary to some popular teaching today, likely driven in part by false philosophies like Gnosticism and "The Power of Positive Thinking", Jesus warned about hell.

A lot.

In fact, He spoke more about hell than any other figure in the Bible. False doctrines have woven their way into some (often fringe) Christian circles, which claim things like, "hell is not eternal" (annihiliationism), or that it is a "temporary place of refinement". Despite these heterodox ideas having a resurgence primarily through known cults, some folks sadly appear to be adopting them.

Yet all of these views are clearly false doctrines, and, at worse, risk minimising the reality of what the Bible actually warns us. Hell is the eternal destination of all those who die in their sins (Isaiah 66:24, Mark 9:44, Revelation 14:11, 2 Thessalonians 1:9) Dr Anthony Harper of Inter-mountain Christian News spoke to William Paul Young, author of the controversial book "The Shack", who also denied that hell is permanent. You can hear an example of this being propagated at 5:34 mins in this interview.

Author of The Shack, William Paul Young, suggests hell is a "place of refinement"

But there is hope for those who have broken Gods perfect law (which is all of us!).

This hope does not come from re-defining the Biblical definition of hell, but in trusting in the Savior from it. Those who turn to Christ as their advocate, their substitute, will not be condemned.

All these words, advocate, substitute, justified, penalty, being declared righteous, are legal terms. They highlight the forensic nature of justification. This makes sense, since God's law serves to highlight our imperfection and subsequent need for a mediator.

Romans 3:20 states, Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

Romans 3:28 states, Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.

Since we had no hope of fulfilling God's law and being perfect, Jesus bore the penalty for our sins, that we may be acquitted of the eternal punishment we deserve, and regenerated of the heart. Through the means of Himself, He may be our perfect substitute and atoning sacrifice. When we respond to this good news in repentance and faith, we are adopted into His family (Ephesians 1:5) and our eternal destination is changed forever.

2 Peter 3:9 assures us, ..the Lord is "not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."

Eusebius (263-339AD):

“...Christ, being apart from all sin, will receive the sins of men on himself. And therefore he will suffer the penalty of sinners, and will be pained on their behalf; and not on his own” (Proof of the Gospel, 3.2).

2 Corinthians 5:21: "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."

Justification is a work of God, through Christ alone. By His shed blood, He paid the penalty for our sins. We are justified by faith in Jesus Christ's death, burial and resurrection.

When I stand before God, that will be my only plea. This is an important distinction to make. The Gospel hinges on it. Some have sadly drifted into a kind of Romanistic thinking, which detracts and chips away at this all-important truth. Salvation is by grace through faith alone, not by works (Ephesians 2:8). Any other view that twists Justification into something you earn, something meritorious you achieved, is not the Gospel. It's not the good news, and it won't save. Further to this, I'm thankful for Gods regenerative power that changed my heart from stone to flesh and did make me hunger and thirst after righteousness (Matthew 5:6). Though I fail in myself and do not deserve it. It's this regeneration of the heart and indwelling of the Holy Spirit, which changes us from the inside, as a result of being justified by faith in Christ. I yearn to be transformed increasingly into His image from the inside out. That is the faith that works in me.

But as for justification, it’s by Christ's work and merit alone. His salvation is why my eternal home is in heaven, and not an eternal hell.

1 Corinthians 15:22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.