Reason #3 HERESY!

Actually, when I started this series I was thinking of other reasons to read the bible. Ones you may not have thought of. I sort of assumed you would already read it for SALVATION and working our your SALVATION. There are talented people who preach on Sundays for this great stuff!

However, even my cornflake packet, meal in a minute, look in the index, knowledge of scripture can expose Christian heresy. Heresy is when someone claiming to be a Christian twists or denies the truth of the bible.

For example in Rob Bell’s new book Love wins, he tries to introduce a new version of hell, by either denying its severity (or length) and transposing a new angle on salvation that doesn’t include avoiding eternal punishment.

In a short reading of the bible you can know that, Yup hell is real, Yup Rob Bell is creating a God that he is more comfortable with.

Go to Matt 13:24 where Jesus tells the parable of the weeds. Yes, in this parable he draws a picture of the church with false believers mixed with genuine believers. Then he mentions the fate of the faithless; “Bind them in bundles to be burned”.

Okay, you may rightly see this as a ‘picture of hell’ not literal. But luckily for us, his disciples asked Jesus to break it down for them, which he does in Matt 13:36. Jesus unpacks the meaning and gives you real people, real times and real places. This is no longer a ‘picture’ but a literal interpretation of the parable. You don’t need to turn it back into a picture, because Jesus has explained it in truth. Hell is real, end of story, heresy exposed.

This took all of 5 minutes on the iphone to see through this one, and Rob Bell is like a big mega-star, big budget pastor with considerably more bible training than me. But he is not my authority. Jesus is, and his word!

You can read the truth yourself! Read the bible daily so you know the word better and better, so you can spot the heresy. And if you need help, email or phone Pastor Andrew – he’ll point you to the authority of scripture too!

Ahh, the iphone – 34 different translations at the tough of a button, ahh, pastors on speed dial.

<<sent from iphone>>