Liars Don’t Go to Heaven

There is a cool song performed by Zach Williams playing on contemporary Christian radio these days. It’s called “Heart of God.” It says in part:

He's not sittin' there shakin' His head

Writin' you off, leavin' you lost

He's not sittin' there shakin' His head

Wishin' He'd never went to that cross

… He went to that cross, He went to that cross

'Cause He loves you so much…

No room for shame in His open arms

There's beauty from ashes, so come as you are

'Cause there's only love in the heart of God

'Cause there's only love in the heart of God.

It’s good poetry, good music, and as far as it goes, it’s good theology. There is love in the heart of God; John tells us that God is love. For people who are lost and know it, it can be hard to imagine that God could ever love them. I’ve seen this heartbreaking attitude among recovering addicts and former felons who hear the Word but have trouble believing it. “There is no shame, so come as you are” is a welcome message to those who know great shame. God loves you just as you are; that’s the Bible’s great, good news. But it also true that God loves you too much to leave you the way you are: fallen, broken, and hurting.

 I just finished reading a commentary on Revelation by N.T. Wright. Wright reminds readers at the end of the book that Jesus invites us to come. Come to the wedding feast. It’s a wonderful thought that God loves us so much that He is inviting us to Heaven. But if you read the rest of the book, indeed the rest of the Bible, you will realize that the invitation is not universal. There will be those who are not welcome at the feast. There is love in the heart of God, but there is more to God than love.

God’s love is universal: “God so loved the world that He sent His one-and-only Son.” But His invitation to His family feast is conditional. Jesus used the metaphor of a wedding feast to explain that only those who had the proper garments would be admitted. (See “Many Called; Few Chosen”) We see that echoed in Revelation when we are told that only those who had the appropriate garments were worthy to attend. “And it has been granted to [the Bride of Christ] that she be dressed in bright, clean fine linen (for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints).” Countless passages from Genesis to Revelation announce that a day of judgment is coming. The book of Revelation is about ninety percent judgment and ten percent celebration. In fact, Jesus’ opening words to John were that He was coming “on the clouds,” a picture of judgment throughout Scripture, to “everyone who pierced Him.”

The rest of the prophecy John was ordered to write was all about judgment until the final chapter. The letters to the seven churches warned of judgment. The seals, the trumpets, the bowls were all symbols of God’s judgment on disobedient people. Eventually, the judgment reaches even to God’s archenemy, Satan himself along with his wicked angels. In the interim, we find God’s faithful servants being martyred before they appear at the throne of God; this is the other side of judgment: they were judged worthy to be in God’s presence. Yes, God loves all people, but the Bible makes it abundantly clear that there are two options for the afterlife, and they rest on the decisions made in this life. Then comes judgment.

Zach may be right that there is only love in “the heart” of God. If that is correct, then God’s heart must be balanced with His mind. And He definitely has judgment on His mind. Throughout his commentary, Wright repeats his conclusion that the letter of Revelation was a warning to believers. They were told that judgment was coming, and that many of them would pay the ultimate price, but that it should comfort them to know that a place was prepared for them in God’s presence when they died.

Of course, you should tell your neighbors that God loves them; that He loved them enough to offer His Son as a sacrifice for their sins. But don’t neglect to tell them that if they don’t choose the life offered to them in Christ, they will end up in an afterlife that will be a literal hell. It’s like Rob Bell says, preaching about hell doesn’t make for a compelling sales pitch. But if you pretend that the alternative is attainable without belief and repentance, that no judgment awaits unbelievers, you have not told the whole story. And a half-truth is the same thing as a lie. And liars don’t go toHeaven.

Related posts: Answering Rob Bell #1 (See blog sidebar for all six articles); Necessary Obedience; Blessings of Obedience; The Church Cannot Save the Lost