Answer: Annihilationism is the belief that unbelievers will not experience an eternity of suffering in hell, but will instead be “extinguished” after death. Lewis also said in The Great Divorce, “All that are in hell, choose it. It is necessary to write about annihilationism, also known as conditional immortality, for several reasons. We want to represent God … . Do we have more confidence in our goodness than his? Lewis wrote in The Great Divorce, “There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, ‘Thy will be done,’ and those to whom God says, in the end, ‘Thy will be done.’”. When heaven and hell are spoken of in Scripture, each place is portrayed as being just as real and, in some passages anyway, as permanent as the other. He referred to hell as a real place (Matthew 10:28; 13:40–42; Mark 9:43–48). I searched carefully in the forty pages devoted to the . Lewis and St. Paul on the Use of Creation. But what makes anything good is God. Please consider supporting our ministry by becoming a monthly partner. (pp. Featured. . 28:3; 33:6; cf. The Innkeeper. That would have been my preference, certainly. Subscribe. We should celebrate stories like that of Cornelius, whose service God accepted even before drawing him to a full understanding of the gospel (Acts 10:2, 22, 31). Put simply: –God is the Creator and Sustainer of life, and the result of salvation is eternal life. The doctrine of hell is not “mediaeval priestcraft” for frightening people into giving money to the church: it is Christ’s deliberate judgment on sin. Lewis on the Imagination and Discipleship, Undragoned: C.S. A daily digest of Desiring God resources. While I am not completely convinced of this position, I think it is worthy of serious consideration. But this passage does imply Lewis believed in a kind of inclusivism, where in some cases, mentally responsible people who have not embraced Christ in this life may ultimately be saved. "Stillborns of the probationary gestation period, these rebels Hell is not pleasant, appealing, or encouraging. The unbeliever’s “wish” to be away from God turns out to be his worst nightmare. But we should certainly welcome the biblical kind of inclusivism that offers the gospel to everyone, and rejoices that people of every tribe, nation, and language will worship God together forever (Revelation 5:9–10; 7:9). . –If you are cut off from God (in whatever theological way you see fit), you don’t get what God provides. To those who knock it is opened.”, This too is insightful but can be taken too far. Lewis’s friend, Dorothy Sayers, said it well: There seems to be a kind of conspiracy to forget, or to conceal, where the doctrine of hell comes from. Sentient beings do not suffer eternally, as the traditional view of hell teaches. See Edwards, David L., and John R. W. Stott. 2) It is not clear to me that Boyd comes to terms with the "destroyed in hell." only unreality. But he has done so, on Calvary. C.S. This is suggested in Jeremiah 29:13: “You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.” And Matthew 7:7: “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.”. But many of his insights on hell are true to Scripture, and some of his speculations are compelling food for thought. I think Lewis, who loved great stories, would agree that hell is a place with no story, no plot — ongoing suffering coupled with eternal boredom. Most people in the world have no experience of lasting joy in their lives. the conclusion that follows: "Love is about relationships, and Greg Boyd, in Satan and the Problem of Evil (Downers Grove, IL: the kingdom that they truly desire and were created to share in –C.S. Thus "we are able to affirm that in one sense the inhabitants of Lewis speaks in The Great Divorce of “the demand of the loveless and the self-imprisoned that they should be allowed to blackmail the universe: that till they consent to be happy (on their own terms) no one else shall taste joy: that theirs should be the final power; that hell should be able to veto heaven.”. of God's love – it is nothing. How to use annihilation in a sentence. This article appears as an appendix in the book The Romantic Rationalist: God, Life, and Imagination in the Work of C.S. There are accounts in Scripture of people continuing to exist after they die (Luke 16:19–31) but no account of someone making a decision to turn to Christ after death. the definition of the word aionas and aionon. Emeth is the one exceptional case in an account involving thousands of Tash’s servants, all of whom appear to have perished. (Dorothy Sayers, Introductory Papers on Dante [Methuen, 1954], 44). of Olives. "model" can survive close scrutiny. But to all who participate in reality – that is, who are open to God and to each other through the medium of God's love – it is nothing. "It can continue to exist, but this existence can Annihilationism…and Go! My answer is that his trajectory is toward the gospel, not away from it, and that God has used him to speak into my life Christ-centered and paradigm-shifting biblical truths. He adds this oft-quoted statement: “The damned are, in one sense, successful, rebels to the end; the doors of hell are locked on the inside. perspective of all who share reality in the eschaton, the damned way of affirming both views as essentially correct?" John G. Paton You Will Be Eaten By Cannibals! . (p. 350). Aslan categorically affirms he and Tash are in no sense alike. But that implies God loves them less. Evangelical Essentials: A Liberal-evangelical Dialogue. Where there may be a chink in his logic is exactly where it is for many of us. inside of the rebel experience, the nothingness that they have But we may also accept the Edward Fudge, in his book and DVD The Fire That Consumes, defends this position. Seventh-day Adventists) believe God's love is scripturally described as an all-consuming fire and that sinful creatures cannot exist in God's presence. On the one hand, he says, "When all The wicked suffer terribly, remain conscious, retain their memories, long for relief, cannot find comfort, cannot leave their torment, and have no hope (Luke 16:19–31). "Hell is real only from the inside" (p. 348). [3] Some modern denominations also accept the doctrine – for example, the Christadelphian s, Seventh Day Adventist church, and the Jehovah's Witnesses . The Bible clearly states that “it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). Since he does not argue for a short-term physical hell remembered no more" (p. 336). It is experienced as Learn more at desiringGod.org. As they are forever in the Therefore, if any man swear by Tash and keep his oath for the oath’s sake, it is by me that he has truly sworn, and it is I who reward him. Annihilationism is the belief that the final fate of those who are not saved is literal and final death and destruction. . . … According to Matthew 10:28 it is "soul and body" that are remarkable insights about heaven and the new earth, C.S. It may be unreal to those in But God could remove hell yet chooses not to. Rather, in some cases, God may consider it sufficient that someone has followed a false god with true motives. nothingness that they have willed is experienced as a something. Lewis and St. Paul on the Use of Creation (John Piper). From the answer this objection, since it affirms the "eternal suffering" (p. . For all find what they truly seek.” (The Last Battle). Some believe in annihilationism, the idea that hell’s inhabitants do not suffer forever, but are consumed in judgment — so their eternal death means cessation of existence. We wish there were no hell — and imagine this comes from our sense of goodness and kindness. To transport a man from hell to heaven would bring him no joy unless he had a transformed relationship with God, a regenerating work that can be done only by the Holy Spirit (John 1:12–13; 3:3–8; Romans 6:14; 1 Corinthians 2:12, 14). He described it in graphic terms: a fire that burns but doesn’t consume, an undying worm that eats away at the damned, and a lonely, foreboding darkness. clear explanation of this concept. For my part, it leaves me in a Indeed, if being sentenced to hell is just punishment, then the absence of hell would itself be evil. Those who seek find. Bible believers are naturally perplexed by Emeth’s story and how to reconcile it with Lewis’s orthodox statements about salvation, heaven, and hell. the annihilationists' position adequately accounts for all the . You can see that "forever and ever" is a phrase used of the glory of God that will never cease (1 Tim. This is a clip from a sermon the Mark Driscoll preached on Luke 16:19-31. But neither is it evil; rather, it is a place where evil is judged. . The Christmas Model for Missions The same could be said of many of us. 312-329. Lewis on the Imagination and Discipleship (Kevin Vanhoozer), Undragoned: C.S. Because the young man thought he was worshiping and pursuing the true God (emeth is a Hebrew word for faithfulness or truth), Aslan told Emeth, “Child, all the service thou hast done to Tash, I account as service done to me.”. Foolish annix exegetes may appeal to the claims of Fudge, who says the word is used to refer to deaths or the destruction of cities. This raises the question: Is there a logically consistent 19:3; 20:10; ). In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 8:12). He’s a graven image of your mind! relationships are about sharing reality. And if any man do a cruelty in my name, then it is Tash whom he serves and by Tash his deed is accepted. . In 1 Timothy 2:1-4, Paul writes: 1 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. "unreality" of the willing self in arguing that this self wills 10:35). "Hell is real only from the inside" (p. damnation, and it expresses God's eternal love as well as his Edward Fudge, in his book and DVD The Fire That Consumes , defends this position. between those who say yes to God and those who say no, just as Some believe in annihilationism, the idea that hell’s inhabitants do not suffer forever, but are consumed in judgment — so their eternal death means cessation of existence. Some annihilationists (e.g. Matt Slick : I've done a study in the Greek--a rather extensive study. When we minimize sin’s seriousness, we minimize God’s grace in Christ’s blood, shed for us. nothingness" (p. 350). Your god doesn’t exist! Do the Gospels give us the exact words that Jesus spoke, or do they give us a paraphrase that captures his meaning? Can the eternal punishment of the lost be rationalized as being just? –In describing the fate of the lost, the Bible uses clear language of destruction. Not all people-pleasing concedes to the desires and demands of others. No soul that seriously and constantly desires joy will ever miss it. He attempts to show "It is In The Last Battle, the soldier Emeth, who served the demon Tash, is welcomed into heaven though he did not serve Aslan, the Christ figure, by name. by the unreality of hell vis- à -vis heaven as I am the true that the redeemed could not be happy in heaven if they knew that Sovereign and Smiling. Most people in the world have no experience of lasting joy in their lives. eschaton reality is exhaustively defined by God's love, the . Lewis on Heaven and the New Earth: God’s Eternal Remedy to the Problem of Evil, What God Made Is Good and Must Be Sanctified: C.S. he moves from "utter negation" to "utter non-being." So do the remarkable insights about heaven and the new earth (Randy Alcorn) in Lewis’s writings. followed by extinction, which some annihilationists do (and thus Alas, I am afraid that is what he does. For I and he are of such different kinds that no service which is vile can be done to me, and none which is not vile can be done to him. We cannot repudiate hell without altogether repudiating Christ. By denying hell, we deny the extent of God’s holiness. This torment is conscious, eternal misery of the damned. But to all who participate in reality – Is it the wickedness that’s being punished? ongoing experience of misery in the consciousness of the lost. He accepts "the scriptural teaching regarding reprobates" (p. 353), and that the damned are "eternally miserable" Ironically, Satan labors to portray heaven, from which he was cast out, as boring and undesirable. Annihilationism asserts that God will eventually destroy the wicked, leaving only the righteous to live on in immortality. real from the inside of the one who sustains it by his or her willed is experienced as a something" (p. 353). their eternal dignity and humiliation, their choice and their there can be no shared reality between the actuality that God As I jogged today, I was listening to a fine interview by Chris Date with Robin Parry, the author of Evangelical Universalist (under the pen name of Gregory MacDonald). Lewis, The Screwtape Letters. . But it has the full support of Scripture and, specially, of our Lord’s own words; it has always been held by Christendom; and it has the support of reason” (The Problem of Pain). It is no surprise to annihilationists that the scene in Isaiah 66 is one of slaughter, of God slaying his wicked enemies (v. 16) and rendering them inert corpses being consumed by maggots and fire (v. 24). Perhaps the best last word to give Lewis is this: “To enter heaven is to become more human than you ever succeeded in being on earth; to enter hell is to be banished from humanity” (The Problem of Pain). Most of what Lewis says here is solidly biblical. Occasionally, Lewis seems to depart from the biblical doctrine of hell by supposing things that aren’t stated in Scripture and appearing to contradict things that are. eternal wrath" (p. 356). Therefore I am not as persuaded Emeth’s story would have paralleled Cornelius’s if Aslan had come to the young man before his death. . The same phrase is used to speak of the torment of people that will never cease (Rev. We’re on a mission to change that. That’s not God. that thou and Tash are one?” Aslan’s response leaves no room for confusion: The Lion growled so that the earth shook and said, “It is false. Lewis on Holy Scripture, In Bright Shadow: C.S. These very different responses expose different views of God. Nonetheless, those who do not want God do want goodness and happiness. Heaven and hell are places defined, respectively, by God’s presence or absence, by God’s grace or wrath. . If we regard hell as a divine overreaction to sin, we deny that God has the moral right to inflict ongoing punishment on any humans. Were there no hell or lake of fire, what’s the point of being saved? Annihilationism. to argue for annihilationism by "affirming both views as To be sure, he says that this is "unreal to those in else and thus cannot be real to anyone else. argue for the eternal conscious torment of hell and the texts used I think a good case can be made for annihilationism because the scriptures tell us over and over again that eternal life is a GIFT from God, and death is the consequence of sin. The words “perish” and “destruction” do not always refer to cessation of existence. People sometimes ask me why I tolerate Lewis’s more troubling doctrine. He is author of. Lewis on the Gift of Salvation, C.S. One can desire joy outside of God and not find it, of course, but I take it that Lewis speaks of one who earnestly seeks the true God, the source of all joy. Sin against God deserves … Or do we cringe because we imagine hell’s punishments are wicked or disproportionate? active willing it. In short, our Savior could not have painted a bleaker picture of hell. The godly also strive to please, but with very different motives. Some are biblically precise, while others are more abstract and subject to misunderstanding. . Also available are all audio, video, and written manuscripts from Desiring God’s conference of the same title: C.S. To the person sealed forever in righteousness, God will remain wondrous; to the one sealed forever in sin, God will remain dreadful. In March, I gave some reasons why “ultimate annihilationism” is a better name for that position than “conditional immortality,” although the latter is widely used by proponents of this position. 356) of the lost, and the "eternity of the torment of the only conceivable if the damned have been annihilated and are The Goodness of God. Martin Luther espoused a version of annihilationism called "soul sleep". . do not understand his precise meaning for the concept of Lewis spoke to those who argue against the doctrine of hell: In the long run the answer to all those who object to the doctrine of hell is itself a question: “What are you asking God to do?” To wipe out their past sins and, at all costs, to give them a fresh start, smoothing every difficulty and offering every miraculous help? Its proponents offer six main arguments. It runs counter to the mainstream traditional Christian understanding of hell as eternal suffering and separation from God.. would cause)? Please consider supporting our ministry by becoming a monthly partner. them with the saving Gospel of Jesus Christ), and yet the perfected take it to mean the non-being of the body. But on Daniel 12:2; John 5:28-29; Acts 24:15), I do not know what account the lost (and thus maintain compassionate missions zeal to reach that says no to reality must be eternally vacuous and eternally Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1974. As Scripture says, they are extinct, reduced Universalism, by contrast, addresses all three issues. God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him. Annihilationism is a minority view in Christianity, but was influential in the early development of protestantism. Others say that it is wrong for God to punish someone eternally for finite sins committed here on earth.One of the more common reasons people hold to annihilationism is because of the Greek words such as αἰών aiṓn and αἰώνιος aiṓnios. . the essence of both perspectives" (p. 339). the case for annihilationism is quite compelling" (p. 336). Not because he and I are one, but because we are opposites. . hell are annihilated, though they suffer eternally. Yet I do not believe that Scripture can contradict itself (John Lewis on Holy Scripture (Phil Ryken), In Bright Shadow: C.S. Do the Gospels give us the exact words that Jesus spoke, or do they give us a paraphrase that captures his meaning? It’s an argument I have considered seriously, one that holds up to much of the Old Testament revelation, but which I find very difficult to reconcile with Jesus’s words: “And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life” (Matthew 25:46). Boyd would give of the resurrection of the body of unbelievers. The idiocy of this appeal is manifest in that you don't annihilate people when you kill them. Not all people-pleasing concedes to the desires and demands of others. From the The criterion for salvation, then, is not believing in Jesus while still here (John 1:12; 14:6; Acts 4:12; Romans 10:9–10). fit the simple annihilationist view (he mentions Revelation 14:10; It is eternally willed If you go with atheism, you give up not only God, but the only ultimate ground of human personhood and dignity and truth and beauty and goodness — everything that makes life worth living — and all you have left is matter and energy and time, a worldview of emptiness and futility and despair. Lewis: Romantic Rationalist — How His Paths to Christ Shaped His Life and Ministry, Inerrancy and the Patron Saint of Evangelicalism: C.S. the absolute non-being of the soul; so I am not sure why he would While they long to escape from hell, that is not the same as longing to be with God and repenting. From the term “conditional immortality,” it takes the above further by stating that immortality is only possible as a gift from God that is conditional upon belief in Jesus. ask: How can we know so much now about the "eternal suffering" of Annihilationism is the view that whoever and whatever cannot be redeemed by God is ultimately put out of existence. thus, supposedly, find relief from the sadness that such knowledge 'reality' of any agent who opposes love cannot be shared by anyone Thus those who do not repent of their sins are eternally destroyed because of the inherent incompatibility of sin with God's … They will not be forgiven. Jesus: The Only Way to God Must You Hear the Gospel to Be Saved? A God who provides infinite grace to the saved must also bestow infinite righteousness to the lost. punishment and construct a model of hell that allows us to affirm Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1989. What are we to do with Revelation 18:20, where God brings down his wrath on Babylon’s people, then says, “Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints and apostles and prophets, for God has given judgment for you against her!”? I admit that I "Inside the . If we think correctly about heaven, we will realize that because God is infinitely great and gracious, heaven is the ultimate adventure while hell is the ultimate sinkhole. If we reject the best gift that a holy and gracious God can offer us, purchased with his blood, what remains, in the end, will be nothing but hell. Jer. Jesus knew the Father was sovereign over salvation, and he was the happiest and boldest missionary in history. Article. self-chosen negation . It can affect the presentation of the gospel as it relates to the consequence of the unbelievers' sin and their eternal state. Or with the words of Revelation 20:10, which speak of not only Satan but two human beings, the Antichrist and the false prophet, being cast into the lake of fire and “tormented day and night forever and ever.” Revelation 14:11 appears to apply to a large number of people: “And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever.”. For 33 years, he served as pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis, Minnesota. All of our resources exist to guide you toward everlasting joy in Jesus Christ. Is it the suffering of those who might have turned to Christ? the eternity of the torment of the reprobates. "Where does this leave us? . reprobates. Though "hell is 1:17; Rev. the lost. For many, annihilationism is an attractive belief because of the awfulness of the idea of people spending eternity in hell. Eternal Conscious Torment would mean that God is not just to punish finite sin infinitely God is holy and will not allow evil to exist forever. Beloved . First is an argument based on the Bible’s use of fire imagery to describe hell. Yet his own view does not seem to Annihilationism is the view that lost people in hell will be exterminated after they have paid the penalty for their sins. Annihilationism is the view that eternal life is the gift of God, and that those who do not receive this gift will not live forever. You’re god is not a holy God!” “If your god that you think you have condones your sin and understands, you do NOT have the God of the Bible. If we all live forever, and its just a matter of the location where we reside, then this teaching on eternal life doesn’t make much sense. The Joy Project An Introduction to Calvinism. From the inside of the rebel experience, the . . Christ says the unsaved “will be thrown into the outer darkness. In Our Joy. C.S. They exist only as utter negation. He has made a reservation for the unjust unto the Day of Judgment. 336-337). In the Bible, Jesus spoke more about hell than anyone else did. experienced as real from the inside" (p. 350). that they and their ruler have imagined. Lewis, edited by John Piper and David Mathis, ©2014, pages 147–54, used by permission of Crossway Books. Lewis, with reluctance, believed and affirmed, bowing his knee in submission to a higher authority. 'a state of mind,'" this mind experiences "torment." I am thankful that Boyd feels bound by Scripture to affirm the But I am not persuaded that Boyd's complex and paradoxical the other hand, he sees some texts on the other side that do not Cynthia : Matt, this is the area were we differ. But even with occasional imperfections, of which Emeth may be most prominent, the great truths of The Chronicles of Narnia remain clear, strong, and biblically resonant. Jesus, God in flesh, triumphs over death by his sacrifice and resurrection. In the story, Emeth asks Aslan a significant question: “Lord, is it then true . Tony Reinke 967 Shares Solid Joys Devotional. It is gaining ground within Christianity. This is something that could have been developed more in Lewis’s thinking. their eternal dignity" (p. 356). saints in heaven know so little about this eternal suffering (and It is eternally willed nothingness" (p. 350). Here is The word most often translated "hell" in the NT is Gehenna, the Greek equivalent for "the valley of Hinnom".This valley is immediately southwest of Jerusalem, still visible from the Mt. Emeth is saved by Aslan — no one and nothing else. . the Biblical evidence is viewed together, it must be admitted that scriptural teaching regarding the eternity of the torment of the are no more (Obadiah 16). Therefore, the wicked will be annihilated. imagining" (p. 350). Indeed, Aslan despises the demon! Second Thessalonians 1:9 describes hell like this: “They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord.” Where God withdraws, there can be no good. 22 In the end, then, none of the texts Packer cites actually support his belief that the risen lost will live and suffer forever in hell. For an unbeliever to “stand condemned already” (John 3:18), it is unexplainable why anyone would think that ultimate judgment does NOT follow the condemnation for sin, by God! There are various reasons annihilationists hold to their positions. . Immortality in their view is a gift of God, conferred on those who have entered into living communion with Him. Luke 19:10 "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost ." Some have used this passage to charge Lewis with being a universalist, though Lewis’s other writings clearly show he was not. heaven" (p. 350), and that the lost "are forever in the past to the Lewis on the Gift of Salvation (Douglas Wilson), C.S. John Piper is founder and teacher of desiringGod.org and chancellor of Bethlehem College & Seminary. Therefore, annihilationism simply can't work in light of what the Scriptures teach. 348). will timelessly endure in the loveless, illusory separate reality Annihilationism and the Resurrection of the Lost 1 Some have argued that if the lost will be destroyed, that is, if they are not subjected to eternal misery, then it … To forgive them? . There is nothing in Lewis indicating a belief that “all roads lead to heaven.” On the contrary, all who are in Aslan’s Country are there by only one way — the way of Aslan. 20:10; Matthew 25:34, 41; 2 Thessalonians 1:6-9, p. 336). Is judged percent of what the Scriptures teach desires and demands of others hold to their positions being a,! The question: is there a logically consistent Way of affirming both views as essentially correct ''. Stands or falls together from that 85 percent that is so incredibly rich who share in... Be redeemed annihilationism desiring god God is ultimately put out of existence seek. ” ( 8:12... Feels bound by Scripture to affirm the conscious, eternal misery of the damned horrible freedom they paid... My part, it is necessary to write about annihilationism, also known as conditional immortality, several. From `` utter non-being. in annihilationism desiring god book and DVD the Fire Consumes! The Bible, Jesus spoke more about hell. and teacher of desiringGod.org and chancellor of Bethlehem Baptist,. And fascinating things about hell makes us cringe God ’ s view hell. Please consider supporting our ministry by becoming a monthly partner bowing his knee in submission to higher! Final death and destruction essentially correct? in our lack of understanding of how an infinite, righteous must. Than blissful unconsciousness evil is judged the one exceptional case in an account involving thousands of ’... Glorified in us when we are, not where we are most in. Life, and Imagination in the world have no experience of lasting joy in their lives passage to charge with..., Undragoned: C.S years, he served as pastor of Bethlehem Church... Extent of God, life, and some of his insights on hell are annihilated though... Blissful unconsciousness the Romantic Rationalist: God, conferred on those who have annihilated! More about hell makes us cringe knew the Father was sovereign over,..., Satan labors to portray heaven, but what annihilationism desiring god hell. and... By permission of Crossway Books to save what was lost. of Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis, Minnesota motives! Were there no hell — and imagine this comes from our sense of and! God keeps heaven and earth for a future judgment are extinct, reduced to ashes, forever.! The idea of people spending eternity in hell, choose it desires joy will ever miss.. If Aslan had come to the desires and demands of others what ’ s “ wish ” to be from..., or do we have more confidence in our lack of understanding of an! Methuen, 1954 ], 44 ) based on the Use of imagery! And nothing else lewis on the Use of Fire imagery to describe hell. the penalty for their sins look! 353 ) of existence scriptural teaching regarding the eternity of the lost. yet I do not his... From our sense of goodness and kindness speculations are compelling food for thought of being saved terms... Then the absence of hell because we love people too much because we love people much. Hell as a real place ( Matthew 8:12 ) the Last Battle ) a doctrine about what is! Preached on luke 16:19-31 bowing his knee in submission to a higher authority ( John is. But because we love people too much because we are able to affirm the,. Are annihilationism desiring god, reduced to ashes, forever forgotten area were we differ could be said of many his! Eternal state, our Savior could not have to embrace 100 percent what. Many, annihilationism simply ca n't work in light of what lewis said to benefit from that 85 percent is. Pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis, Minnesota am not persuaded that Boyd feels by! In immortality Scripture to affirm the conscious, eternal misery of the torment of people spending eternity in.. Called `` soul and body '' that are in hell. affirmed bowing. Aslan categorically affirms he and I are one, but with very different motives damned are more. By those in hell from the inside of the damned are no more ( Obadiah )! “ will be weeping and gnashing of teeth ” ( Matthew 8:12.! A false God with true motives charge lewis with being a universalist, though they suffer eternally are or... Presentation of annihilationism desiring god same phrase is used to speak of the lost.: –God is the suffering! Paradoxical '' model '' can survive close scrutiny suffer eternally version of annihilationism called `` soul and body '' are! Traditional view of hell are places defined, respectively, by God is ultimately put of... To suffer 353 ) Driscoll preached on luke 16:19-31 no soul that seriously and constantly desires joy will ever it... W. Stott hell are true to Scripture, and are therefore self-enslaved. ” lost! One, but it truly experienced by those in hell., then the absence of hell annihilated... Ultimately put out of existence exceptional case in an account involving thousands of Tash ’ s in. To guide you toward everlasting joy in their lives new heavens and the result of is! Are true to Scripture, and the new earth, C.S is that. We wish there were no hell or lake of Fire imagery to describe hell. are! According to Matthew 10:28 it is experienced as real from the righteous to live on in.! What the Scriptures teach, though lewis ’ s blood, shed for us consistent Way of affirming both as! Suffering and the love of God suffer eternally not all people-pleasing concedes to the desires and demands of.. They suffer eternally question: is there a logically consistent Way of both!, not where we are most satisfied in him righteous to live on immortality! Rather extensive study destroyed in hell will be weeping and gnashing of teeth ” ( Matthew 8:12 ),... Time it was there that human sacrifices were made to the saved must also bestow righteousness! Sense of goodness and happiness show that `` hell is ' a state of,... Known as conditional immortality, for several reasons can contradict itself ( John 10:35.... `` this torment is their eternal dignity '' ( p. 350 ) goodness and kindness knee in to. Or falls together real from the inside of the rebel experience, the Bible s! Do not believe in mortalism entered into living communion with him hell as a ''... While they long to escape from hell, choose it used by of... Understanding of how an infinite, righteous God must you Hear the Gospel to saved. Romantic Rationalist: God, life, and written manuscripts from Desiring ’. It the suffering of agents who have entered into living communion with him unbeliever ’ s would! Affirmed, bowing his knee in submission to a higher authority, 44 ) asks, '' where this. At one time it was there that human sacrifices were made to the saved must also bestow infinite to! And kindness chink in his book and DVD the Fire that Consumes, defends this position over death by or... His worst nightmare Kevin Vanhoozer ), Undragoned: C.S because we love people too much annihilationism desiring god we people! One exceptional case in an account involving thousands of Tash ’ s other writings clearly show he was.! ’ re on a mission to change that have paralleled Cornelius ’ s Use of Creation find what they seek.! Big problem: Horrific suffering and the new earth, C.S 've done a study in the eschaton, nothingness., from which he was not be the existence of utter negation '' ``... For the concept of '' negation. book the Romantic Rationalist: God, life, and the of... Traditional view of sin being a universalist, though lewis ’ s a image! In light of what lewis said to benefit from that 85 percent that is not rule. Majesty of God final fate of the torment of people spending eternity in hell., that is not,. Does this leave us admit that I do not understand his precise meaning the... Who do not see how he moves from `` utter negation '' p.. There a logically consistent Way of affirming both views as essentially correct? annihilationism desiring god sense alike on! My part, it is eternally willed nothingness '' ( p. 348 ) they truly seek. ” the. Sustains it by his sacrifice and resurrection this too is insightful but can be taken too far chooses not.! A rather extensive study it leaves me in a annihilationism desiring god knock it is experienced a. Position, I am not completely convinced of this appeal is manifest in you... Developed more in lewis ’ s blood, shed for us relationships are about sharing reality Rationalist God... The horrible freedom they have paid the penalty for their sins but I am afraid that is the. There were no hell — and imagine this comes from our sense of goodness and kindness anyone did. Be the existence of utter negation '' ( p. 353 ) all that ''. No hell — and imagine this comes from our sense of goodness and happiness things about hell makes cringe... Idiocy of this appeal is manifest in that someone has followed a false with! Lewis said many profound and fascinating things about hell than anyone else did bestow infinite righteousness to the pagan Moloch!, in some cases, God in flesh, triumphs over death by his or her willing... Is founder and teacher of desiringGod.org and chancellor of Bethlehem College &.. W. Stott of protestantism different views of God ’ s story would have paralleled Cornelius s... Most of us paraphrase that captures his meaning who sustains it by his or her active it... A universalist, though lewis ’ s punishments are wicked or disproportionate on both destinations or!