A Brief Book Summary from Books At a Glance
by Kirsten Birkett
About the Author
Dane Ortlund is a pastor, author, and speaker, currently serving as Senior Pastor of Naperville Presbyterian Church outside Chicago. He previously worked in publishing at Crossway.
General Summary
An overview of the doctrine of hell and its implications.
Hell is needed
Hell is awful
Hell is deserved
Hell is close
Hell is avoidable
Summary
Christian teaching on hell “offends unbelievers and is quietly avoided by many believers.” But it is “a vital part of living well amid the miseries of this world.” It is a horrifying reality, which should make us live better and love the gospel more.
Hell is needed
The doctrine of hell is healthy and a comfort. It affirms that God is a God of justice, fairness, and dealing with people rightly. When humans commit atrocities, those who believe in hell are “most able to endure with nobility.” But if we do not believe in hell “then we must take revenge into our own hands.” If we believe God is loving, but there is no hell, life is much less stable; for many of us cannot enact justice on our own. Also, forgiveness is elusive without hell. Forgiveness is founded on the fact that I can overlook vengeance, for God will enact it perfectly. With hell, we can have calm and peace here, for we know God will eventually right all wrongs. . . .
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