Kim Gentes

What is the distinct thing that makes the Christian life different from any other? Francis Chan's book "Crazy Love" is a short and clear call to exploring that distinction. Chan is convinced that our lives must be founded and fueled by love. Then, on the basis of that love, we are to sacrificially give away our lives as the "way" to be the people Jesus called us to be.

For the first few chapters Chan explores the motives of our "service" (acts and lives lived) as Christians. Such things as fear, pride and various other substitutes are proved to be false foundations in place of a thankful life that exists in light of a truly awesome and holy God. Chan urges us to see God as the scriptural Everything from, and to which, true love can proceed.

In light of the God of "Crazy Love", the book moves the reader into a realization of the biblical view of a response to such a God- a response that can only be real if it sees action. But Chan is not preaching the "American god" of prosperity in his book. Rather than a god in whom we strive to achieve success and are granted blessings of favor, position or possessions- Chan is calling us to lay down everything. At the root of "Crazy Love" is a deft prescription to the American church- sacrifice.

Often times, when books are written that call Christians to humility or sacrifice they do so from a position of making people "worms" in light of God's all-consuming awesomeness. Conversely, much of Christian "faith" culture has made the American god one of "success"- basically teaching that if we are following God's plan for our lives, blessings and abundance will be ours to receive and accumulate.

Chan avoids both of those clichés and calls us to see the God of "Crazy Love" as the source and strength of all we can be. From that place of trust and faithfulness in God's love, we are to offer our lives sacrificially as conduits to bring that love to the hurting and lost world. There are a good many insights in this book, but Francis doesn't turn this insightful teaching into just another cliché itself. If you stopped short of finishing the book, you might believe that you should sell everything you have, move to Africa and feed the destitute. While Chan poses that as one path for those called, he doesn't fall into the trap of becoming the voice of the Holy Spirit for the reader. Instead, he presents his thesis as a starting point from which any believer can then step into the world of possibilities that only God can uniquely chose for each one of us.

One may minister to the poor, another serve as a medical missionary, another stay in their current careers and show God's love there. The point is, the book asks the reader to be accountable to God and the voice of the Holy Spirit. After the book has explained why Christians should lay down the edifice of the American ideal "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" (which we often translate into being the selfish accumulation of "stuff") it encourages the believer to follow God's direction specific to their lives.

The message of this book is clear, simple and yet often ignored. I was convicted by the simple truths of this book. I would guess my experience is not alone. The book presents a vivid picture of a different kind of Christian- the kind we are in dire need of in our world.

Amazon Book Link: http://amzn.to/WjPvX3

Review by Kim Gentes

The early words of Francis Chan are an excellent preface to what you will find in "Erasing Hell", a new book that resoundingly challenges the premise and conclusions of universalism, especially as highlighted recently in Rob Bell's "Love Wins".

Chan takes the high ground in this well researched book- he refuses to label or harangue Bell, and in fact compliments him on the admirable aspects of several of his points. Francis Chan is careful to deal directly with the material on the issue of hell, salvation and our purpose on earth.  What is helpful about the book, is that he provides solid exploration of all the Biblical texts dealing with the pertinent issues- including ones that look (at first) to support an opposing view. This is precisely what Rob Bell failed to do in "Love Wins", and "Erasing Hell" is clearly written to correct and critique on both content and method.   

I won't go into the details of each point made by Chan, but one point that is of major importance is his refutation of Bell's false interpretation of hell, which shows the disparity between Bell's unresearched work and Chan's book. Chan says plainly:

This is backed up by the appropriate details and further context. Additionally, Chan helps explore the actual scripture understandings, especially from Jesus and his followers that speak about hell (Chapter 3) and our understanding and responses to it (Chapter 5). Again, he faces several passages that are normally used by universalists as support and mines through the various interpretations and understandings of them.

Beyond the core of refutation of universalism (and Bell's book), Chan also provides a helpful FAQ (frequently asked questions) section in the Appendix which handles 6 common questions about hell. This material is very helpful and should be read by all pastors, as it is excellent summary to issues that have been discussion for centuries. 

Chan's "Erasing Hell" is not a monolithic or even deeply impressive work, but it is a contrite and succinct response to Rob Bell's "Love Wins".  It sets out to be a clear corrective on postmodern Christian universalism, and succeeds by taking classical and appropriate steps to expose the error and excise it as a sickness from the body of Christ - the American church.

Even if you haven't read "Love Wins", this book ("Erasing Hell") provides the outline for understanding these important issues.