Oh hell.

"Appearance of Sin"
I submit this a a prompt of sorts. Before we spout off about avoiding
appearances of evil, let us ask with whose eyes we are looking. This latte art
was made with painstaking care by loving hands that give and receive
Christ's finished work through daily service of body, soul, and spirit.

I've been having more and more discussions lately, both in the web-world and the real world (and in the Spirit world, for that matter) about Hell and sin.

I've been getting more and more frustrated with having to first explain that Biblically, Hell is a vague concept. Significantly more is written about Heaven, and much of the common Christian idea of Hell is completely based on teachings that aren't Bible based.

Stop it.

Stop preaching a Hell that God never mentioned.

Stop using Hell to manipulate people into living according to your concept of "sinlessness."

Stop preaching about "sin" as though A) It's a set of actions. B) The work of the cross isn't finished. C) Adam's "original sin" was somehow greater, more eternal, and more affective than Christ's defeat of that sin.

IT IS FINISHED.

"If you live in sin, you will end up in a lake of fire for eternity," I heard a pastor say.

And the congregation nodded in agreement.

From 13 year old girls to elderly men, their heads bobbed in unison.

I deem the following ideas - which I've encountered among the Christian religious community repeatedly - myths. I give you my responses (not my answer, reasoning, theology, doctrine or dogma).

1) If you live in sin, you end up in a lake of fire.

• The lake of fire is reserved for death and the grave (Rev 20:14), Satan and the angels that followed him out of Heaven (19:20). Also, for those not written in the book of life (20:15). If death and sin are defeated, I must ask myself who could possibly be excluded from the book of life. No definite criteria come to mind. 
• Sin is not actions, and can't be defined by what offends my Christian sensibilities. Abortion, same sex marriage, alcoholism, drug addiction, tattoos, sex before marriage - these are not sins, they are behaviors and actions. Sin is the choice (witting or not) to reject relationship with God and the subsequent heart condition of that separation. Some of these behaviors are potentially resultant of that decision. Some of these behaviors are the result of Life. 
• Sin results in death. Death is separation from God. Death and sin are defeated. 

2) Hell doesn't exist. Behavior doesn't matter. 

• If Hell doesn't exist, Jesus wouldn't have needed to save us. 
• Hell is real, we see it intersect with our reality daily. We are perhaps more adept as witnessing the intersection of Hell on earth than we are at witnessing the intersection of Heaven on earth.
• Behavior is resultant of heart condition. Heart condition matters. 

3) Hell is a place you go if you aren't a Christian. 

• Hell is not a place. It is a state of existence. 
• What designates a person a Christian? Is it someone who claims to believe Christ died for their sins? Is it someone who heals the sick and raises the dead? Is it someone who's said the "sinner's prayer" and heads to the front for every alter call? Is it someone who has a relationship with Father, Son, and Spirit. Is it someone who says "I'm a Christian?"

4) Hell is ruled by Satan. 

• Satan is the ruler or "god" of this world, actually. (2 Cor 4:4, 1 John 5:19, Mat 4:8). Satan will end up in a lake of fire, not in Hell. 
• Satan has the illusion of authority; the real authority lies with those whose King is Jesus, who've inherited the Kingdom of Heaven. 
• Often death, disaster, tragedy, illness are blamed on either God or Satan. To me, the blame should go to those in authority. That's the "Christians." (Still sure you meet the qualifications? Or you want the title?)

5) Dante's "Inferno" (Divine Comedy)...

• ...Has nothing to do with anything. 
• Let's all stop referring to its imagery and ideals when speaking of the Biblical concept of Hell. 

6) All people go to Heaven. 

• Free will is fundamental to Christ's Kingdom. Without it, love isn't possible. Either we have free will, or the Bible is a lie. That free will doesn't end with the passing of our bodies. If I don't know God while living, what would prompt me to embrace eternity with Him? 

7) Hell is a punishment. 

When dark and light collide,
dark simply ceases. 

• Hell is a natural alternative to Heaven. 
• It's not that God "can't" co-habitate with sin. It's that sin, being the condition of chosen separation from God (His choice is unity, by the way), simply doesn't exist in Heaven. Heaven is where God exists. You can't exist there and be separate from him at the same time. 
• Punishment indicates blame which indicates responsibility. Responsibility lies with those in authority (that's us, Christians). Logically, punishment would be imposed on the ones in authority. Logic, conveniently, isn't usually part of the discussion. 

There are a lot of apparent dichotomies here. Polarity is often something feared, or believed to indicate falsehood. To me it indicates mystery. I'm ok with mystery. It also indicates space for communication and discussion. I'm also ok with that. 

Truth is as personal as sin. Neither are universal. Both depend on a person's state of identity, relationship with Dad, and capacity for curiosity. 

(I present none of this as truth, but as a launching off point for questioning and seeking.)