Why would I read a book centered on the doctrine of hell?

You may or may not have noticed one of the readings I am currently in the midst of. The book is entitled Hell Under Fire. It expounds upon the doctrine of hell, and why it is crucial to the Christian faith. In all honesty, I have no idea why I purchased this book. I was in religion section of Borders meandering through the titles when this one jumped out at me. Prior to this point, hell was a not a topic I would willingly choose to gain a firmer understanding of. Part of it was ignorance (which is rarely ever bliss) while the other was fear of what people may think about a guy who desires to learn about eternal suffering and judgment. These notions were challenged right away when I read the book's introduction; "no doctrine stands alone...take out the doctrine of hell, and the entire shape of Christian theology is inevitably altered."

At first I wasn't sure how to take this seemingly bold statement. I had gotten this far with an "out of sight, out of mind" mentality towards hell. Because Christ saved me from it through His death on the cross, I saw no need to dwell upon it. The authors of this book emphatically state the opposite. They litter each chapter with verses speaking to the reality and purpose of hell. It's not necessarily the most fun I have had reading a book (some biblical texts are tough to swallow), but the glimpses of God I have seen are awe-inspiring. "These truths should drive...God's people to their knees in worship." God has revealed a deeper longing for heaven, and the reality of spending eternity in His presence. It's where my regenerated heart yearns to be. He has also reminded me of the extent of His grace poured. Knowing the full extent of what He has redeemed me from leaves me feeling humbled and grateful. I cry aloud with Jonah, "salvation belongs to our God."

However, we insult the name of Christ if the doctrine of hell only leads us to a place of (corporate)worship (since all of life is to be an act of worship). A deeper grasp of the nature of hell should drive us into the presence of God in order to reach out to the lost. "These truths should motivate us who know the Lord to love, pray for, and speak with unsaved persons concerning eternal destinies." Hell should remove any and all sense of the fear of man many of us (especially me) suffer from. The condition of lost souls would trump how intact our feelings are. We wouldn't view hell as the "ugly stain" of the faith, and therefore be less likely to bring it up. Instead, we would be more urgent to speak the truth, which reveals the fuller depths of God's grace. It doesn't mean fire and brimstone sermons on street corners, but it does require a willingness to speak up. The Bible's portrayal of hell is as a contrast to heaven. Everything wonderful and glorious about heaven is horrific and terrifying in hell. The fullest extents of love, joy, fellowship, and freedom (and so much more) are contrasted by the fullest extents of anger, grief, isolation, and bondage beyond imagination. We should be just as willing to talk about hell as we about heaven. Each one magnifies the other. If our goal is to love and reach out to the lost as Christ did, we need to declare the realities of hell as He did. His willingness to be blunt about God's judgment should motivate us to be bold and leave out the "double hockey sticks."