In the span of just a few months, Jerry DeWitt went from a respected pastor with a vibrant congregation to an atheist without a job. DeWitt, 42, is the first “graduate” of The Clergy Project, a program supported by several atheist organizations that assist pastors who have lost their faith to “come out” as atheists to family, friends, congregations and communities . . .
DeWitt’s transition from true believer to total skeptic took twenty-five years. It began, he said, with the idea of hell. How could it be, as he had been taught and preached, that a loving God would damn most people to eternal fire? “This thing called hell; it began to rock my world,” he said.
From there he read about universalism – the idea . . . that salvation is universal, and “all people” will be restored in their relationship with God without any action on their own part. After universalism, he discovered the idea, supported by some neuroscientists, that God is actually our inner dialogue. “I went from God loves everybody to God saves everybody to God is in everybody,” he said.
Jerry DeWitt had difficulty with the idea of hell, believing that eternal punishment contradicts the love of God. DeWitt subscribed to the popular opinion that love is tolerance and letting people do whatever they please.
The Bible, however, shares that one aspect of love is correction. Jesus said, “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent” (Rv 3:19). Part of God’s love is His justice; and in His justice, He commands everyone who lives contrary to His laws and commandments to cease what they’re doing and turn and repent. If people fail to repent, then there are consequences; or rather, punishments to be had.
The single greatest consequence, which is reserved for those who fail to repent and confess Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, is spending eternity in hell. Jesus said, “I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him!” (Lk 12:4-5). “Him” is capitalized in the text, referring to God. According to the Bible, God has the power to cast people into hell.
Jerry DeWitt, however, believes there is no hell. Why? Look at what the article states: “He read about universalism,” and after that he sought advice from some neuroscientists. So, rather than turning to the Lord during his crisis of belief, he sought those who would support what he was feeling; and he sought the advice of men over the wisdom of God. DeWitt turned to the results of mankind’s learning, deliberately forfeiting the knowledge of the truth.
We live in an age where knowledge is king; and information can be found in unlimited abundance. The World Wide Web is proof of this fact. So, be careful where you turn for knowledge, and be not “tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting,” as Paul said in Ephesians 4:14. Elsewhere, Paul said, “For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, ‘He catches the wise in their own craftiness’” (1 Cor 3:19).
One of the problems we’re facing today is that the world’s way of thinking is being subscribed to by many believers and being carried into the church. Peter warned, “There will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed” (2 Pt 2:1-2).
If ever you find yourself confused, just remember that “the way of truth” is found in Jesus, for He declared in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” In John 8:31-32, Jesus stated, “If you abide in My word . . . you shall know the truth,” and in John 17:17, He prayed for His disciples this specific request: Father, “sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.” Therefore, if you ever find yourself having a crisis of belief, rather than seeking the advice of men, turn to the Bible, which is the source of truth.