The Audacity of HELL: Palin’s Church & Biblical Christianity

“If anyone does not love the Lord, he is to be accursed.” (1 Corinthians 16:22 NASB)

Newsweek columnist Lisa Miller wrote a critical column this week with a headline that reads: “The Senior Pastor of Palin’s Former Church Preaches Hellfire to Anyone Who Isn’t Saved By Jesus.” In typical, high-brow, snotty, liberal fashion, she looks down upon Christians and bemoans the fact that Palin is so narrow-minded that she is a pit bull for the “religious right” and for those who oppose abortion. While Palin’s conservative political views are well known, why is Miller, and other liberals so concerned that Palin’s church believes in Hell? Undoubtedly Miller is trying to scare her readers into thinking Palin is an extremist who should be shunned. Yet what Miller, and other liberals, fail to realize is that beliefs such as this one, in Hell for the unrepentant, is embraced and believed by all Biblical Christians. Millions of Americans believe in Hell, because Jesus spoke of it often. The Bible is full of warnings to those apart from Christ who will perish in their sins unless they turn to the Lord. That may sound “old fashioned” and “radical” to people like Lisa Miller; but that just sounds like Christianity to those who believe the Bible.

This is where I believe the Political Left and the Mainstream Media are shooting themselves in the foot with regards to Sarah Palin. Since they spend most of their time hob-knobbing with uppity, liberal, elitists they fail to realize that the majority of the country is much more like Palin than they are them. I recently heard a liberal pastor complaining that Palin didn’t win office in Alaska by courting the “religious right”—she ACTUALLY IS apart of the religious right. He said it as a put down, but I rejoiced to hear it. And many other Americans do as well.

When you listen to clips of Wasilla Assembly of God Pastor Ed Kalnins preaching on Hell, it sounds very similar to what I myself, and scores of other pastors preach every Sunday. Preachers who preach “hellfire” actually have the audacity to proclaim an eternal reality that Jesus Himself proclaimed, and commanded us to likewise preach. We have the audacity to believe that if you call yourself a “Christian” then you should actually believe what Christ taught. We have the audacity to believe that there is an eternal world that awaits all people after they leave this life. We have the audacity to believe Jesus’ words that “No one comes to the Father except by me.” (John 14:6) And we have the audacity to believe that those who do not come to Christ in repentance and faith will perish in eternal Hell, just like Jesus said they would. When I hear that Sarah Palin attends churches that proclaim these eternal truths, I rejoice that at last a politician has arrived on the national scene who shares my beliefs, and I know that she will pay a dear price for it in the media.

But it doesn’t end with Hell. Pastor Ed Kalnins also apparently opposes homosexuality. Can’t you just hear the liberals shrieking!!! Imagine, a Christian minister who actually thinks homosexuality is a sin, and that unrepentant sinners go to Hell!!! Who knew???? Why it must just be an Alaska thing right???? No, my dear liberals, this is what all Biblical Christians believe…..and there are many of us in America today.

Kalnins says that people have a conscience that tells them what is right and wrong. And that homosexuals know their sin is wrong because their conscience tells them so. But in an effort to ease their conscience they try to pass laws supporting their sin. That way they can ease their conscience by saying the government approves of their behavior, even thought their conscience condemns them. To which I give a hearty AMEN!  That is exactly what Romans 1 teaches.

I’m not sure of everything Kalnins believes. He is an ordained Assembly of God, and I am an ordained Baptist so we probably would differ on some lesser issues. But on foundational issues, he teaches salvation through Christ alone, the reality of Hell, and the truthfulness of sin’s devastating effects. I commend him, and any Pastor, who has the backbone to speak out about Hell and Homosexuality since both issues will get you maligned in our world today. Incidentally, Kalnins and his wife also have 7 children, which no doubt drives liberals crazy as well. (Don’t those people in Alaska know we’re supposed to be KILLING babies, not HAVING babies??!!??)

I got to be honest…when I hear of Sarah Palin’s associations with “radicals” like Ed Kalnins, I rejoice rather than recoil. When I hear Barack Obama’s Pastor of 20 years, Jeremiah Wright shrieking “God-D–N” America” and calling America the “US of KKKA.” Then I hear Kalnins preaching the truth of the gospel and the reality of Hell; the choice for our country is clear. While these two Pastors are not running for office, it says a lot about the candidates when you examine the spiritual company they keep. While Newsweek liberal Lisa Miller tries to scare people by writing of Kalnins belief in Hell, all she’s doing is galvanizing the millions of Americans who agree with him, and Palin; and she’s motivating us even more to get out and vote come November.

Sarah Palin has an extremely rough couple of months ahead of her. Her enemies are numerous and powerful and they will unleash all they have to try and destroy and discredit her. So far their attempts have backfired, and I hope they continue to. What our nations needs from it’s government leaders is a deeply rooted, God-fearing, love for Jesus Christ. Palin seems to fit the bill. Lisa Miller calls her the “pit bull for the religious right”…I simply call her a breath of fresh air. Continue to pray for her as the liberals, reporters, and snobs of America seek to ruin her….and in the process, further ruin our country. And pray for Kalnins and other Biblical preachers. The tendency will be to go soft on the gospel in order to avoid political fallout, but the Great Commission leaves no room for reticence in the pulpit. We must speak boldly, faithfully, and truthfully about all things Christian, including eternal Hell. Bravo to Kalnins for doing it. Let’s hope and pray he keeps up the good work; and that the gospel of Christ is proclaimed in the midst of this political election season.

This entry was posted on September 10, 2008 at 11:50 am and is filed under Eternal Issues, Politicians, Political Issues, Homosexuality. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site.

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