I recently had the privilege of participating in a virtual Lenten study led by Keith Meyers. If you aren’t familiar with Keith, he shared a deep friendship and professional collaboration with Dallas Willard that spanned over 30 years. Having pastored everything from small to mega-churches, including 17 years as the Executive Pastor of Church of the Open Door, Keith brings a wealth of wisdom to the table.
His recent book, Whole Life Transformation: Becoming the Change Your Church Needs, was actually endorsed by Dallas himself. It’s a must-read, especially if you’ve been feeling the tension of how to truly integrate spiritual formation into your own life and the rhythm of your congregation.
A Different Kind of Conversation About Eternity
During our final session, we dove into a topic Dallas famously called the “Abolishment of Death.” I found myself asking a question many of us wrestle with: “How do we describe the experience of those who have never heard the Gospel, or those who have rejected Jesus?”
Too often, our “church” answer is quick and clinical: “They are eternally separated from God in hell.”
But Keith shared a response that shifted my perspective, and I want to pass that along to you as fellow disciple-makers.
Dallas once said, “Hell is the best God can do for some people.”
The word “best” is the key there. Just as Abraham wrestled with the fate of Sodom and was reminded, “Will not the Righteous (the Good) Judge do justly?”, we can rest in the certainty that God will do His absolute best for every human being He has lovingly created in His image.
Every Knee Shall Bow—In Wonder, Not Fear
I remember Dallas talking about Philippians 2—where every knee bows and every tongue confesses. With his voice catching with emotion, he didn’t describe it as a moment of cringing fear. Instead, he saw it as a moment of revelation. People’s eyes will finally be opened, and they will fall down in worship because they finally see the God of Love in Jesus for who He truly is.
For those we know who struggle with the Christian life, or who haven’t heard the Gospel in the fullness that Dallas describes, we can have a deep hope. Many will jump with joy when they finally see Jesus. They will realize what they could have had, what they now will have, and what they wanted all along but never heard clearly. In the light of being like Jesus forever, this life will seem like a very short, old fairytale compared to the reality of growing in His love.
What Does This Mean for Us as Disciple-Makers?
I’m sharing this from where I am on my own journey, and I’d love for you to process it with me. If we view eternity through this lens of God’s goodness, it changes how we approach our mission:
- A Gospel for Everyone: The Good News is all-encompassing. It removes any posture of superiority or “spiritual elitism.”
- Patient Apprenticeship: If God is this patient and good, we can afford to be patient with a person’s growth. We don’t need to pressure people into “quick decisions.”
- Clarity over Complexity: Our job is to make the path to becoming an apprentice of Jesus clear and inviting, rather than complicated and cumbersome.
Pause & Reflect
As you think about your own ministry and life, consider these questions:
- What am I actually communicating when I share the Gospel?
- In my teaching, what are people being saved from—and more importantly, what are they being saved to?
- How well is our church aligned with this expansive view of the Gospel? Where are the gaps?
Curious About Multiplication?
If this perspective on the Gospel makes you curious about how faith multiplies, I’ve put together a resource for you. I’ve synthesized a list from the “Becoming a Level 5IVE Multiplying Church Field Guide” by Todd Wilson, Dave Ferguson, and Alan Hirsch.
[CLICK HERE] to access a simple evaluation I created to help you look at multiplication in your context.
How does this perspective on “God’s best” change the way you feel about the people in your neighborhood who haven’t yet met Jesus?
