While reading tonight I was in the middle of a long chapter on the reasons Jonathan Edwards preached with deadly concern for himself and his hearers about the biblical doctrine and reality of eternal hell/conscious torment for rejection of God’s grace.

And the writer penned this:

“. . . Edwards preached the doctrine of hell that none should doubt the infinite criminality of refusal to love an infinitely lovely being” (Nettles, The Privilege, Promise, Power, & Peril of Doctrinal Preaching, 61).

Love that phrase from Nettles, “that none should doubt.”

See, folks? That’s a pastor’s concern and deep love for his people. That none should doubt. That’s part of what it looks like to love your people enough to shepherd them–not just to collect a check for “being a pastor” but to actually invest in your people by being with them, stewarding them, shepherding them, caring for them, visiting them, loving them, feeding them truth.

The biblical shepherd preaches and teaches on hell in order to shepherd God’s people into the light of heaven rather than the flames of hell. These are not metaphors.

Pastor Edwards, you good and faithful doulos.