Moral outrage

In Jesus the Only Way to God, John Piper writes:

[W]hen we ask, "Is Jesus the only way to salvation?" we are asking the question: Is he the only way to escape from an eternal conscious torment called hell? (pg. 24)

He tackles this issue and responds to two alternatives: universalism and annihilationism.  Several well-known Christians who hold these differing views are quoted.  Interestingly, they use words such as "moral revulsion", "loathing", and "emotionally intolerable" to express their views on hell.

While I would not dare put myself in the same league as these particular theologians, their views brought a few questions to mind:

• Are we more outraged at the idea of hell or more outraged that we would sin and rebel against a holy God?
• As sinners, is our outrage at the idea of hell more of an indication of our revulsion to the holiness of God?
• Without Christ, do I deserve eternal conscious torment because I am a sinner and have sinned against God?  If not, why do I deserve otherwise?

But the reality is that I am not outraged as I should be at my own sin.  As as a sinner, my response should be like Peter to the Lord, "Depart from me because I am a sinner", not questioning God for His righteous response to sin.  I deserve eternal, conscious torment.  The only reason I have been spared is because Jesus is the only way to God.

Piper's conclusion:

Hell is a dreadful reality.  To speak of it lightly proves we do not grasp its horror.  I know of no one who has overstated the terror of hell. We can scarcely surpass the horrid images Jesus used.  We are meant to shudder.

Why?  Because the infinite horrors of hell are intended by God to be a vivid demonstration of the infinite value of his glory which sinners have belittled.  The biblical assumption of the justice of hell is the clearest testimony to the infiniteness of the sin of failing to glorify God.  All of us have failed.  All the nations have failed.  Therefore, the weight of infinite guilt rests on every human head because of our failure to delight in God more than we delight in our own self-sufficiency. (pages 48-50)