I have a poster on my office wall that came from who knows where of the inhabitants of earth leaving a burning city and fleeing one of two ways. A boatload of folks are following flashy neon arrows down a broad path into a deep crevice, presumably Hell. A few stragglers are crossing a narrow cross shaped bridge into a shining city, presumably Heaven. Those of us in the Church are so used to this symbolic crossing we don't stop ask ourselves how this could represent a victory for Christ! Christ wins a fraction and Satan wins the multitude. Is this the ultimate end or will these misguided multitudes ultimate become trophies for Christ? Here are a few other traditional assumptions:
1. Mercy triumphs over judgment...but only for a few. Does God really do a personality flip and switch from being a "judgment matches the crime" kinda God to an "unending torment for those who reject Him" persona?
2. His love endures forever...but for some its only a short experiment. The Bible says that this life is a vapor, so are those consigned to eternal torment only experiencing God's love as vaporous?
3. God is omniscient--all knowing...will he really continue to experience the grief of those billions in eternal torment while we are enjoying the blessing of heaven?
4. God is all powerful...but can't complete His stated desire to save all men. Is God really so passive as to let our "free will" carry us away from Him for eternity?
5. History is "His - story," He directs our steps...but is the real testimony of God's powerful hand on the time line that only a few lives have purpose, only a few will be refined, prepared and presented to Him complete?
These assumptions about our God fly in the face of the Biblical records! You will find clues throughout the Old and New Testaments concerning our just and merciful God. Are we to let tradition and a few mistranslated Greek words blind us to how wonderful a hope we can have for all the world?
Blessings!
1. Mercy triumphs over judgment...but only for a few. Does God really do a personality flip and switch from being a "judgment matches the crime" kinda God to an "unending torment for those who reject Him" persona?
2. His love endures forever...but for some its only a short experiment. The Bible says that this life is a vapor, so are those consigned to eternal torment only experiencing God's love as vaporous?
3. God is omniscient--all knowing...will he really continue to experience the grief of those billions in eternal torment while we are enjoying the blessing of heaven?
4. God is all powerful...but can't complete His stated desire to save all men. Is God really so passive as to let our "free will" carry us away from Him for eternity?
5. History is "His - story," He directs our steps...but is the real testimony of God's powerful hand on the time line that only a few lives have purpose, only a few will be refined, prepared and presented to Him complete?
These assumptions about our God fly in the face of the Biblical records! You will find clues throughout the Old and New Testaments concerning our just and merciful God. Are we to let tradition and a few mistranslated Greek words blind us to how wonderful a hope we can have for all the world?
Blessings!
1 comment:
On 4.God is all powerful... Amen. God is so powerful that He will turn every mans will to Himself. Just like a skilled parent turns the will of his/her children by love,wisdom and discipline. All tools that God is not short on.
He will preserve our free will while persuading us to turn it towards Himself. Not my will but thine!
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