Who Belongs to the Lord?

For whom the LORD loves He reproves,
Even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights

Proverbs 3:12 (NASB)

I thought about titling this piece "Purpose driven discipline" to show that it is not in the character of God to punish His created ones forever. However, this verse from proverbs reveals more than God's love driven reproof. Implicit is the Fatherhood of God.

Three questions come to my mind:
1. Who does the Lord love?
2. Does the Lord delight in his children, as an earthly father would?
3. Who is a son/daughter of the Lord?

For God so loved the world (Jn 3:16). All the world. I don't believe that there is or has been a soul on earth that God does not love. And, he certainly disciplines & delights in all his children. That leaves us with a question concerning His children: "Who belongs to the Lord?"

Consider these notes from Gerry Beauchemin's book Hope Beyond Hell:

*God created man in his own image....(Ge. 1:27; 9:6).
*I said...all of you are children of the Most High (Ps. 82:6).
*You are our Father...our potter; and all we are the work of Your hand (Is. 64:8)
*Have we not all one Father? Has not one God created us (Mal. 2:10)?
*Seeing the multitudes.... in this manner pray: our Father... (Mt. 5:1; 6:9).
*Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples....one is your Father (Mt. 23:1, 9)
*Men of Athens....For we also are His children. Being then the children of God... (Ac. 17:22, 28-29 NAS).
*I bow to the Father...from whom the whole family in...earth is named (Ep. 3:14-15).

(Hope Beyond Hell p. 53)

The diversity displayed in these verses puts everyone in the net of God's Fatherhood ("All," "multitudes" - even the ones who were just following Jesus for the food!). It would be difficult to make a case against God being the Father of all. These scriptures bear out the Lord's ownership of all. And all that he loves will be disciplined. For a purpose. To bring them all into right relationship with Him.

Food for thought: Concerning Hell, how can we attribute unloving punishment, that is punishment without a purpose, to God? What Earthly father would consider everlasting punishment for a son? How could the love of an earthly father even compare to our Heavenly Father?

The significance of the Broad Way

13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
Matt 7:13-14 (KJV)

Many, or perhaps better understood, most will follow the "broad way." The way that does not lead to life.

So, does this mean that most of God's created souls will never reach Him? Or, if we strip away the layers of Christianese, does this mean that the Devil will win more souls than God?

I believe that this perspective is inconsistent with the power, love and intent of God and his salvation purposes (as noted in my earlier post "5 reasons"). There are many important biblical connections that need to be made to support this idea. However, let me just make one right now:

Has tradition clouded our judgment concerning the broad and narrow ways? We have often traditionally understood all good/bad (sheep/goat, good soil/bad soil, etc.) associations in scripture as end time scenarios. There is no need for this. We can find many references to the "Day of the Lord" in the Old Testament that signify judgment coming in either their generation or a coming generation (See Is. 13:6; Am 5:18).
The "broad/narrow" ways can refer to benefits to this present life (certainly true!) and/or, if you are willing to accept it, a form of judgment to come at the end of this age with more opportunities for the "broad way" subscribers to pursue Jesus.

As in most posts here, I expect to raise more questions than I answer. However, by the grace of God and the help of friends and the writings of others, I hope to present a strong biblical case (and friendly discussion) for a "God Sized Hope."