I wanted to include a few excerpts from the book in the weeks leading up to its’ release. This is the first portion I’d like to share with you and would love to hear your thoughts. It comes from chapter 7 and is entitled All Merciful Now, Pent Up Rage Later? Please leave feedback and comments as we grow together.
The biggest question I have for all of my fellow Christians is this, and we touched on it earlier: Why would God be forgiving here on Earth but extremely harsh and final in His punishment after death? Focus on that word final because eternal punishment would be as final as it gets. It would also be as unloving as one person could be to another. How is that fair and how is that consistent?
We teach that God is a God of second chances and He is. In fact, God is a God of unlimited chances because there is no end to His mercy. The Old and New Testaments prove this to be true, time and time again.
Read Ephesians 2 and you’ll see how merciful God is. Verses 4-5 says, “But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!”
Verses 8-10 says, “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”
Verses 13-14 says, “But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ. For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us.”
It’s all about Jesus. Paul is clear in his letter to the church at Ephesus that it doesn’t matter whether you are a Jew or a Gentile. You can be from Florida or Utah. Canada or Mexico. Argentina or Kenya. Haiti or Iraq. Egypt or Australia. God is the one who saved you. You didn’t save yourself. Even your act of believing doesn’t really save you. It’s still the sacrifice Jesus paid on the cross and by Him overcoming the grave.
This distinction can be troubling for even the thoughtful theologian. Salvation is completely attributed to Jesus and what He accomplished. His role is the only role that matters and the only act that made any difference to the punishment of death.
I saw your video on youtube and it looks like a pretty interesting book. I have one question though. Are you saying everyone just goes to Heaven and all paths lead to god?
Thanks for the great question! I’m not saying everyone will go to Heaven but I won’t put anything past God. All paths do not lead to God, Jesus is the only way. What I’m saying is that the Scriptures do not teach eternal punishment, God will not remain angry forever. He will judge and correct with proper justice. He will not simply write off forever. Thanks for checking out the youtube video too!
Blessings to you,
Jackson
Awesome site! Thanks for the invite. Like you, I have read the Bible many times, but both OT and NT together. I find them in perfect harmony, reasonable and full of God’s mercy and desire to save/heal everyone. I also find that many people who do not read the Bible thoroughly, especially looking for a deeper understanding of God’s character, as it is revealed in Jesus, are misguided simply by a lack of information or knowledge of the Bible. Or simply coming to the Bible with preconceived ideas never tested by scripture which are weave into their belief construct. I think this is because we get too preoccupied with our own salvation that we focus on the scriptures that we feel comfortable with. I mean, “Don’t boil a baby goat in it’s mother’s milk” seems hardly salvation material for some. But set in a larger setting of what God is trying to say about Himself by showing how He deals with His rebellious children throughout the “66″ books of Scripture gives us overwhelming evidence of God’s trustworthiness! In a nutshell, which is hardly fair to the subject of God’s dealing with His un-healable children in “the end”, it is my observation from Scripture that God will leave them (Romans 1: 24, 26 , 28) to reap the natural consequences of their own rebellious choices. And by being so out of harmony with God the sinner cannot live in the presence mentally and physically with God. Remember God told Moses during the Exodus that no man can see His face and live? And Moses, when he came down from the mountain after just seeing God’s back, his face was so bright thousands of people could not look at him! This is why I believe Jesus said, “Only the pure in heart shall see God” or why we cannot see (with our eyes and understanding) Gods kingdom or enter without being changed like the their on the cross to receive love and truth in our heart/mind. In Revelation chapter 14, it is in the “presence” of the Lamb and the holy angels that torment occurs! This is not an arbitrary act on God’s part. He wants life for everyone but not all are prepared to receive the love and glory that God will lavish on this sin/sick planet when He comes. the book of Hebrews says, “Our God is a consuming fire”! Isaiah 33:14 asks the question, “The sinners in Zion are afraid; terror has surprised profane ones. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings? The answer comes in verse 15-16. “He who walks righteously and speaks uprightly; he who despises the gain of oppressions, who shakes his hands free from holding bribes, who stops his ear from hearing of blood, and shuts his eyes from seeing evil; He shall dwell on high!” The righteous can live in the fire! Satan’s lie is that God’s life-giving glory/fire is somehow used to destroy when in the end it is to bring life! It is life that destroys death, love that destroys hate and truth that destroys lies. There is so, so much more to this and it’s all from scripture and most of all it makes logical sense so we can truly say we did “come and reason” with God… I would love to share more if you are interested. I am glad you like to read because I think my “nutshell” turned into a cocoanut tree! Thanks for your time. Peace.
Thank you for your thoughtful and well written response. Many people think of fire as a bad or negative thing but it is described as a refining process or a consuming one in the Scriptures. The passage from Mark 9:42-49 comes to mind that says,
“But if you cause one of these little ones who trusts in me to fall into sin, it would be better for you to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone hung around your neck. If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It’s better to enter eternal life with only one hand than to go into the unquenchable fires of hell with two hands. If your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It’s better to enter eternal life with only one foot than to be thrown into hell with two feet. And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out. It’s better to enter the Kingdom of God with only one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, ‘where the maggots never die and the fire never goes out.’For everyone will be tested with fire.”
This is from the New Living Translation that I enjoy reading for it’s easy to understand language. The only problem is that it’s not an accurate translation of the earliest manuscripts. The Young’s Literal Translation says it correctly. Mark didn’t say eternal punishment, he said age-during which means an indefinite period of time. Mark didn’t write Hell, he wrote Gehenna which was a literal place in the Valley of Hinnom. And the last phrase “salted with fire” means purified with fire.
This says to me that it’s not hopeless, even for those who have rejected God in this life. God will punish, judge, and correct as He sees fit. He will purify with fire. Praise God for His mercy and compassion.
A very thoughtful conversation about God’s eternal mercy….but the last paragraph sounds a bit like the Catholic teaching of Purgatory, where our loved ones still have an opportunity to be “refined with fire” after death. How does your approach differ?
Ooops! A correction please.
“This is why I believe Jesus said, “Only the pure in heart shall see God” or why we cannot see (with our eyes and understanding) Gods kingdom or enter without being changed like the ‘their’ (which should have been “thief”) on the cross to receive love and truth in our heart/mind.”
Pardon my typing… not my strong suit.
Tanx
Brilliant. If we experience God’s grace, mercy and kindness now, why would we not experience it after our deaths. Very good argument!
Amen! What would we need grace & mercy for in this life if it didn’t carry over to eternity? It would be pointless or a teaser.
If you look at the o.t. God spoke to the Jews about what he wanted from them. Blessings and cursings followed their responses. The same applies in our lives. We see the meaning if life as “making it to heaven”.
I believe the bible shows it as ” knowing and becoming like Christ”. That’s the end game.
I do think failure to comply in this life will result in experiencing a remedial age-lasting punishment, but the end game remains the same.
Great article, it really makes you think.