Wednesday, July 30, 2008
"THIS IS THE WILL OF THE FATHER" -- JESUS
John 3:35 "The Father loves the Son and has given ALL things into his hand."
What has the Father given to the Son? ALL things!!!
Now, look at what the will of the Father is:
John 6:39 "And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should LOSE NOTHING of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day."
So, Jesus' commission is to lose nothing of all that the Father has given him, and the Father gave him all, therefore NONE will be lost!!!
This means there will be no eternal torment and there will not be eternal death!!!
How is that for good news!!! Don't explain it away, just believe it!!!
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5 comments:
Hey I saw your post on my blog. And I must say that I just read Keith DeRose's Universalism essay (it's really long but I really did read it!).
Overall, I thought it was very well-written and well-supported. I have read a short essay by Talbott on universal reconciliation and I really liked it. The only thing that I wonder about is this:
How does free will play into it?
After all, if I was a Calvinist, as Talbott is, then I would CERTAINLY be a universalist. No doubt about it. But I believe in free will too strongly to ever be a Calvinist (haha never...) so I can't uphold universalism and free will.
I think the main point of distinction is between free will. After all, I say, with the apostolic church fathers, that our free will is necessary in order to shape and determine our character. As contingent beings, we cannot have goodness built into our character, whereas a necessary being (God) does. Thus, we need free will in order to shape our character and determine ourselves.
If our free will determines ourselves, then it follows that hell or heaven is the final place of our self-determination. Hell, for me, resulting in annihilation. Heaven resulting for those who have shaped their character to the goodness of God.
I hope you understand my question. I see no way to uphold universalism with free will.
Joshua,
I am a universalist but I also believe in free will (although I think we often imagine we have more free will than we really do). This is how I see it: God never gives up on us. Like a persistent suitor who never gives up until he gets the girl he loves to marry him, God pursues us to the end of eternity with His love until we finally surrender and say yes. But that surrender is given freely. It is not that we cannot always say no; it is just that He will keep asking one more time until we say yes. Thus His will is fulfilled and our free will is left intact. I agree with you that free is necessary to shape our character. That is why God has granted it to us and why he allows suffering - so that we will learn. God wants a relationship with us where our love and obedience is freely given, otherwise it is not a true loving relationship - this is why He will wait for us.
John 3:36, "He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."
You have to bite the whole apple!
ike,
The word "abides" does not inherently imply eternally. The word translated "abides" here is "menei" which was used in Mat 10:11, "And into whatsoever city or town ye shall enter, enquire who in it is worthy; and there abide till ye go thence." Notice the "abide" till...which indicates a temporary duration. ike, I just believe one will not see life "until" one comes to belief, which I think will occur for all in this life or the next.
Don-
Hey! Found you through trudging through the Truth Matters blog (ouch). Left a few comments there on this topic but it seems they were deleted. I'm not too surprised.
I was wondering if you or anyone have read Who Will Be Saved? by Will Willimon? It is his latest book and phenomenal. As a Methodist pastor I am so happy to see one of our leading bishops write such a book! Makes me feel a bit more secure :)
A few weeks ago I preached a sermon titlted "The Truth About You." I would love to get your thougths on it.
You can read it on my blog here:
http://chadholtz.wordpress.com/2008/06/14/the-truth-about-you/
grace and peace,
Chad
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