Conclusion
Even
though the title question seems to emerge from an airtight syllogism, we cannot
afford to decide such an important theological issue on the basis of logic
alone; because such simple logic is totally silent to the character and
purposes of God. Certainly the character
and purposes of God fall far beyond our capacity to understand them (Rom.
11:33-36). Nevertheless, we are also not
totally ignorant because we can see what God has revealed about His nature and
purposes in His one, only, and unique son, Jesus the Christ. Through Jesus we see God’s goodness and the
primacy of His goodness. We also see
that because of His goodness God has predestined a place to dwell with us, who
are His image-bearers, in perfect justice, which is the right order of all
things through righteous relationships of holy-love. And He predetermined that this place of
perfect relationships would stand in Christ, and Christ alone, forever. This eternal realm is the kingdom of God and
His glory.
A person
stands in Christ and therefore in His kingdom because he or she chooses, under
the all-sufficient light of God’s grace, to repent and surrender him or herself
in uncompromised humility wholly to Christ.
A person remains outside the kingdom of God only because he or she
stubbornly and arrogantly clings to the delusion of his or her
self-sufficiency. And the only one of
these two people you will ever find boasting of his or her decision is the
rebel.
God knew
before all time the decisions we all would make in the light of grace afforded
each of us because of the faithfulness of Christ. But just because He had such foreknowledge
doesn’t mean He had destined us to our choices; for to do that would contradict
His goodness and subvert His purpose of a just kingdom of holy-love. God predetermined to create us and the cosmos
to be His kingdom fully aware of those who would resolutely rebel against Him; and
He allowed for such rebellion because His love can have it no other way and still
remain His love. This meant that with such
great love would also likely be great suffering.
But
ponder long and deep this love of God; God’s love loved so much and so
powerfully that it completely took all the suffering upon and within itself and
then consumed it. It is as John teaches
in his gospel account:
“In Him [Jesus] was life, and the life was
the light of humankind; and the light is shining in the darkness, and the
darkness did not overcome it (John 1:4-5).”
In one
sense God because of His love created a universe with the risk His love would
go unrequited and incur suffering. Yet even as I admit this again here, I--as I
well hope you do, too--realize how simple minded it is to speak of risk at all
in the context of God’s love. God’s love
is so powerful it can recover its losses without compromising its nature; so
love proceeds in its purposes insensible of any concept of risk or threat of
risk. This is the power of God surpassing all understanding; this is truly
God’s glory.
Because
of Jesus’ faithfulness in going to the cross and taking upon himself all the
suffering—past, present, and future—born of unrequited love, and carrying it to
the grave, and on the third day vanquishing it once and for all by being bodily
raised from the dead and ascending to the right-hand of God (i.e., to reign
King over His kingdom), we all stand forgiven (I John 2:2); suffering and evil
no longer have any lasting power except what we grant them.
Therefore,
in the light of such a love as God’s love, the very idea of God purposely
creating people to be damned is ridiculous.
The God who is love created a universe by means of His love, because of
His love, and for His love, and in His love; and God’s love is prevailing in
Christ, forever.
So the only
question remaining for any of us is, “Who is my king?”
Jesus
said,
“The
appointed time has been fulfilled and the kingdom of God has drawn near; repent
and believe in the good news! (Mark 1:15)”
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