I'm about 3/4's of the way through If Grace is True by Philip Gulley & James Mulholland. In the book, they explain why they believe God will save every person. It's a pretty interesting book, although a little repetitive. Maybe I should say thorough instead of repetitive.
Short summary: God is able to transform every person into someone who accepts God's love and loves others. God is going to do this, but because there is life after death, God is not limited to our mortal lives here on earth.
The reason God does this is out of a sense of tremendous, tender, parental love. The thing I wanted to pull out from the book, though, was this quote from Hosea:
How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, Israel? How can I treat you like Admah? How can I make you like Zeboiim? My heart is changed within me; all my compassion is aroused. I will not carry out my fierce anger, nor will I turn and devastate Ephraim. For I am God, and not man -- the Holy one among you. I will not come in wrath. --Hosea 11:8-9(I realize, typing it out, that there are a lot of place names - Ephraim, Israel, Admah, Zeboiim, in the quote - sorry if it's confusing.)
Okay, so if you're still here with me, I just want to say: this quote totally reminded me of Jake Gyllenhall's character in Brokeback Mountain saying "I wish I knew how to quit you!" I know that the quote became kind of a joke, but I think that kind of strong love - one that doesn't change even if we sometimes wish it would - is a good miniature of God's strong love. And a good demonstration of why God would persistently work to save all people.
Sorry if that was a lot of lead-in for not very much payoff.
6 comments:
I think you've been looking for an excuse to quote "Brokeback Mountain" in a sermon.
You know, I haven't, but if I did, that would be the quote. Now that you mention it, though, maybe I could work it in.
No, I like the imagery of a love so great that God doesn't quit on us
I respectfully disagree. (Imagine that!) :-)
The New Testament is full of scripture that supports that only those who accept Christ as the Son of God and as their Savior will enter the Kingdom.
Is it an interesting topic? Of course, because this has always been a hot and interesting point of discussion. Salvation...can it be lost? Can it be gained after death? Etc. I'm not sure anyone can truly say definitively... unless...More later.
It's selective Scripture pulling, the same thing we all accuse each other of doing on most topics. However, I'll go with the clear statements on the subject by Christ himself.
As for the Hosea scripture, I'd have to get back into that book to know the context.
When we concentrate on the loving, forgiving side of God, we focus on only PART of who He is and it is the one that serves US best. God has many sides, many of which we don't know or understand. But to concentrate *only* on forgiveness and "tender love," IMO, does a diservice to God's message and to those who listen.
Just my two cents. A good topic of discussion, that's for sure.
I agree, Eric -- I'd be interested to hear your thoughts once you'd read the book, too.
I agree, that is, that it's an interesting topic for discussion. :)
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