“How can you believe that God’s grace isn’t sufficient, that many of God’s children will languish in hell forever, that they’ll never be restored to their Father, that evil will claim victory in so many lives? How can you believe that?”
Gulley, Philip; Mulholland, James (2009-03-17). If Grace Is True: Why God Will Save Every Person (Plus) (pp. 89-90). HarperCollins. Kindle Edition.
Some think the idea of universal salvation is a new thing but in reality it goes back to the founding fathers of the church. Origen and Gregory of Nyssa believed in the salvation of all people. But of course we know that the champions of God’s grace were often silenced by future theologians especially by those who followed King Constantine several hundred years later. Much like the old saying that “history is written by the victors”, much of Christian dogma was written by those who charged their opponents with heresy and got that claim to stick.
As I have mentioned before I am still wrestling with the idea of universal salvation. It is easy to show with pride how I am saved while so many are damned to hell for eternity. Like the return of the prodigal son I don’t want to admit that some who have led totally broken lives will somehow sit alongside me in God’s presence.
In the end I simply will not diminish God’s grace in order to sustain the belief of God’s wrath. I want to finish the post with some final words from the book that took hold of me and shook me.
I insisted we were free to reject God’s grace. It never occurred to me that God might be free to reject our rejection.
Who is more powerful God or human will? I think I know the answer to that question….
