Unlimited Calling
January 10, 2008 by pistolpete
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. (John 3:17-18)
God desires that everyone be saved. But, if we take the Bible seriously, not everyone is. Not everyone receives the faith of Christ. There are those who don’t believe in Christ. No one can’t know for sure why this is. Free will. Divine destiny. Depends on your theological perspective. The best we can do is appreciate the gift of Christ’s saving love however it is received and whoever receives it.
When I have written about heaven and hell, I’ve gotten many responses speculating on how many might get in to heaven and how many condemned to hell. What about persons of other faiths? What about persons who’ve yet to hear the gospel of Christ? So many of these questions remain unanswered and it is foolish, even dangerous to engage in idle speculation about such things. We run the risk of playing God and committing idolatry.
But what the heck, let’s give it a whirl…
Mother Teresa?
Certainly in.
Adolph Hitler?
Definitely out.
Abraham Lincoln?
In, I would hope.
George Bush?
Well, God’s grace is abundant.
John Prine?
Can there be any doubt?
The truth is, however, it is not possible, it’s even quite wrong, to speculate who will live forever with Christ and who won’t. We only know what God’s Word tells us - that Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Only through Him do we come to God, the Father. The rest is beyond the realm of our understanding.
We shouldn’t even speculate about a person’s standing before God (so forget about that little exercise above). We are simply called to grow in our own relationship with Christ and share the good news of God’s love in Christ with others.
John Calvin, considered the father of Presbyterians and other Reformed Protestants, has been over the years critically evaluated for the doctrine of “predestination”. This doctrine has been understood and explained in various ways. Simply put, Calvin, along with many others see in Scripture evidence that God is charge of salvation. Salvation is a gift from God we receive, not something we achieve. There is nothing we can say or do to live eternally with the Lord. The only step to salvation is the step Jesus took on the cross. If a Christian were asked, “When were you saved?” an appropriate response is “When Christ died for my sins.”
The trouble with this perspective, as some see it, is that it can remove the element of free will. If God “elects” those who are saved and “leaves behind” those who are not, what difference does it make how we live? This may seem both arbitrary and unjust. From a human point of view, it is. But God knows more than we do. God is not capricious. God has an ultimate plan to do what is best. We’re living in the middle of the story and we won’t be able to see how things fit together until the end.
While God in Jesus Christ is the author of salvation, we are important characters who play a key role in it. While salvation is limited to those with faith in Christ, the Bible clearly states that God calls out to everyone. Calvin put it this way –
“No man is excluded from calling upon God, the gate of salvation is set open unto all men: neither is there any other thing which keepeth us back from entering in, save only our own unbelief” (John Calvin)
The question for us to consider about Christ’s saving love is this - “Are you grateful to God for the gift of faith in Christ or are you resentful that not everyone believes and receives it?”
Well said. Grace is a marvelous gift, Good News that we should be sharing with as many people as we can.
The Pistol fires back: At a conference I attended once a staunch Calvinist said, “Don’t worry about witnessing to someone who is not among the elect. If he gets saved, God will forgive you.”
This post addresses issues that have been stumbling blocks for me for a long time - times when I had my back to God as well as times when I was on my knees. Like you said, many have a hard time reconciling the free will/predestination issue. Count me in. What about people in third world countries who’ve never been exposed to the gospel? Count me in there, too. If you do have any answers beyond the fact that God’s wisdom is not measurable by comparison to our own (which I do believe), I’m all ears.
The Pistol fires back: The truth is, I can’t explain how/who/why God might choose some and not others. I would only say God moves in mysterious ways and the Spirit of Christ is not bound geographically or ecclesiastically. I see no reason why some people in third world countries wouldn’t be among the elect. In fact, Scripture indicates people from all nations will be included.
The reason God did not just “preelect” all humans is because of His greatest desire….relationship. It also would in some way eliminate individuality. So, free will is in play. Except for a few examples: Israel, Moses, Paul, the Disciples. Those are the ones that have been documented in the Word. For any others, your guess is as good as mine. I personally am grateful He chose me.
The Pistol fires back: The only certainty is God’s. As you say, the rest is anybody’s guess. It’s best to cultivate gratitude for those God saves than cop an attitude about those God doesn’t.
Opening another Can O’ Worms Eh? I think I commented in the past here about the whole “lost people groups” in remote areas going to Hell even if they never heard about Jesus being fair or not. The truth is (this statement is for GraceMark) that Jesus gave the Great Commission to the Disciples to spread the word to the uttermost parts of the earth. Since Christ knew that remote regions of people groups hadn’t heard about him yet, they needed to hear and believe or be eternally separated. It sucks, but it’s God’s word and not mine
The Pistol fires back: I would stop short of saying “lost people groups” are bound for hell. Again, God’s plan of salvation is ultimately a mystery to us. Scripture does say that people “from all nations” will be part of the in-gathering. Who, how many, and at what time, lies in God hands. Certainly Scripture shows us God is capable of “counting as righteous” persons who come before Christ. Wouldn’t it be possible for God to “count as righteous” someone today who has never heard of Christ. Again, from a human perspective, it’s all speculation. Only God knows for sure.
Great post. You are right that we should spend our time speculating on who is in and who is not.
When it comes to the doctrine of elction - where you land depends on how you view man. In the words of Billy Crystal in the Princess Bride - are we “completely dead or mostly dead”? If we are totally, completely dead in our sins, (Ephesians 2:1), then election makes sense. But then that is a wonderful act of grace because we can do nothing in and of ourselves to alter that condition.
Hard topic, but one worth discussing.
The Pistol fires back: Thanks for weighing in. Interesting connection with “The Princess Bride”. I’ll have to dig that up and take a look at it again. Election is a hard topic, a hard pill to swallow for believers and non-believers alike. But, when I learned of it, I found it very freeing that I was not ultimately in charge of my ultimate destiny. Thank God for that.
When I first understood,that God does ALL the work of salvation. There is NOTHING I can do to get myself saved, I was overwhelmed. God clearly teaches election. Only God knows the heart of man. He asks us to love Him,and if we really do love Him—-we obediently do what he commands in his Word.
The Pistol fires back: A strong, Biblical case for God’s sovereignty. You’ll get no argument from me.
I always enjoy visiting your blog.
The Pistol fires back: I’m very glad you visit. I pray you continue to find it meaningful.