The Third View

Mainstream christianity holds two strong, but very different, views about God's plan of salvation.
The first view considers that God has selected only certain people to be saved (forgiven and live in harmony with him forever), and that God will have his way and make this happen.  It is believed that those not selected, the majority of us, will be tormented in hell forever.
The second view considers that God wants all people to be saved (forgiven and live in harmony with him forever), but the choice of whether that happens is up to each individual. However, it is believed that most people will not accept God's offer of life with him and spend forever in torment in hell.

Supporters of each view use the Bible to justify their beliefs and yet there is little in common between them.  Let's see if we can identify the basic beliefs that underpin each of these views.

First View  ( often called Calvinism )
1a.  God is sovereign, so he makes the big decisions and makes sure they are carried out.
1b.  God has already chosen his friends who will live in harmony with him forever.
1c.  Hell is severe punishment which lasts forever for those God has not chosen.

Second View  ( often called Arminianism )
2a.  God is love and wants everyone to live in harmony with him forever.
2b.  We have been given "freewill" and are free to make God's desire happen for us or not.
2c.  Hell is severe punishment which lasts forever for those who do not choose what God wants.

Both views arrive at the same conclusion, that some of us will spend forever with God while the majority will spend the same forever being severely punished, although they get there by very different paths. And both views claim the Bible supports their conclusion, as well as the particular path they travel to get to it.

Although many books have been written and many Bible Colleges teach and promote these views, both views concern me greatly as they lead us to two unacceptable and unbiblical positions.

The first view paints a picture of God who is a sadistic, capricious tyrant.  He chooses his friends and torments those he hasn't chosen.  Sounds a bit like some of the worst dictators the world has seen in the 20th century.  I'd rather believe the Bible when it says that "God is love" (1 John 4 : 16  NIV) and that "God has shown us how much he loves us - it was while we were still sinners that Christ died for us!" (Romans 5 : 8  GNB)

The second view assumes that our will has greater power than God's - the desires of the Creator can be vetoed by the desires of those he created.  I don't think a Creator who can be outvoted by his creation is worthy of the title "God."  God needs to be all-powerful, in control, and trustworthy to be worthy of our worship, respect and service.  In fact, in a battle of wills, God has to win if he is indeed God; otherwise we have become god over him.

So let's create another view, a Third View, that uses the basic beliefs of both of these previous "opposite" ungodly views, with some slight modifications.  That sounds strange, doesn't it, to use all the major beliefs of opposing views to formulate a new one?

Third View   ( I like to call this the GRACE view )
3a.  God is sovereign, so he makes the big decisions and makes sure they are carried out.  (ex 1a.)
3b.  God has already chosen ALL OF US TO BE his friends.  (ex 1b.)
3c.  God is love and wants everyone to live in harmony with him forever.  (ex 2a.)
3d.  We have been given "freewill" and ALL OF US WILL USE IT  to make God's desire happen for us EVENTUALLY.   (ex 2b.)
3e.  Hell MAY WELL BE severe punishment FOR MANY, but will NOT last forever for ANYONE.  (ex 1c. and 2c.)
(I have continued to use "hell" as it is used in the two previous views, but it would be more correct to use "the lake of fire" in this discussion as the word "hell" only refers to the unseen realm, and has nothing to do with punishment per se.)

Before we demonstrate the Biblical support for the GRACE view, please try this little experiment.
Consider, on one hand, the mainstream views of God's plan of salvation (Calvinism and Arminianism), in which most people will be excluded from living in harmony with God forever.
On the other hand, consider the GRACE view, in which God achieves his loving purpose of reconciling all people to himself and living in harmony with all of us forever.
Now consider ........

Which view most strongly supports the Biblical concept of a God of love?
Which view best describes God’s eventual victory over evil?
Which view best honours and celebrates the victory won by the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross?
Which view best demonstrates "grace outperforming sin" that Paul describes in Romans 5?
Which view most helps us to honour and worship God?
Which view gives the better idea of a loving Father raising and disciplining his children?
Which view most likely inspires hope?
Which view is more consistent with God as a model of kindness and mercy for us to follow?
Which view makes it easier for us to introduce our God to unbelievers?

Doesn't this seem a much better view than is currently held by mainstream christianity?
Let's see if it can be supported by a correctly translated English Bible.

Third View   ( the GRACE view )
3a.  God is sovereign, so he makes the big decisions and makes sure they are carried out.
The glorious God is the only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords.  [1 Timothy 6 : 15  CEV]
The will of the Lord alone is always carried out.  [Lamentations 3 : 37  GNB]
Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails.  [Proverbs 19 : 21  NIV]

3b.    God has already chosen ALL OF US TO BE his friends.
He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.  [1 John 2 : 2  TNIV]
... we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Saviour of all people, and especially of those who believe.  [1 Tim 4 : 10  TNIV]
For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.  [1 Cor 15 : 22  TNIV]

3c.  God is love and wants everyone to be saved (to live in harmony with him forever).
... God our Saviour ... wants everyone to be saved and to come to know the truth.  For there is one God, and there is one who brings God and human beings together, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself to redeem the whole human race ...  [1 Tim 2 : 3 - 6  GNB]

3d.  We have been given "freewill" and ALL OF US WILL USE IT  to make God's desire happen for us EVENTUALLY.
For God has bound everyone over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all.  [Romans 11 : 32  TNIV]
Jesus said, "And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself." [John 12 : 32  TNIV]
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.  [Phil 2 : 9 - 11 TNIV]

3e.  Hell MAY WELL BE severe punishment FOR MANY, but will NOT last forever for ANYONE.
It is interesting that the one belief common to both of the mainstream christian views has no strong backing from Scripture. There is not a single verse in the Bible that says hell is eternal.
However in many English Bibles, Matthew 25 : 46 seems to suggest that.  Jesus finishes the parable of the sheep and the goats with the statement "then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."
The word "eternal" is not a good translation of the Greek "aionion" in both cases in this verse, or in fact, in any verse in which "aionion" is used in the New Testament.  "Aionion" is the adjective formed from the noun "aion", which means "age" or "eon" or "period of time", but certainly not an eternity.
And to translate this verse using "eternal" as the adjective formed from "aion" to describe the life and punishment in the next age contradicts so many other verses, including many that we have quoted above.
On the positive side, as well as verses that declare God's intention to have mercy on all, there are some verses which imply that punishment is for a time or at least for a period which has an ending.

Luke 12 : 47 - 48 suggests different degrees or lengths of punishment, as do Matthew 10 : 15 and Matthew 11 : 24; certainly not eternal or everlasting punishment.
And even Matthew 25 : 46 itself contains another interesting aspect.  The Greek word for punishment in this verse is "kolasis",  a word which meant "pruning"  or "remedial punishment" in Greek literature.   Trees are pruned and children are punished so they will grow better, take a better shape or produce better or more fruit.  So "a period of pruning or remedial punishment" is an appropriate term for Jesus to use here if he has the eventual reconciliation of all in the back of his mind while talking to this crowd.

In summary, the GRACE view begins with the the most basic of all Christian beliefs, expressed in a song many Christian parents teach their young children.
"Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so."
It adds the Biblical truth that God is sovereign who desires to save all, without exception.
Simple logic then draws the conclusion that God will save all.

And the process of salvation of all?
1.  Salvation is God's gift of grace.  (Ephesians 2 : 8)
2.  Salvation comes through faith, which is also given by God.  (Ephesians 2 : 9; Romans 12 : 3)
3.  Salvation is given to all people.  (1 Timothy 4 : 10)
In order to be the Saviour of all, God has to save all.  And since salvation comes through faith, he has to give faith to all.
Pretty simple really.

To be added at the website stage.........
This article has been a brief overview of a topic which has become unnecessarily complex and strongly contested over the centuries.  A more thorough discussion of the issues involved and of the Biblical support for the GRACE view can be found elsewhere on this website for those interested.  If after reading those other articles you still have questions or points of view that you feel have not been addressed, please write to us using the "Contact Us" link on the home page.