Jesus, Israel and the Kingdom

In the previous post "Churches Diminish Jesus' Work on the Cross", I criticised the view of people who failed to read verse 17 when quoting the famous John 3:16 passage.
Those same people might now criticise me for not addressing verse 18, thinking that verse may contradict my argument that everyone is to be eventually reconciled to God.
Verse 18 says:

Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. [NIV]

We must always remember that Jesus came to Israel who were looking for the Messiah who would establish the kingdom in which the Jews were to be the head of the nations. Jesus is never talking to Israel about anything other than this kingdom Age (which Christians often call the millennium).

So whatever Jesus was promising or forbidding His Jewish audience was associated with that coming kingdom.
And the promise of life in the Age was for those of His Jewish audience who believed in His Name - believed that it was this Jesus who was their Messiah.
And those who did not so believe, would be condemned to missing out on life in that Age.

Most of our popular English translations have caused us to miss out on knowing God's ultimate plan to reconcile everyone to Himself.

For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
[Colossians 1 : 19 - 20  NIV]

"Eternal life" in the gospels is actually "life of the Age" in the underlying Greek. Jesus is not addressing eternity, but the kingdom Age that Israel's prophets predicted and the Jews were hoping for.

We only need to consult literal translations of the Greek New Testament to see this. For example consider John 17 : 3, which in our popular translations talks about eternal life.

and this is the life age-during, that they may know Thee, the only true God, and him whom Thou didst send—Jesus Christ;
[YLT]
And in this consists the Life of the Ages--in knowing Thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent.
[WNT]
And, this, is the age-abiding life, That they get to know thee, the only real God, and him whom thou didst send, Jesus Christ.
[REB]
Now it is eonian life that they may know Thee, the only true God, and Him Whom Thou dost commission, Jesus Christ.
[CLV]
And this is life in the Age: that they might know you, the sole true God, and him whom you sent, Jesus the Anointed.
[DBH]

This pre-occupation with the kingdom is illustrated just before Jesus' ascension.

Then they gathered around him and asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?"
[Acts 1 : 6  NIV]

So, "whoever does not believe stands condemned already" in verse 18 is not speaking about people missing out on eventually being reconciled to God, but about Jews missing out on the kingdom Age that was promised to believing Israel.

God's ultimate plan looks well beyond Israel's kingdom age, and promises reconciliation of all creation, Jews and Gentiles alike.

Blessings, Barry

PS. For readers who are wondering how the teaching they have received on "hell" and "the lake of fire" could possibly be consistent with God's plan to reconcile all creation, might like to put these topics into the search box on the right of this page.
Fairly comprehensive previous single posts on these can be found at:
https://barrysgracespace.blogspot.com/2010/08/what-is-hell.html, and
https://barrysgracespace.blogspot.com/2011/03/lake-of-fire-again.html.
 

Churches Diminish Jesus' Work on the Cross

Hello again! I haven't posted for a while - too busy travelling around the country. We've been in Queensland to visit family after entry restrictions were lifted. 10 of our 15 grandchildren and all our 14 great grandchildren live there, so we spent several weeks getting to know them all over again.

On return, each of us copped a good dose of COVID - so no activity on the BLOG for a further couple of weeks.

While away we visited a vibrant church and enjoyed worshipping with them on several occasions. However on the last Sunday we attended, the sermon reminded us of what many churches seem to teach - to be saved and avoid eternity in a cruel hell each person needs to make the choice to believe and accept "the gospel" during their lifetime on this planet.

No mention of what God did for all of us 2000 years ago - reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people's sins against them. (2 Cor 5: 19)

No mention that all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. (Romans 3 : 24)

No mention that all in Adam's line of descent are now in Christ's. (1 Cor 15 : 22)

Quoted was one of the best known verses in the Bible - John 3 : 16.
But most who quote it (and use it to prove their view that Jesus only died for those who believe the gospel in their lifetime) don't continue reading to the next verse.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life (Greek: life of the Age).

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
[John 3 : 16 - 17 NIV]

So what was "the gospel" preached there that day?
Basically, your salvation is actually in your hands. You need to be born in the right place at the right time to hear the gospel and then you need to produce the faith to believe and accept this gospel while you're still alive.

The gospel of grace was completely missed; the gospel of (personal) decision and action was the one being preached.

So sad really.
This vibrant church, while enthusiastically enjoying lively worship and warm and inclusive fellowship, were celebrating their good luck in hearing the gospel and deciding to accept it while still here, and were then being encouraged to pray for friends and family with urgency because their salvation depends solely on them hearing the gospel and their subsequent action.

God is not a god of good luck; God's plan to reconcile the world through Christ was devised before the world was even created.

He (Christ) was chosen before the foundation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake.
[1 Peter 1 : 20  TLV]

With all wisdom and understanding, he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ,
to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfilment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.
[Ephesians 1 : 8 - 10  NIV]

For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
[Colossians 1 : 19 - 20  NIV]

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. That was the proof at the right time that God wants everyone to be saved,
[1Tim 2 : 5 - 6  GNB]

Yes, we do need to share the gospel in words and actions with others so that if now is their appointed time they will be given the faith to believe what they have heard and seen.
Understanding and celebrating the truth of what Jesus has done for them, and commitment to Christ, will automatically follow.

Clearly, salvation is God's responsibility, and God's alone.
God sent Jesus to deal with our sin.

He (Christ) 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  NIV]

God draws us to Jesus.

No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day.
[John 6 : 44 NIV ]

God gives us the faith to believe this good news.

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.
[Ephesians 2 : 8 - 9  NIV]

It's ALL God's doing. When it's your turn you will be awakened, irresistibly drawn by God's love and action, and given faith to believe the gospel and the Holy Spirit to empower you in your commitment to follow Jesus.

It is God who produces in you the desires and actions that please him.
[Philippians 2 : 13  GW]

It was for me, and for every genuine, committed, faithful child of God I have known - for all in the Body of Christ, the firstfruits of the harvest, those who serve with Christ in the kingdom age.

But there's more, as shown in the Scripture quotations above.
No-one will be left out. Eventually everyone will be reconciled to God and enjoy eternity with Him. Everyone will have their turn to understand and enjoy what Jesus has done for them so long ago.

So I visited a terrific, vibrant church, but their preaching sometimes denied the love and grace of God for His creation and severely diminished the full payment of Christ on the cross for the sins of the world.

Will I attend again?
I'm sure I will - they welcome warmly, celebrate using God-focused worship, encourage their members to live committed and joyful lives, and preach positive messages most of the time.
Indeed, if we only choose to worship and fellowship in churches whose doctrine we 100% agree with, we might find ourselves worshipping alone.

Blessings, Barry