Jesus Visits Hell for Three Days

Hi Everyone
Have been distracted for the past twelve months with family health issues, but I am about to recommence work on the book and will post some ideas here for you to bounce around with me.
I am ready to commence work on Chapter 5, God's Judgement is Good, so the flavour of the posts for next few weeks will be on hell and judgement.
Are you ready to play with me?  Please do.

Many in mainstream christianity believe that the penalty for not becoming a follower of Jesus in their lifetime on this planet is eternal torment in a place they call hell.
Others, who don't wish to portray their 'God of love' as being so cruel, suggest that these folk will be annihilated, totally destroyed, rather than suffer the hell torture.
Even if the Bible is not known very well, let me suggest that any rational person would struggle to reach either of these two conclusions.

Let's begin by considering the time Jesus spent in hell (or in death).
Jesus paid the full penalty for the sin of the whole world.
How long was he dead?  Three days.
Three days' death paid the full penalty for the sin of the world.

I now have two questions to explore.
1.  If Jesus paid for all of the world's sin, how come anyone has anything more to pay?
2.  Even if you could find some reason to argue that some payment is still required, how could that payment be longer than three days?
Surely a person only has to pay for his own sin, not for the sin of others, and the maximum penalty for a person's own sin would have to be less than the 3 days Jesus paid for the world's sin.

In either scenario, no payment required or a payment of less than 3 days, where is the possibility of endless torture in hell for unbelievers?
If anyone had to go to hell forever, surely it would have been Jesus, who was paying for the sin for all of us.  But He didn't.

Now let's consider what happened to Jesus after he was in hell.
He rose from the dead after 3 days.
He came back to life, was resurrected.
Even better still, He went to heaven soon after His resurrection.

Wasn't annihilated?
Went to heaven after being in hell? 

However we look at it, endless torment or annihilation clearly cannot be the penalty for sin.

Blessings, Barry

(You can find previous posts on hell and judgement by looking through the blog archive in the side panel on the right. A starter on hell was posted on August 4th, 2010, for example.)

Salvation Appeals

Sorry for the drought in posts recently.

Was out of town for a week watching grandchildren dancing in an eisteddfod, which was wonderful, but have also been revamping a couple of the earlier chapters of the book.  O the joys of writing for an unknown audience on a controversial and emotional topic !!!

Thank you so much for the feedback on the chapters that I've shown you. 

Your comments help me to think outside the mental box I occupy while I'm writing, and enable me to be more considerate of the positions that may be held by some of my potential readership.

Here's today's thought.
In evangelistic or gospel meetings, what can you remember of salvation appeals or invitations given by the preacher?
I'm guessing you haven't heard one like this.

You are forgiven.
If you've never done this before .....
I invite you to come forward and thank God for his goodness and love.

Just in case someone gets upset about such a "tactic," be ready to remind them that 2 Cor 5 : 19 says

God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not counting people's sins against them.

BTW, if you do ever hear a preacher doing this, please let me know.
I would love to spend some time with him/her.

Back to the revamp.  Blessings, Barry

The Story in a Nutshell

At the beginning of Chapter 4, in a section called "The Story in a Nutshell," I have tried to paint a quick picture of the state we humans are in before introducing Jesus as the Saviour of the World.
I found this a tough task.
Would you please look at it and tell me if/how I can improve it while remaining fairly brief?
Thanks, Barry.

God created mankind in his own likeness.
He did this to produce an extension of his divine family that would be responsible to govern the earth for him.
This adventure began with Adam, and his wife Eve, in the Garden of Eden.
You can read about their story in the early chapters of Genesis, the first book in the Bible.

Although the Garden was a perfect, heavenly paradise, it provided a very sheltered life for Adam and Eve.
They could “only” experience the peace and joy of living in harmony with God under his loving care and provision.
They had no idea what the full scope of life had the potential to offer.
They certainly had no idea how well off they were as they had nothing with which to compare their idyllic lifestyle.

God provided a tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the middle of the Garden knowing that given the choice, Adam and Eve would want to experience its “benefits.”
God told them to avoid this tree, so that when they did touch it, their disobedience would automatically trigger the destruction of their intimate, dependent relationship with him.
They were subsequently removed from their Garden Paradise and given the responsibility of negotiating the outside world of good and evil and providing their own food, shelter and creature comforts.

In that separated state in the outside world, Adam and Eve gave birth to our fallen, human race.
Consequently, all of us have been born into this world separated from God and with a likeness to God that is barely recognisable any more and with little or no interest in governing God's earth for him.
So we start out experiencing what life without God is like, and serving our own interests and governing our own little worlds for our own selfish ambitions.

Because God planned for all this to happen, he also planned to bring it all back into order and have his original purpose and plans achieved.
God's plan, designed before the world even began, was to save us from our God-separatedness (called death in the Bible) and from our inherited Adam-likeness.
This saving would restore us to our original, dependent relationship with God and to our ordained state of God-likeness.

And Jesus Christ, God's first born Son, was and is the key to both of these restoration projects, as we shall see in the next few pages.

Blessings, Barry

Willy Wonka

Have you ever seen the movie "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory?"
Yes?  How long ago?
Do you remember the closing scenes in the 1971 version (with Gene Wilder playing Wonka)?

Grandpa Joe and Charlie Bucket are meeting with Willy Wonka in Wonka's office (where everything is cut in half).

During the previous tour of the factory, each of the children had been given an everlasting gobstopper as a gift from Wonka on condition that they not give it away.
Grandpa, in his anger, threatens to give Charlie's gobstopper to Slugworth, the character who had been so desperate and cunning in trying to get hold of one to duplicate.
Instead, Charlie places his gobstopper on Willy's desk.

Willy excitedly bursts out with ....
"So shines a good deed in a weary world. 
Charlie . . . my boy . . . You won!  You did it!  You did it! 
I knew you would; I just knew you would. 
Oh, Charlie, forgive me for putting you through this.  Please, forgive me. 
Come in, Mr Wilkinson. 
Charlie, meet Mr Wilkinson."

As Mr Wilkinson enters, Charlie immediately recognises him and exclaims, "Slugworth!".
"No, no, that's not Slugworth.  He works for me," replies Willy.
"For you?"
"I had to test you, Charlie.  And you passed the test. You won!" announces Willy.
"Won what?" asks Grandpa Joe.
"The jackpot, my dear sir, the grand and glorious jackpot."
"The chocolate?" asks Charlie.
"The chocolate, yes, the chocolate, but that's just the beginning."

Charlie's disobedience in drinking the fizzy lifting drink was not counted against him.  Because he had clung to his everlasting gobstopper and had not betrayed Wonka, he was given chocolate for life AND inherited the chocolate factory as well.

Willy had used one of his employees (Mr Wilkinson portrayed as Slugworth up until now) to help him sort out who would be worthy to win this prize and to run the factory the way he desired.

Isn't this just like God in the Job story - and so many of our stories?

In God's realm, Satan is no more than one of God's employees. 
God uses him to determine how we react to the thoughts and temptations that are whispered into our ears.
Those who pass the test, and hold on to their everlasting gobstopper, not only get the chocolate (life in the age) but inherit the factory (the kingdom) as well.
The Bible calls these the overcomers.

Clearly, both God and his employees (including Satan) play for the same team, with God as the captain.
God is truly sovereign over all.

It's amazing how many Biblical themes are lurking in unexpected places - even in Hollywood movies.
Blessings, Barry

Funerals

I have attended more funerals in the last two years than I have in all the previous years of my life. (We have so many relatives and friends down here who are/were a bit older than us.)

And I have been fascinated with the content of the funeral services.
Although these funerals have been for a mix of believers and not-yet-believers, their themes have not been that much different.
In all cases, two points have come across quite strongly.

1.  All those whose bodies we buried were expected to go to heaven and be re-united with their loved ones, who had likewise gone to heaven before them.
No mention of hell, or punishment, and certainly nothing about everlasting punishment.
It didn't matter who the deceased was, or who was conducting the service, no-one was even considered a possibility of missing out on heaven.
Universal salvation was the standard, unchallenged theme.

2.  All were expected to have gone to heaven immediately.  They were all "in a much better place now."
No mention of going to Hades, or to hell, or waiting for a resurrection, or any other delay or stopover on the way.
Immediate, conscious transition from here to heaven was a given.

When I questioned one Christian celebrant who had led the service for a not-yet-believer about these themes in his service, he said that he didn't care "which route anyone took to get to the post office."
I quietly marvelled at his inference that everyone was eventually getting to the post office, one way or the other.
And this from a man whose personal beliefs for such non-believers include everlasting punishment in hell after waiting somewhere for a damning appearance before a "just" God at the Great White Throne.

It seems that the standard church system message is taught and encouraged in church circles, but a more loving, gracious, comforting message is given to grieving relatives and friends at gravesides.

Which reminds me of the testimony I recently read of a Palliative Care Pastor in the United States.  He said that the people who showed the most fear when approaching death were Christians, who feared they might not have done enough to avoid everlasting torment in hell.
( Wow, hasn't that statement a load of issues to deal with? )

So if you want to hear the best sermons preached, avoid church and attend funerals !!

Blessings, Barry

God's Throne

A throne is a place from which a monarch rules.
God's throne is described in many ways in Scripture - glorious, majestic and heavenly are words commonly used.
But the writer of Hebrews has another most interesting description, which we will consider here.

"Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need."  [ Heb 4 : 16 ]

Firstly, it is a throne of grace that can be approached with confidence.
Most people would approach a throne with apprehension, even fear, as the one sitting on it would have great authority and wield enormous power.
If they were at odds with the monarch in any way or approach him without due respect for the proper protocol, they would expect judgement from the throne to be swift and severe.

But from this throne comes grace.  This ruler radiates grace from his throne.
Confident that grace is his character, this throne can be approached boldly, with confidence, without hesitation.

Secondly, anyone coming to this throne will obtain mercy and find grace to help them in their time of need.
I approach God's throne frequently, seeking help in my many times of need. 
I never stop to think should I, can I, have I been too often lately?
I am always welcome, I am always loved, accepted, understood and answered.
It couldn't be any other way since the throne's nature is grace.

Is this the picture of the throne of Almighty God that you have been given to understand?
Most of us were raised to think of God's throne as a throne of wrath and anger, severe judgement and everlasting punishment, not a throne of grace from which the God of perfect love rules?

With this understanding in view, why would anyone be apprehensive about an audience before God's throne?  Any time - in this age or the next?

Blessings, Barry

Burning Sons and Daughters

In my research, I am coming across dozens of authors of books and websites who hold similar positions about the eventual reconciliation of all as we do.

Here is a quote from one of them.

"For the people of Judah have done evil in my eyes," declares the LORD. "They have put their detestable idols in the house that is called by my name in order to defile it.

They have built high places at Topheth in the Valley of Ben-Hinnom to burn their sons and daughters in the fire. I didn't command this, and it never entered my mind!"

[Jeremiah 7:30-31]

God calls burning children an abomination, but He burns His children – forever?

It has never even entered God's mind to do such a thing! Yet, it is a common and very acceptable idea that that's what God is going to do to His children, and not only burn them as the Hebrew's did, but the common belief is that God is even going to change their bodies such that they cannot have the luxury of dying!

NO! He is going to do no such thing! By the sacrifice of His son, ALL are redeemed.

Grant Miller
Author of "Think, and Be Free"

Blessings, Barry

'ere Cum Da Judge

Crime is rampant in our society and we are pleased to see criminals apprehended and dealt with appropriately.
Our motives in seeing this happen are mixed. 
Some of us want criminals taken off the streets, some want revenge, some want justice, some want criminals rehabilitated and restored to society, and some want a cocktail of several of these.

Let's see what happens.
A crime is committed, the alleged offender is apprehended and brought to trial.
Evidence is presented and the judge makes his decision.
If the accused is found to be innocent, he is set free and continues life in the community.
If the accused is found to be guilty, he is taken away and given a suitable punishment.

Now what happens to this guilty offender?
He is first of all taken away - removed from society. 
This frees the community from his offensive behaviour and influence, which is beneficial, both for the community and for the criminal. 
The community no longer has to suffer the consequences of his actions and the criminal is prevented from getting deeper into a life of crime which will have even more severe consequences.

Secondly, the criminal is punished. 
Although many people see this punishment as revenge or justice, so that the offended members of society are avenged for their loss and heartache, it is much more than that.
The punishment is also designed to rid him of his anti-social behaviour and attitudes, so that eventually he can re-enter society as a changed person and make a positive contribution to the life of the community.

I appreciate this doesn't always happen, but surely that's the plan.
Indeed it's the same plan God uses.

Jesus is the Judge and the court convenes at the Great White Throne.
Evidence is presented of the life story of each person.
Those found guilty at this judgement will be taken to be changed of their behaviours and attitudes so they can be reinstated into God's kingdom.
The Bible describes this process like a lake of fire which God uses to purify and change the hearts and behaviours of those who have not had those changes made by the Holy Spirit previously.

Eventually all will be changed, by the Holy Spirit or the lake of fire, and made fit to enter eternity at the end of the ages.
What we attempt to do with our legal systems on earth, God does perfectly in the heavens.
All of us, no matter how wicked or rebellious or immoral, will be rehabilitated and reinstated in the family of God.  We will all live in fellowship and harmony with God and with the rest of his family in eternity.

How will the lake of fire do its work?
I have no idea, but I would like to think it will work much like the pig pen worked for the prodigal son in the story Jesus told (as recorded in Luke 15).

The prodigal in his remote and horrid circumstances realised that even his father's employees were far better off than he was, and decided to go home, be reconciled to his father and offer to work for him. 
What he knew of his father, his love and his father's household drew him back to his father.

Those found rebellious and unreconciled to God at the Great White Throne judgement will eventually realise that even the least in God's kingdom are far better off than they are and will decide to go home, be reconciled to God and offer to serve him.

God's love, demonstrated so vividly on the cross, will eventually “compel” everyone to be reconciled to God.
All the world's prodigals from all generations and ages will eventually want to be reconciled to the Father and so God's plan for the universe will be achieved.

Jesus will then have completed his mission as “the Saviour of the world” and will have drawn all people to him as he promised he would.

Blessings, Barry

The Lake of Fire (again)

Hi everyone.

I have posted on this topic twice before but I have made this new post (composed mostly of what I had written before) to answer a question on another forum, so I thought I would put a copy of it here.

The Lake of Fire (LOF) is mentioned five times in the book of Revelation .....  Rev. 14 : 10 - 11;  19 : 20;  20 : 10;  20 : 13 - 15; and 21 : 8.

Many people have very firm views on what the LOF could be.  But since Revelation is so full of symbols, what the LOF stands for will always be open to conjecture, depending on your view of God, as much as anything else.

Those who view God as a vengeful judge see the LOF as a place of horrible physical torment in flames of fire that last for ever and ever.  Properly translated, "for ever and ever" really should be "for the ages of the ages", but that doesn't alter the ugliness of this view very much.  I personally can't see how people are comfortable worshipping a God who has such horrible intentions for the majority of His creation.

Those who view God with a bit more mercy than that see the LOF as a place where people are annihilated and removed from existence rather than tormented.

Those who view God as a loving Father and the Saviour of the world see the LOF as the place where those whose names are not in the Book of Life are purified and made ready to move into eternity in fellowship with God.

Using this last view, I see the LOF as a reformatory for the rebellious children of God. 
Looking at the last reference from above, we see that John gives a definition of the LOF.  Revelation 21 :  8 says that the LOF is "the lake that burns with fire and sulphur."

The 'fire' is a symbol representing purification or cleansing or changing of form.  Chemically, fire never destroys, it only changes the nature or form of things.  Wood burning in a lounge fire is never destroyed but is changed or converted to other substances like smoke, char, ash, heat, light, etc.  So fire in the LOF is a symbol for change or conversion of one form or nature into another - the reforming process of the reformatory.

The 'lake' indicates the size of the operation - not a small fireplace, or a forge or even a commercial furnace, but a huge expanse of conversion.

The 'sulphur' adds information about the character of the fire.  The Greek word that we translate as sulphur or brimstone is "theion", which is probably the neuter form of "theios" that means divinity.   The verb derived from "theion" is "theioo" which means "to make divine."

Putting all these together paints a picture of the LOF being a large scale purifying or reforming process that produces character of a divine nature.

A story which has appeared on the internet over the years in various forms gives me some insight into how this might work.

I love this story as it helps me appreciate one of God's methods of making us Christ-like in our process of sanctification and also helps me understand the references to  fire and brimstone and God's purpose in using these cleansing agents.

While reading Malachi 3, a group of women in a Bible Study were struck by the reference to God sitting as a refiner and purifier of silver.  To gain a better understanding of this verse, one of the women offered to visit a silversmith, watch him at work, and report back to the group on her observations the following week.

She called a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him work, but didn't mention anything about the reason for her interest beyond her curiosity about the process of refining silver.

As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up.  He explained that in refining silver, he needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest in order to burn away all the impurities.

She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined.  The man answered that yes, not only must he sit there holding the silver, but he also had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire.  If the silver was left in the fire a moment too long, it would be injured in some way.

The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot sometimes, and began to see the purifying purpose in these experiences under the watchful eye of the Master Silversmith.

The woman remained silent while she let these thoughts run their course, then asked the silversmith, “How do you know when the silver is fully refined?”  He smiled at her and answered, ‘Oh, that’s easy — it is fully refined when I can see my image in it.

We were made in God's image originally, and we need to be reformed into that image for fellowship with Him in eternity.  He does this in His saints now through the sanctifying work of His Holy Spirit, and in the rebellious through His judgements at the Great White Throne and through the purifying process in the LOF.

I think this story perfectly describes the purpose of the LOF.  It is for purifying those whose names are not in the Book of Life and have not had their lives changed by the purifying work of the Holy Spirit during their earthly faith walk.

Different pieces of silver will obviously take different amounts of time in the flame to be purified, depending on how 'unpurified' they were when they were placed there, but eventually the LOF will no longer be needed.

Interestingly, the last part of Revelation 21 : 8 says that the LOF is the second death.  It is the death of all that offends God and that needs to be removed from those who have not had the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit involved in their lives as we've had.  But when the LOF has finally finished its work it will no longer be needed and will be destroyed as Paul promised in 1 Cor 15 : 26.

Blessings, Barry

A Savage Monster?

Many people genuinely doubt God's love for all mankind and cite examples from the Old Testament to demonstrate how savage God appears to have been in the past, and therefore is likely to be in the future.

Of all the examples used, the destruction of the whole world's population, less eight people, during the flood at the time of Noah is the most common. How can God be a God of love and yet destroy everyone? How can God, who is love, wipe the earth clean of almost all human beings in one fell swoop?

These are reasonable questions which many people, including Christians, find difficult to answer in a satisfactory way.

If we look at God's dealings with mankind through the lens of love, rather than through the lens of anger and punishment and vengeance, we will see a different picture than many suppose.

You might hear a conversation between a person in authority and an alleged offender, or between a parent and a child, include words like, “I don't want you to say another word, you are in deep enough already.”

In movies or television dramas we might hear a lawyer or attorney advising clients in a similar way so as not to risk providing more evidence against themselves or painting themselves in a worse light.

Wise parents often advise their children to stay away from situations that would appeal to their weaknesses or make them susceptible to going astray.

People who are alcoholics are advised to not even have one alcoholic drink; people who are compulsive gamblers are advised to stay away from places where gambling happens; children who are more followers than leaders are advised to stay away from those who would have a detrimental influence on their lives.

It is wisdom and compassion that leads people to give this sort of advice to those they love.

Given that those of us who leave this planet at the end of our lives unreconciled to God will need to be judged and spend time in a correction facility at the end of the ages, it was kind and merciful of God to prematurely remove from the planet those of Noah's generation who had made the world corrupt and full of violence before they could do even worse and be in need of an even more extreme and painful makeover.

And where did they go? And what happened to them there? That's a wonderful story we will discuss in chapter 5. (If you've already caught a glimpse of the theme of this book, or you have peeked ahead, you will know that the result was a very good one - much better than they, or any of us, deserves.)

But for the moment those God destroyed were removed from the planet to prevent them making things worse for themselves or leaving them where they could not resist the temptation to continue in their sinful ways.

This “clearing of the earth” was not the doings of a savage, vengeful God; it was the action of a loving and merciful God towards those he loves, not unlike that of a loving parent caring for his or her wayward children.

Barry

Justice, Mercy and Grace

There are 3 levels on which judgements can be administered.

Justice - the lowest level
All judgements should be just, at the very least.  Anything less would not be fair, not right.  Justice is achieved when the punishment fits the crime.  This is what our civil laws and their penalties are meant to achieve, which is perfectly understandable since they were originally based on the Ten Commandments a long, long time ago.

For example, suppose I am driving on the highway and, being late for an appointment, exceed the clearly advertised speed limit and am apprehended by a police officer.

"Do you realise you are driving 25 kmh above the speed limit?"
"Sorry, but I'm late for an appointment."
"That may be so, but you are breaking the law nevertheless."

The police officer remains unmoved by my plea and issues me with a penalty notice. 
It is justice that requires me to pay the prescribed penalty.   The relationship between me and the officer is an impersonal, legal one.  I am the guilty offender and he is the judge.

Even the most ungodly of us have an inbuilt sense of justice and are quick to complain if we feel we have not been treated justly.  If we are not exceeding the speed limit, but accused and penalised as if we were, we would be rightly outraged.  "That is unjust, not right, not fair!" we exclaim.  On the other hand, we don't always allow justice to motivate our thoughts and actions, which is why the Bible calls us "sinners".

But God is a just God.  He requires us to live by His laws and has prescribed the death penalty for those who break them.  When we sin and break His laws, He is offended and we deserve to die - to be separated from Him, to be out of fellowship with Him.  That is justice, a just application of God's law.  In these circumstances, the relationship between us and God is an impersonal, legal one.  We are the guilty offenders and He is the just judge.

Mercy - the middle level
When we voluntarily forgo the application of a just punishment, but choose to forgive and not require full restitution or payment of the prescribed penalty, we have moved beyond being just to being merciful.

Using our driving example from above, if on exceeding the speed limit the police officer is moved by my plea and gives me a warning rather than impose the prescribed penalty, then I would have received mercy rather than justice. 

Even though I didn't deserve it, the officer would have been merciful toward me.  And the relationship between me and the officer would have become a bit more personal.  I would be having good, kind thoughts about him and even consider him a friend, and he might also be feeling good about helping someone under pressure, rather than making their situation worse.  If we met again, casually, not because I broke the law again, the meeting would be quite friendly and the way might even be open for a friendship to develop, if that was desired.

Not many of us operate at this level.  We hold grudges, demand payment and restitution, want justice at all costs.  Although refusing to be merciful is not breaking the law, it is certainly not following the way of Christ, who showed mercy at every turn.

God is indeed a merciful God.  He does not require us to pay the penalty for our sin.  He paid the penalty for us by coming to earth as a man to die for our sins in our place.  Although we don't deserve it, the sins of everyone have been paid for - no-one has to pay for them any longer.  God, in Jesus Christ, is the Saviour of the world.  We have all been shown mercy.

Grace - the highest level
When justice is forgone and mercy is extended all obstacles to a relationship between the offender and the offended have been removed.  The doorway for relationship has been opened.

But there is more!!!  What if the offended person takes the first step towards creating that friendship!  That'd be something really special and unexpected!  That would be grace in operation.

Again using our driving example, what if the officer instead of imposing a penalty (justice) and instead of issuing a warning (mercy), offered to provide a high-speed escort to our destination so that we could arrive at our appointment on time?  That would be grace in operation - overlooking the offence and giving an undeserved, unexpected favour in its place.

The offended one freely offers something above and beyond anything that can be deserved or earned or even hoped for.  Grace is undeserved favour or blessing, and, when offered to those who offend, is extremely God-like.

Victor Hugo's "Les Miserables" is a well-known novel that has been performed on stage and in movies many times.  The story centres around Jean Valjean, a destitute ex-prisoner who is taken in by a kind bishop, from whom Valjean steals expensive silverware.  When apprehended, the bishop does not press charges saying that he gave the silverware to Valjean (shows mercy) and then gives him his silver candlesticks as well (extends grace).  These acts of mercy and grace change Valjean's life forever.

The following story is told about New York City mayor, Fiorello LaGuardia.  

In the middle of the Great Depression, LaGuardia went out of his way to identify with his people. It was not unusual for him to ride with the firefighters, go on raids with the police, or take orphans for outings.

On a bitterly cold night in January of 1935, the mayor turned up at a night court that served the poorest ward of the city. LaGuardia dismissed the judge for the evening and took over the bench himself. A tattered old woman was brought before him and charged with stealing a loaf of bread. She told the mayor that her daughter's husband had left home, her daughter was sick, and her two grandchildren were starving.

However, the shopkeeper, from whom the bread was stolen, refused to drop the charges. "It's a real bad neighborhood, your Honour," the man told the mayor. "She's got to be punished to teach other people around here a lesson."

LaGuardia sighed. He turned to the woman and said, "I've got to punish you. The law makes no exceptions. Ten dollars or ten days in jail."

But even as he pronounced sentence, the mayor was already reaching into his pocket. He took out a $10 note and tossed it into his famous hat, saying, "Here is the ten dollar fine which has now been paid; and furthermore I am going to fine everyone in this courtroom fifty cents for living in a town where a person has to steal bread so that her grandchildren can eat. Mr. Bailiff, take my hat and collect the fines and give them to the defendant."

The following day, New York City newspapers reported that $47.50 was given to a bewildered woman who had stolen a loaf of bread to feed her starving grandchildren. Fifty cents of that amount was contributed by the grocery store owner himself, while some seventy petty criminals, people with traffic violations, and New York City policemen, each of whom had just paid fifty cents for the privilege of doing so, gave the mayor a standing ovation.

Here LaGuardia showed justice (required the penalty to be paid) and mercy (paid the penalty on the woman's behalf). He then used his authority to enable grace to be shown to this poor woman.  She was guilty and therefore required to pay the fine.  She left the court without paying the fine and with more money in her pocket than she had probably ever seen.

If God's creatures can operate in this way, even occasionally, surely it is not too difficult to believe that the Creator, in whose image we are made, operates this way consistently.

God is a God of grace. 
God is not only just (requires a penalty for breaking His laws), and merciful (pays the penalty for us), but is gracious (invites us into a relationship with Him).  And this relationship is undeserved and free, and will include all of God's creation eventually.  
How gracious is that!

So here's the difference.

Justice occurs when offenders get what they deserve. 
Mercy occurs when offenders don't get what they deserve.
Grace occurs when offenders get what they don't deserve.

Let's learn to be people of grace.

Barry

What is Judgement?

One verse that is often thrown up to show me that God will not achieve his purpose of eventually restoring all to himself is Hebrews 9 : 27 which states that people are to die once, and after that to face judgement.  In these people's minds judgement obviously equates to eternal torment in hell or total destruction.

Judgement is only a process - a process for deciding between right and wrong or between guilt and innocence - which then determines what the next course of action will be. 

Some judgements are to free or acquit an innocent person, others are to penalise a guilty person in some way.  In the latter case, the penalty is administered for the purpose of improving the guilty person's behaviour or character so that he/she will eventually be different and as free as the person who was acquitted.

So whatever the result, judgement is a good thing, not a bad thing, as all results of judgement eventually bring freedom.

Believers, who live in the Spirit, are judged daily by the Spirit.  We are judged, convicted of our sin and restored to fellowship with God due to the on-going sanctifying work of the Spirit in our lives.  This results in us becoming Christ-like and being made ready to rule with Him in the kingdom age.

Non-believers are judged at the Great White Throne and are purified by the lake of fire.  This also results in God-likeness, but they completely miss out on ruling with Christ in the kingdom, as it is only the believers, the first-born, who have the double portion - reigning with Christ in the kingdom age and residency in the New Jerusalem.

Let's be careful we don't allow people to confuse the process (judgement) with the result of the process as a reason for not considering the eventual good outcome of every one of God's judgements.

Barry

Instant Belief at the Great White Throne

Since getting the sack from my church-sitting assignment, I have spent a large slab of time each day reading, studying and praying.  What a wonderful opportunity God has given me!

God has been showing me so much more about His plan for the ages, His plan to restore everything to Himself and to become "all in all" eventually, and I am sure all of this will filter through my writings in the future.

But right now I just wanted to share one new insight I had this afternoon.  Reading the story of doubting Thomas in John 20 : 24 - 29 gave me a fresh view of the inevitability of everyone becoming believers.

Can you imagine, as an unbeliever - an atheist, agnostic, humanist, nominal church-goer or whatever - being raised in the second resurrection and being ushered in for your judgement before Jesus at the Great White Throne? 

Your eyes would pop out as you were presented to the One you were sure did not exist or who had no serious claim on your life.  I am certain belief would come instantly, just as it did for Thomas when Jesus came through the walls of that room and for Saul on the road to Damascus.

So what do you think?  Do you think belief would come instantly for all unbelievers at the GWT?

Those of us in the physical world are given faith to believe what we cannot see; but those in the spiritual dimension believe because of what they can see.

To continue my imagining, I am now considering that all those placed in the lake of fire will be placed there as believers, having come straight from the GWT.  Has that idea crossed your mind before?

Boy, I'm having fun.  Barry

The Death of Death

One of the most exciting parts of God's plan for us is revealed by Paul in 1 Cor 15 : 20 - 28.  First Corinthians 15 is known as the resurrection chapter - a sneak peek into some aspects of the future.

These few verses from the resurrection chapter give us an overview of the purpose, the process and the final result of God's program during the ages on earth, the highlight of which is God's promise to resurrect all of his creation to life and to destroy death.

Death is probably our worst enemy, the thing we fear most, especially as we head towards the twilight years of our lives or find ourselves in a life-threatening situation.  So it is very exciting to hear from Paul that death will eventually be destroyed, no longer to exist. 

Can you even imagine a world without sin or death?  Well, it's coming ...... but not for a while.  Let's examine these verses and see how we get to it.

"But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.  For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead.  For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.  But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ's at His coming.  Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power."  [1 Cor 15 : 20 - 24  NKJV]

Just as exciting as waiting for death to be destroyed, Paul tells us that death is not even to be feared now.  Jesus showed by his resurrection that death could be overcome and Paul tells us that Jesus, in doing that, became the firstfruits of all who die.

The firstfruits was a concept that every one of Paul's contemporaries would have understood.  We can read about it in Leviticus 23.  Just before the main barley harvest, a few sheaves were harvested and offered to God.  These were called the firstfruits of the crop.  No barley could be bought or sold, no bread could be made from new flour, until the firstfruits had been presented and accepted.  The firstfruits were a sign or guarantee of the harvest to come.  Paul, in using this familiar picture, was proclaiming that the resurrection of Jesus was a sign or guarantee of the resurrection of all who had died or would die.

In God's plan, a man, Adam, was used to introduce death into the human race; and equally a man would be needed to take it out again.  That Man was Jesus who, through his resurrection, brought life back to humankind, indeed became the guarantee that all afflicted by the death of Adam would receive life through Jesus. 

Paul emphasises how comprehensive both of these actions were.  Death came to all of us because of one man's actions; life will come to all of us because of another Man's actions.

An interesting aside here is to consider that neither the action of Adam, nor the response of Christ, required our permission or "freewill" acceptance.  We were not even consulted on the matter.  Adam threw us into the realm of death and Jesus thrust us back into life again.  All of us.  And we had no say in any of it.

Indeed, if life is not the result of Jesus' actions, we would have to conclude that Adam was more effective than Jesus.  And if that were the case, we would be saying that the created being (Adam) was more powerful than the Creator (Jesus), or, that death in Adam was more powerful than life in Christ.

Paul then describes the order in which this resurrection to life will occur.  Christ first, of course, then those who belong to him at his coming, his saints, then the end group, those who are last to gain life.  It is after the resurrection of this end group that Jesus hands his kingdom over to his Father since the work he has been given to do has now been completed - all have now been resurrected to life and there is no rule or authority or power remaining other than his.

Isn't this so exciting?  Even as I am writing this, I am having to stop to celebrate.  Wow!  Praise God!

"For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.   The last enemy to be destroyed is death.   For he “has put everything under his feet.” Now when it says that “everything” has been put under him, it is clear that this does not include God himself, who put everything under Christ.   When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all."  [1 Cor 15 : 25 - 28  TNIV]

Paul explains further that Jesus could not hand his kingdom over to God until all opposition to it had been subdued.  As with all of us, all opposition to God's plan in our lives is dissolved when God gives us the faith to repent of our sin, acknowledge Jesus as Saviour and Lord, and willingly submit to his kingly rule in our lives.

We are then told what is the last opposition and hindrance to his kingdom to be subdued, to be destroyed.  Many think that Satan will be the last.  But no, it is death, spiritual death.  Death is the consequence of sin which separates us from God and his Lordship in our lives. 

Adam and Eve sinned, and experienced death and separation from God when they decided to go their own way and make their own choices about what was right and wrong rather than obey God and follow his directions.  

If death is destroyed at the end, then only life can be remaining.  No-one any longer will suffer death and therefore separation from God; everyone will be alive, reconciled to God and in fellowship with him.

Why should we ever think that this would not be the case?  Who would think that even an earthly parent would not want to use all the resources available to them to ensure their family lived in harmony with them forever?  And why should not God, the most loving and resource-rich parent of all, not arrange such a happy and victorious ending for himself and his family?

It's not a matter of who gets there and who doesn't.  Nor is a matter of who gets there first.  We all get there in the end - all of God's creation alive and in fellowship with God and with each other.  

That's the result of death being destroyed - the death of death - all will be alive.  Wow!