The Persistence of God
“ ‘When I suggest that God’s love, patience, and persistence never end, many become angry.’
One Woman said, ‘I worked hard to live a good life, and now you tell me everyone is going to get in.’ ”
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard or read this response to the idea of Universal Reconciliation, God’s infinite grace for all. It, to me, says a lot about the person. Just exactly why is he a follower of “the way”. What is his “raison d’etre”. Like the authors, I have little sympathy for such a response. But, you know, when I think about it, I was exactly where she is. I was “works” oriented for 59 years, even though I claimed to have been “saved by grace through faith”.
I can really appreciate the parable of the workers in the vineyard, which the authors used in Chapter 6, which Jesus is said to have related. It is a perfect example of the above response. It is truly not our concern how our Source responds to people. Personally, my concern should be how I respond to him/her/it, and my response should be one of joy when I see “good” things happen to others. Why are some bothered by extravagant grace? I don’t know. I should know. I’ve been there.
I want you to know that I am not in agreement with the authors on everything in this chapter or in this book. The disagreements are not large, and may be nothing more than semantics, but I’m not totally sure that’s the case. When the authors discuss who will be the last to “come around”, who will be the last to end his rebellion against God, I’m not so sure any of us have a clue when this will take place, if at all. Will it be before the person dies, or will it be the moment they “cross over”. I will ready admit I don’t know the answer to that question. I will say at this point that I don’t see the purpose or reason for God causing the suffering, no matter how short, of a person for finite “sins” committed during our stay here on this plane. It does not appear to me to have any remedial or reformative value. Our problem seems to be our obsession with TIME. We feel it is invaluable to us. Yet, God knows no time, is not limited, or restricted by time. He could “purify” us in an instant (to use a time-characterized example). The authors seem to feel there is a possibility of a remedial state after death. But, that God’s grace will outlast even his most rebellious child.
Impatience is one of our big problems in today’s world. We don’t want to wait for any reason. I hate queues (lines). I detest having to stand in a line waiting. I’m impatient. “Fast food isn’t fast enough”. All of us identify with our fast-paced world we live in everyday. It’s a part of being human. The writers took considerable time to contrast our impatience with God’s infinite patience. They said, “The unlimited patience of God is the hope of the world.” Infinite patience is beyond our understanding. Yet, the picture of God presented in the Old Testament is often of a God of something less than infinite patience. This very enigma, the God of limited patience in the Old Testament, versus the God of unlimited patience in the New Testament, bothers me today. My “new” perception of the stories in the Bible, to which these authors contributed, has given me pause to consider the idea of “weighing” verses found in the OT especially. The character of God that is established by this book is one that I particularly like; a God of unlimited grace, patience, and persistence, not the impatient God often pictured in the Old Testament.
Why persistent grace? The authors say that the purpose of his persistence and patience is our “salvation”, a really loaded word in the English (religious) sense. I think I might have put it differently because of my own feelings about the word “salvation”. I think I might have used the word “reconciliation”. Salvation, is a multi-faceted word in religion today, and has become a “hot” topic even among those who believe in God’s infinite grace. I particularly like the two verses used in the chapter to describe God’s persistence; “He will NEVER leave nor forsake you” (Deuteronomy 31:6) and “Surely I will be with you ALWAYS, even unto the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20) This last verse is a part of a somewhat controversial section at the end of Matthew’s gospel which many believe was added much later.
These verses plainly exhibit a God of infinite persistence. He’s not giving up on anyone. NEVER & ALWAYS are the words of a persistent God. The New Testament is replete with symbolic language that expresses that God is not interested in just a few chosen people, but wants and desires reconciliation with ALL. Time and again God states he wants ALL of us. Jesus is quoted to have said that he would draw (greek= drag) all men to himself. Sounds to me like a lot of persistence is involved in universal reconciliation.
If Grace is True, then the triumph of grace (God’s infinite persistence to reconcile ALL) is still not complete, and it won’t be until all are reconciled to God. When that will take place I do not know. I do know in my heart it WILL take place and it WILL be for everyone!
Nic Paton said
Don
You are indeed uniquely placed to comment on these issues, and I feel your experience should be allowed to teach us. When you say that you were “works” oriented for 59 years, even though you claimed to have been “saved by grace through faith”, thats a very important lesson. Merely confessing a docrinal position of Grace is nowhere good enough to convince me that someone believes that “grace is true”.
Radical grace is still for the most part a thing hidden to the majority. And one of the things which hides it, is the doctinal approach to grace that most adopt. The woman who has worked a hard life and then complains that “everyone is goig to get in” is a direct illustration of Jesus parable of the workers. The amount of work done meant nothing in God’s economy.
I think as well that your thoughts demonstrate a healthy respect for mystery. I have often pondered over the mechanics of Univesal Restoration, far more complex than the mechanics of immediate assignment to heaven of hell. But I can’t get my head around it.
Your pointing out impatience as a cardinal sin/weakness, and our timebound perspectives today, is helpful. Time is a massive factor in our alienated perspective. Einstein showed that it was possible to conceive of time in entirely different ways to what our culture is used to, but even then that merely opened up the possibilities for us to get an inkling of Gods ways.
One comment I do have though, concerns your statement “Yet, God knows no time, is not limited, or restricted by time”. I’d want to see this in the context of the centrality of the Incarnation – God becoming in spacetime. While I see that God transcends time, I am always reminded of Jesus as human and therefore subject to time. Of course the Incarnation usually tends to make matters even harder to understand than if God has been merely “other”, but exploring this paradox is the very challenge of life.
Don, thanks for you comments and sharing your journey with us.
Don Rogers said
Nic- I am still dealing with the concept of incarnation as it relates to Jesus. The deity of Jesus vs an enlightened human being is still an issue for me. Those who hold the traditional view of Christ’s incarnation are on biblical grounds. But do they have a right to claim an exclusive hold on christological truth? The Bible itself seems to prove, not prove the incarnation time and again. My belief of “God in me and I in God”, would lead me to a similar belief that I am an “incarnation” of God according to what the Bible says in some verses. It, for me, is still problematic. But, so are a multitude of things concerning deity as a whole.
Andrew(feotu) said
Hi there Don
Thanks for the great post.
I must say that I’m in a similar place when it comes to the incarnation of Christ.
November last year I put up on my blog a quotation from Jim Wallis and this was part of the quote….
“To trust grace is to know that the world has already been saved by Jesus Christ…”
I like this, but don’t fully get it!
I have commited this lent period to re-examine and question this.
Why did God need to become flesh?
I’ve also taken Chad’s recomendation and will be reading “On the Incarnation” by Athanasius along with some self-study.
Be blessed
Andrew(feotu) said
PS : If you wondering why the lack of Chad. He has given up blogging for Lent!!