(This is a rewrite of a former post moving from HOW it is that theologians speak the universalism language to WHY it is they do. We believe that a universalistic view of Christ’s redemption is not an outside invasion of some kind of liberal theology but rather being manifested from out of the very DNA of the Church itself. We are speaking its language and singing its truths because it’s been written on our hearts. Dogs bark because they were born as dogs and Christians speak restoration because they were “born again into a living hope”. We were born “hope-ers”. We can’t help speaking it, singing it and proclaiming it, even against all hope, because it’s been embedded in our nature, encoded into our hearts, genetically engineered into our souls. THAT is why we hear our leaders and even ourselves saying things we know we are not supposed to believe. But we say and listen to them anyway.)
Evangelical theologians have made some astounding statements. If we did not know their overall theological mindset we would assume they are teaching the ultimate redemption and reconciliation of God’s entire created order. Incredibly these statements are never qualified but allowed to stand. Here is a statement by Scot McKnight of Jesus Creed:
“Humans will be in union with God and in communion with others, for the good of others and the entire created order. It is Eden all over again, only better. Eternity is the unleashing of the cycle of embracing grace.”
— Embracing Grace (pg 56).
Is this true? Will all humans be in union with God making it “better than Eden” unleashing grace for all eternity?
We aim to show how the belief in a universal redemption and restoration is not something slipping out of some carnal wishful thinking but rather it is inherent within the DNA of the Church. It is within the spiritual genetic code of every believer to desire, hope, and trust God to eradicate the universe of all sin, death and evil. The Scriptures are replete with passages of life out of death, restoration out of destruction and mercy over judgment. And when we are faced with our mortality and the fragility of life those Scriptures are the ones we go to to bring us hope, assurance and confidence.
Here are more sweeping statements of the vision of redemption and resurrection by McKnight:
“The gospel makes the claim that life is ultimately a “comedy”, a comedy of grace. It is the Divine Gospel of Comedy. The last word in the gospel is not death, but life. The last word is not the Cross, but the resurrection…The gospel is God’s comedy, because in the gospel death is overcome by life, and life restores us to community for the good of the world.” Embracing Grace, pgs 111, 117
“Focusing on human sinfulness goes contrary to the grain of the Bible, which clearly sees humans as “Eikons” [image-bearers] in need of restoration to be sure, but the object of God’s special love. The Bible, after all, is a “comedy” not a “tragedy”…In the Bible, grace is who God is and what God wants to do for us… Keith Carpenter says ‘grace is the absolute and unrelenting goodness of God toward humans’. It is the word ‘unrelenting’ that I like so much.”
— Scot MacKnight, Embracing Grace (Pg. 111, 117, 126, 127).
Why are these visions dangled before us without immediately qualifying them? But then again think how absurd it would sound if they did qualify them. They would have to confess that it’s not going to be anything of this magnitude.
Why do they say things like this, and why do we let them? Why do we yearn and desire to hear them?
We believe it is because the concept of ultimate reconciliation is in alignment with the way our hearts are wired. We know these things are true somehow and so we let them fill our hearts. This is our God-given sense of right and truth and justice functioning properly. Romans 1 says that God has revealed through creation His attributes and His nature so that we are without excuse. Paul goes on to say that God has made these things “obvious”.
God’s laws are written on our hearts (Rom. 2:15). We are not given a different standard in which to interpret what is true and good from that of God’s. In other words the standard by which we are to love and do justice is the very same standard by which God is operating, indeed it is an expression of His very being. So when our hearts soar at the thought of all things being redeemed and restored we can be sure this is a reflection of God’s own heart. Isaiah says,”He will not grow faint or be discouraged till he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his law” (Isa. 42:4).
While God may do things in the temporal realm that do not seem fair to us His eternal purposes promise to wipe every tear from our eyes and to bring justice or “right-useness” to all that is wrong in the universe. Therefore what is “inscrutable” about God is not how He could send billions of people to hell forever and still be good but how can He use all the evil and suffering in our lives ultimately for good. The mystery is in how He will reverse the curse of sin and death and make “all things new”? Our hope is in His nature as love and goodness to ultimately bring all things into alignment with what He has told us is good, right and perfect. That is why the Potter has the right to do as He pleases with the clay, because His character and purposes are good and He has scheduled a day when all shall be redeemed for He has promised to “make all things beautiful in His time” (Eccl. 3:11).