Pinnock: the demand for exclusion
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Commemoration of Ethelburga, Abbess of Barking, 675
Meditation:
[Jesus:] For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son to have life in himself. And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man.
Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out—those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned. By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.
—John 5:26-30 (NIV)
Quotation:
Most Christians would agree with C. S. Lewis when he says [of the doctrine of the Final Judgment], “There is no doctrine which I would more willingly remove from Christianity than this, if it lay in my power.” * But we cannot do so, for two reasons: first, because it enjoys the full support of Christ’s own teaching, and second, because it makes a good deal of sense. If the gospel is extended to us for our acceptance, it must be possible also to reject and refuse it. The alternative would be for God to compel an affirmative response.
It would be nice to be able to say that all will be saved, but the question arises, Does everyone want to be saved? What would love for God be like if it were coerced? There is a hell because God respects our freedom and takes our decisions seriously, more seriously, perhaps, than we would sometimes wish. God wants to see hell completely empty; but if it is not, He cannot be blamed. The door is locked only on the inside. It is not Christians but the unrepentant who “want” it [to be locked].
* C. S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain, p. 106
... Clark H. Pinnock (b. 1937), Reason Enough, Exeter: Paternoster, 1980, p. 116-117 (see the book)
Quiet time reflection:
You alone are fit, Lord, to judge men’s hearts.CQOD Blog email RSS
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Commemoration of Ethelburga, Abbess of Barking, 675
Meditation:
[Jesus:] For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son to have life in himself. And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man.
Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out—those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned. By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.
—John 5:26-30 (NIV)
Quotation:
Most Christians would agree with C. S. Lewis when he says [of the doctrine of the Final Judgment], “There is no doctrine which I would more willingly remove from Christianity than this, if it lay in my power.” * But we cannot do so, for two reasons: first, because it enjoys the full support of Christ’s own teaching, and second, because it makes a good deal of sense. If the gospel is extended to us for our acceptance, it must be possible also to reject and refuse it. The alternative would be for God to compel an affirmative response.
It would be nice to be able to say that all will be saved, but the question arises, Does everyone want to be saved? What would love for God be like if it were coerced? There is a hell because God respects our freedom and takes our decisions seriously, more seriously, perhaps, than we would sometimes wish. God wants to see hell completely empty; but if it is not, He cannot be blamed. The door is locked only on the inside. It is not Christians but the unrepentant who “want” it [to be locked].
* C. S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain, p. 106
... Clark H. Pinnock (b. 1937), Reason Enough, Exeter: Paternoster, 1980, p. 116-117 (see the book)
Quiet time reflection:
You alone are fit, Lord, to judge men’s hearts.
BDTC search script mobile
sub fb twt
posted by Robert McAnally Adams at 10/11/2009 02:00:00 AM
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