God desires for the salvation of all. Jesus said it best, he was sent by the Father into the world, not to judge or condemn it, but to save it. This is the good news we all need to hear. God, who is just, merciful and loving, does all that is possible to bring about the salvation of all. This is not to say justice will be ignored, but it does mean God will work with justice, combing it with grace, so that we can be transformed and become the persons God wants us to be. We are called not only to salvation, but, through our integration into Jesus, to become adopted children of God, children who have a relationship with the whole Trinity, a relationship which allows us to participate in the divine life itself. When we forget this, when we forget the purpose of Christ coming into the world, when we turn Christ (and God) into despots looking to damn as many as possible, seeking to destroy that which they created, we have misunderstood God and God’s ways.
We have been granted life. We are free, free to affirm or deny God, and by doing so, affirm or deny who we are meant to be in God. We can undermine ourselves, acting, as it were, unnaturally, and in doing so, not only defile ourselves, but cause ourselves to suffer due to the goods which we deny ourselves when we sin. God, however, does not want us to be defined by our sin, especially by sins which we have done in the past; rather, God continues to give us the chance to change, and embrace the way of love and all that love entail, thereby allowing us to be seen as children of God. Jesus, in many of his parables, expresses this point in various ways, but perhaps none is more famous, nor more clear, than that of the parable of the Prodigal Son:
And he said, “There was a man who had two sons; and the younger of them said to his father, `Father, give me the share of property that falls to me.’ And he divided his living between them. Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took his journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in loose living.
And when he had spent everything, a great famine arose in that country, and he began to be in want. So he went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would gladly have fed on the pods that the swine ate; and no one gave him anything. But when he came to himself he said, `How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, but I perish here with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me as one of your hired servants.”‘
And he arose and came to his father. But while he was yet at a distance, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him, `Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his servants, `Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet; and bring the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and make merry; for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to make merry (Lk. 15:11-32 RSV).
Jesus reveals to us the way God will welcome us back if and when, after going astray, we see what we have done wrong and ask God to welcome us back and help us with grace to be the persons God intends us to be. It will be as if we have gone from death, the spiritual death which comes to us from sin, and back to life, reborn through grace. No one need despair. No one need think they have gone too far that God will not welcome them back. However, we must not think God will just welcome us back without change, without metanoia. God does not offer us such cheap grace that it leaves us unchanged; rather. God offers us grace, and gives us the freedom to work with it and engage it and be saved, or to continue to deny it and the love in which it is granted, and remain far from the kingdom of God.
When someone repents, therefore, we should rejoice as God rejoices, and not begrudge them of their salvation. We should not, out of anger, ask God why God is willing to save them. We certainly must not think God is giving them more than God is willing to give us; we must not believe we have wasted our lives following God, if God is willing to save those who have not lived as we have lived. If we walk with God, if we follow God, God will grant us the bounty which we seek, that is the kingdom of God, a bounty greater than anything we could ever want or desire. This is why Jesus, in the parable of the Prodigal Son, gives us the example of how we should not be by way of the prodigal son’s brother:
“Now his elder son was in the field; and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. And he called one of the servants and asked what this meant. And he said to him, `Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has received him safe and sound.’ But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, but he answered his father, `Lo, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command; yet you never gave me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your living with harlots, you killed for him the fatted calf!’
And he said to him, `Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. It was fitting to make merry and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found’ (Lk. 11:25-23 RSV).
Those who would object to the possibility of the salvation of all, saying if all end up being saved, it would be unfair to those who followed Christ all their lives, Christ has given them their response here. They have had, all their lives, blessings from God, and those blessings can and will continue to be theirs, indeed, they will grow, and they will receive them as their rightful inheritance if they do not turn away from God. All that God has, the infinite love and grace God offers, will still be theirs, so long as they remain open to it, which means, so long as they are open to love and the way of love. They should embrace God, and through that embrace, work with God for all God wants, that is, for the salvation of all, rejoicing with God when anyone joins them and receive God’s love and grace. If they do not, they should realize they are one who is still far from God and God’s ways, and they are the one who needs to repent and receive grace so that they can be saved.
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N.B.: While I read comments to moderate them, I rarely respond to them. If I don’t respond to your comment directly, don’t assume I am unthankful for it. I appreciate it. But I want readers to feel free to ask questions, and hopefully, dialogue with each other. I have shared what I wanted to say, though some responses will get a brief reply by me, or, if I find it interesting and something I can engage fully, as the foundation for another post. I have had many posts inspired or improved upon thanks to my readers.
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