Love

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

There is talk about the divisive topic of predestination and calling regarding God’s sovereignty brought about by theological contortions of the Greek which, for some, reduce said calling to “the” few. “That whoever believes” is here rendered “whereby those who believe” which inadvertently diminishes free will and God’s all-encompassing tenderness to humankind to explain how God reigns in judgement. Consequently, in an attempt to streamline theology into something logically consistent they carelessly make God out to be a sort of tyrant who always gets his way. Such views are usually propagated by those who imagine themselves to be among “the” few.

But we must remember that “whoever” is in the context of God loving the world, or all people, which is a statement of broad scope as compared to the limited offer proposed by some academics. Here is yet another example of irresponsibility in depiction which ignores God’s loving character to the end of explaining something ultimately unexplainable; taking the infinite and unattainable and confining it to something finite. Here, the pursuit of wisdom and truth becomes a form of idolatry in that attaining knowledge becomes more important than God himself who is ultimately unsearchable. The dilemma should inspire awe and humility, not a hardness of heart. We must be careful in not going beyond the spirit of scripture just so we can articulate that which goes beyond understanding.

Keep in mind that “God is love” (1 John 4:8). That is the core of his character. And he so values love that he allows free will, for without it there cannot be true love or genuine worship. The imperatives of the Bible scream free will, and we can respect and honor God with our choices. Therein lies the battle of the world. God is sovereign because the victory is already won thru Jesus Christ our Lord. The contradictions of the world, and the inconsistencies of people, have been resolved in an all-encompassing display of power! At just the right time God chose to be known in an act of profound mercy and grace proving his love. In this love is an invitation to all. This is the message of the gospel, the good news which would not be good news apart from free will.

As to the mystery, be settled in the conviction that we experience God as a free will proposition. Help people choose life! Help people participate in God’s love!