Saved by Grace, not Theology

There are 7 billion+ people on planet earth
And 7 billion+ differing theological perspectives.
It is God’s grace that saves us, not our theology.
Our faith makes salvation a reality to us as individuals.
“It is by grace you have been saved, through faith.”
The Bible does not say that right-theology and/or right-behaviour saves anybody.

I love discussing theology.
But my theology isn’t my salvation and your theology is not your salvation. Otherwise the vast majority of 7 billion+ people, plus the billions and billions and billions who’ve lived before us, plus the billions of babies never even born – would be doomed…
“Saved by grace not works (or theology) so that no one can boast” Ephesians 2:8-9

God’s Wrath is His Mercy

Imagine you have a child who decides to take drugs and your child becomes addicted. At first, you do everything in your power to encourage your kid to get off the drugs.

A few years down the track that same son or daughter is stealing drug money from you. You make the tough decision to kick your child out of home with no money to “learn the hard way.”

This is your “wrath” as a parent. It is similar to God’s wrath. Wrath simply means allowing people to suffer the consequences.

A couple of years after that, your child changes his or her mind and decides it was a bad idea to take drugs. This is called repentance.

Your child comes home and you immediately offer your support while he/she detoxes from the drug addiction. This is called mercy.

God’s wrath leads to repentance.
Repentance leads to mercy.
God shows MERCY TO ALL
Romans 11:32

Did God Hate Esau?

“Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.” What does this mean? Is God unjust? Not at all! For he says to Moses: “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” It does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort, but on God’s MERCY. For Scripture says of Pharoah: “I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” Therefore God has MERCY on whom he wants to have mercy, and he HARDENS whom he wants to harden. Romans 9:13-18

The chapter goes on to describe Esau and Pharoah are “objects of WRATH” in verse 22.

It is time for us to define this wrath and hatred of God.

Ezekiel 16 describes wrath this way:
Verse 27 So I stretched out my hand against you and reduced your territory; I GAVE YOU OVER to the greed of your enemies.
Verse 39 Then I will DELIVER YOU into the hands of your lovers, and THEY will tear down your mounds and destroy your lofty shrines. THEY will strip you of your clothes and take your fine jewellery and leave you stark naked.
Verse 42 Then my WRATH against you will subside and my jealous anger will turn away from you; I will be calm and no longer angry.
Verse 53 However, I will RESTORE the fortunes of Sodom and her daughters and of Samaria and her daughters, and your fortunes along with them.
Verse 60 I will remember the covenant I made with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish an everlasting covenant with you.

God’s only action was to stop protecting the Israelites from the consequences of their sins. He let them go and allowed their enemies to capture and abuse them. But the story ends in restoration not only for Israel but for other nations as well! God’s wrath results in restoration!

Paul takes up this theme of wrath in his letter to the Romans. He says that simultaneously to the Gospel being revealed, God’s wrath is revealed, Romans 1:17-18.
Verse 24-25 Therefore God GAVE THEM OVER in the sinful desires of their hearts … They exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshipped and served created things rather than the Creator.
Here we have the same phrase that was used in Ezekiel 16, to describe wrath in Romans 1. God’s wrath is to hand his creation over to the consequences of sin.

Wrath is a metaphor for consequences.

In chapter 12 we have this mysterious description of wrath:
Verse 19 Do not take revenge but leave room for God’s WRATH …
Verse 20 If your enemy is hungry feed him; if he is thirsty give him something to drink. In doing this you will heap burning coals on his head!

In the OT burning coals represent repentance and forgiveness. Isaiah 6 shows an angel applying “live coal” to Isaiah’s lips.
Verse 7 See this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.

God’s wrath leads to repentance.

Returning now to Romans 9 where God “hated” Esau and “hardened” Pharoah and called them “objects of wrath.” God used them to “demonstrate his power” (9:17), to “make known the riches of his glory” (9:23) and to have “mercy on whom he wants to have mercy” (9:18).

God handed Esau and Pharoah over to the consequences of their actions. Esau lost his birth-right to Isreal in the book of Genesis. Pharoah drowned in the Red Sea chasing Israel in the book of Exodus. They were objects of wrath (consequences) to demonstrate God’s favour toward Israel.

But his ultimate purpose was not purely to destroy Esau and Pharoah. They seemed hated. They seemed unfavourable. They seemed like they were no-hopers. But the climax comes in Romans 11.

Verse 25 Israel has experienced a hardening [wrath/hatred] in part until the FULLNESS of the GENTILES has come in. [All Gentiles saved]
Verse 26 And in this way ALL ISRAEL WILL BE SAVED.
Verse 32 For God has bound EVERYONE [not just Esau and Pharoah] over to disobedience that he may have MERCY on them ALL!!!!!

God’s wrath/hatred leads to MERCY.
God will show mercy to whom God will show mercy (9:15)
God shows mercy to EVERYONE! (11:32)

‘Eye for Eye’ Abolished By Jesus

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbour and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes the sun to rise on the evil and the good. And sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” Matthew 5:38-45

“Turn the other cheek” and “Go the extra mile” have become common clichés that are used in society to mean things like: “Get over it” and “Work hard.” But Jesus was talking about something different. He was talking about responding without violence. Don’t take revenge. Don’t punish someone in the same way as they hurt you – eye for eye. In fact, respond with love and prayer. Speak words of blessing instead of curses.

So if God doesn’t want us to punish people, or to react violently and take revenge … then why would God need to punish people in hell for their sins? Why would God want to take revenge against humankind for their behaviour? Why would he require payment – eye for eye?

If Jesus was really saying: “No more of this ‘eye for eye’ business! No more hate!” then why would he turn around and behave in a different manner toward any single human being? If Jesus really meant what he said: “I love my enemies and I give the sun and the rain to everyone, irrespective of their behaviour,” then how could he possibly abandon even his ‘enemy’ at the point of their death or at any time during their refusal to love him back?

We know that Jesus did in fact ‘turn the other cheek’ in a very big and dramatic way, when he opened up his arms in crucifixion and said “Father forgive them.” So we know that he lived what he believed in. He also said “He who has seen me has seen the Father.” So we know that God the Father does not stand in opposition to Jesus’ teaching. He does not desire ‘eye for eye’ retaliation any more than Jesus does.

So if the Father and the Son both adhere to loving their enemies, turning the other cheek to violence, and going the extra mile, then hell cannot be a place where God takes revenge, exacts punishment or separates himself from his enemies. Even in hell, it must remain true that God is love, that God loves his enemies, that God turns the other cheek, and that God is willing to go the extra mile into hell to rescue us.

Think about it.