He wants, He can, therefore He will!

Originally posted on January 23, 2008 – by Andre Piet

Antoine Bodar and Bishop Simonis have stirred things up in orthodox-Protestant circles with their statements. They recently asserted that, in their view, Muslims and Hindus could also be saved. Last Saturday evening the EO broadcast the program ‘Deze Week’ (This Week), in which the panel (with Dr. Willem Ouweneel, ir. Jan van der Graaf and Rev. Pieter van Kampen) addressed this issue. Vagueness and confusion of speech prevailed during this broadcast. That was to be expected, where one has no view of the coming eons and instead thinks in terms of “endless eternity.” Or where one sees no distinction between the “Evangel of the uncircumcision” (>Paul) and that “of the circumcision” (James, Peter and John; see Gal. 2:7-9). But to be fair, at the end of the broadcast vagueness and confusion of speech did give way for a moment to unambiguous clarity. Van der Graaf (I quote freely):

Whatever diversity of views there may be within the panel, in any case we resolutely reject the doctrine of general reconciliation (read: Reconciliation of all).

In the Nederlands Dagblad the same discussion has been going on for some time now. There too, the embarrassment with this issue keeps pressing itself upon the reader inescapably. The day before yesterday one could read the contribution of Rev. L.W. Smelt, who triumphantly opens with

God wants nothing more than that all people – including Hindus – be saved. For that He has given everything, even His beloved Son. The reconciliation through Him permeates the entire cosmos.

That sounds very promising! Or what about the closing words?:

In any case, I continue to hope for repentance for those fellow human beings. That God Who has also liberated my will to will what He wills (Philippians 2:12-15) can He not also make them willing?

Magnificent! God wants to save all people. He can also save all people. The only sensible conclusion from that is that God WILL also save all people. That is what you would think. But no, for Smelt this conclusion is apparently not even a consideration. Between opening and closing the minister mainly does his best to find footing within orthodoxy:

Orthodox Protestants and orthodox Roman Catholics together acknowledge the value of the classic Christian dogmas concerning the Triune God and Jesus Christ, God and man. This unity in confession (…) we must jointly propagate and defend. That is the core…”.

Here is where the shoe pinches. Whoever takes as his point of departure the classic Christian dogmas instead of what “is written” already goes astray at the outset. It blinds. That is evident as well, for iron logic or not, Rev. Smelt prefers the hopeless darkness concerning the fate of multitudes, above the light that God Himself causes to shine from His Word, namely that He is the Savior of ALL people!

Delen: