once again: Revival 2015

The previous blog about Revival 2015 resulted in quite a few responses. Here is a small sample of critical comments:

Yet it states: whoever believes in Him will be saved. So you can choose to accept Him as your Saviour or not. He died for all the people and the whole world is saved through Him. But you have to choose to want to be saved. Otherwise you will be lost. It is not God’s intention, but your own choice. Consequently, a matter of life and death… According to the Bible, eternal life with God is really for those who have accepted Him as their Lord and Saviour. Jesus speaks in the parable of the rich man and the poor Lazarus also about a heaven and hell. It is not about hoping that the majority of people are going to hell, but about a free choice for everyone, to choose for or against God. God has enough love for all the people. Unfortunately, many people have closed their hearts for Him. At the same time, I also believe that for forgiveness and eternal salvation, real faith in Him is needed. The Bible is very clear about that. What a heresy, this blog! Lord have mercy! Indeed, what a heresy. Jesus is the Way, the Truth and The Life: no man cometh unto the Father but by Him. You must make a personal decision for Jesus!

Now, it would be sufficient for me to refer you to the hundreds of articles that can be found on the GoedBericht-site, in which all these criticisms have been dealt with, in detail. But in this blog, I would like to comment on the core of all these objections. The Good News Message that God is the Saviour of all mankind (1Tim.4:10) and justifies all (Rom.5:18); and makes all alive (1Cor.15:22) and reconciles all (Col.1:20) would…

# be a denial of the lostness of those who do not believe;

# be a denial of the necessity of faith in Christ to be saved;

# mean that all people receive eternal life.

These are three major misunderstandings. Because I believe with all my heart that whoever does not believe in Christ, is lost, and that anyone, only by faith in Him, will be saved and receive eonian life. All one has to do is carefully read the well-known text of John 3:16. The bottleneck lies in the understanding of what the Greek words “aion” and “aionios” mean. They basically mean and refer to ‘an age’. Unfortunately this truth has been covered up in the usual Bible translations. An eon is not an “endless eternity”, but a world-time-period, with a beginning and an end. Thus, the Scripture speaks of “before the eons” (1Cor.2:7), but also about “the conclusion of the eons” (Heb.9:26). The return of Christ is not the dawn of an endless eternity, but will be  the beginning of the “the oncoming eons” (Eph.2:7), in which He will rule. Whoever does not believe, will not experience the surpassing eons. They are lost and perished. That is the eonian punishment (Matt.25:46). On the other hand, those who do believe will experience and receive eonian life. That is the life of the coming eon (Luke 18:30). So there is a big difference between those who believe in the Son and those who do not believe. Is all of this in conflict with the fact that God saves all, justifies all, makes all alive and reconciles all? Absolutely not! Would aion be an endless eternity, yes, then of course it would. Then there would be no end to aionios (eonian) judgment or aionios (eonian) punishment. However, if Scripture speaks of “aionios (eonian) times” (2Tim.1:9), then there is room for an ‘all is well that ends well’. Then we do not need to strikeout any Scriptures or look away from the universal texts, but we can believe all what the Scripture says; both about judgment and punishment, as well as about an all-comprehensive salvation. Christ will reign “for ever and ever” says the translation of Revelation 11: 15. But literally it says: “for the eons of the eons”. Is that forever? No, because Christ must reign “until” (1Cor.15: 25). Until He will have nullified death, as the last enemy. How? By making all of the people alive (1Cor.15:22)! Because, when all are made alive, then there is no more death. Only then, will Christ have brought His reign to a successful conclusion and will He hand over a perfected Kingdom to His God and Father. And God will be “all in all” (1Cor.15:26-28). John 3 verse 16 is very well-known. But how well-known is it, if one has no idea of what “’eternal’ (eonian) life is”? How well-known is it, if one does not know what to make of John 3 verse 17, and besides, hardly ever hears this text?

For God does not dispatch His Son into the world that He should be judging the world, but that the world may be saved through Him.

God loves the world and gave his Son to save the world. And God always achieves His goal, because He is GOD! Therefore, His Son is called: “the Saviour of the world” (John 4:42; 1John 4:14)!

Delen: