Dear Stacy,
Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners — Paul
Somehow I do not think you believe this.
You seem to believe Christ Jesus came into the world… not to save sinners… but to merely “make it possible” for them to be save themselves– and not all of them… just a few of them at that.
And you protest… “IT’S UNREASONABLE FOR GOD TO CONTROL ALL THINGS” (in so many words)
Paul wrote about you here:
Verse 19: One of you will say to me, “Then why does God still find fault? For who can resist His will?”
Verse 20: But who are you, O man (or in this case ‘woman’), to talk back to God? Shall what is formed say to Him who formed it, “WHY DID YOU MAKE ME LIKE THIS?”
Verse 21: Does not the potter have the right to make from the same lump of clay one vessel for special occasions and another for common use?
(FROM Romans 9, your favored version, the Berean Study Bible.)
Isaiah wrote about you here:
16 You have turned things upside down, as if the potter were regarded as clay.
Shall what is formed say to him who formed it,
“He did not make me”?
Can the pottery say of the potter, “He has no understanding”?
(FROM Isaiah 29, Berean Study Bible.)
You keep protesting that it’s just not fair, it not reasonable, and you’ll not put up with it.
And I think you’re cute.
I know it hard to see how this will all work out. And I’m sure you’re plan of action is better than God’s plan… but for the moment, you’re not in control, so, we’ve only one choice, Trust God in these matters.
All these things are part of God eonian purpose. That purpose is mentioned in Ephesians 3:11. It’s a verse worth considering.
Most bible translations screw this verse up… by saying “God’s eternal purpose”.
But the very word PURPOSE suggests limits on the adjective “AIONIAN” .
If it were correct to say “eternal purpose”… you’d be saying a purpose that has no beginning and no end.
But if I’m right… and the correct translation is GOD’S EONIAN PURPOSE…
Then… we would understand that this PURPOSE begins with the eons of time and ends with the eons of time.
And you know… the Bible mentions “before the eons” (Note the plural), “the end of the eons”, “this eon”, “the eons to come”… etc… it’s language that would make no sense if it meant ETERNAL… “before the eternals”, “the end of the eternals” “this eternal”… etc.
God’s purpose is an eonian purpose… not an eternal purpose.
Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.
It is the foundation of God’s eonian purpose.
If He does not save sinners, then He failed to save sinners.
If He is only going to save only a few sinners, (which seems to be your story) then it’s a story that takes the focus off of what God achieved in Christ’s death, entombment and resurrection… and puts the focus on something else… something of equal or more importance than the cross. A something which you seem to be heralding.
Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners… not just the good ones, but even the “CHIEF OF SINNERS”, Paul himself.
See I TIMOTHY 1:15
The Ace Theological Company 