Eternal Punishment and Doctrine Development

Show 49 424 Eternal Punishment Part IV
December 9th, 2014

“Live from the Mecca of Mormonism, Salt Lake City, Utah this is HEART OF THE MATTER where . . . Institutionalized Religion Meets Jesus Christ Face to Face.

And I’m your host, Shawn McCraney

Development of Mormon Theology

Before we get to our message tonight I want to suggest something – Mormonism as it has long stood and as it now stands is done for. It may take a few years – possibly even decades – but Joseph Smith’s Mormonism is over. I say this not because of recent (partial) official LDS admissions or because of the internet information out there – these things have all helped but they’re not what makes me say this. I say this because of the book I am holding in my hands. It’s titled, “This is my Doctrine” the development of Mormon Theology. It was written by a faithful LDS BYU Professor named Charles R. Harrell and published by Greg Kofford Books.

What is it about this book that causes me to suggest such a thing? First, it is chocked full of reliable, annotated, academically delivered information that unbiasedly describes the formulation of Mormon doctrine. Second, the writer clearly explains how far afield the LDS explanations and understanding of biblical points are – without any prejudice. But most importantly, this devout, father of five, BYU professor wrote and published this as one of their own. That is key.

The book is so even-keeled and well supported that the author cannot be charged neither with attacking the church to which he belongs neither can he be said to be supporting evangelical Christianity. It simply a book of well-articulated facts from a man whose insights into the meaning of biblical passages and doctrines will ultimately lend to the destruction of Joseph Smith’s Mormonism. And I would strongly predict that due to this book – and many more like it that are guaranteed to pop up, that Joseph Smith Mormonism is going to fall.

As a result, I am calling for all the ministries out there aimed at bringing Mormonism down to make a shift in their approach. Let’s spend more time pointing Latter-day Saints to Mormonism's in-house critiques. Yes, others have popped up within their ranks over the years and have done some damage but it’s different today. And I would strongly suggest that the work of John Dehlin, and Grant Palmer, and now this indispensable, monumental work by Professor Harrell are going to cause the Smith house of cards to fall. So let’s start praying for the LDS church and its members – and those of us who have been involved in reaching them from the outside might consider spending our time and energy pointing LDS faithful to the attacks coming from the inside.

“This is my Doctrine,” is available online at www.gregkofford.com

And with that, how about a prayer?

"This is my Doctrine"
www.gregkofford.com

Reconsidering Traditional Teachings

PRAYER PRAYER PRAYER

PRAYER PRAYER PRAYER

So we’ve been asking, in the face of what has traditionally been taught in Christianity relative to “the sovereignty of God” and hell and love and free will if there is another way to the whole package than through the Calvinist or the Arminianist lens?

And I suggested that other way and called it Total Reconciliation, which, as we said last week does NOT teach all are saved nor that all enter heaven as Sons or Daughters of God but that God will reconcile all to Him in the end.

Sovereignty and Love

In the face of this let’s take a minute to reiterate some points before we go to scripture to support this idea of Total Reconciliation: First we must admit that God is certainly “sovereign” and in total and complete control. “His will is done,” as scripture pointed out last week. Secondly, we know from scripture that His will is good and not evil. That He desires good things and seeks good ends and not bad. This view is consistent with His nature which is love.

With His nature being love we might then suggest that real love acts in direct opposition to control but operates in and around the free actions of others. Control, as we and scripture defines it, is “diabolical” in most applications – bondage is a tool of the devil. Love is liberating and free, NOT controlling. How then is God (who IS love – pure love, all love, the very definition of love) completely Sovereign and always successful in getting His will accomplished without being demonically controlling?

By His foreknowledge.

The Concept of Foreknowledge

Controls by foreknowledge, not force. We get a picture of this in the story of Joseph when he was sold into Egypt by his brothers. After going through all sorts of hell, he became a mighty prince overseeing the distribution of food that saved His family among others. When the brothers who sold him into Egypt years early came to him in search of food, he revealed himself. Of course, they felt horrible and frightened for having sold him in the first place, but Joseph said in Genesis 50:20:

“…as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as this day, to save much people alive.”

How did a good and loving God, in light of the free will choices He knew humans would take before creating us, still create us, knowing most of us would go to hell and/or the Lake of Fire due to our freewill choices? Additionally, how is He able to have His will done in the face of our free-will choices? Foreknowledge friends, foreknowledge.

The Role of Omniscience

His omniscient foreknowledge (thriving in the glory of pure love) allows for human beings (and angels and saints and demons) to freely choose while at the same time giving Him total and ultimate control over the end of all things according to His good will and pleasure…ensuring that in the end, He will be “all in all.” Speaking of His foreknowledge, God said through Isaiah (42:9):

“Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them.”

Psalm 33:11 “The counsel of the LORD standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations.”

Biblical Examples of Foreknowledge

Speaking to King Nebuchadnezzar, Daniel said: Daniel 2:28 “But there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days.”

Speaking of the day when heaven and earth will pass away, Jesus said: Matthew 24:36 “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.” That’s foreknowledge.

In describing himself as an apostle, Peter said (in 1st Peter 1:2) that he was “Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.”

Even when it came to the suffering and death of His own Son, we know it did NOT surprise God what would happen and who would do it – He arranged it all knowing what would occur. In other words, “Did God force Satan or the Jews or Romans to do what they did?” Not in the least. They chose. But God, knowing all things, allowed them to do what they chose to do to bring about His sovereign will.

The Crucifixion as an Example

In Acts 2:23, Peter is speaking to a group of Jews on the day of Pentecost and says to them: “Him (meaning Jesus) being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain.”

Again, listen to what Peter said: “Jesus was…delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God to them, where they took Him and with wicked hands crucified and slayed Him.”

So, again, let’s go back and ask ourselves: In the beginning, did God know Adam and Eve would sin? Absolutely. No surprise. Did Satan get them to? Sure. Did God create Satan? Yes. Did Adam and Eve have the freewill to choose evil? You bet. God didn’t force them to disobey, right? Not in the least.

But as a result, scripture says that Jesus was slain from BEFORE the foundations of the world. This does NOT mean He was actually killed before the foundation of the world. It means that in and through God’s foreknowledge before the world, His death was wholly established as necessary as God’s means to save this world He so loved.

Stay with me now. We KNOW from scripture that God is good, light, love. He desires “a good and expected end,” not an evil one. We know that out of His good pleasure (and out of His loving good pleasure because God is LOVE), that He created all things, knowing beforehand how all of us would freely live, and walk, and be. Not “forcing us to be,” but…

God's Will and Human Salvation

freely allowing us to be and do whatever we were going to be and do.

Ask yourselves, “Prior to creating all things with a complete foreknowledge of them would a loving God desire or will that only some would repent or all?” If you said only some we must ask why? Why not all? Why only some? Think about this!

He has not created us (yet) but knows in advance what we will do and choose. Wouldn’t a loving God figure out a way to reconcile even the most lost and weak and failing rather than just save and redeem the strong and agile and able? He knew all of us are going to mess up – all of us – we only do it in varied degrees. And He knows some of us are going to relate and handle things relatively well and some are going to make the biggest mess of the lot given.

Doesn’t scripture says that He desires that all would be saved! Does this means that God just wants all to be saved or that He will have all to be saved? It means both.

Thelema and Boulema: Understanding God's Will

There are two basic Greek words for the will of God – thelema and boulema. Thelema is essentially defined as “God’s gracious designs” and it is indicative of His desires. His desired will, if you please. In this word we see connections to the Greek word, “theos” which means “God.” The second word, Boulemea, is used to express “His deliberate design or His purposed will” (the things He will see accomplished. Themema his desired will. Boulema his purposed will – what will not be altered. Got that?

If we look at 1st Timothy 2:3-4 we will read:

“For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior; who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.” The English word “will” here is taken from the Greek thelema meaning God desires that all men to be saved. Now, if all are not saved due to their rebelliousness and evil ways then God’s general desires are not met. I get this. His general desires are that Adam and Eve would have listened to Him and loved Him but they chose otherwise, right?

God's Desires and Human Free Will

With God being love, and light and goodness I would suppose that His desires would be that sin never entered the world, and that human suffering never occurred. But in dealing with fallen willful human beings God’s general desires are not always met. If they were then we would live under a despot and “force” would be His modus operandi.

When it comes to the salvation of Man it is this aspect of God’s will that most Christians (excepting Calvinists) appeal and we find them saying things like: “God is love and He desires all to be saved, but His desires (due to the free will of man) will not be met.”

So at this point I think scripture supports the idea that God generally desires that all would be saved but this is not the case.

But go back to II Peter 3:9 where it says:

“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” Where it says that God is NOT WILLING that ANY should perish, is the word again thelema? meaning He does not generally desire that any should perish but that all would come to repentance? No. The Greek word is Boulamai – which means it will be done. There are no exceptions.

In other words while He desires all would be “saved” (from hell and/or the Lake of Fire) this appears to be a general desire which He can’t do anything about because the freewill of evil men will choose otherwise. But it is His expressed and purposeful will “that not one (ANY) should perish” and “that ALL will come to repentance.”

Wow. This is an entirely different picture than what most Christian pastors and denominations paint isn’t it? I MEAN from these two passages we see that while God desires all to be saved (from hell and the second death) this will not be the case. However, despite the choices humankind makes, in spite of the discipline they will suffer for their rebelliousness, He will not allow that ANY should

The Concept of First-Fruits

Perish, but all should come to repentance . . . (might I add) in the end. Apparently, he will use the conditions of hell and/or the lake of fire to bring all to repentance and every tongue to confess that Jesus is Lord. In and through this beautiful but rarely taught approach, God maintains love, sovereignty, upholds freedom of choice, and is perfectly just while ultimately having his pleasure and desires completely and fully met, which is the total reconciliation of all people to Himself in the end.

So let me now round this idea out using some biblical concepts to support and let’s begin by talking about the very biblical concept of first-fruits. The word used for first-fruits in the Greek is aparchn and it generally applies to the first-fruits of a harvest which is best defined as that which is best, first collected, and then consecrated (given) to God as an offering of gratitude for the harvest itself.

Understanding First-Fruits

The idea is that because the blessings of God have been poured out in providing a harvest in the first place grateful people respond by taking the first part of it – the best part of it – in recognition of His love and mercy, and give it back to Him. Built into the concept of first-fruits is an order or rank. What is not often recognized is that the concept of first-fruits applies to the best of the whole harvest and is not limited, agriculturally speaking, to the very first fruit from a tree or vine or ground. Let me explain.

Let’s suppose a person owns a grove of apple trees and they want to give “the first fruits” to God. This does NOT mean the very first apples to come to the grove are God’s. In fact, we learn from Leviticus 19:23-25 that when it came to “tree first-fruits” the Children of Israel were to wait for four cycles of harvests before either offering first fruits or even harvesting any of them for themselves.

So “the order and rank part” of first-fruits applies to the first “acceptable fruits” of a harvest as a whole and then the best of that entire harvest.

Biblical References

Numbers 18:12 says it well: “All the best of the oil, and all the best of the wine, and of the wheat, the first-fruits of them which they shall offer unto the LORD, them have I given thee.” Got all that? It almost goes without saying that first-fruits, as we’ve defined them thus far, were very important to God. Speaking of first-fruits Ezekiel 48:14 says: “And they shall not sell of it, neither exchange, nor alienate the first-fruits of the land: for it is holy unto the LORD.”

And of course we know that when it comes to humans beings, the first fruits of the womb are always the firstborn sons, which is naturally a picture of our Lord. The idea of first-fruits – picturing His Only Begotten Son – was initiated very early in biblical history. Remember now, first-fruits include the concept of “the best,” the first delivered, and a rank (the highest) among others (LISTEN) that are to come. Did you take that in? First-fruits include the notion of the best of a crop, the first out of a crop, and a rank (meaning there are other ranks) coming in after the first and best.

When God created everything in the Garden of Eden He said, “it was good.” We might say that Adam and Eve were the first fruits of all humanity. They were first, they were the best (God created them, right and said it was good) and they were first in rank of many to come.

First-Fruits in Humanity

Of course God gave them a choice – to love Him (and therefore obey Him) or to choose their own will and way. Did God know what they would do? Certainly. Did God stop with the human race at Adam and Eve or did others follow in after “the first and best” called Adam and Eve? Certainly others came – even all the way down to each of us today.

With the first fruits of the Human race failing to love and choose God, God (by His foreknowledge) elected a nation above all other nations. I would suggest that the Nation of Israel was the first-fruit nation of the earth – a nation dedicated to God. Paul, in Romans 11:16, speaking of the Nation of Israel and likening them

Concept of First Fruits

To “a tree God created and elected for specific purposes,” says, speaking of the Nation of Israel: “For if the first fruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches.” But, like the first fruit couple, the first fruit Nation failed to choose God. Now listen – this is key – just as more individuals came after the first fruit couple Adam and Eve, filling the earth, so did other nations follow in after the first fruit nation (Israel) failed to choose God (and ultimately rejected the promised Messiah).

We know who the people are who came in after Adam and Eve, right? All of us. So what are the other nations that followed in after the Nation of Israel was rejected? All other Nations, right? God has elected (based on His foreknowledge of what Adam and Eve and the Nation of Israel would choose to do) “to use them” to achieve “His good pleasure and will,” not because He respected them any more than anyone else but because of His foreknowledge of what He knew they would do. Stay with me, now.

The Role of First Fruits in Resurrection

We then recognize through scripture that God then sent His Only Begotten Son to save the world, right? He was the first fruit of God (His Only Begotten Son) and in actuality He was the first and ONLY in many ways.

The first and only born of a virgin. The first and only to live without sin. The first and only to come down from above. The first and only to obey the Law. And having been the best, the first, and the first (of an order or rank) of all humanity, He then became the first fruits in overcoming the grave by overcoming sin and death. Listen – please.

1st Corinthians 15:20 says it: “But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first fruits of them that slept.” Because of Him, all of mankind (every rank) will be resurrected , or as it says in

1st Corinthians 15:23: “But every man in his own order: Christ the first fruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.”

Now ask yourself – will other people besides Christ and those that are His at His coming be resurrected? According to the Bible all people (look at the verse above “every man” will be, in his own order). Certainly Jesus was the first-fruits and the “first and only” in many ways. But the point is even in His case as “the first fruits of them that slept” there will be others to come – more harvested – and in the case of resurrection, all.

Remember this as we move forward.

First Fruits and The Church

From His ascension on, the Church – His church, comprised of individual believers – have now become the first- fruits of believers. Romans 8:23 calls believers “the first fruits of the Spirit.” The first fruits of the spirit. “Of the first, of a rank, of therefore, the best of all. But there are more to come, right? First fruits plays such a role in God achieving His own pleasure and will, that when a person became a believer in a certain geographical area in the early church they were known as the first fruits of that area.

In Romans 16:5, Paul is giving greetings, and says “Likewise greet the church that is in their house. Salute my well beloved Epaenetus, who is the “firstfruits of Achaia” unto Christ.” Again here’s the point: First fruits does NOT mean there is no fruit coming after. It merely signifies the first of the best, the first in rank, and the first AMONG many to follow.

Adam and Eve were followed by more people. The Nation of Israel was followed by more nations. Jesus, the first resurrected, was and will be followed by more. The first believers of a given area were followed by more, and the church of the redeemed will be followed by more.

Having said all of this let me bring it in to God’s Plan of Total Reconciliation. It’s a passage that will blow your mind if your mind isn’t closed.

Election and Foreknowledge

James 1:18. I hope and pray you have eyes to see and ears to hear upon reading this passage. Ready? “Of his own will (of His own good pleasure) begat he us with the word of truth (according to His election based on His foreknowledge), that we should be (as the saved members of His body)

Understanding the Harvest Metaphor

“a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.”

Do you know what James is saying here? Certainly God rejoices in the first fruits of all things – they are His. But just because the first are His does NOT mean there will not be more fruit harvested later. And I think this point is entirely missed in the world of Christianity today. I would strongly suggest that no one on earth would want to be anything but God’s first-fruits – the rewards and blessings for being part of the church of the firstborn are beyond compare and description.

But to suggest that all the rest of the fruit of the human field are meaningless and worthless is not only foolish, it’s not biblical. Just as the Nation of Israel thought the sun rose and set on them, and could not accept subsequent nations as being His and part of His harvest, we, in the church, have made an error in believing that the sun rises and sets only on us?

Through every harvest of the field there was always the first-fruits, picturing Christ, picturing His bride of believers. Picturing the best for God. But we cannot forget that there is then there was a general harvest. Of what? All the rest of the fruit, right?

The Gleaning Process

In ancient Biblical times did you know that after the general harvest there was always a gleaning of the field? What was this? It was when the field – thought to have been harvested completely – was double checked to make sure that any fruit that was dropped or fell to the ground or was lost is found and gathered up, that none would be lost. Can you see how this practice fits right into the teachings and parables of Jesus?

I would suggest that God does not like losing. I personally do not believe He loses anything. He will have His way and to me, this is evidence that God does not appreciate loss or waste of anything but especially human beings. Remember when Jesus gathered all those who were following Him into the wilderness and night was about to fall?

Feeding the Five Thousand

We read about it in Matthew 14:15-21 where it says:

“And when it was evening, his disciples came to him, saying, This is a desert place, and the time is now past; send the multitude away, that they may go into the villages, and buy themselves victuals. But Jesus said unto them, They need not depart; give ye them to eat. And they say unto him, We have here but five loaves, and two fishes. He said, ‘Bring them hither to me.’ And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude. And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full. And they that had eaten were about five thousand men, beside women and children.”

I used to be fascinated by the fact that Jesus, who duplicated the fish and loaves had the disciples gather up that which was left over. I understand better now. God does not like loss. And if He cares enough about gathering up dead fish and inanimate bread, what about the souls of men?

For some (rather sick) reason many Christians today have allowed themselves to embrace an attitude that rejoices in an idea that God is going to torture and burn the wicked forever and ever . . . and ever. Some believers share this with a gleam in their eye and a smile on their lips. I am truly befuddled by the whole scenario. Who, in their right mind and even more to the point, who with a heart filled with the love of God would desire that anyone meet such a fate. I understand punishment and I understand discipline for rejecting His Son. I comprehend long sentences as a means to habilitate the most recalcitrant souls – to for God to assign souls to an eternity of incomprehensible suffering absolutely denies the whole premise of a ubiquitous harvest painted in scripture as a loving, caring practice of God.

We know in Luke chapter fifteen, Jesus is asked why he eats with publicans and sinners. And

Stories of Lost Things

He responds by telling three stories one after the other – all about lost things. The first, a lost sheep. And the message was, “What man would not leave the 99 and go after the 1?”

The second was a lost coin – one of ten – and He asks, “What woman of you would not sweep and clean and search the house until that coin was found and when it was would not call all her friends and say rejoice, that which was lost is found?”

And then of course this series of stories ends with the parable of the Prodigal Son, who Jesus says, having gone astray, “comes to his senses” and decides to go back to the care of His Father’s house. “And when he came to himself” Jesus said, “he made the decision to return home.” And how was he received? Jesus tells us. His father, seeing him coming from a long way off did something that was absolutely an embarrassment for men to do in public in the east – he ran. He RAN to his lost Son.

The Nature of God's Love

In first Corinthians 13 Paul describes love to us. He says that God’s love is . . . “long-suffering” It is “kind” It does “not envy” It is “not boastful” Nor “proud” It “behaves itself” And does not “seek its own interests” It is not “easily provoked” It does not “think evil” It does not “rejoiceth in iniquity” but “rejoices in the truth . . .” And he concludes by saying: God’s love “bears all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.”

The Eternity of God's Love

Got all of that?

We’ll we are not done. Because he continues and says that God’s love “NEVER fails.” The idea that once a person dies the hope, and chance, the ability to change is lost and that people are forever relegated to an eternity of punishment has never made sense to me relative to how the Bible describes God and the love that He is.

As a human Dad, a weak evil father of three daughters, I comprehend punishment and discipline, I understand allowing troubled children to run their course and to leave them to their own devices. I get letting my children make a mess of things in order to let them learn and turn and grow and change. But the idea of ever turning from a child completely is totally foreign to my thinking. And if I am able and/or willing (by God’s grace) to forgive and receive all people no matter what they have said or done or believes wouldn’t God almighty be infinitely more willing and capable?

Let’s open up the phone lines.

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