So how are we to “regard the patience of the Lord as salvation” while worrying about “the rest of the world is toast thief in the night day of the Lord?” Even if we are confident of our reserved seat in the forever future we can hardly sit still when it comes to those for whom God’s infinite patience will one day run out. Lives of holiness and godliness are only holy and godly in so much as they are lived for the sake of those who do not know the peace and patience of God. And so God’s desire that none perish may dove tail with our own – at least for the “none” that we know – which is why waiting patiently is not the same as passively waiting.
I think it was Barth who said, "God always has his surprises? speaking about the possibility of what may be called for that lack of a better term, "universalism."
ReplyDeleteThe way I have always parsed this troubling topic is to say, "No one misses the show who doesn't want to." By that I mean to say that the possibility does exist that there will be some who do not what to be found present with the Lord.
I loved your comment: "Even if we are confident of our reserved seat," and I have always struggled with those (myself included) who assume they will be there, and it's always the other guy (or gal) who will not. I think supreme humility is called for here -- especially since it is we North Americans who are the power people and the people of empire.