So, Megan and I were driving down the road ... well, perhaps we were driving up the road, it's always hard to tell .... when we passed the local Catholic Church. They have one of those signs with removable letters that sits perpendicular to the highway. It's a nicely constructed sign and they often post Bible verses for passers-by to read. I have often wished that the local Protestant Churches would follow suit and stop posting inane slogans like, "Come In, We're Prayer Conditioned" --- or my currrent favorite (if that's the right word) "Jesus is Like Bayer Aspirin; He Works Miracles!"
Anyway, when the local Catholics do wander away from plain Bible verses, they usually post something vaguely theological. This week the sign reads:
"GOD DID NOT CREATE YOU TO LOSE YOU."
Megan turned to me and said, "Something is very wrong with that statement." And she's right. Read it again and see if you can figure out what's wrong with it.
This statement assumes that God is a pitiful weakling who tried His best to hang on to His people, but simply couldn't. It also assumes that everyone is created essentially "saved." Everyone is good and was created by God with the intention that they would remain with HIm forever. However, through no apparent fault of His own, God was not able to secure everyone eternally. Their sin, their will, or their rebellious nature eventually caused God to say, "That's it, I'm through with you! I created you with the intention of keeping you, but I am simply unable or unwilling to continue my original course of action." In other words, God changes His mind.
Of course, this is in direct conflict with the Biblical statement, "For I am the LORD, I change not." (Mal. 3:6) Or, "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever." (Heb 13:8)
It's just bad theology. The simple reality is that God makes certain people for certain purposes and destinies. That is the whole point of the Potter/clay metaphor that shows up in Jeremiah, Isaiah and Romans. Paul writes:
" Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use, and another for common use? What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction? And He did so in order that He might make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory, even us, whom He also called, not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles." (Rom. 9:21-25)
The Biblical record clealy states that God creates, from one lump, two types of vessels; one for honor and one for common use. One type of pot is created for mercy, "prepared beforehand for glory," while the other type is "prepared for destruction." It is simply not true that God makes all people with the same purpose in mind.
Consequently, we can argue textually that God never loses anyone at all. Every person He designed for eternal life in glory will receive exactly that. Those who are lost were never intended for glory. God loses nothing.
I prefer the Pauline theology that says, "For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Rom. 8:38-39)
The Lord of glory speaks like this - "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. I and the Father are one." (John 10:27-30)
That is the sort of strength, integrity and surety that genuine Christianity proclaims. To say anything less is to insult the majesty and sovereignty of God.
We need more church signs that say that.
