Resurrection Sunday

Two millennia ago our Lord was put to death. Not just any death, death on a cross. The Law of Moses pronounced: Cursed is the man who hangs on a tree (Deu 21:23; Gal 3:13). The Romans reserved crucifixion for non-citizens. It was a shameful death. Dealt out to criminals. Jesus became the lowest: dead, and death in shame.

But he rose again. As Paul writes about God's mighty power in us, that God also

worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, (Eph 1:20-22)

Jesus, from shameful death to:

The right hand of God. Next to God and above every created thing.

Above the mighty angels, above the spiritual beings who rule in this world, above the demons and all evil spiritual powers.

Above every person of fame. Above all kings, rulers and emperors on this earth.

And not just in this current epoch, the world as it is from Adam until now. But in the next age, the ages after Jesus returns.

And Jesus now rules the universe. He is over absolutely everything. There is nothing in all creation that is not under Jesus' command.

From the lowest death to supreme ruler of the universe.

And one day all will confess that Jesus is Lord of all (Phi 2:11).

Inside the cell

This video is an animation of cellular activity. The animators tried to make the cells and cellular structures true to life. Colour is added, and there is more space in the animation: cells are packed full and structures would be difficult to discern with an accurate spatial rendering, though shape and scale are probably accurate.

What struck me first on seeing this, other than the cell being sublimely impressive, was that God must have had such a fun time designing life. It must have brought him so much pleasure.

More on the making of this animation here.

A longer 8 minute video with commentary available here. Well worth the time.

God will reward the least

I think it will be interesting to see who is honoured in heaven; many who are considered of small importance in this world, those who faithfully discharged the duties which God has given them. While some well-known men will be rewarded, remember to whom much has been given much is expected. So examples people like George Muller and John Wesley may be rewarded handsomely for their kingdom work, other famous Christians may barely get in, and some may just have the appearance of belief and so will be rejected by Christ.

But I like to think of watching God give his gifts to those that many have never heard of. How God in his justice and goodness will reward those with little ability yet discharged this faithfully.

• The mother who devoted her life to raising a disabled child and caring for him throughout his life.
• The slave who had no option of freedom yet worked as for the Lord.
• The mistreated person who never received justice in this life yet refused bitterness and trusted in God.

And there are many, many more. Those who are never recognised in this world. And Jesus will welcome them into heaven offering them the best places at the feast for all the universe to witness.

Glory is not a zero sum game

Calvinists make the same error with God's glory, that Marxists do with economics. They both assume it is a zero sum game. Economics can be zero sum if we just transfer wealth, negative sum if we destroy it, or positive sum if we create it.

While I dispute that accepting the gift of salvation is boast-worthy or gives any glory to man, I do not see why any process of glorifying men necessarily diminishes the glory of God. Surely if God redeems man and in the process transforms us from glory to glory, then his own glory is increased. Glory is not a zero sum game. Our increasing glory does not subtract from God's glory, it adds to it.

Does God need to send men to hell for his glory?

I do not see why this should be so. I see no diminution of God's glory if all men are ultimately saved (though this will not be the case). For surely God's glory is all the greater if men who were hell-bound now belong to the kingdom of heaven. Is God's glory not demonstrated more in his salvation of sinners than his condemnation of them?

You may argue that God needs to send men to hell to manifest the glory of his justice. That justice is an attribute that is glorified by its execution. But surely laying our sins on Jesus manifests God's justice more than any human cast into the lake of fire. And if this is so, there is no need for any man to be condemned for the sake of God's glorious justice.

God's sovereignty and glory

Calvinists have claimed that God chooses specific men for salvation because he is sovereign. Those are saved to maximise God's glory in his mercy, and others are damned to maximise God's glory in his wrath.

These ideas, I think, are incorrect. The issue of sovereignty is a logical question. And damnation, while giving God glory, does so less than salvation.

I don't think it possible for God to force anyone into heaven. Or rather force anyone to love him; heaven is the destination. So I think the Calvinists are incorrect about sovereignty over who is saved because it is not an question of sovereignty.

God can create, God can woo (prevenient grace), God can save, God can give eternal life, God can create freedom of the will.

None of which man can do.

However I think that if God creates us as beings that have the ability to choose or reject God then I think it logically impossible to force love from such a being.

To have such a high view of sovereignty that claims that God can make us love him, seems, to me, as preposterous as a high view of God's omnipotence means he can make 2 + 2 = 5.

So I don't think that non-Calvinists have a low view of God's sovereignty, I think they have a more accurate one.

Further I think God does desire every single person go to heaven. I don't think any have been created specifically for destruction. Neither are we created for redemption; rather for fellowship. Because of Adam's choice we become estranged. God's grace gives us a possible path back. Those who continually reject God's drawing are handed over to destruction. They become unredeemable^* objects of wrath whom God prepares for destruction based on our rejection of him.

It is theoretically possible that every person could choose God.

God does seek his own glory, but the Calvinists are incorrect about this being the reason for creating beings for damnation. Why? Because if we choose obedience and become objects of mercy, God gains even more glory.

God is glorified when he destroys the wicked.

God is glorified more when he shows mercy to the repentant wicked.

What of Romans 9?

What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory—even us whom he has called,...

It is not that God creates beings solely so they can be destroyed and they have no choice to escape that destination. Rather they have insisted on wickedness, they have rejected God's offer of mercy, therefore they are prepared for destruction. Given they are not redeemable, God uses them to maximise his glory in the view of the vessels of God's mercy. God uses a bad situation for good.

If Calvinism was correct about God's sovereignty then he would maximise his glory by saving everyone. That would bring him more glory than damning some.

^*We are children of wrath because we are fallen (Ephesians 2:3). If we reject God to the point we are not redeemable then we are vessels of wrath prepared for destruction (Romans 9:22).