God’s Will and the Hope of Universal Restoration
God’s Will and the Hope of Universal Restoration.
“God was pleased that all His divine fullness should forever dwell permanently in the Son, who as predetermined by God, bled peace into the world by His death on the Cross as God’s means of reconciling to Himself the whole creation – all things in heaven and all things on earth. In other words, God purposed that all things would be completely reconciled back to Himself, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through His blood shed on the cross.” (Colossians 1:19-20).
Reconciled: (Greek, “apokatallaxai”); a medical term meaning restoration of complete health; to fully restore to a former state of harmony; a total reconciliation of a broken relationship; a full return to what was once joined together.
Make Peace: (Greek, “eirenopsis”); to renew shalom; to resolve differences; to restore a unity to what was divided or fractured; to bring wholeness and well-being to what was spoiled or broken.
Universal Restoration (UR): Also called Universal Reconciliation, it is the term used for the Christian belief that eventually, ultimately, Creator God through His Son Jesus will restore His broken relationship with all of creation; that God has intended this world-wide restoration ever since sin broke creation into pieces and has ever since been waiting to be put back together again; that this fractured union between God and humanity would be completely reconciled through Jesus Christ; that all of creation, all of humanity since the Garden of Eden, has the destiny of being fully renewed through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus; that the timetable for this eventual restoration is known only to God, but is nonetheless destined because it is God’s eventual will for His beloved creation. “Jesus is in heaven now and must remain there until the Day of universal restoration comes – the restoration which in ancient times God announced through His holy prophets.” (Acts 3:21, Peter preaching in the Temple).
Early Christian Roots. Christian historians note that this belief of UR was promoted by many prominent Early Church theologians who are considered heroes of the Faith… Gregory of Nyssa (4th century, who helped compose the Nicene Creed), Clement of Alexandria, Athanasius, Maximus the Confessor, and a whole host of other influential theologians and Bible scholars. These theologians were not “cancelled,” but instead were included as a legitimate part of the biblical conversation on these issues. They were not dominant in their thinking, but neither were they out of the mainstream during those early days in Christianity when there was more flexibility within the orthodox faith concerning topics like hell, salvation, and the eventual reconciliation of all creation.
Universal Restoration is also suggested in these New Testament passages. Note the number of times the word “all” is used;”
“Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them, doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? (Luke 15:4).
“The One who went down is Himself the One who also went up in His ascension, far above all of heaven, in order to fill all things.” (Ephesians 4:10).
“And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to me.” (John 12:32).
“We have hoped in a living God who is the Savior of all human beings, especially those who have faith.” (1 Timothy 4:10).
“When everything in the universe, the entire created order, has finally taken its rightful place under Creator God’s sovereign authority, the Son will present to God His redeemed creation so that God will be all in all, utterly supreme over everything everywhere, including everyone, the Father indwelling all there is, the comprehensive authority and presence who has reclaimed all creation.” (1 Corinthians 15:28).
“For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things: All that exists originates in Him and comes from Him; all things live through Him; and all things are moving toward Him and will consummate in Him; so give Him the glory forever. Amen.” (Romans 11:36).
“In all His wisdom and insight, He has made known to us His secret plan, the mystery at the center of His will. With immense pleasure, He designed His intentions with Christ that will be put into effect when the time is ripe – His plan to bring unity to all things under Christ, when all things are brought together, placing everything in heaven and on earth under the Messiah’s headship.” (Ephesians 1:9-10).
“As in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be given life. For just as in connection with Adam all die, so in connection with Christ all will be made alive.” (I Corinthians 15:22).
“God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not holding anyone’s faults against them, but entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.” (2 Corinthians 5:19).
I believe… God is a “finisher of the faith” in ultimate terms; He will fulfill the promise of His creation to its glorious completion, and will ultimately restore and reconcile to Himself all things ever created, including mankind, finally making God “all in all;” that Christ’s death, resurrection and ascension began the ultimate redemption of the whole universe, and will eventually result in bringing everything back together under Him as Lord; that God has always originally intended for all His creation to eventually be united forever in Him as the supreme authority over everything and everyone, completely reclaiming the entire universe, all because “God so loved the cosmos;” that universal restoration fits squarely with the character of God the Father in the Hebrew Bible and with Jesus Christ in the Gospels, and that other thoughts on this, such as the eternal, unredemptive, conscious torment of sinners in a permanent hell, seems grossly out of character with the God of love we see in Scriptures; that a permanent punishment in hell signals an unlikely defeat of God’s mercy and power, and makes God appear to be a weak sadist and divine bully who enjoys inflicting unending pain; that Jesus will ultimately do what He promised when He said that He would search for any lost sheep until they are found. I believe that UR is logical in light of Scripture and the character of God, and is merely common sense. As the Eastern Orthodox Church declares, “Jesus ends the alienation between God and creation, bringing creation as a sacrament into a living union with God.”
Power in the Blood. The sacrificial blood of Jesus was so profound, so far-reaching, and so powerful that God through Christ has already forgiven the whole world of all its sins. As John the Baptist declared, Jesus was the Lamb of God who has indeed “taken away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). His blood on the Cross covered all of humanity, every person on earth. “And Christ is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours alone, but also for the sins of the whole cosmos.” (1 John 2:2). Forgiveness is a gift that can be accepted or rejected. As with any gift that already exists with its giver, it’s a matter of reaching out your hands and accepting the free gift. But there are many who decide to reject this gift, and so do not put Christ’s forgiveness into action in their lives. Everyone is forgiven, but not everyone has accepted that forgiveness. “There is one God and one Mediator between God and us – the man Jesus, God’s Christ, the Anointed One, who gave His life as a ransom for all so that we might have freedom.” (1 Timothy 2:5-6). To accept the gift of forgiveness during the process of repentance is to experience hope of a new life in God, it is to be freed from slavery to sin, delivered from the penalty of sin, and offered a new identity in Christ. I believe the fires of hell are temporary, and the way God has mercifully decided to punish those who have rejected Him in a redemptive way, offering each sinner an opportunity to freely choose Him. God is not defeated by sin, and in fact has conquered it and will outlast it, since “His mercy endures forever.”
The Hebrew Bible reveals a Lord of creation who established a pattern of restoring whatever He has judged. The Father would relent of His promised judgment when the people would repent. He would heal those whom were punished. His anger was not forever, and whatever punishment He meted out was intentionally redemptive. Yahweh time and again revealed Himself as a God “who does not take pleasure in the death of anyone.” (Ezekiel 18:32, 33:11). In the same breath, God would say, “Moab will be destroyed,” and then “I will restore the fortunes of Moab.” (Jer. 48:4,47); “I will bring disaster on Elam, making an end to them,” and then declaring, “I will restore the fortunes of Elam.” (Jer. 49:37); “I will strike Egypt and then I will heal them! Blessed be Egypt my people!” (Is.19:21-25); “I will restore the fortunes of Sodom and of Samaria.” (Ezek. 16:53-55). Or how about the famous complaint of Jonah after the Lord relented from destroying the Ninevites, an amazing, backhanded compliment... “Isn’t this what I said, Yahweh, when I was still at home? This is what I tried to delay when I fled to Tarshish! I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love! Yes, you are truly a God who relents from sending calamity!” (Jonah 4:2-3). Time and again in the Psalms we see that the Lord’s anger lasts only for a moment. (eg, Ps. 30:5). There is always a redemptive purpose motivating God’s punishments and judgments. Jeremiah 23:20 and 30:24 declares, “The anger of the Lord will not turn back until He fully accomplishes the purposes of His heart.” It seems clear that the God of the Hebrew Bible will not abandon anyone forever, He ultimately doesn’t give up any anybody, and that He continues to love those whom He has judged. UR is also suggested in several psalms, including: “All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations will bow down before him.” (Ps.22:27); “All the earth bows down to you; they sing praise to you, they sing the praises of your name.” (Ps. 66:4); “All the nations you have made will come and worship before you, Lord; they will bring glory to your name.” (Ps. 86:9).
In the New Testament, it seems that sooner or later salvation is destined for everyone, perhaps after a time of redemptive accountability, purification and repentance, and He will eventually have mercy on everyone after a time of suitable punishment for rejection of Him:
“And all mankind will see God’s salvation; all of humanity will witness God’s deliverance.” (Luke 3:6).
“For the grace of God has appeared, giving salvation to all human beings.” (Titus 2:11).
“God our Savior, who wants all mankind to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. He longs for everyone to embrace His life, to be delivered, and to understand the divine truth… He who gave Himself as a Ransom for all people” (1 Timothy 2:3-4, 6).
“The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance; It is not God’s purpose that anyone should be destroyed, but that everyone should turn from his sins.” (2 Peter 3:9).
“For God has shut up all mankind together in disobedience, in order that He might show mercy to all. He considers all of humanity to be prisoners of their unbelief, so that He can unlock our hearts and show His tender mercies to all.” (Romans 11:32).
God’s Will, Beyond our Understanding. “O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His decisions! And how mysterious are His ways, His methods, and His paths! For who has known the mind of the Lord, who has understood His thoughts, or who has ever been His counselor? For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. For all things originate with Him and come from Him; all things live through Him, and all things center in and end in Him. To Him be glory forever! Amen. That’s the truth.” (Romans 11:33-36).
Hebrew Word for Will is “haspasti”, which means to will something because it brings great delight; to desire because it brings pleasure; to wish something to be done because it is the best for all concerned.
Greek Word for Will is “thelema,” which means the preferred choice, the intended will that has a deep purpose behind it; the desired preference for action.
Describing God’s Will. Accepting the fact that God’s thoughts are as unreachable as the furthest star in the galaxy, and that His level of understanding is as far from us as the distance from one end of the universe to the other end, we can try to describe God’s will this way: His will is His heart’s desire for every creature to become what that creature was created to be, to reach God’s purpose and destiny for that person; God’s will is what He wants to happen; God’s will is His pure and perfect intention for everything under the sun; His will always remain what is best for all of humanity; His will includes all of mankind’s actions and attitudes that are in line with His character and purpose; His will is that which brings pleasure and joy to His heart; God’s will springs from His character and is an expression of who He is by nature. According to many biblical scholars, God has three wills: His Intentional Will, which is what He prefers according to His designs and plans for the world. The whole world is full of God’s mercy (Ps. 119:64), and God intends that his creatures reflect and live into that mercy with each other. But His intentions could be thwarted in the short-term, because of His… Permissive Will: His will honors each person’s free will, since we are all made in His image; for the short-term, His permissive will allows each of us to stray from His preference or His intention, refusing to eliminate the freedom of mankind to make their own choices in life. However, God has an Ultimate Will for the long-term, a perfect will that is irresistible, that God has had in mind since the creation of the world, and God is determined that His ultimate will shall prevail. Much of God’s ultimate will is a secret at this point, known only to Him. God in His wisdom enjoys a unified plan that we are not privy to, and life in this world is moving towards the ending He has determined. If God’s will and desire is that everyone will eventually be saved, as Rob Bell asks, “Does God finally get what He wants?” Of course He does! In any discussion of God’s will, of course, we shouldn’t forget that, “whatever the Lord pleases to do, He does.” (Ps. 135:6), and “Our God is in heaven; He does whatever He pleases.” (Ps. 115:3).
My Disclaimer. Yes, I believe it is legitimate for a follower of Christ to hope in the eventual restoration of all of creation. Yes, I believe it is entirely legitimate for a firm believer in the Bible like myself to think that there is a strong possibility that eventually all will be saved and all of creation will be reconciled back to God. But, on the other hand, it seems rather arrogant, or at least foolish, to delude myself into thinking that I can pretend to know the full knowledge of God’s thoughts on every matter in the faith… to stubbornly insist on my human understanding of how God ultimately works; to self-righteously assume I can definitively know how God’s mind operates on eternal matters; to place unquestioning trust in my own fallible understanding. Our biblical views, our doctrines, or our systems of theology, are all preliminary in the sense that God will obviously have the final word when the final Age arrives. In the meantime, it would be wise for us to be a bit hesitant in drawing final conclusions on theological matters. When we are hesitant and cautious to make unequivocal statements, we are rightfully acknowledging that our own reasonable conclusions are temporary until the final conclusions are reached when He returns to take us home. God is too gigantic of a mystery to think we can systematize Him to the tiniest detail and put Him in a theological box that is questionable biblically.
My Bottom Line… Jesus Christ was and still is Lord Yahweh in the flesh, the Old Testament God in a New Testament body; God made all of humanity in His image, and seeks to remake us into the likeness of Jesus; Christ is the world’s sun of truth and righteousness, and the Scriptures are ‘the moon in our darkness’ reflecting the light of the sun; Jesus is the world’s only door to the Father, and the only fountain of the Holy Spirit; Jesus Christ was and remains Love with flesh on; the life-giving power of Christ literally holds all things together in the entire cosmos, and without His presence the whole universe would collapse unto itself and disintegrate into nothing.
“Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:9-11).
(References include: many writings of the Protestant Scottish theologian George MacDonald; the writings and podcasts of Roman Catholic Bishop Fr. Robert Barron, especially his comments regarding Von Balthasar’s book Dare We Hope That All Men Be Saved?; Until the Last One is Found, by the evangelical pastor Rev. Curt Paton; That All Shall Be Saved, by the Eastern Orthodox theologian David Bentley Hart; Love Wins, by the progressive Chistian author and pastor Rob Bell; and many translations of the Holy Scripture.)