The Unforced Love of God – Brad Jersak

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Intrinsic to the all-inclusive claims of passages such as Philippians 2:10-11 and John 12:32 is the companion truth that God honors human freedom and our voluntary faith response to Jesus’ work of reconciliation. To harmonize the twin biblical emphases on human freedom and ultimate redemption, we must acknowledge that our rejection of Christ is rooted in a dysfunction of the will, a blindness of our spiritual eyes. But through the gospel message, personal encounter, and an ultimate face-to-face with Christ, our eyes are healed and our wills are freed so that we are restored to our natural state: a joyful and willing “Yes!” to God’s love.

I want to revisit Philippians 2 for those who continue to argue for the ‘free will defense’ of hell. Let’s read Philippians 2 again.

9 Therefore God exalted [Jesus] even more highly
    and gave him the name
    that is above every other name,
10 so that at the name given to Jesus
    every knee should bend,
    in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue should confess
    that Jesus Christ is Lord,
    to the glory of God the Father.

Now, here is the irony: when I quote this overtly universalist passage, what are the primary objections or questions raised by infernalists? [Infernalism is the belief that hell is eternal conscious torment in the Lake of Fire for those who don’t confess Christ].

  • 1. First, some infernalists insist that the confession described in Philippians 2 is only made by “the elect.” That is, the “every” knee and “every” tongue making this confession really only means “every Christian knee and every Christian tongue.” And okay, they would also include righteous Jews from the Old Testament and the unfallen angels in heaven. So, “in heaven and on earth and under the earth” is not actually as all-inclusive as it sounds… but the range is meant to include the living elect and the dead elect.
  • But if ‘the righteous dead’ are now with the Lord in paradise/heaven, then who are those “under the earth”? An infernalist response involves theological gymnastics that seem to violate Paul’s obvious intent (something that matters to me). Namely, that “every knee and every tongue in heaven, on earth, and under the earth” is a deliberately all-encompassing confession of the Lordship of Christ. In the end, no one in the entire cosmos will deny the truth that God has raised, exalted, and enthroned Jesus Christ as the Name above every other name. So, please also note carefully Paul’s repetitive connection between every knee, every tongue, and the Name above every name.

But even if we are convinced that the confession is all-inclusive, a second objection follows fast on its heels—one that I admit to using myself as a young preacher circa 1990:

  • 2. That while every knee will bow in heaven, and on the earth, an under the earth—yes, including the ‘unwashed heathen’ and the fallen angels—their confession will only be a grudging admission as they are “forced to their knees and confess with gritted teeth.” Those who have not bowed in willing surrender to Jesus Christ in this life will be forced to do so at the final judgment as a final act before they are cast into the Lake of Fire. This is not a caricature of that position. I have heard it preached many times, not least by myself!
  • But note the irony… apologists who employ a free-will defense of hell must now resort to force. God won’t force anyone to receive him, but God will force everyone to kneel and confess to him? In that model, then, a saving confession is not forced (Amen!) but a damning admission IS forced! In that case, God would be more like Nero than like Jesus, except that in Nero’s case, the forced confession may have secured salvation for Nero’s suppliants. Yet, not so in God’s case? This is perplexing.

But we needn’t be so crass. Many ‘free will defense’ adherents stick to a simpler and more self-inflicted account of damnation:

  • 3. That despite Jesus’s claim and Paul’s forecast that in the end, God will restore all things and all people, we must still defend people’s capacity to reject Christ forever (forgetting the dysfunction involved). Infernalists believe that we could hypothetically turn from God’s love forever, even having beheld it with unveiled hearts. Well, no. Paul says we won’t. But let’s grant that possibility for just a moment. Because willingness and agency do matter if our response to Love is love (“We love him because he first loved us”). If we’re this insistent on human freedom, right? Then surely the Free Will Infernalist will also grant that at the final judgment, God will also honor our freedom to repent, return to Christ, and receive eternal life, right? If Christ died to reserve our right to say no, rather than coerce our worship at the Cross, then surely his death also secures an open door for all to repent when we every eye shall see him as he truly is on his Great White Throne, right?
  • The typical objection to this proposal is that death was a deadline that even God cannot violate. “Uh, sorry folks, there’s nothing I can do.” And at that point, I’m afraid we’ve left the ancient Christian faith that proclaimed every Easter, “Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and upon those in the tombs, bestowing life.”
  • And yes, absolutely, “It IS appointed unto men once to die, and after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27)… that old ‘red line’ ultimatum. Precisely! And the key words there are “and AFTER this”… death is not the end! And after this,” what? The judgment! The krisis. The Day of the Lord when “every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father!” and Christ hands the kingdom over to God the Father all things (everything and everyone), and God shall be (all in all) (1 Corinthians 15:20-28).

So, finally,

  • I do believe in both the ultimate redemption and in the free (freed) will of humanity.
  • I do believe and confess that Jesus is Lord, as per Philippians 2 and Romans 10:9).
  • I do believe that Jesus Christ is risen and alive and has conquered death for all (1 Corinthians 15:21-23).
  • I do believe that when we see him, we will heal the blindness that prevented belief (2 Corinthians 4:3-6).
  • And I believe Jesus Christ will be proven true, when he said, “If I am lifted up, I will draw ALL people to myself (John 12:32).

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