My son shared this text with me last night and it’s a stunner. Here it is:
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How is this possible? I’ve always assumed (isn’t this part of Christianity??) that God blots out my sins for MY sake! And why not? I’m the sinner so I’m clearly the benefitiary of His generosity. And praise God for that!
But that’s not what this text says at all: No, God blots out our sins FOR HIS OWN SAKE!!!
What does it mean if something is done for the sake of a certain person?
Mustn’t it mean that it is for their benefit; on their behalf; it is done FOR that person?
If that’s what it means, doesn’t that turn everything upside down? Doesn’t that add an entire new dimension to God and His saving love? Doesn’t this suggest that God does this to, dare I say it, somehow “complete” Himself or something? Maybe “complete” is not the right word…???.. maybe more like “fulfill” HImself. But that should not be such a hard thing for us to grasp given that if we believe there comes a time when God is made “all in all!” that must mean that before that time God was NOT all in all.
Which fits perfectly with the idea that it is simply not in God’s nature to rest until everything is restored back to it’s intended and created order. Thus it makes no sense at all to suggest that anyone suffers for eternity (or is annihilated for that matter) when God Himself states that He wipes out our sins for HIS OWN sake. One need not be detoured into worrying about whether this insinuates that God doesn’t take sin “seriously” – for should God want to blot out my transgressions (yours too) on His Own terms and for His own sake, who are WE to decline?
Is it blashpemy to suggest that God is yet to be made “whole” (again, maybe not the right word; but you get the idea…) until all sin and rebellion is dealt with to His satisfaction? And that this text also suggests that God has the intention, and the ability to rectify the situation FOR His Own sake? And the very nature of sin, being counter to God, simply cannot stand in the way of God’s eternal purpose?
All of which would fit perfectly with Universal Restoration – and not at al with ECT or annihilation…
I’d love to know how our bible scholars and word experts here read this stunning text!
(written quickly at work; idea too exciting to not write about!)
Bobx3