At lunch yesterday, Gina relayed a comment made by a professor. Seems he wanted to say that Martin Luther was a proponent of predestination. As soon as she asked me about this, Allen reminded everyone to prepare for a ten minute answer. Since I was only allowed ten minutes, I thought I would return to the subject this morning.
Here is what I wanted to say yesterday: Luther wanted no one to ever question the depth of God's love for them. In his own life, he had struggled with this question. He wanted to take off the table issues of whether we have done enough, or believed enough, or thought the right thoughts - with regard to being welcomed into God's salvation. "That is God's decision." And the decision is decidedly "Yes." Remember the scriptures say "While we were yet sinners Christ died for us."
Another German (Rahner) is reported to have said, "Christian Scripture demands that I believe in Hell. My experience of God tells me no one is there." Like Luther, it was his way of taking from Jesus' followers the fear of God, replacing it with the assurance that God loves us, welcomes us, and has forgiven us of our sins. "Stop worrying about this." Hasn't God done enough to convince us that we are not sinners in the hands of an angry God?
All of this came back to me this morning, as I read the appointed second lesson. From 2 Peter 3.1-10 I pulled this verse: "The Lord is not slow about his promise as some count slowness, but is forbearing toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance." If God has to wait a thousand years, God will wait. God will be patient with us because more than anything God wants us to know that we are loved. If we are worried that we teeter on the edge of condemnation, we fear God rather than love God.
We are predestined. Predestined to be loved by God, welcomed by God, saved by God. Nothing we have done, nothing we could do, can nullify the act of God. Salvation is ours. Now - go on with your life, living in that confidence. This is what has been pre-determined.
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