Yes, I am a Heretic

Yes, I am a heretic. Oh, not in the conventional sense, and probably also not in the the United Methodist Church; but in the broad community of Christianity, I hold beliefs commonly held to be heretical. My heresy? I believe that there will be people in heaven who are not Christians. And why do I hold such a belief? Because of yestertoday's Gospel lesson, Matthew 25:31-46, in which the Son of Man judges the nations. Those who he blesses, he tells “Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; ³⁵for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, ³⁶I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.” Now if as Christians “by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast (Ephesians 2:8-9)”, then Christians are not being judged here. So who's being judged? Everyone else! I guess it comes down to your ultimate conception of God: a vengeful (Southern Baptist fire-and-brimstone?) God who condemns all who do not believe, or a God of grace and mercy. Me? I'll go with the God of grace and mercy every time. So I believe in God's grace through the atonement of Jesus Christ, that I am justified by my faith, and that the same God of grace through Jesus Christ will also judge and forgive.

This passage is also the reason Martin Luther felt that all who died were “as asleep” until resurrected at the end of this age, so they could face God and account for themselves. I don't agree with Luther (on this and a few other things: even though the Lutheran church was established as firmly Arminian, Luther himself was thoroughly Calvinist in his view of predestination) but I do believe that when I reach heaven, I will see there not only Martin Luther and Martin Luther King Junior, but Mohandas Gandhi and the Dalai Lama as well.

Posted by trygstad | Category: Personal | 08:04 AM