Musing on the 'P' word

Dare I say it?

Predestination!!!

There, now that wasn't too bad.

My theology has shifted quite significantly since February this year, having being confronted by a serious life crisis which set off a whole series of questions in my mind and heart, culminating in the past three days with a further challenge to stretch my perceptions.

Here's the general drift:

Predestination in all its varieties has traditionally focused upon man's eternal destiny. It is based upon the concept of sin and God's judicial wrath against that sin - we either get called and saved or we get eternally damned.(the brokenlegged one's potted description!).

I've always thought this was a bit unfair, I mean, poor old Judas Iscariot! destined from eternity to betray Christ into the hands of the enemy - what chance did he stand against a God who had him marked out?!

Some theologians have tried to rationalise predestination with an element of free will - you can lead a horse to water... so does this mean that God had a 'Plan B' in case Judas decided NOT to betray Jesus?

For too long, I've taken the Pauline stance of trying not to question - who am I to question what God does?

But I think I'm just about set to toss it all into the wheelie bin where it may rightly belong.

What if predestination was simply about God's plan for the whole of creation rather than individual sinners? Does 'sin' even exist in God's eyes?

If a person is playing their part in God's overall plan - even those who 'sin' such as Judas, are they not simply obeying His will? And if they are obeying His will - then why would it be sinful at all anyway? Will God in His wrath send someone to eternal damnation - for obeying Him?

So what if there is no sin at all?
Then there is no guilt.
And God is not angry with us.
And there was no need for an atoning or propitiatory sacrifice.
And there may be no literal Heaven or Hell...
... only God.

My Islamic Studies teacher said that when reciting the Shahadah (Islamic creed), the first thing one does is become an atheist:

'There is no God...'

only then can you declare complete belief in THE one, true God,

'...but God.'

I confess that I have become an atheist several times in the last few days - but only in the cause of rejecting all the false gods I have set up over the years. I may yet have to profess my atheism several more times.

The journey continues...

'TO AN UNKNOWN GOD' Acts 17:23