My latest blog post titled “God Still Loves Satan” has apparently ruffled a few feathers, as evidenced by some of the comments both on this blog and on Facebook, not to mention conversations I have had with others in-person. As I am not one to shy away from feather-ruffling (hint: I do it on purpose), I thought I might follow up my last post with a Bonus Edition, interrupting my biweekly posting schedule to speak a little about God and the expansive nature of His grace.
This might seem to some like an old, overly-worn and somewhat boring topic. After all, aren’t there enough of those greasy-grace preachers around? Who needs one more blog post? Be that as it may, I suggest you better bust out your biggest container of Dawn soap because the grace is about to get a WHOLE LOT GREASIER!!
Jesus is love. God is Love. Holy Spirit is love. Love covers over a multitude of sins. Love never fails. And what can separate us from the love that is in Christ Jesus? Death can’t. No, really, it can’t. For all who call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Colossians 1:19-20 says “For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.” God is reconciling ALL to him without exception. Again, I repeat God is reconciling all to him without exception. And as much as people might not like it that includes Lucifer, who fell from grace and became the Adversary, the Satan.
Why would God do this? Why would he reconcile Lucifer, the one who has caused massive and almost immeasurable damage to those on this planet? Because God is not only more loving and merciful but he is ALSO more just that either you or I. I had a conversation this past week where someone said to me “if God is going to let the being who made all of mankind fall into sin back into heaven then I don’t want to be there.” That statement is one I have heard many people say over time, and it is indicative of their inability to forgive and to release someone from their judgments. It is in no way indicative of how God SHOULD be. In reality, to think that God would somehow forgive humans, of whom all have sinned and fallen short, but somehow not want to forgive other beings he created is not only absurd, but completely irrational. To not like or forgive Satan doesn’t in any way change God’s nature of love, grace, and mercy. To go a step further, to suggest that there is a sin out there that is somehow uncoverable or unforgivable or unfixable by Jesus’ blood is beyond ridiculous. If you believe anything at all about the saving power of Jesus and his redemption of us all through the cross, then you know it is while we were still SINNERS that Christ died. And how is Satan any different from us in that regard. For ALL have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.
What that statement actually says is that there is someone out there who has sinned so horribly that that person believes Jesus SHOULD not forgive them, as the Bible is quite clear that God’s power is limitless and it has never been an issue that God cannot forgive them. And who is it, I ask, that gets to decide who God should and Gould not forgive?
There are many out there whose sense of Justice is threatened by this concept of God-forgiving-satan. But I have to ask, what could possibly be so threatening about a God who is far more loving than we are? Is it that we yearn for some sort of payment in life for wrongdoing to satisfy an inner need? Is it that we cannot imagine being in heaven with the truly wicked? I will say this — he who is forgiven much loves much. Is it possible that those with this strong need for justice simply haven’t been forgiven for enough to appreciate the depths of God’s grace? Is it that they need to dive even more deeply into the arms of His grace to find mercy and grace to help in time of need?
The reality is that while each and every single one of us was a sinner and sentenced to death under the Law, Jesus who knew and committed no sin became sin for us and in our place died our deaths. How are we so arrogant to think that we get to dictate whom God may and may not extend His grace to when we are just as guilty under the law and requiring of that same grace ourselves? The fact is that without God’s grace each of us would eventually go into a place of utter and abject darkness in the spiritual realms and suffer with our own inner darkness for eternity. Those who don’t know God have said many times “How could a loving God sentence people to hell for eternity?” The truth is that He doesn’t, and they inherently know it is true in their hearts, for God has written the Law on their hearts and ours. God forgave our sins and it is His and His right only to decide who He chooses to forgive or not forgive, and He has already stated in Scripture that He has come to save all, to rescue all, and to restore all.
I will not apologize not ever back down for sharing, writing, or preaching a gospel of Limitless Grace and Limitless Love at the hand of a Limitless God. And for those who are now furiously searching the scriptures to find a way to disprove me I will save you time. There is not a single verse anywhere that says God will not save Lucifer. And while there is no verse that directly mentions Lucifer’s name and states outright “Yea verily shalt Lucifer be savedeth,” there are a number of verses that talk about God saving all. And it is impossible to prove that God meant humans only, as it was proven otherwise by the verse quoted above in Colossians.
I will never understand why people feel threatened that God is more loving than they are. I will never understand why they feel limitless grace somehow threatens the belief in a God of Justice. My only guess is that those who ardently seek justice are holding onto a need for someone or something to be punished. My recommendation is that if that is you, lay down that need, for the same measure you use will be measured to you. If you must have someone else, even a fallen angel, pay for their sins that Jesus already paid for, be certain that you are willing to undergo the same judgment. Be certain that you understand what you are saying is that Jesus’ blood was NOT sufficient to cover all. And be certain that you understand your gospel, then, is weak, sick, and lacking in power to save. I, for one, will choose to believe the better report of the One who is All-powerful as whose name is Mighty To Save.
