Deep, Stretching Thoughts About God

This morning I am continuing a reflection I started a few days ago which looks at some interesting verses from the New Testament. These are some interesting verses from 1 Peter 3:18-22 NIV:

[18] "For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit. [19] After being made alive, he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits--- [20] to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, [21] and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also---not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, [22] who has gone into heaven and is at God's right hand---with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him."

Specifically verses 19-20, where Peter writes that Jesus, after rising from the dead, went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits, to those who were disobedient before the flood and Noah's Ark.  

This is what was recorded about those people - Genesis 6:1-7 NIV:

[1] "When human beings began to increase in number on the earth and daughters were born to them, [2] the sons of God saw that the daughters of humans were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose. [3] Then the Lord said, “My Spirit will not contend with humans forever, for they are mortal ; their days will be a hundred and twenty years.” 

[4] The Nephilim were on the earth in those days---and also afterward---when the sons of God went to the daughters of humans and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown. 

[5] The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. [6] The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled. [7] So the Lord said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created---and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground---for I regret that I have made them. ”

Going back the verses from Peter, one wonders where this idea came from?  Did the Lord tell him after His resurrection?  Was this something that was discussed or taught by other Apostles?  

Similarly, we are told by Paul in Ephesians 4:9 NIV: (What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions ?"  And by Peter again in 1 Peter 4:6 NIV: "For this is the reason the gospel was preached even to those who are now dead, so that they might be judged according to human standards in regard to the body, but live according to God in regard to the spirit." 

All of these verses seem, at least to me, to push the boundaries of our understanding of salvation and how it works.  That there is an eternal (or at least afterlife on earth) component to our nature is clear from all three verses, and in two we hear of the Lord preaching or proclaiming to those who have passed away.  In the Gospel of Matthew 27:51-53 we have an account of dead people coming out of their tombs right after Jesus' death, which seems to be inline with these verses.

Is it possible that the Lord can address someone after their death?  

The account of Lazarus (John 11), and the son of the widow of Nain (Luke 7:11-16) would indicate that Jesus could command those who have passed into death, and Lazarus was gone 4 days. 

From Revelations we are told by Jesus, in John's vision the following - Revelation 1:17b-18 NIV:  “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. [18] I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades."  

I could get into a bunch of stuff here, ideas about eternity; time's existence on earth, but not in eternity; eternity being outside of time, etc. but today I want to look at what this means about God's justice.  We Christians often hear it preached that salvation only can come through Christ Jesus, based on His own words in John 14:6 "No one comes to the Father except through me."  We also understand that all are created in God's Image (Gen 1:26), created lovingly by Him (Psalm 139) and are loved since before the beginning of the world (Eph 1:4-5), and that is equally applicable to those who experience salvation, as those who have yet to experience salvation, for Christ died for all of us, while we were still sinners (Rom 5:8).  Jesus says that He came to earth because of the Father's love, and His desire was for their salvation not their condemnation (John 3:16-17)

Thus, we have a God who created the world and all the people in it, and He loves us all, whether we have heard of Him or not, and He desires our salvation.  I believe this is true of all that have ever lived, for His love was established before the creation of the world, and clearly from the very first He loved us.  The verses found in Gen 6 - where it speaks of God's regret, must be understood through the understanding of the greater revelation of Christ Jesus.  In fact, the story of Noah can be understood as being an early image of salvation available through obedience to God.  The Author of Hebrews states that  "The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being" (Hebrews 1:3 NIV), thus, if we don't see something in Jesus, and through His life, that is seen or described in the Old Testament, we must understand that the author of whatever is in question, had a less superior revelation of God's character and motivation.

So, going back to these verses, we find a line of thinking in some of the earliest writings of the Church, that Jesus went to those who were already dead, and proclaimed or preached to them, and that includes those who were alive before Noah's time, which is much before the time of Abraham, before the Covenant of the Law, and certainly before the revelation of Jesus!  If He does hold the keys to death and hades, and all must come to salvation through Him, and God loves every human who has ever lived since before the creation of the world, then the only just thing for God to do (at least in my limited understanding) would be to make sure that all who have ever lived would have a chance to hear the Gospel, and a chance to respond, even if they are already passed from life here on earth!

Doesn't that just stretch your mind, heart and understanding?  

If God is perfectly just and perfectly merciful, this seems to me to be the answer to both!   

In His letter to the Colossians, Paul writes, "When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins,.." (Colossians 2:13 NIV) The original Greek reads more like, "And you, dead in your sins" not so much a time reference, but a statement of fact, and this would be true for us all!

Taking one step further, if this is possibly true for us, dead in our sin, could it not also be true for those who are actually dead?  

Could we say this is true for every person who has ever lived, regardless of what they have heard in this life, or believed in this life?  

I am certainly not making a statement of theological assurance, but really asking if our idea of God is big enough?  

Could God be this merciful and just?  

Could He actually love and care for the Hindu, Muslim, Atheist, LGBTQ individual and me in the same way?

Certainly deep and challenging thoughts!  If I know one thing, it is that I cannot fully comprehend God, His character, or the beautiful possibility of His perfect will and plan.  

Thank You Lord for everything, for all You do, and have done in my life! 

Amen!