For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

• John 3:16

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

• 2 Peter 3:9

He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.

• 1 John 2:2

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

• Romans 5:8

Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.

• Colossians 3:11

For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

• Mark 10:45

This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

• Matthew 26:28

Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

• Matthew 7:23

“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

• Matthew 25:23

When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed.

• Acts 13:48

“For many are invited, but few are chosen.”

• Matthew 22:14

Boilerplate

I’m Harold Dykstra.  I’m retired, but I go to food bank distributions all over Tracy and talk to people that need someone who will listen to their story.  My time is well spent.  A police lieutenant suggested that I write down the conversations that I had with an angel.  I did not know she was an angel at the time.  The angel, for a little over a year, indwelled a life-sized posable action figure my children bought me, so that I would not be perceived as travelling alone.  And in a way, she was training me for what I do while talking to the needy.  She probed my heart to find out what I believed and how I express love for others.  She changed my life.

In her leaving, she said someone would come.  I had thought that was Jesus, in His second coming, but a new Babs, a little older, the model for the posable action figure arrived.  While I had no desire to start over with romance, Morrie helped her move in, thinking she was the other Babs who had returned.

This Week’s Question

Last week Babs wasn’t feeling well.  For a while, we were concerned about what this could be.

While still waiting for a couple of the tests and the results of the early tests, Babs asked if she could teach the Bible Study?

I asked, “Is this where you do it like the young Babs and you come up with the Bible verses and then ask a lot of questions?”

Babs scrunched her nose, “Isn’t that the way you’re supposed to do it?”

I sighed, “Okay, the routine worked with her.  What is your topic?”

Babs smiled, “Did Jesus die for many or all?”

I groaned, “Oh, dear, that one presses a lot of buttons with a lot of people.”

Babs nodded eagerly.  “I get asked that question at a lot of these food banks.  I need an answer.”

I nodded, “Okay, let’s look at a few of your verses, but we may not come up with an answer that your friends will accept.”

Babs smiled, “John 3:16 says that God loved the world.  Is that not saying that God loved everything in the world, including all people?”

I nodded, “I can buy that concept, but God does not love sin.  God is holy.  His holiness cannot coexist with sin.  So, to be in God’s presence, our sin must be washed away.  That was done by the blood of Jesus.  I am sure you will get to Mark 10:45 where Jesus gave His life as ransom for many, not all.”

Babs groaned, “But that bothers me, and it bothers others that I talk with.  Second Peter 3:9 says that God does not wish that any should perish.  So, why would Jesus die for just a few?”

I smiled, “God’s holiness again.  But God gave us the ability to choose.  God does not force us to love Him.  Have you ever heard of people trying to force others to love them?”

Babs frowned, “No, but maybe, a little.  I don’t think that works very well.”

I nodded, “If we were robots, it would work.  We are humans.  We have free will, and if we want to go our own way, it saddens God, but He lets us go.”

Babs asked, “But what about me.  He let me go.  I never had a thought of Him, but then when I started getting all those dreams, God made a really big effort to show me the way to Him.  Why doesn’t He do that with everyone?”

I asked in return, “Maybe He does, and they do not listen.  Have you noticed that a lot of people who call themselves atheists also have an intense anger and resentment toward God?  That is a monumental contradiction, but they never see the contradiction.  They had at one time gotten those kinds of dreams or their conscience talking to them.  They rejected those things because they wanted to live in their sinful lives.  Even though their pleasures do not last and even diminish in effectiveness each time, they do not want to acknowledge the God who introduced Himself to them by one means or another.  And thus, they are angry at a God they do not believe in.  They slammed the door on all that communication as if God was a ghost or something unreal.”

Babs eagerly added, “The Holy Spirit is sometimes called the Holy Ghost.  God is a spirit.”

I nodded, “So, some want to ignore the spiritual world, but then some of those same people delve into seances and other spiritualistic things, talking to the dead and such.  And God says those types of things are never to be done.”

Babs adds, “But 1 John 2:2 says that the atoning sacrifice was for all the sin in the world.”

I nodded, “Jesus died on the cross as ransom for many, but His sacrifice could have washed away the sins of all people, if they had believed.  The atoning sacrifice was sufficient for all sins, but to have our sins washed clean, thus becoming holy so that we can go into God’s presence…  For all that to happen, we have to accept His sacrifice by trusting in Jesus and making Him our Lord, our supreme ruler in our life.  Do you remember us listening to Stan Freberg’s Christmas Dragnet?”

Babs giggled, “About that man named Grudge, who didn’t believe in Santa Claus, or the Easter Bunny, or Columbus, or Cleveland, or Cincinnati.”

I asked, “And what about Toledo?”

Babs laughed, “He still ain’t made his mind up about Toledo!”

I nodded, “Yeah, and a brownie, because all the elves were busy on Christmas Eve, took them on a tour of the North Pole, and they saw a mountain of presents.  All those presents could be delivered, if that one man just believed.”

Babs scrunched her nose, “So, Jesus died on the cross with an atoning sacrifice that was sufficient for everyone to be saved, but since some people do not believe, there present remains unopened in Heaven?”

I nodded, “Something like that.  What is your next verse?”

Babs said, “Two similar verses.  Romans 5:8 says that while we were sinners, Christ died for us.  And Colossians 3:11 said that Jesus is in all of us.  But who is ‘us’?”

I smiled, “Exactly!  Paul is addressing those letters to believers.  We, the many that Jesus talked about, are the ‘us’ in those verses.  He is in us, but what does Revelation 3:20 say?  He knocks, but He will not enter until we allow Him to do so.  Thus, He is in all believers, not all people on earth.  So, much of the confusion is that we do not read a verse in context.  We do not consider who the audience is.  In those two verses, Paul is talking to believers or about believers, thus all believers.  And we carry our own baggage into the interpretation of what is said.  We do not want our friends to go to Hell.  We talk to them, and they reject what we say.  We can still love them because they are rejecting God, not us.  Sometimes, sadly, they cut off that friendship by rejecting us.”

Babs said, “Okay, Matthew 26:28 says that the blood of Jesus is poured out for many.  But why all this argument?  Why can’t Jesus die for all?”

I leaned back in my chair, “Babs, theologians have told me that if Jesus did that and most rejected the free gift, Jesus would be a failure.  Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane that those whom the Father had given Him would not be taken from Him.  Thus, God the Father would be a liar in agreeing to that if Jesus died for all.  The Trinity all know who among the people on earth will be willing, at some point in their lives, to accept Jesus.  But to those who do not accept Jesus as their Lord, God will say ‘Depart from me.  I never knew you.’  Of course, God knew them.  He knows everyone, but let’s take one person whom you have met, Lt. Deviled Yeggs.  Do you know his birthday?”

Babs shook her head.  “I know him, but I do not know him that well.  He is a good man.  He is a police detective, but that’s about all I know.”

I nodded, “So, those people who have allowed Jesus to come into their hearts, those people who try to be more like Jesus every day, how do you think God knows them?  And compare that to someone who angrily says there is no God.”

Babs gasped, “So that’s why the pastor says a life-giving relationship with God.  But how can God just discard that other person?”

I shrugged, “God does not discard them.  They reject God.  God is there.  Jesus paid the price.  The present is under the tree, unopened.  That is not God discarding them.  They do not want Him.  It really comes down to Matthew 22:14.  All are invited, but few are chosen.  Let me tell you a parable.”

This parable will be in dialogue form.  Morrie comes in at the middle somewhere.

Me: God is the Creator.  Man cannot ‘create’.  Man can only re-form something out of the parts that God created, but let’s use the term ‘creator’ for a man who builds household robots.
Babs (laughing): This sounds interesting.  I would love it if you could create some robots.  Housework is hard work.
Me: This creator loves all his creation.  He wants the best for them.  He has a floor cleaning robot that vacuums, mops, and even adds air freshener to the air.
Babs:  Oh!  Is it pine scent?  Lavender?  Gingerbread at Christmas?
Me: Any scent you want.  The robot knows what season it is.  Maybe chocolate scent for Valentine’s Day or roses.  But let’s move on, there are a lot of robots to talk about.  The scullery robot washes the dishes, sanitizes them, and puts them away.  But the toilet cleaning robot does not clean the toilet.  The toilet cleaning robot sits in the corner of the bathroom cleaning his pipes.
Babs: How dare he do that!  The poor shower cleaning robot was just minding her own business, and the toilet cleaning robot took advantage of her.
Me: What?
Babs: You said that he was cleaning his pipes.  To do that, a guy has to have a girl to make that happen.  And the shower cleaning robot was a woah-bot.  He was saying “let’s go, go, go, ro, ro, ro.”  And she was saying, “Woah, woah, woah, no, no, no.”
Me: This is getting totally out of control.  I was making up a parable about how the creator loved all the robots, but when it came time to move to a new house, he left the toilet cleaning robot behind.  He did not perform his function.
Morrie (having walked into the room): Who is not doing his job and is left behind?
Babs: The mean old toilet cleaning robot who was cleaning his pipes with the shower cleaning robot, whom was really a woah-bot.  She did not wish to have anything to do with the dirty toilet cleaning robot.
Morrie: Dad!  Why are you telling Mom a filthy story like that?
Me: What filthy story?  I just mentioned a toilet cleaning robot.  Naturally, what the robot cleans from the toilet has to be washed from the robot’s system.  So, I said he went into the corner of the bathroom, to clean his pipes instead of keeping the toilet clean, which was his purpose in life.
Morrie (snickering): Mom, Dad is euphemism impaired.  He does not know that “cleaning your pipes” means having sex.
Me: I never…  Babs invented the shower cleaning robot.  He was just in the corner, cleaning his pipes alone.
Babs (fanning herself with her hands, dramatically): Likely story, Harold!  I thought you were a gentleman, and here you tell me a nasty story.  I might get the vapors!  Oh!  Dear me.  I feel faint!
Morrie (putting his arms around Babs): Mom, settle down.  Dad did not mean it that way.  Besides, what is this story all about?
Babs (fully recovered, since she was just play acting – now laughing): Your Dad just told a parable.  The other robots were all doing what they were created to do.  But the toilet cleaning robot was not doing his function.  So, when the creator says that we are moving, he takes with him the robots that are doing their function.  He says to them, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”  But to the toilet cleaning robot he says, “Depart from me.  I never knew you.”  It is not that the creator did not know the toilet cleaning robot.  He created him, but because this bad robot did not perform his function, he did not have a good enough relationship with this robot to say that he knew him.  And not in the KJV use of knowing meaning having sex.  That would be disgusting.  No wonder the shower cleaning robot was so upset.
Morrie: I say, Mom.  That was a terrible turn in the story.  But does that addition change the story?
Babs (nodding): Yes, God is the Creator in the story.  We are the robots.  The good robots are those who do their function.  Our purpose is to love God, praise God, and worship Him forever.  And the good robots did that.  But the toilet cleaning robot did not perform his function.  He sinned against the creator, and he lost his purpose by not doing what he was created to do.  And the cleaning his pipes with the shower cleaning robot, who was really a woah-bot, trying to resist his advances… Well, that was this robot’s sin against another creation that the creator created.  So, the greatest commandment is in two parts: Love the Creator with all your heart, mind, and soul, and love all the other Creations that the Creator made in his image, and the rest of creation too.
Me: I thought you were going on a tangent down a nasty path, Babs, but I like how you tied that in.  You were a very good teacher today.
Babs (rocking her shoulders and smiling): Thank you very much.  Class dismissed.
Me: No, not quite.  Morrie, what is all this ‘Mom’ stuff?
Morrie: Willie called and said that Babs now answers to Grand Babs or Grabbabs, which might easily become grab ass, so we will have to work on that.  So, to avoid confusion, we decided to call Babs, Mom, as a term of affection and respect.  I am surprised you didn’t think of that already.  Willie is surprised you haven’t proposed.
Babs (fanning herself again): Oh, fiddle-dee-dee, the man is always the last to know.

I got up from the kitchen table.  I excused myself and went to the bathroom.  After splashing cold water on my face, I returned to see Morrie sitting next to Babs.  They were both laughing.

I said, “Don’t be making any wedding plans.  I am not ready for that, but I will accept you calling Babs, Mom.  One small step for Harold, one giant leap for the Dykstra family.”

Morrie said, “Okay, Mom, I think you need to get Dad back down from the moon.”

Babs came over and kissed me on the lips.  We lingered a moment.

Morrie said, “I am texting Willie right now!  A kiss that lasted three Mississippis.  Everybody knows that four Mississippis means wedding bells.”

Babs planted a short kiss on my lips, “Okay, one more Mississippi.  Add that to the other three.”

Morrie looked confused, “I don’t know if it works that way, Mom.”

I huffed, “I can kiss Babs to ten Mississippis, and it doesn’t mean that I am proposing marriage!”

Babs leaned in and we kissed for ten Mississippis.

Morrie sighed, “I will see myself out.  I only came by to see if Mom needed anything, but it looks like Dad has her well in hand.  Don’t you two do anything that I wouldn’t do.  I mean what I wouldn’t do now, forgetting what I have been doing my life up to Babs helping me see that I needed Jesus.”

I pulled away.  “It was just a kiss, Morrie.  And we have never gone past one Mississippi until just now at this little Bible study.”

Morrie shrugged, “This was the steamiest Bible study I have ever been a part of, even with toilet cleaning robots cleaning their pipes with shower cleaning robots, and kisses lasting ten Mississippis, and you two are not in a relationship.  Yawn!  Likely story.  I am going home to take a cold shower and then kiss my wife, at least ten Mississippis.  And what that leads to will be something only married couples should do.  But if you have this kind of fun in your Bible studies, I think I need to be here.  One, for the entertainment.  Two, as a chaperone.”  With that, Morrie left.

Babs kissed me again.  “I love you, Harold Dykstra, but I am so sorry the toilet cleaning robot didn’t work out.  I’d love to have one of those.  You’re an engineer.  You could make one, and maybe make it so that it doesn’t clean its pipes in a naughty way.”

I nodded, “I’ll think about that.  And I love you, too, Babs.  I am not ready to propose, but we can change our relationship status from a man and a woman who are friends, to close friends who are seeing how things work out.”

Babs smiled, “Yes!  I love that idea.”  She leaned in and kissed me for about two Mississippis.  She pulled away, “Oh!  Harold!  That rotten child of yours.  I find myself counting Mississippis instead of simply enjoying the kiss.  Has he ruined us forever?”

I shrugged.  I had no idea.  I was counting Mississippis too.

Credits

All these conversations remind me of my conversations with my wife.  We would talk about anything and everything.  And most of the time, it sounded like a discussion in a Sunday school class.

I have had the argument of Jesus dying for all versus what Jesus says “for many.”  The people who have that issue seem to be very loving people and very devoted to Jesus.  As one pastor, who is no longer with us, once said, “We are not saved by good theology, but by the Grace of God.”  I think we can work on that theology, the same as we work on being more like Jesus, but I agree that the Grace of God saves us.  In the Grace of God is where we can find the unity of the true Church.

The idiom “cleaning one’s pipes” is one I had never heard until…  About thirty years ago when I moved to Pennsylvania, I moved in February and my wife came over in May, Mother’s Day, for a one-week house hunting trip.  We did not move officially until July. My wife came to the office one day and met my best friend at work at the time.  He said, “I am so glad you came when you did.  This guy has been needing his pipes cleaned for quite some time.”  My wife reddened at the crude remark, but then the two started laughing.  She had found a new friend, maybe rough around the edges, but a new friend in the new town.

The ”fiddle-dee-dee” is from the movie, Gone with the Wind, or close to it.

The “one small step for Harold, one giant leap for the Dykstra family” is an alteration of Neil Armstrong’s first words when he stepped on the moon,

The concept of Mississippis refers to counting seconds.  I have heard people say, “One one thousand”.  And I have heard people say, “One Mississippi”.  Whichever you prefer.  They are only accurate if you practice them versus a stopwatch to get the timing right.  I have heard people advise that the wedding kiss should last four Mississippis (four seconds).  Advisors online say 3-5 seconds, absolutely no more than ten seconds, but long enough for the photographer to get the shot.  I think Morrie made up the idea about more than four Mississippis equals wedding bells.  Some suggest a daily six-second kiss to keep the relationship in balance.  If you kiss fifteen seconds, you get to the point where “you can’t fake it that long” according to some people.

And this may seem like a fast start, since Harold has not really decided to start a relationship again, but consider that the attraction to the real Babs started when the young Babs popped into his life temporarily.  There is enough similarity that carries over.  And note, he is not ready to get down on one knee.  This is just a shift in their relationship to see what happens.

And I wrote this post, having no thought that it would come out on Valentine’s Day. This change in relationship status is closer to that first Valentine’s Day card, but there is that change…

HAPPY VALENTINE‘S DAY

Soli Deo Gloria.  Only to God be the Glory.