04 February 2016

A Short Catechism

A short catechism:

Q: What is God like? 
A: God is like Jesus. 
(John 1:1, Colossians 1:15, Hebrews 1:1-4, 1 John 4:8 -10). 

Q: How much is God like Jesus? 
A: God is exactly like Jesus.
(John 1:1, John 10:30-33, Colossians 1:15, Hebrews 1:1-4).

Q: What is Jesus like? 
A: Jesus is loving, forgiving, and embracing.
(John 3:16, Romans 5:8, Romans 8:1-39, John 14:6, 1 Tim 2:5, John 10:10, John 15:9-17, 2 Corinthians 5:19.)

Q: How loving, forgiving, and embracing is Jesus? 
A: Jesus is all loving, all forgiving, and all embracing.
( 2 Corinthians 5:19, John 15:9-17, Micah 7:18-20, 1 John 4:8-10).

Q: How do you know this? 
A: Because He loved, forgave, and embraced His murderers, the murderers of God. There is no greater sin.
(Luke 23:34, 1 John 2:1-2, 1 Corinthians 13:5).

Q: What about those passages that paint Jesus as something less than all loving, all forgiving, and all embracing? 
A: The central event governs recollections of lesser events.
(Revelation 13:8, John 3:16, Isaiah 43:25, Isaiah 1:18, Ephesians 1:7 Colossians 1:13, Matthew 26:28, 2 Corinthians 5:13-16).

Q: What if you are wrong, and God is not all loving, all forgiving, and all embracing? 
A: Then there are no such things as love, forgiveness, or embrace at all, for light knows no shadow.
(Lamentations 3:22-24, James 1:17, Matthew 7:11, 2 Timothy 2:11-13)

Q: Is not God unfair to love, forgive, and embrace everyone? 
A: Nothing could be more fair, equitable, or beautiful. The God and creator of all loves, forgives, and embraces all.
(John 3:16, Revelation 13:8, Revelation 1:18, 2 Corinthians 5:19).

Q: Will all come to know God's love, forgiveness, and embrace? 
A: Strictly this is unknown. But charity and reason both insist that the answer is, yes.
(2 Peter 3:9, Isaiah 30:18, Ezekiel 33:11, Romans 2:4, 1 Timothy 2:4) -- This is specifically speaking on the Lords heart. His desire.

Q: If all will eventually know God's love, forgiveness, and embrace, what need is there of telling anyone of this? 
A: That they may know these wonderful things all the sooner, and begin to live in and by them.
(2 Peter 1:2-4, Ephesians 1:3-14, 1 Corinthians 14:1)

Special thanks to Cordell Winrow for help with the Scripture references.  

#Catechism #GodIsLikeJesus #Universalism