Can God's Patience Run Out?
Many famous Christians seem to think so. I heard Billy Graham's daughter, Anne Graham Lotz, say so in an interview on YouTube the other day. That did not sound right to me so I looked into the Scriptures to see what they have to say.
“God is Love...Love is patient.” (1 John 4:16; 1 Corinthians 13:4)
“God is Spirit...The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience…” (John 4:24; Galatians 5:22)
“God is Love...Love is patient.” (1 John 4:16; 1 Corinthians 13:4)
“God is Spirit...The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience…” (John 4:24; Galatians 5:22)
Since "God is love", and "Love is patient", His patience CANNOT run out. And since "God is Spirit" and the fruit"of the Spirit is...patience" – His patience CANNOT run out.
“…He is PATIENT with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance…Bear in mind that our Lord’s PATIENCE means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote to you with the wisdom that God gave him…” (2 Peter 3:9,15)
And what was it that Paul wrote to them?
“Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense PATIENCE as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life...”(1 Timothy 1:15-17)
The reason all will eventually be saved is because God is “patient”, first with the “worst” sinner – Paul - then with all the rest of us. God"wills all mankind to be saved". He has the "patience" so "bear in mind that our Lord's patience means salvation" for all who would otherwise "perish".
“This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance. That is why we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe. Command and teach these things.” (1 Timothy 4:9-11)
Ann Graham Lotz and her father are good people, relatively speaking, but neither of them “command and teach these things”. Therefore, I will side with Paul and the Scripture written by him on this one.
It is true that at some point Jesus will return and complete God's plan for His creation - to be All in All. Jesus does not return because God runs out of patience, but because it is time to complete His plan to be "All in All".
"But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first-fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man,the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive...For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death...When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be ALL in ALL". (1 Corinthians 15:20-28)
“…He is PATIENT with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance…Bear in mind that our Lord’s PATIENCE means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote to you with the wisdom that God gave him…” (2 Peter 3:9,15)
And what was it that Paul wrote to them?
“Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense PATIENCE as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life...”(1 Timothy 1:15-17)
The reason all will eventually be saved is because God is “patient”, first with the “worst” sinner – Paul - then with all the rest of us. God"wills all mankind to be saved". He has the "patience" so "bear in mind that our Lord's patience means salvation" for all who would otherwise "perish".
“This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance. That is why we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe. Command and teach these things.” (1 Timothy 4:9-11)
Ann Graham Lotz and her father are good people, relatively speaking, but neither of them “command and teach these things”. Therefore, I will side with Paul and the Scripture written by him on this one.
It is true that at some point Jesus will return and complete God's plan for His creation - to be All in All. Jesus does not return because God runs out of patience, but because it is time to complete His plan to be "All in All".
"But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first-fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man,the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive...For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death...When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be ALL in ALL". (1 Corinthians 15:20-28)