The Grandfather Clause
There is a verse in the Bible that
tells us that God did not send His Son to condemn the world, but so that
through Him the world may be saved (John 3:17)! However, much of the Church has
interpreted the Bible so that Billions will be tormented forevermore in a
burning Hell!
Have you ever heard a sermon on what
I call the Grandfather Clause? The Clause includes mankind!
Romans
2:11-16
11 For there is no respect of persons with
God.
12 For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish
without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law;
13 (For not the hearers of the law are just before
God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.
14 For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by
nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law
unto themselves:
15 Which shew the work of the law
written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their
thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)
16 In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by
Jesus Christ according to my gospel.
What we are about study is greatly
misunderstood by the vast majority of Christians! Indeed, it may make you angry
to even consider how vast the love of God really is!
First, let me tell you bluntly and
without fear of biblical contradiction that unless you were physically born
into a Jewish family you were not born under the Law, the Ten Commandments!
Another fact is that it is God’s will that you come to a point of repentance!
As a side note, the Law under which
Israel lived for decades is only a shadow of God’s actual truth!
Heb.
10:1 For the
law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the
things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year
continually make the comers thereunto perfect.
The truth concerns God’s loving
patience toward mankind!
2
Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness;
but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that
all should come to repentance.
The Greek word translated “willing”
(Gr boulomai-βούλομαι) speaks of God’s will, purpose, design, and determination
for mankind! God has not designed any human being for the purpose of perishing!
1
Peter 3:18-20
18 For Christ also hath once
suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God,
being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:
19 By
which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;
20 Which
sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the
days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls
were saved by water.
Notice that Christ went and preached
to those spirits “in prison” who were “disobedient”! Many believe that He went
to the “good” side of the Jewish Paradise and preached to those who already
trusted God! But, that is NOT
what the Bible says!
What was the result of Jesus’
preaching?
Eph 4:8 Wherefore he saith, When he
ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave
gifts unto men.
In His ascension to the Father,
Christ led all held captive in “Paradise” with Him to the Father! You may
believe that they were the “good” folks, in which case you must also believe
that living on the Good side of Paradise is tantamount to living in a prison!
Jesus told us that if He were lifted
up He would draw “all” men to Himself (John 12:32)! The leading of captivity
captive was a show of the power that His “drawing” has!
Has Christ drawn you to Himself?
Many thousands have not yet been
drawn to Him! But, Christ has promised that he shall draw all to Himself! His
journey to preach to the spirits in prison was motivated by love…Love!
God is Love (1 John 4:8)!
John 3:16 tells us explicitly that
God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever
believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life!
Oh! Many read the “whosoever” part
and immediately carted most of humanity off to torment in a burning hell! I am
not going to argue about that because that verse (John 3:16) definitely has
“whoever” in it!
But, doesn’t the Bible also say that
“every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess”? Try Romans 14:11! And
doesn’t the Bible tells us that whoever calls upon the name of the lord “shall
be saved (Romans 10:13)?
The Bible tells us that if we
confess the Lord Jesus with our mouths and believe in our hearts that God raised
Him from the dead we shall be saved (Romans 10:9).
Death is not a problem to God! But
to men it seems to be an impregnable wall! Do you recall that Christ “led
captivity captive”?
Who do you think He led saints or
sinners? The fact is that none of them had confessed “Jesus is Lord!” But when
He went to them, they were given an opportunity!
The Grandfather Clause begins with a
simple statement of fact “there is no respect of persons with God!” If God gave
all those people an opportunity that the Church will not give them, might He
also Give all people that opportunity!
There are Billions of people today
who have never heard the name “Jesus!” They have never heard the gospel! During
their lifetimes they could not call upon the name of the Lord! Will they be
given the same opportunity that those who were “disobedient” in ancient days
were given? “[T]here is no respect of persons with God.”
It is God’s will that none should
perish but all come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9)! And, God works all things
according to His own counsel (Eph1:11)! And, in the fullness of time the Father
plans to gather all things in heaven and on earth together in Christ (Eph 1:10)! The Grandfather Clause must be accurate in
revealing that all shall be given that opportunity!
But, what does that mean?
It means that those who have obeyed
the tenets of the Law without having the words of the Law show that the Law is
written in their hearts! When Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature
the things contained in the law, they “are a law unto themselves!”
There is a verse that none within
mainstream Christianity embrace! It tells us that all the Gentiles that God
made shall come to worship Him (Ps 86:9)! The only question is: How many
Gentiles did God make? May I suggest that God made ALL Gentiles?
Will all Gentiles worship God
because He has committed them to “eternal torment?”
What will be the result of that
opportunity?
Psalms
86:9 All
nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee, O Lord; and
shall glorify thy name.
The words translated “All nations”
(Heb. Kal Goyim- כָּל-גּוֹיִם) indicates all
Gentiles. In other words, all Gentiles that “the Lord made (Heb. Asa-עָשָׂה) “shall come and worship before” Him!
The Hebrew word translated “made” is
the same word used in Genesis in reference to the creation when God “made” all
creation, including man!
Adam Clarke’s Commentary refers to
Psalm 86:9, “‘All
nations’ - Thy word shall be proclaimed among all the
Gentiles: they shall receive thy testimony, and worship thee as the only true
and living God.”
That opportunity shall not pass
without having the desired effect!