Grace, Reward, and the Vineyard: Rethinking “Treasures in Heaven”

One of the most common tensions in Jesus’ teaching appears between two ideas:

On the one hand, Jesus tells a story where everyone receives the same wage, regardless of how long or how hard they worked (Matthew 20:1-16).
On the other hand, He tells His followers to “store up treasures in heaven” (Matthew 6:20), and Scripture speaks repeatedly about reward.

At first glance, these seem to contradict each other. Is the kingdom pure grace, or does effort matter? Are we all equal, or are some more rewarded than others?

The answer is not either/or, it is both/and, once we see that Jesus is talking about two different things.

The Vineyard and the Gift of Belonging (Matthew 20:1-16)

In the parable of the labourers in the vineyard, workers are hired at different times of the day. Some work from early morning, others only for the last hour. Yet at the end, everyone receives the same wage.

The shock of the parable is intentional.
The point is not about fairness in economics, it is about grace in the kingdom.

Jesus is dismantling the idea that:

• belonging is earned,

• inclusion is deserved, or

• God’s generosity is proportional to human effort.

The landowner says:

“Friend, I am doing you no wrong… Is your eye evil because I am good?" (Mat 20:13-15)

The “wage” is not payment for work. It is the gift of participation in the kingdom itself, life with God.

The parable teaches that:

• Entry into the kingdom is a gift, not an achievement.

• Sonship is not graded by performance,

• and no one has a higher claim on God than anyone else.

All receive the same life. All receive the same belonging. All receive the same inheritance.

This aligns with the consistent New Testament witness:

“By grace you have been saved through faith… not by works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)

and

“The gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)

Grace establishes equality.

Then What Are ‘Treasures in Heaven’? (Matthew 6:19-21)

Jesus also says:

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth… but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven.” (Matthew 6:19-20)

Paul says our lives are like a building, and what we build with matters:

“If anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones… each one’s work will become manifest.” (1 Corinthians 3:12-13)

Yet Paul also says:

“If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved.”        (1 Cor 3:15)

So salvation is not in question, but something meaningful can still be lost.

This tells us that “reward” is not about earning salvation or increasing God’s love for us. It is about what is formed in us because of how we live in the gift we have received.

The Key Distinction

The tension disappears when we distinguish between two categories:

Belonging is given by grace.
Becoming is shaped through lived participation.

Matthew 20 is about the equality of the gift.
Treasures in heaven are about the difference of formation.

Everyone receives the same life.
Not everyone develops the same capacity to enjoy, express, or participate in that life.

“Reward” is not God paying us for good behaviour. It is God giving us the natural fruit of what we have become.

If a person grows in Love, they become more able to enjoy love.
If a person grows in Trust (Faith), they become more able to live in peace.
If a person grows in Generosity, they become more able to receive.

This is why Jesus says:

“Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:21)

Treasure is not stored somewhere else; it is stored in us, as the shape of our heart.

Same House, Different Capacity

Grace gives us the house.
Formation determines how much of the house we are actually able to live in.

Grace gives us the vineyard.
Formation determines what kind of person we become while working in it.

No one is more loved.
No one is more included.
But not everyone is equally healed, free, trusting, or mature.

And that matters, not to God’s acceptance of us, but to our ability to participate in His life.

In Summary

The parable of the vineyard teaches us that:

• Life with God is a gift, not a wage,

• Belonging is not earned,

• And no one has a superior claim on grace.

The teaching on treasure teaches us that:

• What we do with this gift matters,

• Not to secure love, but to shape who we become.

Grace makes us equal.
Love makes us grow.

And growth has consequences, not punitive ones, but participatory ones.

Everyone gets the same gift.
Not everyone becomes the same person within that gift.

That is not a contradiction.
It is the beauty of grace working itself out in love.


Peace.

Common Roadblocks to Trusting the Unconditional Love of God

 

Roadblocks to Trusting the Unconditional Love of God

Why the Gospel Often Feels Harder Than It Is

Stunning simplicity is often easiest for those who have not been steeped in religious systems. Ironically, those formed within Western Reformed theology often struggle the most to receive the gospel as genuinely good news.

I say this without accusation, and with empathy. I was there too.

Over centuries, many theological ideas developed in the Western church that were not central to the early Christian vision. These ideas were eventually institutionalised, systematised, and handed down as unquestionable Christian doctrine. The result is that many sincere believers now encounter serious internal resistance when they are invited to trust the unconditional love of God revealed in Jesus.

What follows is not an attack on people, but an honest look at concepts that often function as roadblocks.

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1. Faith Redefined as a Religious Achievement

In Scripture, faith is fundamentally trust. It is resting in the faithfulness of God.

In Western Reformed frameworks, faith subtly becomes a mysterious inner quality that one must generate in order to unlock salvation. Instead of trusting grace, people are left anxiously examining whether they have believed correctly, sincerely enough, or consistently enough.

This turns faith into a work and shifts the focus away from God’s faithfulness toward human performance.

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2. Love Reduced to One Attribute Among Many

The New Testament does not say that God merely has love. It says that God is love.

Western theology often treats love as one attribute that must be balanced against others, such as justice or wrath. This produces a divided picture of God, loving in one moment and punitive in another.

If love is God’s nature, then everything God does is love-flavoured. Justice, judgment, and correction cannot be separated from goodness and mercy. They must be restorative rather than retributive.

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3. Justice Interpreted Through a Legal Lens

In the Hebraic imagination, justice means setting things right, healing what is broken, restoring what has been lost.

In Western thought, justice becomes primarily punitive. Wrong must be repaid. Someone must suffer.

This shifts the gospel away from healing creation and toward managing divine anger.

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4. Wrath Recast as Divine Rage

Biblically, God’s wrath is His opposition to whatever destroys His beloved creation.

In Reformed theology, wrath is often portrayed as God’s anger needing to be satisfied by punishment. This creates an image of a God who must be appeased, rather than a Father who moves toward humanity in mercy.

Jesus does not shield us from the Father. He reveals the Father.

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5. Penal Substitutionary Atonement

Penal substitution presents the cross as a legal transaction where the Son absorbs punishment from the Father in our place.

This divides the Trinity. One Person is portrayed as demanding punishment, another as offering compassion.

Scripture says something very different. God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself. The cross is not an internal conflict within God, but the unified self-giving of the Triune God to heal humanity and defeat death.

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6. The Medieval Construct of Hell

Much of what people imagine when they hear the word hell comes from medieval theology, not from the biblical text.

Scripture uses multiple words with different meanings, such as Sheol, Hades, Gehenna, and aionios judgment. These were later collapsed into a single idea of endless conscious torment.

This shift reframed God as an eternal torturer rather than a relentless healer whose judgments aim at restoration.

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7. Inherited Guilt and Original Sin

Augustine’s doctrine of inherited guilt was built on a mistranslation of Romans 5:12 from the Latin Vulgate.

The Greek text says that death spread to all because all sinned, not that all sinned in Adam.

The early church taught that we are born mortal and corruptible, not guilty. Guilt is personal. Mortality is inherited.

This distinction matters deeply. Salvation becomes healing rather than legal acquittal.

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8. Total Depravity as Ontological Worthlessness

While Scripture is honest about humanity’s brokenness, Western theology often goes further, portraying humans as utterly worthless and repulsive to God.

This makes unconditional love almost impossible to trust. One cannot rest in love if one believes God is fundamentally disgusted with human nature.

The incarnation tells a different story. God unites Himself to humanity without hesitation.

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9. Election Turned Into Exclusion

Biblically, election is vocational. God chooses some for the sake of all.

In Reformed theology, election becomes selective salvation. God chooses a few and passes over the rest.

This undermines trust in God’s goodness and contradicts the consistent scriptural witness that God desires all to be saved and that Christ draws all humanity to Himself.

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10. Salvation Reduced to an Afterlife Destination

The gospel becomes about escaping hell and reaching heaven.

In Scripture, salvation is union with God, the healing of humanity, and the renewal of creation. Eternal life begins now, not after death.

When salvation is reduced to geography, the heart of the good news is lost.

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11. The Gospel Reduced to Information

Belief becomes assent to correct ideas rather than trust in a Person.

The gospel is not primarily information to accept, but revelation to receive. Jesus does not bring a new theory about God. He unveils who God has always been.

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12. Scripture Elevated Above Christ

The Bible becomes treated as the final and flawless revelation of God, rather than as a witness pointing to Jesus.

This allows portrayals of God that contradict the character of Christ to be defended as biblical. Yet Jesus is the Word of God. Scripture finds its meaning in Him, not the other way around.

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13. Sin Defined Primarily as Legal Transgression

Sin is treated as law-breaking requiring punishment.

In Scripture, sin is more often described as sickness, bondage, blindness, and death. The solution is healing, liberation, and resurrection.

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14. Sovereignty Defined as Control

God’s sovereignty is reimagined as absolute control, even over evil.

Biblically, God’s sovereignty is revealed in self-giving love, patience, and the refusal to abandon creation. Love that coerces is not love.

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Why These Ideas Become Roadblocks

Each of these concepts introduces fear where love should be. They make trust psychologically difficult and force people to override their deepest intuitions about goodness.

Most tragically, they make it harder to simply believe in Jesus.

The early church proclaimed victory over death, healing of the human condition, and the relentless love of a Father who never turns away. When those lenses are recovered, the gospel becomes astonishingly simple again.

And when the gospel is simple, it finally sounds like good news.

These are just some very broken-down down quick ideas that you can further look into.

Peace and Love
Andrew

I will Draw All men to Myself

 

“I Will Draw All People to Myself”

The Cross, Not Worship - and humanity's Vicarious Inclusion

“And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” (John 12:32)
He said this to show the kind of death He was going to die. (John 12:33)

These words of Jesus are often quoted in the context of worship or revival. But John deliberately anchors them elsewhere.

Jesus is not speaking about being lifted up in praise or song, and to take this view is to miss John's point. He is very clearly speaking about being lifted up on the cross.

John ensures we cannot miss this. Whatever “drawing all people” means, it happens there - in the crucifixion.

The Cross and the Inclusion of Humanity

Jesus’ declaration is not a prediction of how effective Christianity will later become. It is a statement about what the cross accomplishes.

When Jesus is lifted up, He draws all people into Himself. This is not symbolic language. It is a claim about our participation.

Humanity is not standing at a distance, watching Jesus suffer on their behalf. Humanity is being gathered into His death and, therefore, into His life.

This is what is meant by vicarious inclusion.

What “Vicarious” Means

“Vicarious” does not simply mean “instead of”, as though Jesus takes our place while we remain untouched. It means one acting as the many, so that what happens to the one truly happens to those included in him.

Jesus does not die instead of humanity so humanity can avoid death.
He dies as humanity, carrying the human condition through death and out the other side. This is the just wage of sin, which was death (Rom 6:23), being met.

What He lives, humanity lives in Him.
What He dies, humanity dies in Him.
What He is raised into, humanity is raised into in Him.

This is why the New Testament speaks not merely of forgiveness, but of new creation.

Adam and Christ: Two Corporate Realities

“As in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.” (1 Corinthians 15:22)

Adam did not merely influence humanity; he included humanity 
Paul says Christ does the same, but in reverse.

“One has died for all; therefore all have died.” (2 Corinthians 5:14)

This is not hypothetical.
It is declarative.

“All” Without Qualification

John does not soften Jesus’ words.

“All” does not mean all who believe first.
“All does not mean all who behave acceptably.
“All does not mean all who join the right group.

Throughout John’s Gospel:

• Christ is the Lamb who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29)

• God loves the world (John 3:16)

• Jesus is the Saviour of the world (John 4:42)

The scope is universal because the act is vicarious.

The Witness of the Old Testament

This vision did not begin in the New Testament.

“Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows.” (Isaiah 53:4)

“The Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:6)

The Servant does not merely cancel guilt; He carries humanity.

Hebraic thought was always corporate. What the representative bears, the people truly share.

Faith Does Not Create the Union, It Reveals It

If humanity has been carried into Christ, then faith does not cause inclusion.

Faith awakens us to what is already true.

This is why Paul can say:

“God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them.” (2 Corinthians 5:19)

Reconciliation is described as accomplished, not delayed.

“He tasted death for everyone.” (Hebrews 2:9)

“The living God is the Saviour of all people, especially of those who believe.” (1 Timothy 4:10)

Believers experience salvation consciously.
Others experience it unknowingly or resist it, but none are untouched by the cross.

What Remains

Jesus said, “I will draw all people to myself.”
John points unambiguously to the cross and says, this is what He meant.

The question is no longer whether humanity has been included.
The question is when humanity will finally trust the goodness revealed there.

Because when Christ is lifted up, all are drawn, not to religion, but to union.
Not to an offer, but to a reality already accomplished.

"News" is always historic.... It's the Story of what has already happened.
The Good News is not a conditional Offer. It is the historic announcement of our inclusion in Christ on the cross. 

If we Trust this Good news, then "as a man believes in his heart, so he is."
If we trust our union with God, we will live it out. This is what walking out our gift of Salvation is. 
Or, like Paul puts it (2 Cor 5) - God has already reconciled you, no longer counting your sin against you... Now, be reconciled. Step into your Truth Identity.

Much love

The Attractiveness of unconditional Love

 

When the “Sinners” Stop Coming Near

Luke 15:1-2

“Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, ‘This man receives sinners and eats with them.’”

Luke opens chapter 15 with something astonishing, not the complaint of the religious leaders, but the behaviour of the so-called “sinners”.

They were drawing near.

The people rejected by society, morally suspect, religiously excluded, socially unsafe, were instinctively pulled toward Jesus. They wanted to be near Him. They wanted to hear Him. They felt safe enough to approach.

This detail matters far more than we often realise.

Sinners Felt Safe With Jesus

Jesus did not advertise Himself as “inclusive”. He did not issue statements, create programmes, or rebrand religion. And yet, the very people who had learned to keep their distance from religious spaces felt no need to do so with Him.

Why?

Because Jesus embodied unconditional welcome.

They knew they would not be managed, fixed, corrected, or humiliated at the door. They were not required to clean themselves up before being allowed close. They could simply come.

This was not accidental. It was revelatory.

Jesus as the Perfect Revelation of the Father

Jesus did not merely model a better way of doing religion, He revealed who God is.

“Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.” (John 14:9)

So when Jesus receives sinners, eats with them, and allows them near, He is not suspending the Father’s standards. He is revealing the Father’s heart.

If Jesus is a perfect reflection of the Father, then the Father is not repelled by broken people, He is drawn to them. He said they were the very reason he came - "it is the sick that need a doctor"
(It's fascinating that sin was discribed as a sickness by Jesus and the early chuch, not an inherent condition from Adam! - I'll write more on this and Augustine's error of Romans 5:12 another time.

And this makes Luke 15:1-2 deeply uncomfortable for us.

A Disturbing Question for the Church

If the tax collectors and sinners drew near to Jesus, but today the marginalised, the ashamed, the struggling, and the “morally complicated” are often the least likely to enter churches, we should pause before blaming the culture.

It may be that something has gone wrong not with them, but with us.

What if their absence is not rebellion, but discernment? I've said for years that it's correct that some reject the "Fear-based" versions of the Gospel, for Fear has nothing to do with Love.... and it's the Goodness and Kindness of God that leads to a change of heart.

What if they sense that many church spaces no longer reflect the radical safety and welcome of Jesus?

The Pharisees’ Problem Was Not Doctrinal Error

Notice carefully what offends the Pharisees:

“This man receives sinners and eats with them.”

Not “this man denies holiness”.
Not “this man rejects Scripture”.
But “this man receives sinners”.

The word “receives” implies acceptance, friendship, shared table, shared humanity. Eating together was an act of communion and belonging.

Jesus did not change people before welcoming them.
He welcomed them...and transformation followed.

The Pharisees believed holiness created love.
Jesus revealed that love produces holiness. Holiness means "wholeness", "completeness", it's walking in Love, in the original design of our maker, in his image and likeness. Holiness is never compliance to a list of man-made rules and actions. To be Holy is to walk as God intended - in communion with the Father, Son and Spirit.

When Grace Is Absent, People Keep Their Distance

If our churches are places where:

• Acceptance is conditional

• Belonging must be earned

• Shame is subtly reinforced

• Fear is used as motivation

Then we should not be surprised when the broken stay away.

The tragedy is not that people are “far from God”.
The tragedy is that they may think, based on a flawed Gospel, that God is far from them.... when Jesus revealed exactly the opposite.

Luke 15 Begins With Nearness, Not Lostness

Before Jesus tells the parables of the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son, Luke wants us to see something crucial:

The “lost” felt closer to God than the religious leaders did.

This should humble us.

It suggests that the true measure of faithfulness is not how well we guard moral boundaries, but whether people who believe they don’t belong feel safe enough to draw near.

A Mirror We Cannot Ignore

Luke 15:1-2 holds up a mirror to every generation of believers.

If Jesus reflects the Father perfectly, then unconditional acceptance is not a strategy, it is the nature of God. It is the Good News to all mankind.

And when the rejected stop coming near, it may be a sign that we are no longer reflecting Him clearly.

The Good News is that the remedy is simple, but costly:

Return to the Jesus who eats with sinners.
Return to the Father who runs toward prodigals.
Return to a love that does not wait for permission to embrace.

Because when God is truly on display, the broken always draw near.

Much Love

The Awakened Reality: Christ is Our Life!

For too long, the idea of the Christian life has been reduced to a set of rules, a code of conduct, or a historical narrative. We treat the Bible as a divine instruction manual and Jesus as an ethical example. But the true awakening lies in realizing that Christianity is not about what we do; it is about who we are.

It is the realization of the ultimate truth, powerfully summarized in one verse:

"When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory." (Colossians 3:4)

This verse is the key to unlocking our original, divine-breathed identity.

The Great Exchange: From Carnal Conflict to Union

The journey of awakening is a radical shift from the Carnal (or Fleshly) Reality to the Spiritual Reality.

The mind that is not awakened is in constant, exhausting conflict, trying to source its goodness, peace, and identity from a flawed, earthly "flesh." The moment of spiritual rebirth, however, is the acknowledgment that this is not our greater reality. Our true source of life and identity is hidden, inseparable, and united with God.

We are called to look away from the flawed, temporary self and "Look to the rock from which you were cut." (Isaiah 51:1). Our foundation is not the dust of the earth, but the eternal essence of God. We are made in His image and likeness (Genesis 1:26-27). This is the "rock" that Jesus revealed to Peter (Matt. 16:18), the very truth upon which everything rests.

The awakened reality is this: I am Love and Light to the world. My thoughts, my reasoning, my entire existence should flow from that unshakeable place of union, not from an unrenewed, unreconciled mind.

The Unbreakable Oneness

The core of this revelation is the truth of our Union with Christ. We are not merely affiliated with Him; we are intertwined. We are not just followers; we are one.

This inseparability is what Jesus prayed for in His final hours:

“that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us.” (John 17:21)

This union means we have been joined to the Lord and have become "one spirit with him" (1 Corinthians 6:17). This is not just a future hope; it is a present, spiritual reality. The day of our acknowledgement of this union is our true rebirth into our original identity, the one the Father knew before we were even born: "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you" (Jeremiah 1:5).

When the Bible states, "When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him," it declares an eternal, non-negotiable fellowship. We are eternally co-heirs (Romans 8:17) and inseparable.

The Ancient Witness: Made to Be Divine

This concept of union and life-sharing is not a modern theological idea; it was a central theme for the earliest Christian thinkers. They used the term Theosis or Deification to describe this glorious truth.

The great fourth-century Father Athanasius of Alexandria put it simply and profoundly:

"He was made human that we might be made divine." (Athanasius, On the Incarnation, 54.3)

Living from the Reality of who we all already are:

To be truly awakened is to realize that the old self is dead, and the new life, Christ's life, is what powers us now. It's to consciously place the genesis of our thoughts and daily decisions here, rather than in our fleshly reality. We purposely set our minds on "things above" (Our higher reality of union with God), not on our fleshly reality (What we see in the natural with our eyes).

This realization demands a daily choice, as Paul instructed: "Put off the old self... and put on the new self" (Colossians 3:9-10). The carnal vices (anger, malice, slander) are put off because they no longer belong to your essence. They are replaced by the virtues of Christ's character (compassion, kindness, humility), which are crowned by Love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony (Colossians 3:12-14).

Our identity is not a striving for perfection; it is a rest in Him who is your life.

What are your thoughts on this "awakening"? How has the realization that Christ is your life changed your perspective on daily struggles? 

Rethinking Hell: What Jesus Really Meant

I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about the way we talk about Hell. For many in the Reformed tradition, the picture is stark and literal: eternal fire, torment, separation from God. Yet, as I’ve studied Scripture, history, and early Jewish and Christian writings, I find myself increasingly convinced that this view doesn’t align with the heart of God revealed in Jesus. And I want to invite you into this conversation, because it matters, not just intellectually, but pastorally, spiritually, and practically.

Let’s start with the parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus in Luke 16. On the surface, it’s easy to read it as a literal story about the afterlife: Lazarus is comforted in Abraham’s bosom, the rich man is in torment, and a great chasm is fixed between them forever. This has often been used as a proof-text for eternal conscious torment (ETC). But a closer look changes everything.

First, Jesus himself is clear about the purpose of parables: He taught “in parables” (Matthew 13:34). Parables are illustrative, symbolic, meant to communicate moral or spiritual truths, not to provide a literal blueprint of the afterlife. The rich man and Lazarus are literary devices, not historical figures. The names themselves are revealing: Lazarus means “God is my help,” highlighting God’s mercy toward the marginalized. The rich man, identified in the Latin Vulgate as Dives, represents the wealthy, self-righteous elite who misunderstand God’s justice.

The context matters. This parable is the fifth in a chain of parables addressing loss, repentance, and grace (Luke 15-16). The first four: The lost sheep, the lost coin, the prodigal son, and the shrewd manager, are clearly symbolic. The Rich Man and Lazarus continues the pattern. Interpreting it as literal fire and punishment distracts from its point, which is the call to repentance, the critique of self-righteousness, and the revelation of God’s mercy.

Early Church Fathers were remarkably consistent on this.
Origen (c. 185-254) saw the parable as symbolic, teaching about divine justice and the reversal of worldly fortunes, not about eternal torment [De Principiis, 4.1.2].
Gregory of Nyssa (c. 335-395) described Hades as a place of purification, eventually restored to God’s mercy [On the Soul and Resurrection, 5].
Isaac of Nineveh emphasised God’s mercy and the eventual healing of all souls [Ascetical Homilies, Homily 34].
None of these Fathers read Luke 16 as a literal depiction of Hell; they consistently framed it within God’s restorative justice.

Even the Old Testament and intertestamental context provides clarity. In Jewish thought, there was not the notion of Eternal Conscious Torment. The idea of the “bosom of Abraham” appears in intertestamental literature (Jewish folklore, not Scripture) as a place of comfort for the righteous who await God’s redemption, not as a heaven-and-hell dichotomy with fixed eternal destinies. (A side note: there was also zero concept of our modern-day idea of Eternity. The Hebrews held instead to the idea of Ages, which were defined as a span of time with a set beginning and a set ending.)
For example, 1 Enoch 22:1-14 describes the righteous as dwelling “in a place of light, with peace and joy,” while the fallen await correction “in a deep pit of darkness until the day of their judgment” - the word translated "Judgement" here means, "To judge, to govern, to make right, to set in order, to vindicate."
Similarly, 1 Enoch 90:25-26 describes punishment as temporary, corrective, and ultimately restorative: “Those who have gone astray shall be punished, but all shall find mercy in the presence of the Lord.” Even in these Jewish texts, punishment is restorative, not eternal torment.

The New Testament reinforces this perspective. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15:22 that “as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.” Romans 5:18-19 speaks of Christ’s obedience reversing the judgment of sin for all humanity. Revelation, often cited in support of eternal punishment, ultimately presents God’s triumph and restoration: every knee bows, every tongue confesses (Romans 14:11; Philippians 2:10-11), and Revelation 21-22 depicts a restored creation where the gates are open to all.

So why has Western Christianity, particularly Reformed traditions, emphasised eternal conscious torment? Historical influence from Augustine, medieval scholasticism, and later reformers created a framework that reads parables like Luke 16 through a Punitive or Retributive lens.
Martin Luther, for instance, saw the parable as symbolic of earthly riches versus spiritual poverty, but over time, interpretations hardened into literalist readings emphasising fear of Hell. Yet even Luther occasionally acknowledged that “Abraham’s bosom signifies nothing else than the Word of God” (Church Postil, 1522–23).

Modern theologians continue to correct the wrong idea of a literal view of Luke 16: 
N. T. Wright asserts that the parable is precisely that, a parable, not a literal map of the afterlife.
Richard Bauckham highlights that the narrative denies the reader access to secret knowledge about the dead, reinforcing the parable’s illustrative purpose.
David Bentley Hart argues compellingly for universal restoration, noting that eternal torment contradicts the character of a loving and omnipotent God.

When we read Luke 16 alongside these historical and theological insights, a different picture emerges. The parable points out human greed, highlights God’s justice, and celebrates God’s mercy. The “chasm” is not a metaphysical barrier eternally fixed; it is a literary device emphasising the consequences of self-righteousness and hard-heartedness toward God’s mercy. The “fire” is not a literal furnace, but a metaphor for the anguish of living under self-imposed separation from God’s grace.

Psalm 139:7-10 “Where can I go from your Spirit? Or where can I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!” Even in Sheol - the realm of the dead, which is often translated in English as "hell" - God is present.
David affirms that there is no realm beyond God’s reach. This is a direct contradiction of the idea of a God-forsaken “hell.”

Even the rich man’s plea to warn his brothers, and Abraham’s response is illuminating. The parable points to the sufficiency of God’s revelation: “If they will not listen to Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead” (Luke 16:31). This is a warning about human stubbornness and the rejection of God’s mercy, not a literal pronouncement of eternal damnation.
Furthermore, Jesus Himself is clear:
“The Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son.” John 5:22
If the scene in Luke 16 were a literal depiction of post-mortem judgment, Abraham would have no role there at all. He is a patriarch, not the Judge of all the earth. To portray him as the one in control of the “chasm” and the souls within it would directly contradict Christ’s own words.

Abraham is not the mediator of salvation, Scripture repeatedly affirms:
“There is one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus.” 1 Timothy 2:5

If Abraham holds people in his bosom and refuses mercy to the rich man, then Abraham becomes the gatekeeper of salvation, a direct violation of this foundational truth. No faithful Jew in Jesus’ audience would have believed Abraham could forgive sins, show mercy, or deny repentance beyond the grave. Jesus deliberately uses Abraham as a symbol of ancestral privilege, the very thing the Pharisees prided themselves on, to show how misguided their trust in lineage had become. 

The doctrine of Hell, as commonly taught, often overlooks these nuances. It presents God as punitive rather than restorative. It elevates fear over love, exclusion over reconciliation, and eternal punishment over eventual restoration. In contrast, a careful reading of Scripture, informed by Jewish historical context, intertestamental literature (1 Enoch 22:1-14; 90:25-26), the early Church Fathers, and contemporary theological scholarship, consistently points to judgment as corrective, restorative, and ultimately reconciliatory.

I say this boldly because I want us to wrestle with the implications. If God is love, merciful, and gracious, then our theology must reflect that. Reading Luke 16, or any passage, through a lens of fear or rigid literalism distorts both the character of God and the intended message of Scripture. The parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus is not about sending anyone to Hell; it is about recognising our need for God’s mercy, turning from self-righteousness, and participating in the life God offers now and into the ages.

We are invited to see God not as a punisher, but as a Redeemer. Not as a judge bent on vengeance, but as a Shepherd longing to gather every lost sheep. Not as a fiery executioner, but as a loving Father whose justice is restorative and whose love ultimately restores all things.

Hell, as a doctrine of eternal torment, does not capture this vision. It is a human invention, a misreading of parables, and a cultural overlay imposed on the text. When we return to Jesus, to the Jewish context, and to the voices of the early Church, the picture is clear: God’s mercy triumphs, God’s justice restores, and the story of salvation is far bigger and more beautiful than we often imagine.


Concluding thoughts. Jesus is the final and clearest revelation of the Nature of God. He made FULLY known what God is like. He only did and said what he saw the Father say and do. Do you believe that?When rejected by a whole village, the disciples wanted to "call down fire" on the entire village to destroy everyone for "rejecting Jesus". Jesus told them that they were operating from the wrong spirit, because God would never do that (Burn those whom rejected him). He perfectly mirrored God's heart in that situation. He said what the father was saying, so that they could see what God was REALLY like.
On the cross when he was rejected and murdered, he perfectly revealed what God is like and Forgave the very same people because they were acting in ignorance - they knew not what they were doing. That's what God is like. Jesus is the final and clearest revelation of the Nature of God. Jesus is perfect theology. If our conclusions or understandings of Scripture land on any interpretation that does not look like Jesus, it's wrong and needs to change. Simple.



If the idea of Modern Hell (Eternal Conscious Torment) being a man-made myth is new to you, 
I encourage you to have a read:

The Rich Man and Lazarus
The Lake of Fire 1
The Lake of Fire 2
To Infinity and Beyond

The historic Good News

 God’s forgiveness is universal, unconditional, and already accomplished for all humanity. The Gospel is not about what could be if one believes, but about what already is because of God's love and Christ’s work.

This is the simple, scandalous, and historic version of the gospel that was taught by the early church, up until Augustine in about 400AD. 

Forgiveness Is Already a Fact, Not an Offer

The Gospel is not a conditional offer. It’s not God saying, “If you believe, I will forgive you.” That kind of message implies that forgiveness is something held back, waiting to be released by our faith or repentance, as if God's posture toward us depends on our response.

But that’s not the Gospel. The truth is this: in Christ, forgiveness is already accomplished. It is a finished reality (John 1:29; Hebrews 10:10, 14). The cross wasn’t a potential deal. It was the full and final unveiling of God’s heart, a heart that has always been moving toward humanity in love (Romans 5:8). Jesus didn’t come to change God's mind about us. He came to reveal God’s mind toward us, and that mind is mercy (Luke 6:36; Titus 3:4–5).

Faith doesn’t create forgiveness, it receives it. Faith doesn’t persuade God to love us, it allows us to step into the truth that we already are loved (Ephesians 1:4 -7). Forgiveness was never transactional. It’s always been relational. It flows from who God is (Exodus 34:6 -7).

Imagine a mother grieving because she believes her son has died. Someone brings her undeniable proof that he’s alive and well. The moment she believes it, her sorrow breaks and joy returns. Her belief doesn’t make him alive, he already is. But until she believes it, she can’t experience the peace of that reality. Her faith doesn’t earn the good news, it lets her experience it.

The same is true for us. God’s forgiveness isn’t triggered by our belief, it’s already extended (2 Corinthians 5:19; Colossians 1:20 - 22). But without trusting that, we continue to live in fear, guilt, and separation that only exist in our perception. That’s why faith matters: not because it makes the pardon real, but because it lets us be healed by it (John 8:32).

The Gospel is not an offer. It’s a declaration:
You are forgiven. You are loved. You are reconciled.
And believing it doesn’t make it true, it makes it real for you.

Faith Isn’t a Ticket to Forgiveness, It’s How We Experience It

Faith doesn’t trigger forgiveness. It’s not a pass we hand in at the gate to receive pardon. Forgiveness was never waiting on us. It was already accomplished in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:19). We’re not forgiven because we believe, we believe because we’ve already been forgiven (Colossians 2:13 -14).

The cross didn’t create a potential future, it revealed a present and eternal reality. God in Christ reconciled the world to Himself, not counting our sins against us (2 Corinthians 5:19). The good news is not about what could be. It’s about what is. Faith doesn’t make it true, faith allows us to step into the healing, peace, and joy of what’s already true (Romans 5:1; John 8:32).

Imagine someone burdened with shame and guilt, convinced they’re condemned. Then they hear the truth: the sin is already dealt with, and they are fully loved and accepted (Romans 8:1; Ephesians 1:7). The moment they believe it, peace floods in. Not because belief created the pardon, but because faith opened the door to let it in (Hebrews 10:22).

God’s forgiveness isn’t earned. It doesn’t begin when we believe; it began at the cross, “while we were still sinners” (Romans 5:10). Faith doesn’t qualify us; it awakens us. It doesn’t change God’s heart, it transforms ours.

So no, faith isn’t a transaction or a key to unlock a reluctant God’s mercy. It’s the means by which we finally live in what has always been ours (Ephesians 2:8-9; John 3:17). It’s not a requirement to be forgiven — it’s the way we begin to breathe in the life that forgiveness brings.

Much love
Andrew