If Grace is True by Philip Gulley and James Mulholland - Essay Example

            If God has to save every person, this will hurt his reason for creating humanity. He made us follow his path which some of us do and some of us don’t. We read through the Holy Books that God has made heaven and hell for those who do righteous deeds and those who do not, respectively. And this makes sense, of course. If we believe that God will save every person, then we will stop doing righteous deeds in the expectation that He will save us and will embrace us with all His love no matter what we do, as Philip and Mulholland state in their book. According to them, God is waiting for us up there with open arms and will hug us and save us from anything bad happening to us because he is the epitome of love rather than an epitome of cruelty. Okay, that is fine that He is not an epitome of cruelty, but does it makes sense that anybody who has been doing wrong deeds throughout his life, has been cruel with people, has been eating others’ money, has been lying and cheating, has been making others of His creation cry with sorrows, will be spared by God and embraced by Him with all His love and kindness? No, my Lord, No. This does not make sense at all.

            Another thing that I disagree with is that the authors say that there is no heaven, because if there is heaven, then there is the possibility of hell too. “The triumph of grace…cannot be complete until every last person has been redeemed” (196), the authors say. This is also an illogical piece of an argument. They say that since God loves us all, he has not created anything like hell in which he will put the wrongdoers. But the point to ponder is that if there is no hell, then is there a possibility of heaven? The authors agree but do not prove it. My point is that what about those who are bad people? What is there a destiny? If there is no hell and God will save us all, then a good person and a bad one will stand shoulder by-shoulder enjoying the same bounties and blessings of God. Why? Does not a man do a good deed in expectation of God’s mercy and blessings? A wrongdoer will keep on doing evil if he believes what the authors say. He will keep on following the evil path if he believes that God will embrace and save him.

            Douglas Geivett, in his critique of the book, contradicts the authors when they say that “salvation is not the hope of a few; it is the destiny of all” (160). Douglas states that if it were true, then salvation will also be for those who do not wish for it or deserve it. I agree with Douglas in that salvation is only for those who desire it and make efforts toward achieving it. Salvation is not such a petty little thing that God has made for all. This is the word “all” that I basically contradict. The authors must have used the words “most of us” and then “all”.   

            Of course, God loves us and is determined to save us all but only if we are also determined to be saved by Him. He has told us what His path is through His Holy Books and Prophets. Now, it is our task to follow His path and make ourselves better people so as to be held liable for His blessings and love. God loves us but we should also see the sufferings of a person who has done wrong deeds throughout his life but at the same time is struck with gloom and despair. God takes His revenge on those who do not follow him, and this is wrong to believe that He will save us all from the cruel fire of hell. The bottom line is that the authors are not being rational in their arguments which are only based on their own sentiments and beliefs rather than on sound arguments and judgments.