Jesus Did It All!

One of Christianity’s unique doctrines is that our God actually exists. Yes, many religions claim that, but then they act like their god isn’t going to show up for the fight, so the headcount fights for the boss and maybe they could be defeated even though they have a god on their side?

A World in Which God Could Lose

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23 December 2025

In his homily during last Sunday’s Mass, our village priest explained how our good choices—fully aided by divine grace—and our evil choices both serve to fulfill God’s ultimate plan and purpose for Creation.

He then went on to stress the significance of comprehending that our choices, be they good or bad, have no bearing whatsoever on God’s sovereign will, which will always prevail and be fulfilled regardless of what we choose.

There is a category error here. On the one hand is God’s overall plan for human history, which is set in metaphysical concrete. The only reason Christian eschatology is even a subject is because God prophesied the end of our age from two thousand years ago. That would obviously not be possible if it was subject to change.

On the other hand is God’s individual plan for you, presuming that He has one. The plan He gave us in the Epistles, paraphrased, is to find honest work, keep clean of immorality and spare a thought for our neighbors. It wasn’t person-specific, and didn’t leave much room for getting rich off book sales and speaking fees.

The correct perspective here is the Book of Life, described in Revelation as containing the names of all who are saved by Jesus. Everybody’s name is written in it, in fact, except God later blots out names, demonstrating potential discontinuity between God’s plans and your life choices.

Just that image is a huge difference between Christ and every other deity in existence. In every religion but Christianity, you must prove yourself worthy of Vishnu, Hermes Elon or whoever. But in Christ, all the work is done in advance. You gain salvation simply by wanting it (leaving your old life of evil behind, of course.)

Along the same lines, our good choices, which are only possible through God’s grace, amount to little more than adhering to God’s will, which raises the question of just what and how much such choices actually contribute to the whole process.

That’s a malicious reading of “our best works are as filthy rags”, one that’s very popular with the rent-seeking clergy always trying to convince us that “God’s” will is eternal serfdom to a caste of human gatekeepers. It is true that your best works cannot impress God, but God is not looking for works. He is looking for attitudes.

Anyway, in a nutshell, the village priest affirmed the immutability of God’s will and divine plan, which human action cannot thwart in any way whatsoever and which will be accomplished—nay, already has been accomplished—regardless of human input.

Correct. Attend, ye Christian Nationalists! God’s will is not about you and your Deus Vulting all over the place!

He then took a moment to stress that God’s sovereign will in no way impinges upon our own God-given human free will. I was eager to listen to him elaborate on that point a bit, but the priest left the matter there and quickly switched his focus to the symbolic meaning behind the fourth Advent Sunday.

Aww, the “servant-leader” didn’t explain why we need to pay his rent even though God is guaranteed to win anyway. Perhaps he knew the answer.

Now, there a thousand and one explanations about why and how God’s sovereign will wins no matter what, and I ‘m certain the village priest is satisfied with most of them. Regardless, I left the Mass wondering how much different Christianity would have been and would be today if Christian theology and doctrine allowed for the potential thwarting of God’s sovereign will…

It would look like “heads I win, tails you lose” same as every other religion on the planet. Did your church win? Praise God the all-powerful! Did your church lose? Assume the position, you prole! God is all-powerful and always wants to win, so the blame for any defeat is reserved for YOU!

…or the possibility that evil human thoughts and actions (or evil thoughts and actions of all Beings in Creation) could, in some way, prevent God’s will from being fulfilled, at least ideally.

An evil king died and was resurrected to face Judgment Day. Books were opened, and the accounts of his cruelties and witchcraft were read aloud. All who heard, scowled at the king.

“Before you sentence me to Hell,” the king said, “I have a defense to make.”

“Now is your chance,” replied God.

“I did what You wanted! I read the prophecies. Your plans described an empire that crushed the innocent, an army of witches against which to display Your glory, a great and powerful king to serve as your foil! Had it not been me, You would only have found someone else. You would have needed someone else! And I thought, why should this great and powerful king not be me? Now allow me into Heaven, for I have done as You wished!”

“You are correct,” God said. “Had the king not been you, he would have been someone else… but he was YOU, therefore YOU are the one I shall punish. I would be punishing someone else right now, had you chosen to be innocent.”

Conversely, how much different Christianity would have been or would be if Christians assumed that their good choices actually influenced God in some meaningful way.

Then the king’s older brother came before God. “I read the same prophecies and was horrified that my people and land might be the very one You prophesied against. I resolved to put away the witches and give homes to the poor, but my brother murdered me when I told him my plans. I wish I could have prevented what happened, but I accomplished nothing at all.”

God replied, “You loved your people as I love them, and you were murdered for what you would have done had the opportunity been given you. I credit you with righteousness and welcome you home.”

Neither king’s choices changed the outcome, but they still made a difference.

Put another way, I found myself wondering if Christians would regard their religion and themselves more seriously if they held out the possibility that God could lose and that his divine will could be derailed, at least in this world. If such a thing were possible, it would surely expand and deepen the significance of good choices.

That God could lose… what? Humanity’s salvation? Jesus secured that singlehandedly. Worldly power? God has a plan to regain it… Jesus again. The work of perfecting our soul? That’s the job of the Spirit of, yep, Jesus again.

Because of Jesus, God’s work is done, or at least on schedule with no need of additional help, no chance of defeat, and we are left with little more to work on than how we behave towards ourselves and our neighbors. For most of us, that’s a full plate.

Happy Birthday, Jesus! Thank you for coming, and for leaving nothing about our salvation to either chance or That Guy. You are the hinge-point of history and there is none like you.