God is Not Santa, Nor is He the Christian God

God Is Not Santa — He’s the Sovereign Father Who Saves All

There’s a childish version of God that most people—religious and atheist—never grow past.

A God with a beard in the clouds
…watching if you’re naughty or nice,
…rewarding the good with heaven,
…torturing the bad with eternal hell.

George Carlin once joked about this very caricature: “A God who loves you, but if you don’t love Him back—He’ll burn you forever.” He rightly mocked that picture.
But he made a tragic mistake: he assumed that was the God of Scripture.
He threw away the truth because religion handed him a lie.

Scripture reveals Someone very different.

God Is Not a Cosmic Scorekeeper

He’s not Santa with a salvation checklist.
He doesn’t stand at the gate judging whether you’ve done enough.
He operates all things according to the counsel of His will (Ephesians 1:11).

That means:

• If you do good — God caused it.
• If you do evil — God allowed it for a purpose.
• If you believe — God gifted you faith (Philippians 1:29).
• If you don’t believe — God has blinded you… for now (Romans 11:7–8, 32).

You are not the author of your destiny.
God is.

“For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things.”
— Romans 11:36

God Uses Good and Evil to Teach Contrast

Paul explains that creation was subjected to corruption not by its own choice, but by God’s design:

“For the creation was made subject to vanity, not willingly…”
— Romans 8:20

Why?
Because you cannot understand light unless you’ve walked in darkness.
You cannot rejoice in life unless you’ve faced death.
You cannot appreciate grace unless you’ve first known failure.

Paul writes:

“God locks up all together in stubbornness
that He may have mercy on all.”
— Romans 11:32

Not “some.”
All.

Salvation Is Not Earned — It Is Given

Religion teaches:
“Do good → go to heaven. Do bad → go to hell.”

Paul teaches the opposite:
All fall into sin because God designed it that way (Romans 5:18–19).
All are saved because Christ rose that way (1 Corinthians 15:22).

The cross is not a conditional offer—
it is the completed victory of Christ over sin and death:

“The blood of His cross reconciles all to Him
—whether in heaven or on earth.”
— Colossians 1:20

Not offers reconciliation.
Accomplishes it.

Judgment Is Correction, Not Condemnation

Those who believe now are saved first—
“especially those who believe” (1 Timothy 4:10).

Those who do not?
They will face judgment—
not because God hates them,
but because He loves them too much to leave them broken.

“When God’s judgments are in the earth,
the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.”
— Isaiah 26:9

Judgment teaches.
Judgment restores.
Judgment leads to life.

Even death—
the last enemy —
will be destroyed (1 Corinthians 15:26).

If death is abolished,
no one can remain dead.
No one can remain lost.

The End of the Story: God All in All

Paul reveals the destiny of creation:

“As in Adam all die,
so in Christ shall all be made alive…
then comes the end…
when Christ hands over the kingdom to God the Father…
that God may be All in all.”
— 1 Corinthians 15:22–28

Not God “all in some.”
Not God “all in the winners.”
God All in All.

Every creature.
Every heart.
Every rebel.
Every atheist.
Every fallen angel.
Every tear-worn, grief-stained life…

all restored to the Father’s embrace
because of Christ.

True Faith Trusts God’s Sovereignty — Not Our Performance

Religion says:
“You better believe, or else…”

Paul says:

“If we are faithless,
He remains faithful—He cannot deny Himself.”
— 2 Timothy 2:13

True faith is not believing God will give us what we want.
True faith is knowing He will finish what He began (Philippians 1:6)
no matter what we see.

True faith does not trust us
watching, performing, choosing, enduring.

True faith trusts God
to accomplish His plan for all—
even those who resist Him now.

**Religion Makes God Small.

Paul Reveals God as Great.**

Satan’s God:
Wants to save all but can’t.

Paul’s God:
Purposed to save all and will.

Satan’s God:
Waits to see what you do.

Paul’s God:
Already accomplished everything at the cross.

Satan’s God:
Rewards a few.

Paul’s God:
Redeems everyone — each in their own time.

**He’s Not Santa, nor the caricature God Satan has created.

He’s the Father of All.
And He finishes what He starts.**

This is the God of Paul’s gospel.
The God religion is afraid to preach.
The God the Bible actually reveals.

The God who loses nothing He created.