There’s a fairly controversial preacher in Kansas who is attempting to erect a “monument” to the “Day Matthew Shepard Entered Hell” in Matthew’s hometown, Casper Wyoming.

Matthew Sheperd was the young man who was picked up, pistol whipped, tied to a fence and left to die. He was gay, and the controversy was that he was in a gay bar, and went with the strangers because of physical attraction, or he was looking for sex, or some other, unknown motivation. Just 5′ 2″ tall, and 110 pounds, Matthew at 21 was no match for the violent criminals who picked him up.

The preacher, who shall remain nameless for my purposes, has a web site, and has been telling all near and far that Matthew was a sinner, and went to hell. Fair enough, I also believe that Matthew was a sinner and, if unrepentant, went to hell just like all unrepentant sinners do, straight or gay.

Now, the preacher is theatening to sue the city of Casper if they don’t erect his monument. They have a listing of the 10 Commandments in the same park, and it isn’t “fair” to have one religious monument, and not another. The city’s only alternative is to remove the 10 Commandments. So this preacher may be the one who finally gets all public mention of God out of public places. Ironic that, after all the failed attempts by the ACLU, a gospel preaching calvinist preacher from the heartland of America may be successful at edging God out of the Casper city park.

But that’s not what upsets me.

The preacher’s web site proclaims that their church is a “TULIP”, or Calvinist, church. Hey, I’m a Calvinist too, even though I would be a TUIP Calvinist, since I’m unsure about the “L” part.

TULIP is an acronym for the basic teachings of Calvinism. The “T” is the Total depravity of man, the “U” is for “unconditional election”, that God’s in control and knows who is going to turn to Him for salvation, and in fact, has selected those people already. The “L”, is that Christ’s atonement only covers those who are saved (without getting too technical, I don’t agree with this; I believe the only sin not forgiven is unbelief, and Christ’s atonement was total, over all other sin). The “I” stands for irrestible grace, that God’s grace is irrestible for those who will be saved. It also teaches that those who love God will seek to do his will, and will continue trying, even though they may fail, and that’s the “P”, for perseverance of the saints.

So, after all that, I have a question for the preacher …

How do you know?

We are all in the same boat … totally depraved … and need God’s help to become close to Him. When God calls us, we will respond because God’s grace is irresistable. God, who is a lot smarter than me or the preacher, knows who will turn to Him, and when.

But the thing is, I don’t know. And neither does the preacher.

Matthew Shepard was beaten, robbed, tied to a fence and left to die. Matthew Shepard was alone. Well, not quite. There were no humans around him until later on, when he was found. He died several days later, not being able to recover. But there were hours when he was alone … with God. And hours when he was in a hospital, in a coma.

The fact is that the preacher doesn’t know about Matthew Shepard’s fate. He doesn’t know if Matthew Shepard cried out to God, and asked for God’s help while tied to that fence. The preacher is limiting God’s irrestible grace, His foreknowledge, His unconditional choice of who is to be saved based on a bet. A bet that Matthew Shepard wasn’t saved in those final hours.

And that’s a bet I won’t take.

He doesn’t know, but he should know better.

Now maybe the preacher thinks there needs to be a certificate issued, or a registry made, or a certain period of time before God’s unconditional election of someone can take effect. I don’t think so. God’s power is unlimited. Unconditional election means just that, unconditional. God can, if He wants to, call a person in a split second, and that person will respond. Its irresistable.

And not realizing that means this “TULIP” church preacher has missed the whole point of Calvinism … God decides. Not you. God.

If God called him, God’s grace was sufficient for Matthew Shepard. And that’s sufficient for me. I can never know what happens between a person and God, even in the last split second of their life.

The preacher has categorically told the world … and God, by the way … that he knew what he cannot possibly know.

I would hate to be in that position.