The push for relativism (in much of our politics, entertainment, and news media) has opened the way for a new wave of "Christian" Universalism-- the belief that all people are now saved (or will be), regardless of belief or lifestyle. According to Universalists, Christians will all share Heaven with ancient peoples who burned their children alive to idols, the leaders of the Inquisition, Adolf Hitler, Stalin and all other people (regardless of their faith or life), because, according to them, that’s what’s fair. Some Universalists go so far as to say that even Satan himself will eventually be in Heaven.
At a time in history when people are more consumed than ever by “self,” they are primed for the teachings of Universalism, which is based on human emotions and assumptions.
Star Wars theology-- “Trust your feelings, Luke!”
In his article posted on the Universalist Christian Association website entitled Universalism an Utterance of the Heart, Steve Jones says: “Introduce the topic of universalism and many Christians will point out instantly that it contradicts Holy Scripture. And when one peruses its pages, it may appear so. But one thing is undeniable by anyone whose heart goes out to others: We intuitively hope universalism is true. The kind-hearted and merciful wish that God might finally bring all humanity into the circle of His grace.”
Although letting our emotions guide us is sometimes easy, nowhere in scripture are people told to trust their feelings. We are told to trust God and let the peace of God rule and reign in our hearts. Peace is not an emotion, it’s a state of being available to those who are in Christ. (Philippians 4:7, Colossians 3:15)
Proverbs 3:5-6 Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding. In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths. [AMP]
Assumptions
In Genesis, we see the encounter between Eve and the serpent
Genesis 3:5-1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?"
The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.' "
"You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman. "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." [NIV]
Satan wanted to plant several false assumptions in Eve’s mind. Via half-truths, he hoped to appeal to her emotions and desires. Here are his implications:
God lied to you. You won’t die (today, physically. He was twisting a term for his own purpose.)
Denying you the fruit of that tree is unfair . (If you want something, how could a loving God deny it to you? After all, you should know what’s good for you!)
God wants to keep you ignorant. (For Satan's purposes of the moment, the term innocent was interchangeable with ignorance.)
If you eat the fruit, you can be like God (and then, what would you need Him for?)
Since the beginning, Satan has been helping people to question the Lord’s character, His love, and His intentions. Eve’s choices based on her false assumptions, emotions, and desires were very costly.
One of the largest problems with Universalism is that it is based on a false assumption that anything other than blanket salvation for all is unfair to humanity. Universalists are bothered by the concepts of judgement and Hell, so they have decided what God must do in order to be merciful and loving. Universalists have opted to trust their feelings and their limited understanding of what’s “fair” instead of what God actually says.
Universalism is an attempt to take people out of “the box” of Church, but it does so by attempting to put God in a box instead! Universalists who do look into the Bible engage in what would be more consistent with tabloid journalism than Bible study. (The maid of a famous star overhears her saying, “I’m going to work now. The chauffeur will drive me.” Her husband answers back, “I’ll miss you.” A week later, the Tabloids read, Movie star declares she’s leaving with another man!!! Husband devastated!) If you want to believe something, you can read it into everything you see.
The words and teachings of Jesus Himself refute Universalism
Matthew 7:13-21 [Jesus speaking] "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. [NIV]
Jesus is differentiating between the way that leads to destruction and the way to Life. He speaks of wolves (false teachers) who are separated, cut off. Jesus calls those who will listen to differentiate between true and false.
Jesus continues His discourse in Matthew 7:21-23 "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!' [NIV] Emphasis added by me.
Again, Jesus is calling people to be aware that they aren’t “all saved.” He openly states that false believers will be sent away from His presence and that these people are “evildoers.”
He continues teaching. Matthew 7:21-23 "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash." [NIV]
Jesus draws a line between those who are wise and those who are foolish. Being wise is predicated on two things: hearing the words of Jesus and doing them. Most of Jesus’ parables are about having FAITH. Many of His parables describe the shock of those who will be sent from His presence on the day of Judgement. None of Jesus’ teachings offer the idea that all people will eventually be in Heaven.
Some will attempt to get around Jesus’ teachings and parables by saying that Jesus’ words before the cross don’t count, since He hadn’t completed the (universal) work of salvation yet. (Again, you can make it seem as if the Bible or any other document says anything you want, given the time and willingness to ignore anything that contradicts you). Many Universalists teach that Jesus, since His death on the cross, has saved (or will save) everyone, regardless of belief and use portions of scriptures like these to bolster their thinking:
Colossians 1: 21-22 Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation . . . [NIV]
1 Corinthans 15:22 “For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.” [NIV]
2 Corinthians 5:18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. [NIV]
If a Universalist puts these together with several more out-of-context scriptures, it would seem to be a growing stack of evidence on their side. Anyone who just accepts their texts without much study of the Bible itself may then be deceived. HOWEVER, if someone reads the above (and all of their other scriptures) in context, it becomes clear that the salvation the Bible speaks of is through personal FAITH in the only begotten Son, Jesus Christ.
Colossians 1:22-23 But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation-- if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant. [NIV] (Text bolded by me.)
1 Corinthians 15:22-23 “For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him.” [NIV] (Text bolded by me. Note: One must be in Christ to be made alive. The term “those who belong to him” says that they are different from ones who don’t.)
2 Corinthians 5:17- 21 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. [NIV] (Text bolded by me.)
Paul the apostle made it abundantly clear that salvation was directly connected to hearing and receiving the gospel of Jesus Christ-- and that it was the responsibility of Christians to share the gospel with those who hadn’t heard it. It was a responsibility he took very seriously. As far as Paul was concerned, neglecting to share message of the cross of Christ was to be responsible for lost souls.
Acts 20:24-27 [Paul speaking] “But none of these things move me; neither do I esteem my life dear to myself, if only I may finish my course with joy and the ministry which I have obtained from [which was entrusted to me by] the Lord Jesus, faithfully to attest to the good news (Gospel) of God's grace (His unmerited favor, spiritual blessing, and mercy). And now, observe, I perceive that all of you, among whom I have gone in and out proclaiming the kingdom, will see my face no more. Therefore I testify and protest to you on this [our parting] day that I am clean and innocent and not responsible for the blood of any of you. For I never shrank or kept back or fell short from declaring to you the whole purpose and plan and counsel of God.” [AMP] (Text bolded by me.)
If you look still further in scripture, you will see that a one-time “confession” of Jesus Christ is not what Jesus has in mind for believers (unless they come to Him mere moments before dying). Look up the word “continue” in a Bible Concordance, you will note that it is often connected to true and false faith. When speaking of true faith in Jesus Christ, the word “continue” is usually in an admonition to continue in the faith as in Colossians 2:6 “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in Him . . .” [NIV] (See also, Acts 13:43, Romans 11:22, Philippians 2:12, Colossians 2:6, 2 Timothy 3:14, 1 John 2:28, 2 John 1:9, 3 John 1:3)
Throughout the entirety of the Bible, it can be seen that God’s plan of redemption has ALWAYS been connected to faith. And not just any faith, since both Old and New Testaments speak of some who are NOT in the faith, some who aren’t saved, some who don’t believe, and of forms of worship that are false and even demonic.
Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes --the Jew first and also the Gentile. [NLT]
Romans 10:17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ. [NIV]
The “Freedom” of Universalism?
In Universalism, no personal relationship with God, no accountability, and no decision are required in this lifetime. Why read the Bible with an honest heart? Why bother to see what God actually says about sin, death, Heaven and Hell?
In a day when being a Christophobe* is about the only acceptable form of prejudice, there is no need to offend your neighbors or coworkers with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. No need to travel to those scary third-world countries and risk your life. Universalists can just rest in the thought that everyone is okay the way they are. *Christophobe-- one who has hatred of or paranoia concerning Jesus Christ/Christians.
Lawyers for God (those who think they must defend God against Satan’s false accusations-- a job God never asks people to take) have a place to defect to when they grow weary. Universalism claims to have no harsh realities to defend. The Promise of Universalism?
In essence, I believe that Universalism offers much of the same argument that Satan offered to Eve and appeals to our desires and emotions rather than relying on truth and trusting God (who is infinitely more loving, powerful, and wise than we are).
God’s words aren’t to be taken literally. (He lied.)
You won’t really go to Hell.
For the Lord to deny anyone the fruit of the tree of Life in Heaven would be unfair. (How could a loving God do such a thing?)
God wants to keep you in this state--innocent. (For Satan’s purposes, the term “ignorance” is now interchangeable with “innocent.” And, if everyone is innocent . . . why do they need to relate to Jesus?)
You can have it all without relating to God right now. (Don’t rely on His questionable promise, trust your feelings).
The Contradiction
Universalists are saying that if God does anything OTHER than open heaven to all, He’s unloving, unmerciful, and unfair. This strikes me as a bit contradictory since Universalists are the ones who are against “judging,” yet they are putting themselves in the position of judging God Almighty. When I Googled Universalism, one of the Universalist headlines with a link was, “God is not a Sadist.” So, if the Lord does anything not in accordance with their views, He’s a sadist? Wow. What is the cost of Universalism?
For humanity on the whole, the cost will be devastating. The concept of “Christian” Universalism is antithetical to the call of Jesus Christ to go and preach the Gospel in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and for each believer to take up his or her cross and follow Jesus. Believing there is no need to preach the Gospel, Universalists won’t go where they should have gone with the life-saving message of Jesus Christ.
Conclusion
Again, I believe that Universalism, is an attempt to take people out of “the box” of Church-- but the result is in an attempt to put God in a box of man’s flawed and limited sense of “fairness.”
With all my heart I ask people who want to know truth to read the New Testament. Mark every passage where it talks about faith, salvation, and judgement. While Universalist doctrines can be read into some individual verses, the clear message of the majority of verses (and the New Testament on the whole) doesn’t support this view. The purpose of the New Testament is to declare that people are saved through active faith in Jesus Christ (and that this has been the plan since before time started).
It’s not up to people to decide what God must do on Judgement Day. It’s not my job to explain or defend His ways, but I do know that on that Day the Lord will be what He has always been: both merciful AND just. It’s not given to me to figure it out in advance, but to know that He is more than worthy of my trust.
John 17:33 [Jesus speaking] And this is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth. [NIV]
Romans 10:9-10 If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved. [NIV]
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Scriptures marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
