Universalism Teaches Universal Salvation
Universalism focuses on selective Scriptures that seem to teach that everyone will be saved. That message strikes a responsive emotional cord in our hearts. We don’t want our unbelieving friends, relatives, neighbors, and associates to be lost and punished for eternity. However, what God wants, not what we desire shapes reality now and when time shall be no more.
Universalism’s doctrine that after death people will have multiple chances to repent and believe the gospel magnifies the devil’s lie that people have plenty of time to get right with God before they die. The supposed reason is that God’s love is too great to sentence unbelievers to an eternity of suffering with no chance to change their circumstances.
They say His love will ultimately prevail and win over even the most hard-hearted unbelievers even if it takes a long time. Second, third, fourth, etc. chances will abound. By contrast, Hebrews 9:27 teaches that people have only this lifetime to repent and receive Jesus and God’s gift of forgiveness. “And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment” (NLT). That judgment is final.
Some of them see in 1 Peter 3:18–22 a second chance. 1 Peter 4:17–18 teaches otherwise: “For the time has come for judgment, and it must begin with God’s household. And if judgment begins with us, what terrible fate awaits those who have never obeyed God’s Good News? And also, “If the righteous are barely saved, what will happen to godless sinners?” (1 Peter 4:17–18). We don’t see a speck of optimism about their fate.
Universalists lean on Scriptures that seem to support their theology like Romans 5:12–21; 11:32; 1 Timothy 2:4, 4:10; John 12:32, etc. Meanwhile, they ignore Scriptures that contradict them like Romans 2:6–16; Matthew 25:31–46; John 3:18, 36; 5:29, etc. Jesus is speaking in many Scriptures that disprove everyone will be saved.
Universalism Redefines Biblical Terms
Universalists arrive at their heretical theological position by redefining biblical terms. They redefine sin as ignorance or misunderstanding God’s wants, concluding it isn’t serious and doesn’t deserve eternal punishment. That’s wrong. Sin is willfully replacing God with self as the center of the Universe. It’s mutiny and deserves the death sentence.
Sin is active rebellion against or passive indifference to the will and ways of the One who created and controls the Universe. “All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all” (Isaiah 53:6 NLT). If sin were no big deal, why did Jesus have to die on the cross?
The Bible’s focus on human responsibility between birth and death to respond to God’s offer of salvation in repentance and faith is downplayed in the universalist’s concept that everyone will get to heaven eventually. There is no reason to demonstrate repentance by how we live on earth if we have many opportunities after earthly life to mend our ways.
They don’t believe our eternal destiny depends on faith. It has no connection to how we live on earth. They think we can ignore what the Bible says during our earthly lives. We can do what we want and still get to heaven eventually.
Since they downplay faith, assurance of salvation based on faith eludes them, as rightfully it should, because they believe the devil’s lie that faith isn’t essential. They can’t please God without faith (Hebrews 11:6).
They discount the seriousness of the judgment of which Jesus speaks. They think we shouldn’t worry about flaming fire “on those who don’t know God and on those who refuse to obey the Good News of our Lord Jesus” (2 Thessalonians 1:8 NLT).
The Apostle Paul wrote, “For God says, “At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you.” Indeed, the “right time” is now. Today is the day of salvation (2 Corinthians 6:2 NLT). Not for universalists. Getting serious about God ten thousand years from now will get people there too.
God is love (1 John 4:8). Universalists assume that the greatest expression of God’s sovereign love would be saving everyone. But God defines love, and people don’t. The biblical teaching is that eternal punishment for unbelievers isn’t inconsistent with a loving God who sacrificed His Son to eliminate the eternal death penalty for all who believe (John 3:16).1 See Part Two. See additional free spiritual growth resources for Christians. #discipleshipresources #evangelismresources #christianleadershipresources
See free spiritual growth resources for Christians at https://www.christiangrowthresources.com.
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