(Brethren, this doctrine is demonic and a VERY DANGEROUS belief to hold to ...refer my conclusion...
"You do not have to worry about doing anything about God in life... because you will be alright in the end anyway")
Many believe that because one believes the 'preterist' teachings of the scriptures literally that one must therefore also be a 'universalist'.
This is patently wrong especially where the scriptures do not teach universalism (other than by taking isolated verses out of context and claiming that they present a new truth.... contrary to the whole integrated message of the bible from Genesis to Revelations).
This integrated message is referred to as "The analogy of Faith"
From Genesis to Revelations the story is consistent. The God who created the world and mankind in it did so for a reason. God as spirit is invisible but never the less He is a reality that rational man MUST acknowledge...and seek in order to come to know Him.
Acts 17:24 God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. 25 Nor is He worshiped with men's hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things. 26 And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, 27 so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; 28 for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, 'For we are also His offspring.' NKJV
God made mankind 'in His own image and likeness' ... able to communicate and relate to Him.
Mankind according to the bible has been placed in a world which is maginificently and intricately designed to provide all our current and future needs. This however still leaves us without a clarity of our own purpose. We know we are physically offspring of our parents and are born with the desire for physical relationships. This comes from the first instruction God gave mankind to ...'be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it' (Gen 1:28)
God created families and in this many find all the fulfillment they want and the satisfaction they need.
There is no command from God suggesting that mankind has more than this that they should be doing though there is a strong command that there is something they should not do as it will cause them death...
Gen 2:16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die." NKJV
God as a loving Father was warning His creation of great danger. He was not being 'smart' to try and get us to fall. That was Satan's work alone.
God from the beginning however had provided a subtle invitation or promise of something "more" ...
Gen 2:9 The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. NKJV
God was saying to mankind... "and if you are looking for something special, why don't you investigate 'the tree of Life' "
God wants US to ask and to look for something, to seek after more than material life. God expounds the invitation to Israel under the Law
Deut 4:29 But from there (i.e. the promised Land) .. you will seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul. NKJV
Jesus repeats the invitation in His ministry
Matt 7:7 "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. NKJV
22:1414 Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life , and may enter through the gates into the city.
NKJV Brethren this is an invitation to RELATIONSHIPAnd in the
And the tree of Life pops up at the end of the scriptures in Revelations again reminding us of the possibilty
Rev 22:14 Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. NKJV
The message is that if we choose to live in the physical realm only and to be satisfied with this, then in all likelihood this is all we will get out of life.The treel Th The message is that
But for those who seek more... RELATIONSHIP with God is the doorway ... and key is that this requires only that we believe (John 3:16, John 5:24)
The indication that we have found relationship with God or 'eternal LIFE' can be experienced in variety of ways.
This can be anything from a simple assurance that we are His children (John 1:11-13) ... to the blessing of hearing the Holy Spirit lead you (Jn 16:13) ... or the beautiful assurance of His presence with us (John 10:27-28).
Brethren the doctrine of universalism makes a mockery of God's invitation and mankind's response of believing...or responding in simple faith to God's goodness and love for us.
The greatest disincentive to achieving goals is to ensure all get the same to outcome whether we want it or not! If you do not want to know God in this life then being in His presence for eternity would perhaps be like torture.
So what is the fate of those who do not seek more than the material life which is given to us ALL at birth? Simply the bible tells us that they PERISH. They die and their bodies which are either buried or cremated are 'anihilated'... simply ceasing to exist in any form other than DUST(Gen 3:19 // Gen 3:22 and 24)
In the book of Revelations we see what the New Covenant realm requires of people to access 'the heavenly Jerusalem'
Rev 22:14 Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life , and may enter through the gates into the city. 15 But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie. NKJV
The commandments of the new covenant are simple ... Believe in Jesus as our Saviour (John 6:29,1 John 3:23) ... and love one another (1 John 3:23, John 13:34)
But certain people are excluded by God's criteria and their choices ...
'dogs and sorcerers'...read the godless and those who use spiritual forces to deceive and control others
'sexually immoral' ... those referred to in Romans 1:18-32
'murderers' ... surely those who make a business out of killing the unborn?
'idolaters' ... those who serve other gods
'and those who love and practice a lie' ...the great lie that excludes people is that Jesus is not God and that He did not come in the flesh (1 John 2:22)
(These requirements are very similar to those given to Gentile believers in the church in Acts 15:23-29 ... and are also based on the rules that were believed to have applied to those living at the time of Noah)
The above passage alone to the discerning should blow the doctrine of 'universal salvation' right out of contention as truth.
So what about the detailed verses supposedly supporting universalism ... and their context
To use texts out of context demonstrates at the least carelessness or at the worst an intent to deceive ....
We must also look at how the scriptural passages fit into what else was taught by the same apostolic writers...ensuring that we are NOT misreading the intention of the passage.
The apostle John tells us why he wrote ...and it was not just to make us feel 'warm and fuzzy' about being loved by God and going to heaven even if we do nothing in this life ...
John 20: 30 And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name. NKJV
If you do not believe you do not have eternal life ... you will perish
John 3:18 "He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. NKJV
YES, God loves the world.... but the world needs to come to the place where it loves God or it will not be saved
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. NKJV
At this point context of the phrase 'the world' needs to be examined. Simply under the Mosaic covenant God loved ONLY Israel. Under the 'coming' new covenant Israel was told that the love of God was to be extended to the Gentile nations (ref Isaiah chapt 60). 'ALL the world' simply tells us that all the nations of the would now have access. This was a point of great controversy for the Jews (ref the Book of Acts)
Now in the light of this clear teaching let us see what is actually meant by the scriptures wrongly used...
1) John 1: 9 That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world. NKJV
John 1:10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. NKJV
All have access to the light...and all have the right IF THEY BELIEVE
Note how the phrase 'every man ... in the world' to whom the light given is to be understood. Every one has access BUT only those who receive and believe become 'the children of God'.
2) John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. NKJV
Yes, God loves the whole world...but if we choose not to believe we will not be part of the world that will be saved. The world refers to the inhabited world of that time (ie the Roman Empire) rather than the nation of Israel alone.
John 3:18 .... but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. NKJV
3) John 12:31 Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out. 32 And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself." NKJV
Yes, but John also draws us back to the response required from us to Jesus words
John 8:24 Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins." NKJV
So why should we assume John would be presenting a different mesage in His epistles?
4) 1 John 2:2 And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world. NKJV
John confirms this later in ... 1 John 5:19 We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one. NKJV
Yes, the price of sin has been paid for all...BUT not all want to avail themselves of the gospel. Jesus on the cross broke the power of sin over mankind. There is still a decision to be made as to how we will live..... with God or without Him in our lives.
If you do not believe you will still perish because you have not believed!
Peter in Acts quoting from the prophet Joel
5) Acts 2:17 'And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; NKJV
Yes God was going to spread the gospel to the whole world... but only 3000 believed and received the Holy Spirit ...out of the million odd people estimated to be in Jerusalem for the festival. The rest did not believe ...or receive. ALL flesh refers to people from ALL nations all over the world rather than ALL people from EVERY NATION.
Peter later tells them what was required of them...
Acts 2:37 ... Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Men and brethren,
what shall we do?" 38 Then Peter said to them,"Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call." NKJV
6) 2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us,
not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. NKJV
Do not question Peter about 'all being saved'. The context is about scoffers...and ungodly men ...who certainly do not have heaven as their destiny.
2 Peter 3:7 But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. NKJV
Jesus explains the opposing forces...
Luke 13:34 "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing! NKJV
John 5:40 But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life. NKJV
Paul is also easily taken out of context concerning universal salvation for isolated verses
7) 1 Tim 2:3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. NKJV
Paul certainly was not teaching that ALL WOULD be saved...read from Chapter 1 vs 5 ... just that if God could save him as a wicked sinner, then no one else was beyond God's reach. The question is how do they respond to the gospel message. Paul said "LORD"
Acts 13:48 Now when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed. NKJV
Paul clearly tells us that not all will believe...and those who do not respond to God do NOT GET ETERNAL LIFE
8) 1 Cor 15:25 For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. 26 The last enemy that will be destroyed is death. 27 For "He has put all things under His feet." But when He says "all things are put under Him," it is evident that He who put all things under Him is excepted. 28 Now when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all. NKJV
God being ALL and in ALL does not include the sinners who rejected Jesus never bothered to look for eternal life. They have become dust again after perishing (Gen 3:19) ...and are under His feet. The wicked are not in the minority..
1 John 5:19 We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one. NKJV
Death and the Hades are also destroyed...for the believer we HAVE ETERNAL LIFE NOW (John 5:24) and we will not be judged. For those who wish to believe according to Jesus WE SHALL NEVER DIE (John 11:25 and 26). By believing in Jesus we have received both RESURRECTION and LIFE.
9) Phil 2: 9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. NKJV
Brethren Paul is not speaking of the physical world we will live in here on earth from our perspective but of the heavenly realm. No one can encounter Jesus today and not bow the knee to Him. But those who do not want God in their lives will always be in the majority... seen in the following encouragement to the church in the physical realm.
Phil 2:14 Do all things without complaining and disputing, 15 that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world .. NKJV
This promise was also partially demonstrated in Revelations as a post AD70 outcome Jesus promised .
Rev 3:9 Indeed I will make those of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews and are not, but lie — indeed I will make them come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you. NKJV
So when will this be 'fully' fulfilled?
It was partially fulfilled at the cross..."It is finished" (John 19:30)
It was finally completed with the destruction of Christ's enemies in AD70 .. (when Daniel 7:13-14 were fulfilled as demonstrated by the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple ... when the destruction of the Holy people's power occurred (Dan 8:14) ... and when the temple and the city of Jerusalem were destroyed (Dan 9:26) ... at the end of the 70 weeks determined for 'your people' (Dan 9:24) ... and the destruction of the Old Covenant which was 'the power of the 'holy people' (Dan 12:7) which occurred in AD70. (and in the same time frame promised by Jesus in Mat 24:34, Mark 13:30 and Luke Luke 21:32)
From that time onwards ALL Mankind will EITHER bow the knee to Jesus at their salvation ... OR .... at death when their spirits leave their mortal bodies to return to dust
Ps 146:3 Do not put your trust in princes,
Nor in a son of man, in whom there is no help.
4 His spirit departs, he returns to his earth;
In that very day his plans perish. NKJV
Eccl 12:6 Remember your Creator before the silver cord is loosed,
Or the golden bowl is broken,
Or the pitcher shattered at the fountain,
Or the wheel broken at the well.
7 Then the dust will return to the earth as it was,
And the spirit will return to God who gave it. NKJV
God is 'ALL in ALL' ... but He graciously allows mankind a lifespan to come to the place where they accept this and seek Him to become eternal.... or to reject this and find out how wrong they were at death.
For those looking for 'Paradise on earth' the writer of Hebrews cautions us where to look ...
Heb 12:1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. NKJV
10) 1 Tim 4:10 For to this end we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe. NKJV
Brethren this scripture tells us that Jesus is the only Savior of all men (Jews and Gentiles). As believers we experienced this and know that there is NO other hope apart from Christ for the lost.
11) Col 1:19-20 For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, 20 and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross. NKJV
Brethren ALL things does not include people who do not want to know Jesus... Why would we preach the gospel and try to reach those if they were going to be reconciled anyway?
2 Cor 5:20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God. 21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. NKJV
Brethren the unsaved are not reconciled to God ...nor will they be unless they believe and receive Jesus as their righteousness
12) Rom 11:26 And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written NKJV
Brethren the context here tells us in vs 5 that this applies only to 'a remnant according to the election of GRACE'....and
Rom 9:6 For they are not all Israel who are of Israel NKJV
What is the point of evangelising if ALL will be saved in the end anyway despite their choices and refusal to believe?
In life we as believers are all called to be ambassadors for Christ...
This is an awesome opportunity to be part of God's plan to reach the lost ...but it would be a waste of time if ALL were going to heaven anyway.
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Look at the revised message you would need to be preaching...
"Don't worry about believing now...you will all be saved anyway. Might as well have a ball in life and then when you are 'all sinned out' and if you remember before you die, give Jesus a thought" ...
"On second thoughts why bother. You will be in heaven anyway! "
BUT WHAT IF THIS IS WRONG? ... There will be NO RECOVERY from ETERNAL DESTRUCTION!