By: Gen. Jim – 9/1/25
“But as it is written: ‘Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” – 1 Cor. 2:9, NKJV
Do we believe this?
Let’s reverse this and see what it says. It tells us that ONLY those who love God will receive from God what He has prepared. This does away with “Universalism”, a popular – but FALSE – teaching.
There is an ongoing debate over this belief. One minister puts forth 5 points that led him to a confident universalism. Others refute these points, hence the WAR goes on.
So, what is “U”? Is it compatible with the (true) Christian faith? Basically, it is the (false) belief that ALL humanity will be saved. This (false) teaching has been around since the days of Clement of Alexandria & Origen:
* Clement of Alexandria: 150-215 A.D. He was a learned teacher at Alexandria, Egypt, who was in charge of the catechetical school there. Origen was a pupil of his. In his largest extant work – Miscellanies – Clement attempted unsuccessfully to wrest the term ‘gnostic’ (= one who knows) away from the heretics & give it a Christian meaning;
* Origen: 185-255. He took over the catechetical school of Alexandria after Clement departed. This man has been called the ‘father of Christian theology’. But, if one studies his works, one will find some strained & unsound theological speculation.
God’s Love
Universalism is rooted & grounded in God’s love the Universalists tell us. How can or how would a “loving God” allow anyone to go to Hell? Better yet, send anyone there? The “Christian” Universalists believe God’s love goes beyond men’s sins. Humanity will miss Hell altogether – no matter how in the Hell they live! – and make Heaven. Nice thought but totally UNTRUE & UNBIBLICAL! Basically, evangelist Billy Graham taught this (see my article proving what he said = “all will be saved!”).
Both Universalism and limited atonement are both wrong! There is also what is called “Cultural Universalism”; the idea that there are certain values, practices, & norms that are universally applicable to all humans.
God is Good!
Yes, we know He is. But He has a judgment/wrath side to Him that demands justice. The Bible confirms this from Genesis to Revelation.
Heaven for All?
Sorry, the Bible does not teach this. It does teach eternal salvation (for those who KEEP the FAITH till the END) & eternal damnation, for those without faith.
Billy Graham taught that all the world’s people are His & since He is “Love”, no one will be excluded.
Q. What if some do not want to go to Heaven? The Bible talks about the straight & narrow way that leads to eternal life. It also talks about the wide way, the Broad Way that leads to damnation.
So, what we have within the Church is “Eternal Life” vs. “Eternal Punishment” – both are true.
Since God is…
Those who hold to “Universalism (U)” tell us, since God is all-good, all-knowing, all-powerful, then He must be, HAS TO BE all-saving. Wrong! Many believe “U” distorts the grace of God.
If “U” is true, then “Hell” is wrong!
“U” teaches & promises all peoples of various beliefs (or no belief!) they can & will go to Heaven without requiring repentance (as Jesus, John the Baptists & all N.T. authors taught). Even devil worshippers! Yep, even them.
The WHOLE Unitarian Universalist Church is Hell-bound!
Why???
Why does Scripture teach us about the sheep & goats? Why does it teach us about the wheat & weeds? And why so much about “righteousness” & “unrighteousness, about Heaven & Hell?: about the saved & the damned? I know the LGBTQ+ Church loves to hear that God accepts, even honors their perversions. Yep! They are “tickled Pink!!!”
Ok
I could write page after page here. But let me get back to my opening Scripture (1 Cor. 2:9). Paul says, “… as it is written,” just where is the following text written? Isaiah the Prophet wrote: “For since the beginning of the world men have not heard nor perceived by the ear, nor has the eye seen any of God beside you, who acts for the one who waits for Him.” Isa. 64:4, NKJV.
The promise of vs.9 hangs upon, “for them that love Him.” Many scholars believe Paul’s words are applied to the state of glory in a future world; others believe they belong to the present state & express merely the wondrous light, life, & liberty which the Gospel communicates to them that believe in the Lord Jesus in that way which the Gospel itself requires. I believe it is both! All this spiritual revelation is for the saved – not for the unsaved. Vs.10 says that God has revealed them unto the saved by His Spirit. This leaves out those who are LOST. To make God a liberal/woke God is blasphemy! Are we to call God a liar? Rev. 22 says, “BLESSED are those who DO HIS commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, & may enter through the gates into the (New) city,” vs.14. Why will you believe that all will enter into the New City? Verse 15 plainly tells us that “outside (the gates of the NC) are dogs & sorcerers, & sexually immoral (LGBTQ+ and heterosexual sinners) & murderers & idolaters, & whoever loves & practices a lie.” Not a word about ALL – saints/sinners – going into the New Heaven / New City of God.
Great Experiences / Great Expectations
Paul wrote about them in vss.9-16. The Bible never, ever says this about “all”, only about those saved/devoted followers of Christ. Paul wrote about the spirit of man, the spirit of the world, & the Spirit of God. Why does Paul write about the flesh vs the Spirit if the “flesh” was going to enter into the Kingdom as well as the overcomer? Paul plainly tells us that fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, homosexuals, sodomites, thieves, the covetous, drunkards, revelers, extortioners et al. WILL NOT ENTER the Kingdom (1 Cor. 6:9,10, NKJV). Verse 11 he says of the “saved” at Corinth, “And such WERE (past tense) some of you. But you WERE (past tense) washed… sanctified… justified in the name of the Lord Jesus by the Spirit of our (OUR) God.” Tell me, does he so much as hint about those mentioned above as being included in redemption? No!
2 Cor. 5:14,15
“For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One (Jesus) died for all, then all died; & He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them & rose again.” – NKJV
Notice what follows: “Therefore (because of what Paul just wrote), if anyone is IN CHRIST, he is a NEW CREATION; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new,” vs.17. Paul makes the distinction between the “old creation” (sin life) & the “new creation” (life in Christ). Jn. vs.21 he says, “For He (God) made Him (Christ) who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” The issue is SIN. What if a person does not repent of his/her sin/sins? I read nowhere they will be included with the redeemed.
The idea that ALL will eventually be saved is not found in the Bible.
Romans 11:26?
Does Romans 11:26 confirm Universalism?
“And so ALL Israel will be saved…”
There are those (pro-Israel) who point to this verse as if it says, “ALL Jews will be saved!” The main emphasis is on the word all. This verse is referring to how Israel shall be brought into the WAY of salvation. And how is that? By acknowledging Jesus as their Messiah/Savior. Vs.11 does not even refer to eternal glory for ALL Jews; only those who call upon Jesus, repent & live for Him. The same applied for those all of the world. The word “saved”, the way Paul means it, applies to the Israelites in different parts of the Scriptures, signifies no more than their being gathered out of the nations of the world, separated to God, & possessed of the high privilege of being His peculiar people, just like the Gentiles. One Bible scholar comments of vss.25 & 26: “… a hardening has come upon part of Israel, until the full number (not ALL) of the Gentiles come in, & so ALL Israel will be saved…” The way Israel (as a nation) will be saved is the same way the Gentile nations will be saved. The Williams Translation reads: “… and so in that way all Israel will be saved.”
Q. Why does Paul make the argument that old Israel must do something in order to “be saved”? The Universalists tell us ALL will be saved without telling us HOW. Paul tells Israel HOW – the way the Gentiles receive salvation, via repentance. Race no longer counted: it was Grace!
Jesus DID DIE FOR ALL – but ALL will not receive the free gift of salvation, hence, they will DIE in their SINS! This is Bible Truth. There are conditions to be met.
I did a Bible study on the word all. The Gk. word for all is pus (Rom. 11:26) meaning “every” or “as many us”. Another Gk. word is holos, meaning “whole, complete”. Another definition is “the greatest possible, as much as possible.” It also means a “specified number or period, a limited number”.
So, will ALL humanity be saved? No!
Heaven or Hell?
I believe the false teaching of “Universalism” is because the ones who believe this LIE want it to be true because they refuse to believe in Hell!
Note: “For God so LOVED the WORLD, that He gave His only begotten Son, that (note what follows) WHOSOEVER BELIEVETH IN HIM should not PERISH, but have EVERLASTING LIFE.” Jn. 3:16, KJV. Does this text teach “Universalism”? No! One must BELIEVE to RECEIVE. Period! The “Universalists” cite 1 Jn. 4:14: “We have seen & testify that the Father has sent the Son as the Savior of the world.” This is a true statement. But we know that Jn. 3:!6 & 1 Jn. 4:14 do not contradict each other. 1 Jn. 4:14 only tells us half of the gospel: Jesus was sent by the Father to be Savior of the world. Jn. 3:16 tells us that in order to be saved, one must believe (the same as repent).
The following statements of LIES:
1) Potential “Universalism” = the view that God’s work of salvation DOES continue after death but isn’t clear how many people will be reconciled with God in the end. Most but maybe not ALL! What? Are you kidding me? Just where in the Bible do we find such a thing?;
2) Unqualified “Universalism” = this is the view that as a result of Christ’s atoning work ALL people go straight to heaven upon passing from this earth, no afterlife punishment or discipline needed.”
Another BIG LIE (see my articles on the “if”/ “then” clause; Eternal Hell et al.);
3) Qualified “Universalism” = this view is the ancient Christian doctrine of apokatastasis, i.e., the doctrine of restoration. This was a prevailing doctrine of the Christian church during its first 500 years – so they tell us.
The “Universalists” take Rom. 5:18,19 as “it’s done!”:
“So then as through one trespass, ALL men were condemned; even so through one act of righteousness, ALL were justified to life.”
Made sinners / made righteous:
The Gk. term here is καθίστημι, meaning “make” only in the sense of “appoint”, “constitute”, “install”, or “instate”. The conception of a forensic justification is thus in Paul’s mind when he says “made righteous”; “For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.” But the sinner must repent for anything to transpire. No repentance, no salvation. (see Jn. 5:29 where the resurrection of life vs the resurrection of judgment.).
Eternal Hell vs Eternal Life
Did you know the same Gk. word, aiōnios (English, eternal), is used for both Heaven & Hell? Eternal (adj.); late 14th century, from old French eternal “eternal” or directly from Late Latin “aeternalis”, from Latin “aeternus” = “endless, of an age, lasting, enduring, permanent, everlasting”, contraction of “aeviternus” = “a great age”, from “aevum” = “age” (from PIE root “aiw” = “vital force, life; long life, eternity.”
The Gk. aiōn = “an age”; it also can mean “perpetuity”. So eternal can either mean an extended age or endless age, depending on the text/context. If Heaven is said to be “endless”, then Hell (same Gk. word) will also be “endless”. But what about those who do not believe in Hell – that ALL will be saved eternally? Well, they have dismissed Hell but Hell is still Hell!!! And who will be there? Read the Bible & find out.
These “Universalist”/ “no Hell” folks take the one meaning of “eternal” to mean “an age” but refuse to cite Scripture where it (refers to “eternal punishment”) means endless.
Very Nice (false) Doctrine!
All will be saved: God saves even those who HATE HIM & choose Hell over Heaven; there is no Hell! The “Universalist”/ “no Hell” folks try to convince us that the concept of Hell came about in the Middle Ages: Hell = “endlessness”. No! It came with the teaching of Jesus & the N.T. authors. Of course, these deniers will cite their favorite theologians / Bible Experts that teach falsehoods. They go to great extremes and pain to dig up semantic words that agree with their false ideas. They go deep into the world of etymology, onomasiology, & semantics.
There are also those who do believe in Hell/Hades/Gehenna but believe these will eventually disappear & those souls will be united with the souls in Heaven.
Q. Would a Loving God send souls to an Endless Hell?
A. Yep! Sure would. Since they use the argument “God is Love”, He will not do such an unloving thing. WRONG! And since He is the author of life, He would never take life! WRONG. I dare anyone to research (as I have) all the Scriptures where God
a) allowed His people or the pagans to be killed;
b) where God Himself killed them. Give me Scriptures where He never does evil (note: evil in the context of physical evil (Heb. “ra” as in Isa 45:7). I’m waiting.
We Are ALL Children of God!
Yep! As far as Creation goes, but not as Biblical Christianity goes. What are we to do with Eph. 2:2,3 “… you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air (Spirit world), the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience… by nature children of wrath…” Jesus told the Jewish leaders, “you are of your father the devil” (Jn. 8:44). While All humans are God’s creation, not all are His redeemed children. There are only 2 classes of people: 1) unredeemed = Children of Satan; 2) redeemed = Children of God.
In Acts 13:10 Paul calls the sorcerer BarJesus the “son of the devil”; who was struck blind by the hand of the Lord, vs.11. Was this evil man a child of God?
Those in Hell
Universalism teaches that those in Hell will also have the opportunity to be saved. Hmmm! Does Scripture teach this? All they have to do is repent. Well, who in their right mind would not want OUT of Hell?
Does God want ALL to be saved? Yep! Sure does! (1 Tim. 2:3,4). But in this life, not when one is in Hell (for those who do believe there is a Hell) Jesus came to earth, “bringing salvation to ALL people,” Titus 2:11. BUT He leaves the CHOICE up to each individual, not as some believe, He will save the unsaved without their will to be saved! Jesus died for ALL but not ALL will be redeemed (2 Cor. 5:15). Jesus “IS (present tense) the propitiation for our sins: & not for ours only, but also for the sins of the WHOLE world.” (1 Jn. 2:2). What does this mean?
(Pt 2)
Propitiation
This may take a while so hold on. The Gk. verb is hilaskomai (ἱλάσκομαι) and was used amongst the Greeks with the significance to make the gods propitious, to appease, propitiate, inasmuch as their good will was not conceived as their natural attitude, but something to be earned first. Gk. scholars say this use of the word is foreign to the Greek Bible, with respect to God, whether in the Gk. O.T. or in the Gk. N.T. It is never used of any act whereby man brings God into a favorable attitude or gracious disposition.
They say it is God who is propitiated by the vindication of His Holy & Righteous character, whereby, through the provision He has made in the vicarious & expiatory sacrifice of Christ, He has so dealt with SIN that He can show mercy to the repentant & believing sinner in the removal of his/her guilt & the remission (forgiveness) of their SINS. Luke 18:13, “… God, be merciful to me a sinner” signifies to be propitious (merciful) to (with the person as the object of the verb), & in Heb. 2:17, “… that He might be a merciful & faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make PROPITIATION for the SINS of the people,” to expiate, to make propitiation for (the object of the verb being sins); The Revised Version (R.V.), = “to make propitiation”, is an important correction of the Authorized Version (A.V.), “to make reconciliation”. Though the propitiatory sacrifice of Jesus, he or she who BELIEVES upon Him is by God’s own act delivered from justly deserved wrath & comes under the covenant of grace (not race). Never is the LORD said to be reconciled, a fact itself indicative that the enmity exists on man’s part alone, & that it is man/woman/boy/girl who needs to be reconciled to God, & not God to man.
The LORD is always the same, since He is Himself immutable. His relative attitude does change towards those who change: God can & does change His mind on matters BUT His character never changes. His character consists of both “love” and “hate”, “mercy” and “wrath”. He can act differently towards those who come to Him by faith/repentance, & solely on the ground of the propitiatory sacrifice of Christ, not because He has changed, but because He even acts according to His UN-changing Righteousness (see Mal. 3:6 = “For I am the LORD, I do not change”).
The expiatory work of the Cross of Christ is therefore the means whereby the barrier which sin interposes between God & man is broken down. By the giving up of Christ’s sinless life sacrificially, He annuls the power of sin to separate between God & the repentant believer [note: for the Hebrew counterpart – verb kaphar, connected with kopher =Mercy-Seat, Rev. 1:4; 14:20; 16:24, the guilt offering, e.g., Lev. 5:16,18, the sin offering, e.g., Lev. 4:20,26,31,35, the sin offering & burnt offering combined, e.g., Lev. 5:10; 9:7, the meal offering & peace offering, e.g., Ez. 45:15,17, as well as in other respects. All these Old Testament examples were shadows and types of better things to come. Christ fulfilled all of them!
Nouns
There are 2 nouns for propitiation:
1) Hilastērion, Rom. 3:25 = Christ;
2) Hilasmos, a means whereby sin is covered & remitted, 1 Jn. 2:2 & 4:10.
Christ = Savior & Advocate
1 Jn. 1:7 says, “if we walk in the light… we have fellowship one with another,” But if we walk in darkness we don’t! Only BY & THROUGH repentance are we brought into the family of God.
Heb. 2:9 says “that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone.” 2 Peter gives us the “key” that unlocks the Kingdom door: “… He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance,” 2 Pet. 3:9. Note the word “perish” If ALL are to be SAVED/BECOME CHILDREN of God, just where does “perish” come in? Well, we need to look at vs.7 where Peter mentions “the END being reserved unto FIRE… judgment & perdition of UNgodly men.” Vs.9 tells us that “God does not want anyone to perish!” The “Universalists” teach us that we are ALL His children, hence, ALL go to Heaven, not perish!
3-Worlds?
Some tell us that history is divided into 3 great sections:
1) the old world, i.e., the antediluvian world which the Flood destroyed;
2) Heaven & earth that exist now;
3) A new Heaven & new earth in future, meaning the ONE NOW will be destroyed by FIRE, hence, Peter’s “(God) is not willing that any should perish, but that ALL SHOULD come to repentance.” This tells us that not ALL are God’s children.
Remember “Love Wins”?
Heretic Rob Bell (whom I wrote against years ago) tells us in his (false) teaching that “Love” will eventually WIN OUT! He claims not to be a “U”, but he teaches what they teach. He believes that no one will face Hell or go there. Note one of his favorite quotes:
Jesus is as narrow as himself & as wide as the universe. He is the exclusive way to salvation, yet he includes ALL humanity within himself.” Cute but half false: the first is true, “He is the exclusive way to salvation.” The last half is totally false!
This heretic says “God is doing a new work through Jesus, calling ALL people to human solidarity. Everybody is a brother & sister, equals, children of the God who shows no favoritism.” Really? The Bible refutes Bell’s (false) claim from Genesis to Revelation!
Bell hates the concept of Hell! He tells us that “Scripture alone” is not true!!!; The Bible is not divine and that the Bible nowhere teaches us we are identified as “sinners”. Bell will one day find out that there is a Hell!
I pity those who believe this perverter of truth.
FYI: The Bible has the word “sin” listed hundreds of times = first in Gen. 4:7; last at Rev. 5:17;
“Sinned” = dozens & dozens of times: first in Ex. 9:27; last at 1 Jn. 1:10;
“Sinner” = 21 times: first at Pr. 11:31; last at 1 Pet. 4:18;
“Sinners” = 47 times: first at Gen. 13:13; last at Jude 15
Then we have words like sinnest, sinneth, sinning, sins (hundreds). So, who is right, Bell or the Bible?
What About John 1:12,13?
“TO ALL who RECEIVED Him, to THOSE who BELIEVE in His name, He gave the right to become children of God – children not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but BORN of God.” –Jn. 1:12,13
And
What did Jesus say? “… most assuredly, I say to you, ‘unless one is BORN AGAIN, he (or she) CANNOT see the Kingdom of God.’” –Jn. 3:3; “… most assuredly, I say to you, ‘unless one is Born of water & the Spirit, he (or she) CANNOT enter the Kingdom of God,’” vs.5, NKJV.
So, one MUST BE BORN AGAIN of the Spirit/water to become a child of God.
1 Jn. 3:1,2,3 needs to be read, which deals with being called “children of God,” meaning, not everyone is a child of God. Verse 10 says, “In this the children of God & the children of the devil are manifest…”
(Pt 3)
Salvation
(1) Sōtēria (σωτηρία) (Gk.), as a noun denotes “deliverance/preservation”. The N.T. presents “S” as thus:
1) of material/temporal deliverance form danger & apprehension, (a) national, Lk. 1:69,71; Acts 7:25, the R.V. marg. = “salvation”; in the A.V. = “deliver”; (b) personal, Acts 27:34 (A.V. = deliver); (R.V. = “safety” = from the sea; Phil. 1:19 = from prison (“deliverance”, NKJV); from the flood (Heb. 11:7 = “saving”); from the eternal/spiritual (= deliverance is granted immediately by God to those (Only!) who accept His conditions of faith/repentance, in whom it is to be obtained (Jesus) (Acts 4:12 tells us that Salvation is found ONLY in Jesus).
Romans 10:10 says, “For with the heart (spirit) on believes into righteousness, & with the mouth confession is made unto Salvation.” Rom. 1:16 Paul writes about, “… it is the power of God to salvation for EVERYONE WHO BELIEVES,” not for ALL souls alone. Eph. 1:13 Paul writes: “In Him (Jesus) you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also HAVING BELIEVED, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.” What if one does not believe? Are they saved, sealed? No!; saved of the present experience of God’s power to deliver from the chains of sin (Phil. 2:12, where the special, though not the entire, ref. is to the maintenance of peace & harmony (see 1 Pet. 1:9). Peter writes “receiving the end of your faith – the salvation of your souls.”
What if one does not have faith in Christ; Is his/her soul saved? And what are we to do with Heb. 2:3 where the subject is about every transgression & disobedience receiving a just reward, i.e., a retribution or penalty (vs.2). The question is raised, “how shall we escape (the penalty) if we neglect so great a salvation?” vs.3. The penalty of transgression (sin) is spiritual DEATH forever. This disproves that ALL will be saved.
Sōtēria is for the present as well as for the future. Paul wrote about both. In his day he wrote, “… now it is high time to AWAKE out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed.” – Rom. 13:11. He goes on to distinguish between those works of darkness & those of Light, vs.12 He tells his listeners /readers to “put on the Lord Jesus Christ,” vs.14, meaning those in darkness do not have Christ. How is it that so many ministers teach, ALL are God’s children”?
Paul puts it another way: “you are all sons of light & sons of the day.” (1 Thes. 5:5). Does he mean all as “every person” or all those who are saved by faith? For in vs.5, also, he distinguishes between the “sons of light” & the “sons of darkness”. He goes on to write, “For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain Sōtēria/salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,” vs.9.
The “wrath” Paul spoke of is the wrath of God destined to be executed upon the ungodly (the unsaved or the unfaithful believer) at the end of this “grace age” (see 1 Thes. 1:10 /see also 2 Thes. 2:13; Heb. 1:14; 9:28; 1 Pet. 1:5; 2 Pet. 3:15).
(2) Sōtērion (σωτήριον), the neuter of the adj., is used as a noun in Lk. 2:30; 3:6, in each of which it virtually stands for the Saviour in Acts 28:28: both the KJV & the NKJV uses “salvation of God” in place of “Saviour”; in Eph. 6:17, where the hope of salvation is metaphorically described as a helmet.
(3) Sōtērios (σωτήριος), the adjective, means “saving, bringing salvation, describes the grace of God in Titus 2:14.
(Pt 4)
Universalism = Heresy!
John (on the island of Patmos) writes: “He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him be righteous still; he who is holy, let him be holy still.” – Rev. 22:11. He also writes, “For without are dogs, & sorcerers, & whoremongers, & murderers, & idolaters, & whosoever loveth & maketh a lie,” vs.15.
Verse 11 makes the distinction between the unjust/filthy & the righteous/holy. The obdurate, unrepentant attitude of the evildoer/filthy, which John noted in Rev. 2:21; 9:20; 16:9,11), is brought up again here. The finality of men’s choice will SEAL them either in Heaven or Hell! No getting out of Hell once there. This lie that God gives an altar call in Hell is just that, A LIE! It is in this life the CALL-TO-ALL is sounded.
The Spirit/Bride’s Call
“The Spirit & the Bride say, ‘come’. And let him who hears say, ‘come’. And let him who is thirsty come, let him who desires take the water of life without price.” – vs.17
The Choice
Every person is presented with a choice: choose Christ & live; choose self & Satan & die eternally. We, who are among the saved, must also cry out, “Come”. There will not be an altar call once all things are said & done. The universal call/choice is NOW… in this life. WHOSOEVER!!!
Please Pay Me!
Well, dear friends, “pay day” is coming: “For the wages of SIN is DEATH, but the free gift of God is eternal (never ending) life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” – Rom. 6:23
First Adam vs Second Adam
“For as in Adam (the male/female who fell from grace in the Garden) ALL die, so also in Christ (the second Adam or second man, e.g. 1 Cor. 15:45,47) ALL will be made alive.” – 1 Cor. 15:22
Jesus = Saviour of ALL Men
Yep! He is… but we, the lost sinner, must repent & be born again (Jn. 3:3,5). 1 Tim. 4:10 says, “… the living God, who is the Savior of ALL men, especially of those who believe.” While there is such a thing as “Universalism”, it must be acknowledged as the “call-to-All”, i.e., God wants all to be saved; the provision has been made, but there is the condition: one must repent of his/her sin/sins.
Peter puts it this way: “… REPENT & let everyone of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission (lit., forgiveness) of sins; & you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” – Acts 2:38.
Acts 3:19 carries this theme onward: “Repent therefore & be converted, that your sins may be BLOTTED OUT…”, vs.19. No repentance, no conversion. No conversion; no sins blotted out!
1 Tim. 4:10: The emphasis on ALL men reaffirms the note of “U” of 2:1-6: vs.4 = “who will (or “desire” is the correct word) have ALL men to be saved…” It is God’s desire for ALL to repent & be saved. This is the “Universal” call to Salvation. Paul goes on to write, “who gave Himself a ransom for ALL…”, vs.6. (see Mk. 10:45).
One Mediator
Only ONE. (1 Tim. 2:5). This is true, Biblical “Universalism”. The (false) idea that ALL (i.e. the unrepentant) will go to Heaven is not Scriptural. While Jesus is the Savior of ALL men (humanity), not all will answer His universal call to REPENT.
ALL MEN
Let me put it plainly: All men may be saved; only those who repent will be. Jesus IS the universal Savior. God desires to be the Savior of ALL but since He has given ALL a free choice, many will not choose to be saved. All men are eligible, but not all will repent & be saved.
Every Knee Will Bow!
The “Universalists” cite Rom. 14:11 “… every knee shall bow to Me, & every tongue shall confess to God” (drawn from Isa. 45:23). They say, “see, ALL men will be saved!”
Verse 9 must be read first: “For to this end Christ both died, & rose, & revived, that He might be Lord both of the dead & living.” The purpose of the resurrection is that the dead (i.e., those DEAD in sin, e.g., Eph. 2:1,5,6) might be raised to life (lit., & fig.). Jesus declares, “I am the God… not the God of the dead, but of the living,” Mt. 22:32. Do we have a contradiction? In the one sense, He is the God of both: He invites the dead (i.e. the unrepentant) to become alive, via. repentance; on the other hand, He is not the God/Lord of the dead because they are not His children, but children of the devil. Paul puts it in the language, making it more emphatic that the unique claim of Christ upon the believer: He is with us in death (spiritually speaking), as well as in life. If Jesus/God was only with us in life, who is with us when we go thru the valley of death, where we are tested & tried in our faith?
But back to Rom. 14:11: For those who believe not in a Hell, they will bow/confess to God; for those who do believe in Hell, they will bow/confess in the flames of torment, hence, God will extract them. I read nowhere about this type of rescue. Nowhere!
As per confession (ALL!), the Bible speaks of such: the sinner will, on judgment DAY, bow/confess that Jesus is Lord, but not in the sense of redemption; but in the way of FACT! “Jesus in Lord.”
Paul makes it clear, “So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God,” vs.12 (research this). “We shall ALL stand before the judgment seat of Christ” (2 Cor. 5:10). ALL men will “appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.” For the unrepentant, TERROR (vs.11). Heb. 6:2 speaks of “eternal judgment” John in Rev. 20:11-15 wrote about the great white throne judgment – the dead (= non-believers) standing before God. The “books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works…”, vs.12.
Take note of what follows: “Death & Hades (Hell) delivered up the dead (Spiritually dead) who were in them (the ones who were without Christ/God). And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death & Hades were cast into the lake of fire… And anyone NOT FOUND written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.” After this, we find nowhere where the dead is let out or, as some believe, are annihilated in the flames. No! The soul/spirit/body lives on. Terrible thought, yet true.
Enough said. Choose Christ & live: choose self/Satan & die!