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Universalism
Is universalism / universal salvation biblical?
.
Got
Questions Ministries
Universalism is the belief that everyone will be saved.
There are many
people today who hold to universal salvation and believe that all people eventually
end up in heaven.
Perhaps it is
the thought of men and women living a life of eternal torment in hell that
causes some to reject the teaching of Scripture on this issue.
For some it is
an over-emphasis on the love and compassion of God — and the neglect of the
righteousness and justice of God — that leads them to believe God will have
mercy on every living soul.
First of all,
the Bible is clear that unredeemed men will dwell forever in hell.
Jesus’ own
words confirm that the time spent in heaven for the redeemed will last as long
as that of the unredeemed in hell.
Matthew 25:46 says, “Then they [the unsaved] will go away to
eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
According to
this verse, the punishment of the unsaved is just as eternal as the life of the
righteous.
Some believe
that those in hell will eventually cease to exist, but the Lord Himself
confirms that it will last forever.
Matthew 25:41 and Mark 9:44 describe hell as “eternal fire” and “unquenchable
fire.”
How does one
avoid this unquenchable fire?
Many people
believe that all roads — all religions and beliefs — lead to heaven, or they
consider that God is so full of love and mercy that He will allow all people
into heaven.
God is
certainly full of love and mercy; it was these qualities that led Him to send
His Son, Jesus Christ, to earth to die on the cross for us.
Jesus Christ
is the exclusive door that leads to an eternity in heaven.
Acts 4:12 says, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there
is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”
“There is one God and one mediator between God and men, the
man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5).
In John 14:6, Jesus says, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No
one comes to the Father except through me.”
John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and
only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
If we choose to reject God’s Son, we do not meet the
requirements for salvation (John 3:16, 18, 36).
With verses
such as these, it becomes clear that universalism and universal salvation are
unbiblical beliefs.
While many
people accuse Christians of being intolerant and “exclusive,” it is important
to remember that these are the words of Christ Himself.
Christians did
not develop these ideas on their own; Christians are simply stating what the
Lord has already said.
People choose
to reject the message because they do not want to face up to their sin and
admit that they need the Lord to save them.
To say that
those who reject God’s provision of salvation through His Son will be saved is
to belittle the holiness and justice of God and negate the need of Jesus’
sacrifice on our behalf.
Got
Questions Ministries
seeks to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ by providing biblical, applicable, and
timely answers to spiritually related questions through an internet presence.
GotQuestions.org is a ministry of dedicated and trained servants who have a desire to assist others in their understanding of God, Scripture, salvation, and other spiritual topics. We are Christian, Protestant, evangelical, theologically conservative, and non-denominational. We view ourselves as a para-church ministry, coming alongside the church to help people find answers to their spiritually related questions.
We will do our best to prayerfully and thoroughly research your question and answer it in a biblically based manner. It is not our purpose to make you agree with us, but rather to point you to what the Bible says concerning your question. You can be assured that your question will be answered by a trained and dedicated Christian who loves the Lord and desires to assist you in your walk with Him. Our writing staff includes pastors, youth pastors, missionaries, biblical counselors, Bible/Christian college students, seminary students, and lay students of God’s Word.
GotQuestions.org is a ministry of dedicated and trained servants who have a desire to assist others in their understanding of God, Scripture, salvation, and other spiritual topics. We are Christian, Protestant, evangelical, theologically conservative, and non-denominational. We view ourselves as a para-church ministry, coming alongside the church to help people find answers to their spiritually related questions.
We will do our best to prayerfully and thoroughly research your question and answer it in a biblically based manner. It is not our purpose to make you agree with us, but rather to point you to what the Bible says concerning your question. You can be assured that your question will be answered by a trained and dedicated Christian who loves the Lord and desires to assist you in your walk with Him. Our writing staff includes pastors, youth pastors, missionaries, biblical counselors, Bible/Christian college students, seminary students, and lay students of God’s Word.
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