Or perhaps they are thinking about their wonderful non-Christian neighbors. We rightly don’t feel betrayed by those wishing for the eternal joy of Heather or Bradley, loved ones they pray for fervently. A desire to believe in universalism is usually born out of concern for loved ones. Suppose an evangelical said, “I would really like to believe that Jesus was not divine, but just one of the great ethical teachers, but the Bible does not allow that.” How could we trust such a person’s faith?īut the case of universalism is different. I take my cue on this from Charles Spurgeon, who observed in one of his wonderful sermons, “ Heavenly Worship,” that while the Bible tells us “there is to be a multitude that no man can number in heaven,” he has not found anything in the Bible that says “that there is to be a multitude that no man can number in hell.” I hold out for a wideness in God’s saving mercies. We evangelicals have gained a reputation for being mean-spirited people, and I am glad when my friends look for ways to tone down the rhetoric while not compromising the essential message. Such frivolity works in the same direction-away from the joy and the seriousness of salvation-as does unloving glee. To be sure, the hellfire images are there in the Bible, as in Matthew 25:41, when Jesus tells those on his left, “Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.”īut those biblical images have become so much the stuff of caricature that unbelievers can make fun of the imagery while ignoring the clear biblical message that persistent unbelief has eternal consequences. These are similar to the infuriating message of folks who carry signs at funeral gatherings declaring that the deceased person will burn for all eternity. I don’t want to hear repeats of the fire-and-brimstone sermons of my youth. There are certainly some aspects of evangelicals’ traditional teachings about hell that do trouble me. Universalism tries to get around the unspeakable harm that people do to each other, evading the need for repentance, while detracting from the Cross and a real joy in God’s justice. The Scriptures make it clear that God heeds the cries of the oppressed and that on the Day of Judgment all evildoers will be dealt with according to their deeds (Rev. I am convinced that the idea of universal salvation fails to capture some important elements in the Bible’s teachings about the requirements of divine justice. I do worry, though, about their wishing that it were not so clear. I have often heard the opposite from evangelical friends: “I would like to be a universalist, but I really see no biblical basis for the view that everyone will be saved in the end.” It is reassuring that those who express this sentiment usually acknowledge that the Bible is clear on the subject. Having spent my career in evangelical institutions, I have signed many theological statements affirming the realities of heaven and hell, and I have always done so in good faith.īut here is something that would surprise many of my fellow evangelicals: I don’t even want to be a universalist. There is nothing surprising about my saying that.
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