There is a new book out, entitled "The Evangelical Universalist." Its premise appears to be that Christ will save everyone, and that he will do so through the preaching of the gospel. (link to review/author interview) While one can appreciate the softness of heart that would motivate such a conclusion, it is not a Scriptural conclusion.
That there is a hell, a place of eternal death and corruption, where the worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched is taught clearly in Scripture, from the very lips of Jesus (Mark 9:43-48, relying on Isaiah 66:24).
Moreover, Paul clearly states that those who do not obey the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ will be punished with “everlasting destruction” (ολεθρον αιωνιον) in 2 Thessalonians 1:9.
While we must preach the gospel without regard to how many God chooses to save, we may be touched in our empathy for our fellow sinners and spurred on to spread the gospel, by the fact that those who do not repent and believe will perish forever and by our knowledge that the means to their salvation is the preached Gospel of Christ.
Therefore, we should call all men to repentance from sin and faith in the risen Lord, by whom alone there is victory over death.-TurretinFan
7 comments:
TF, needless to say to you, but maybe to some foolish soul quite deceived as this "new" BOOK's author, the content of which is just a new package or spin on the same results Adam and Eve brought us when from the multitude of fruit bearing trees in the Garden of Eden to eat of, including the fruit from the Tree of Life, they ate the fruit from the knowledge of good and evil, YUCK, so it will be the same.
Here is his definition of Evangelical Universalism:
What do you mean by ‘Evangelical Universalist’?
I mean a Christ-centred, trinitarian, gospel-focused person with a high view of Scripture who also believes that God will eventually reconcile all people to himself through Christ.
Well then, let me paste Scripture and let the readers who are inclined to believe this stuff reason the intent and purpose for which it has been carried down since the moment it was penned and we read it even today:::>
Rev 20:11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them.
Rev 20:12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done.
Rev 20:13 And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done.
Rev 20:14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.
Rev 20:15 And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
I will be so bold and write that John certainly had a diet of this and by that diet the Holy Ghost and the Angel of the Lord laid the groundwork for him to write that too as "revelation" for us to be dieting with:::>
Pro 2:9 Then you will understand righteousness and justice and equity, every good path;
Pro 2:10 for wisdom will come into your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul;
Pro 2:11 discretion will watch over you, understanding will guard you,
Pro 2:12 delivering you from the way of evil, from men of perverted speech,
Pro 2:13 who forsake the paths of uprightness to walk in the ways of darkness,
Pro 2:14 who rejoice in doing evil and delight in the perverseness of evil,
Pro 2:15 men whose paths are crooked, and who are devious in their ways.
Pro 2:16 So you will be delivered from the forbidden woman, from the adulteress with her smooth words,
Pro 2:17 who forsakes the companion of her youth and forgets the covenant of her God;
Pro 2:18 for her house sinks down to death, and her paths to the departed;
Pro 2:19 none who go to her come back, nor do they regain the paths of life.
Pro 2:20 So you will walk in the way of the good and keep to the paths of the righteous.
Pro 2:21 For the upright will inhabit the land, and those with integrity will remain in it,
Pro 2:22 but the wicked will be cut off from the land, and the treacherous will be rooted out of it.
This book is another attempt at selling doctrines of demons and of feeding on the knowledge of good and evil and nothing more and my prayer remedy are the words of King David, Paul and John in that order:
1Ch 16:31 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice, and let them say among the nations, "The LORD reigns!"
Rom 5:17 For if, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.
Rev 5:9 And they sang a new song, saying, "Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation,
Rev 5:10 and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth."
I would say, in a measure "he is right to write" when he answers the question asked, THAT GOD DOES RECONCILE ALL PEOPLE TO HIMSELF THROUGH CHRIST.
Here is my assertion of the Scripture text as proffered for proofs:
Col 1:19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell,
Col 1:20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
The only problem with his definition and God's is God makes the distinction as to "who" are His Elect and this guy does not! Clearly the reprobate do not accept the atoning Blood of His cross as the only Way to Peace with God. The saying is true here, if you do not know Peace, you will not know peace!
And by the way, to make my point clearer and hopefully more forceful and stronger I will note that Jesus did "warn" us to not be afraid of those who kill the body, but we are to be afraid of Him who, after He kills the body can cast that soul into hell!
Thanks for bringing light again on what is false being sold as what is Truth which clearly this author's book is not!
AMEN?
I wonder if either you, Francis, or you, natamllc, have read the book before taking time out to condemn it?
If you have, fair enough. If not, well, just a thought...
I received one comment asking whether I had read the book. No. I read the author's account of the book's premise. I am basing my conclusion on the author's account of his own book.
One can respond to the author's conclusion without reading everything the author has written. Origen is said to have reached a similar conclusion: namely that God was too merciful to leave anyone in hell.
Origen was wrong too: and I can say that without having attempted the impossible tasking of reading everything Origen ever said - or even the more focused task of reading everything Origen wrote on the subject of hell.
Hell is forever. To tell people otherwise is a serious breach of our Christian duty.
-TurretinFan
Pilgrim,
no I haven't read the book only the Author's words.
My point is this: "a straight line is a straight line" no matter how long or short the "straight line" is.
Jesus, sent to this world to save sinners, is the "shortest" Straight Line, a Life of 33 and a half years, that God Our Heavenly Father and the Holy Ghost have given to us and by Him are conjoined to the "Eternal" Straight Line through Him. Any other line, even mine, is not necessary. I am always humbled when anyone acknowledges my line though.
I do read from time to time error. We are admonished to not be ignorant of the schemes of the devil. But to go and read everyone's "revelation" is not necessary.
I would offer an apology if I have offended you by this or my earlier response hereon?
Natamllc — absolutely no apology called for, and certainly no offence taken. Grace and peace to you.
TF,
I am currently reading John Owen's work, "The Death of Death in the Death of Christ". This so far, has been an excellent treatise arguing for particular redemption and against universal redemption.
I'll be posting some excerpts from it in the next few weeks.
S2C
S2C,
I certainly agree. Owen's work is a classic in that field.
-TurretinFan
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