JESUS DIED TO SAVE THE WHOLE WORLD!
For I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. Jn. 12:47
Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Jn. 1:29
We know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world. Jn. 4:42
We testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. 1Jn. 4:14
He is the propitiation…not for our sins only but also for the whole world. 1Jn. 2:2
The bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world. Jn. 6:33
And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw (lit. drag) all peoples to Myself. Jn. 12:32
I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. Lu. 2:10
All the ends of the world shall…turn to the Lord, all families of the nations shall worship. Ps. 22:27
All the earth shall worship you and sing praises to your name. Ps. 66:4
The grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men. Tit. 2:11 (NAS)
Through the greatness of your power your enemies shall submit themselves to you. Ps. 66:3
Do these Bible promises really mean what they say? What about billions of Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, etc.? What about the poor and homeless in the streets of Calcutta (Kolkata), the dumps of Manila, the rubble of Haiti, the slums of the world? Will all non-Christians be tormented in hell forever along with millions of unfaithful Christians? What about the 6 million Jews who were tortured and sent to the gas chambers by Hitler? Did they all suffer terribly and die only to go to an infinitely worse fate? No! A thousand times, no!
All the families of the earth shall be blessed. Ge.12:3, 18:18, 22:18, 26:4, 28:14
Christ came to destroy the devil’s works! 1Jn.3:8
The last enemy to be destroyed is death. 1Co.15:26
Fear not, I…have the keys of Hell and of Death. Re.1:18 (KJV)
God will redeem my soul from the power of Sheol*. Ps.49:15 (NAS) Redeem from “Hell?”
Oh Hades* where is your victory? 1Co.15:55 (NKJV) The only time Paul used the word “Hell.”
His mercy endures forever. Ps.136:1-26 Repeated 26 times in this one Psalm!
God is love and love never fails [or ends RSV]! 1 Jn.4:8, 16; 1Co.13:8
Every knee will bow… and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord! Ph.2:10-11
Appendix II gives 20 reasons why this can only be genuine and sincere worship!
For more promises read “Hope Beyond Hell” free at HopeBeyondHell.net
* Sheol and Hades are both translated “Hell” in the KJV – Sheol 31 times; Hades 10 times.
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January 6, 2013
Univeralism vs Universal Reconciliation
Greetings, Gerry.
I read with interest your article/list on ‘Why Jesus Died’ where many important and relevant citations are given. You go on to ask some very pertinent questions and cite relevant passages:
Do these Bible promises really mean what they say? What about billions of Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, etc.? What about the poor and homeless in the streets of Calcutta (Kolkata), the dumps of Manila, the rubble of Haiti, the slums of the world? Will all non-Christians be tormented in hell forever along with millions of unfaithful Christians? What about the 6 million Jews who were tortured and sent to the gas chambers by Hitler? Did they all suffer terribly and die only to go to an infinitely worse fate? No! A thousand times, no!
However, I notice that some verses, important to me at least, are not on the list, such as:
1Tim.2:3-7 … our Saviour, God,
4 Who wills that all mankind be saved and come into a realization of the truth.
5 For there is one God, and one Mediator of God and mankind, a Man, Christ Jesus,
6 Who is giving Himself a correspondent Ransom for all (the testimony in its own eras),
7 for which I was appointed a herald and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying),
a teacher of the nations in knowledge and truth.
1Tim.4:9-11 Faithful is the saying and worthy of all welcome
10 (for for this are we toiling and being reproached),
that we rely on the living God, Who is the Saviour of all mankind,
11 especially of believers. These things be charging and teaching.
Are these omitted because they advocate Universal Reconciliation?
But, by limiting the declaration to only that ‘there is no hell’, it feels like sinking teeth into an apple without completing the bite – you do not get the full taste and texture of the fruit and it will not satisfy. Many questions are left unanswered.
What Scripture teaches is not Universalism which is advocated by humanists and wherein God and the sacrifice of Christ do not play any part.
Under the purpose of God, to be all in all (or as some put it, the everything to everyone), all will be saved and come to a realization (rather than just a mere knowledge) of the truth. This is because of Christ being the corresponding Ransom for all. He is not a Substitute (a one for one exchange) but our Representative (a One for all transaction).
Is Universal Reconciliation a heresy? It depends on whose viewpoint we are interested in – God’s or that of Religious Tradition! Going half-way is going nowhere. The wisdom of God runs counter to the wisdom of man. I think we have to set priorities correctly.
May God bless all of us as we seek to know God through His revelation in Scripture.
Jeffrey Sta Maria