Why I believe in Universal Salvation

That’s right, I’m a whacko – I believe everyone is going to heaven. Such is the stigma placed on universalists… kind of like when non-Christians think Christians are whackos.

Now before you write me off, I’d like to offer some of my reasoning and viewpoints in how I came to this crazy belief. I hope that you will consider my thoughts

First, I want to start out with some assurances. I don’t want to reduce the importance of scripture. I don’t want to diminish the importance of Christ’s death. I believe evangelism plays an important role and is still very necessary.

So what exactly do I believe before I set out to defend myself? I believe that all
men (women too) will be saved regardless of their state of belief at the end of this life. I also believe that salvation is found in no one but Christ. So how do these fit together? I also believe that this life is not the only opportunity for one to choose Christ.

Frankly, there’s a ton of scripture that could be used to support my view, and there’s scripture that looks like it is against my view (though many universalists will argue Greek meanings). The issue can seem somewhat gray, but I tend to see a majority of evidence in the direction of universalism.

So now like every good person in the church of Christ, I have a lot of scripture to cite. One of the passages that has influenced me the most is 1 Cor. 15. A couple of pieces that stand out to me in this passage: 1) Verse 22 says that “as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.” Think about the symmetry of that verse. The word all is the same both times. If “all” in Christ is going to mean anything, it has got to be referring to the same “all” that was a result of Adam (everybody on earth). 2) There are going to be several stages in salvation (v22-25) – first, Christ (the firstfruits), second, those belonging to Christ, third, the stage in which Christ is bringing the world under his feet (This is the period I think will have the universal implications of salvation). 3) Verses 54-55 says that death with be swallowed up in victory, that death will have no victory or sting. I think this can only be true in the context of universal salvation. If some people perish, for not choosing Christ in this life, then death has some aspect of victory of God.

More on the “All”
There are several other verses in the Bible that related to the idea of “all” people.
Romans 11:32 says that God “bound all men over to disobedience, so that he may have mercy on them ALL.” (More symmetry there, too.)
Philippians 2:10-11 says that “at the name of Jesus, EVERY knee should bow, in heaven, on earth, and under the earth, and EVERY tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord…”
Colossians 1:20 says that God through Jesus would “reconcile to himself ALL things”

Community
I think a failure of our current traditions is in individualizing salvation. I believe God cares for each individual, however, I think salvation is primarily discussed in the context of community. Looking at the “body” of Christ and many other communal references, I think we should view salvation in a communal context. God is concerned about saving community, especially the whole of creation. Romans 8:21-22 tells us that creation has been groaning since the beginning of time, waiting for it’s liberation. 2 Cor. 5:19 says that God is reconciling the world, not counting men’s sins against them. I think the example is that God is in the process of reclaiming what was lost – the world. In doing so, I believe that includes everything.

Awww Hell! God’s idea of Justice?
No discussion of Biblical concepts could be complete without a discussion of hell. References are all over the Bible about judgment day, hell, and punishment. As a universalist, I do believe in hell. Hell is very real. However, I see hell as temporary. For those that do not choose Christ in this life, hell will become serious suffering. But what is the purpose of hell? Does a God who claims he is love and loves every person really allow people to suffer ultimate destruction? Does a God who commands US to love our enemies not love his own enemies, and instead crushes them through eternal pain and suffering? Is that "love"?

What is the purpose of hell? Is it solely to punish those who failed to choose God? Either that cheapens God’s desire for all people to be saved or God’s not strong enough to achieve complete victory over death. I think hell has punitive aspects to it, but I think the purpose of hell is primarily corrective. Perfect love can cause pain. A God who loves his people so much can allow them to suffer short term in order to produce a better ultimate outcome. If you look at the various Bible examples, there is a strong case for God’s use of corrective punishment. Everything about Israel was corrective, an attempt by God to bring his people back to him. The example of 1 Cor. 5 in which Paul tells the church to hand a man over to Satan (because we was sleeping with his father’s wife) -- was God really giving up on the man? The man was handed over to Satan so that his flesh could be destroyed and his spirit saved. And later, Paul called him back into the church. Part of God’s mercy and justice involves corrective punishment – hell.

Many verses in English translations refer to hell as eternal. I have no experience in Greek; however, many people who do say that there is an issue with the translation of words used as “eternal” and often they simply mean of an age (time period). I think there is some valid scriptural dispute in this as to whether hell really is eternal, or is a time period that is meant for correction.

A problem of universalism is that it impinges on the idea of free will. I think that free will is not all its cracked up to be. Think about free will in its purest form – is every one of my actions purely independent and “free” from one another or are they based off of past experiences, prior determined events. I’m just trying to say that our choices are not completely “free” and independent – prior events are a type of determinism that leads us to make certain choices. So in the context of universalism, many people argue that some people may not choose God and rebel against him (free will). I will agree with that. In the current time, the god of this world has blinded many people (2 Cor. 4:4). However, in the context of the time in which Christ is subjecting the world, he will bind the powers of this world. Since evil will no longer have control over the world, I think the truth of Christ will be plain to all people for them to choose Christ.

IN SUMMATION (if you actually made it through), I believe that universalism is a very Biblical belief. Some things that univeralism is NOT: a blank check for sin, a belief in no consequences or punishment, a free pass on the need for evangelism.

WHAT IT IS (to me, at least):
1. God truly desires all people to be reconciled to him, which he WILL achieve
2. Salvation comes only through Christ
3. Christians must share the good news of God’s reconciliation and live like Christ
4. This life is not the only opportunity to follow Christ, but Christ will have a time (the 1,000 years debate) in which he will reconcile the world under his power
5. Hell is real and will be experienced by many people, but it’s not eternal and is meant as a correction that will bring people to Christ

In light of those beliefs, I don’t think grace is cheapened. The point of our lives is to model Christ and help others see the way of Christ. Because of the great news and the call of Christ, I don’t want to sit back and relax. The call of modeling Christ creates a sense of urgency and importance. As followers of Christ, we must lead people into lives transformed by Christ, and we should feel called to do that before the “correction” gets even harder. For many people who are in open rebellion to God, it may take the next life – but God will succeed with his will. Eventually his truth will win out.

I’m always open for a conversation. I promise I’ll try to respond quicker than the last time (a month it has taken me to answer why I believe). However, I remind you that just like any new Christian, as a new “convert” to universal salvation, I don’t have all of the answers. I am still searching and studying in an attempt to understand a Biblical view of universalism.

Much of the influence for this writing comes from Thomas Talbott and Dr. Richard Beck (ACU). If anyone is interested in reading more about it, check out Dr. Beck's blog-essay on universalism at: http://experimentaltheology.blogspot.com/2006/11/why-i-am-universalist-summing-up-and.html