Universalism

1
Universalism

• Lecture 6

2
Journal Entry 5

• In spite of my constant failures, I can dare to
  be totally confident. The Gospel tells me that I
  am accepted.
• If you really believe, you can be confident of a
  place in heaven.
• What is your reaction to these two statements?

3
Universalism

• Who then will be saved?
• Some suggest only the chosen few others are
  amazed by the wideness of Gods love and
  acceptance revealed in Jesus Christ.

4
At one end

• I am the way the truth and the life. No one
  comes to the Father except through me.
• John 146

5
At one end

• Salvation is found in no one else, for there is
  no other name under heaven given to men by which
  we must be saved."
• Acts 412
• Mark 1615f
• Matthew 713f

6
At one end

• Leads to an aggressive approach to evangelism
  because most people are bound for hell.
• This approach can cause distress and rejection.
• Not a Gospel approach

7
At the other

• Others (Spong) place Christianity on a par with
  other religions all are ways of knowing God.
• Still others reject the idea of hell itself, and
  see all being forgiven and accepted by God (would
  this make a difference to your faith?)

8
Inclusivism

• Others (Karl Rahner) maintain that salvation is
  only through Christ, but all live under Gods
  saving grace whether they know it or not.
• Anonymous Christians patronising

9
The need for Care

• We dont know the mind of God
• "For my thoughts are not your thoughts,       
  neither are your ways my ways,        declares
  the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the
  earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and
  my thoughts than your thoughts.
• Isaiah 558f

10
The need for Care

• Leave the judgment to God
• Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in
  the same way you judge others, you will be
  judged, and with the measure you use, it will be
  measured to you.  "Why do you look at the speck
  of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no
  attention to the plank in your own eye? How can
  you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck
  out of your eye,' when all the time there is a
  plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take
  the plank out of your own eye, and then you will
  see clearly to remove the speck from your
  brother's eye. (Mat 71-5)
• Parable of Weeds - Matthew 1324-30

11
The need for Care

• God wants all to be saved.
• 1 Timothy 24 410 2 Peter 39
• We have all sinned. Rom. 39-20 623
• 3. Christ promises to draw ALL himself
• ALL - Rom 512-20 John 1232 Rom 1132 Col
  120

12
The need for Care

• 4. The requirement of saving faith
• But some reject John 11-14
• The final separation
• Mat 2531-46 1-13 2231-46 Luke 191-10 etc

13
The need for Care

• 6. Who are included?
• Children - Mat 181-5 tax collectors,
  prostitutes, giving cold water Mat 1042, Mat
  1128. Where are the strong in faith?
• 7. The Pharisees?
• The elder son Luke 15 29-31
• All workers in vineyard Mat 2010

14
The need for Care

• 8. A gallery of saints drawn from everywhere
• Matthew 811f Those on the outer
• Mark 525-34 Woman touching his clothes
• 9. The nature of saving faith
• Faith is longing for God Ps 421. Does this
  faith save? God always seeks Luke 1910

15
The need for Care

• 10. Signs of God in the worlds religions
• Religions show human beings seeking God. Is God
  involved?
• 11. The exclusivity of Christ
• Christ remains the clearest revelation of God

16
The need for Care

• 12. The relation between Gods wrath and mercy
• Is God an angry God, always ready to punish? Is
  he merciful always ready to forgive? Ex 346f
  Gods alien work aims to drive us to his mercy.
• 13. Gods retreat from wrath
• Hosea 118f

17
The need for Care

• 13. Gods retreat from wrath
• "How can I give you up, Ephraim?
• How can I hand you over, Israel? How can I treat
  you like Admah? How can I make you like Zeboiim?
  My heart is changed within me all my compassion
  is aroused.
• I will not carry out my fierce anger,
• nor will I turn and devastate Ephraim.For I am
  God, and not man the Holy One among you. I
  will not come in wrath.
• Hosea 118f

18
The need for Care

• 14. The Churchs missionary mandate
• God calls for his people to give their witness to
  the world. The witness of love. Mat 2816-20

19
Journal Entry 6

• Ponder what difference it would make to your
  faith if there was no Hell.