Universalism

I’ve been giving some thought to the doctrine of Universalism that some of my brothers in Christ are espousing. I decided to work out a few of the issues that I have in my flawed writing. Now, if you know me at all, you will know I am not a preacher of “hellfire and damnation” (in fact, I’m not a preacher at all). In fact, I think the typical Christian’s concept of hell is probably less than Biblical. While I believe that contemporary Christians have a diminished view of God’s love, I cannot accept Universalism as a natural consequence of that love.

Do I believe that God is love? Yep. Do I believe that necessarily limits God to being only love? No. Do I believe that I can even begin to understand the type of love that God is? Not really. I think there is a tendency to limit God’s essence to a type of love that my limited human mind can grasp.

The main issue that I have with the doctrine of Universalism is that it strips the Gospel of it’s relational and incarnational aspects. My understanding of the Universalist view is that the redeems all of mankind without mankind’s consent. In other words, God forces His love on mankind. In Fowler’s words:

Any mechanical understanding of God’s love as a unilateral force deterministically and omnipotently imposed upon man by the “will of God” does violence to a proper understanding of God’s love. Relational love cannot be forced or coerced. On a human level this is called “rape,” and on the divine level such a unilateral determination to coerce man to participate in God’s love does violence to the genuine faith-love relationship that God intends by a freely chosen response and willingness of man to be intimately involved with Himself. Such a personal faith-love relationship is what God intended when He Self-limited His own sovereign omnipotence in order to grant man a genuine “freedom of choice” that allows a freely chosen relational participation in the inner love relations of the Trinity.

He does not force His love on those that would like nothing to do with it. Without choice there is no faith-love relationship. In human terms, there is rape. God is not a rapist.

Fowler points out that “freedom of choice” is not the same as free-will. God is the only being with absolute free-will. He may choose to do what He wishes and is not bound by any single or primary character trait. Humans, on the other hand, have been granted freedom of choice which allows us “freely chosen relational participation in the inner love relations of the Trinity.” Additionally, Adam and Eve were created as “choosing creatures” it does not make sense to me that God would heal the damage of sin by forcing Himself upon us.

Universalism poses other problems when the relational context of the Gospel is taken into account. Jesus made it clear that he came to set us free to be fully human by allowing God to function through us for His glory. If Christianity were merely a religion, a set of defined rules and regulations, I could more easily buy Universalism, but it is not. If Jesus merely fulfilled a legal obligation on the cross to redeem humanity, I could more easily buy Universalism, but He did not. Christianity is relational at its core.

Salvation is Christ! Salvation is Jesus the Savior manifesting His life in a receptive individual. Christ in us is the hope of glory according to Col. 1:27! In Col. 3:4 Paul tells us that Christ is our life! 1Jo 5:11-12 tells us that “God has given to us everlasting life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.”

It is not just what Christ accomplished for us on the cross. Universalism allows for salvation outside of relationship. The Gospel is reduced to a satisfaction of a legal requirement that allows “all” people entrance into the presence of God, whether they desire it or not, and Jesus is reduced to a “get out of hell free card” that is jammed down humanity’s throat.

Some might say that our “freedom of choice” makes God appear weak, and that the Gospel now depends on our “works” to be effective. I disagree. A gift does not lose its worth if it is not accepted. Jesus did the work on the cross, accepting that work does not in any way diminish the efficacy or the beauty of the sacrifice.

Yes, God is reconciling “all things” to Himself.

Col 1:20 And through Him having made peace through the blood of His cross, it pleased the Father to reconcile all things to Himself through Him, whether the things on earth or the things in Heaven.

Wait a minute! Don’t stop there! Let’s keep reading!

Col 1:21-23 And you, who were once alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy and without blemish, and without charge in His sight, if indeed you continue in the faith grounded and settled, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which you have heard and which was proclaimed in all the creation under Heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister...

Hmmm....”if”.....

2Co 5:17-21 So that if any one is in Christ, that one is a new creature; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. And all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given to us the ministry of reconciliation; whereas God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and putting the word of reconciliation in us. Then we are ambassadors on behalf of Christ, as God exhorting through us, we beseech you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For He has made Him who knew no sin, to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Why would Paul say “if anyone is in Christ” that they are a new creature? If the world has been reconciled then everyone should be a new creature. Why would Paul say that Christ has reconciled us in the past tense, then plead with the Corinthians to be reconciled? Maybe it is because God never changes, and we are the ones who must change by responding to God’s overture of love toward us?

The Good News is that salvation is available to all those who desire it in the person of Jesus Christ! Unfortunately, not everyone desires Him, and God will not force Himself on them.

Again, I'm sure my humble attempt at understanding this stuff is flawed. Just trying to figure it out with my limited intellect. . .