There are verses that can be construed to mean that God will
save all, for example:
·
For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall
all be made alive. (1 Corinthians 15:22; ESV)
The Bible clearly teaches that through Adam all died. From
this, the universalist argues that, in order to keep the parallel between Adam
and Jesus, it should follow that all will be made alive (saved) through Jesus,
right? Not exactly! Instead, we should understand this verse in this manner:
·
For as in Adam all [those in Adam] die, so also [all
those] in Christ shall all be made alive. (1 Corinthians 15:22; ESV)
Salvation therefore pertains to only those who are “in
Christ.” Why should we prefer this understanding? Well, the consistent biblical
teaching is that there are two groups – one group is heaven-bound and the other
is torment-bound. Even this very next verse supports this understanding:
·
But each in his own order: Christ the
firstfruits, then at his coming those who BELONG TO CHRIST. (1 Corinthians 15:23)
Not everyone “belongs to Christ.” There are those
characterized as “enemies,” as the next verses point out:
·
Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom
to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For
he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. (1 Corinthians
15:24-25)
“All his enemies under his feet” is a different fate from
the glory promised to those who “belong to Christ.”
There are also other verses that can be construed to mean
that all will be saved. Often, this verse is offered:
·
…and through him to reconcile to himself all
things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. (Colossians
1:20)
Does this verse teach the salvation of all sentient beings,
even the devil and his demons? It can’t! The next verses include the condition
of faith:
·
And you, who once were alienated and hostile in
mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his
death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before
him, IF INDEED YOU CONTINUE IN THE FAITH… (Colossians 1:21-23)
Consequently, salvation is not the inheritance of all. Instead,
it pertains to a specific group, as an earlier verse indicates:
·
…giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified
you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. (Colossians 1:12)
Heaven is for “the saints,” those who have received the
truth about the Gospel. There is no evidence that those who die, having
rejected God, will be resurrected to “sainthood,” to eternal life. To extend
such a hope is to reject the one hope offered by the Gospel:
·
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth,
and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6; 3:16;
5:24; 6:29)
The idea that salvation can only be obtained through faith
in Jesus might sound harsh. However, reality can also be harsh. It teaches us
that smoking and drugging can destroy life. It might be a demanding and
limiting truth, but it is also truth that demands our attention.
No comments:
Post a Comment