The Lord is not tardy as to the promise, as some are deeming tardiness, but is patient because of you, but all to make room for repentance
Peter to the Dispersion 3: 9, Concordant New Testament
Over the course of the week I am usually in a conversation about Jesus with one person or another, Some welcome these discussions while others will not. In my experience, one of the most difficult conversations that I have with those who believe is that of what we often refer to as universal salvation. That truth which speaks to the desire of the Father that all will be saved and abide in His presence for eternity. Now, there is certainly ample scriptural references that this is indeed true, but I am often accused of cherry picking verses when I attempt to show believers that there is salvation in the name of the Father. The apostle Paul has written to young Timothy that it is not the Lords desire that He should refuse any of His children, but that He is patient towards us, desiring us to acknowledge Him {Peter to the Dispersion 3:9}. We're also told that it was NEVER Gods desire to dispatch His Son into the world that He should be the judge of Gods children, but that all may be saved through Him {Johns Account 3:16-17}. Despite this evidence of the truth we find in God, many believers hold fast to the theology spoken by those within the mainstream church that the guilty must be punished and the good rewarded with salvation. My first question whenever I'm asked is this, who is it that ultimately decides who is saved and who is not? If this is Gods domain, then we're on some very thin ice by assuming that we can preempt His decision on who shall be saved and who will not. I'm not deluded in my thinking that this is the territory of the Lord and none other. Yet there are far too many believers who have placed rules to follow in order that we achieve the Lords salvation. We must believe in Jesus. We must live a righteous life, and the list goes on and on. It's no wonder that whenever I speak of Gods desire that all be saved, that far too many believers don't want to hear this truth.
We cannot escape the fact that the punishment of the wicked and the rewarding of the good has been thinking almost since time began. The Lord Himself has proclaimed this to us {Matthews Account 25:46}. Yet we're the ones who seem to have decided not only who will be punished, but what that punishment will be. Listen to any Sunday sermon on the realities of good and evil and you'll definitely hear the pastor proclaim his own view of how the wicked shall be punished. Usually, the story ends with God banishing the wicked into the lake of fire known as hell. But here's the question, if it was never the Fathers intention that any of His children be condemned, is there really a hell? In the film Come Sunday, the reverend Carlton Pearson was removed from his leadership role in his congregation for daring to speak the blasphemy that there is fact no hell. His fellow church leaders didn't want to hear that nonsense. Where was the punishment of the wicked among us? Would they somehow go unpunished? What blasphemy was this? In my opinion, this has never been blasphemy, but the truth we will only find within the Father. I'm often asked, if there's no hell, can we simply just go on in sin? Good question, if you believe the church theology that sin is still a major concern for believers. However, as Paul so correctly instructs us, "We, who died to sin, how shall we still be living in it?" {Paul to the Romans 6:1-2}. Make no mistake, when we talk about seeing the wicked punished, we're not only placing our own judgment upon others, but we're ignoring the truth of why Jesus came in the first place. Jesus Himself has been accused of spending His time with sinners and tax collectors {Matthews Account 9:10-17}. His response? "No need have the strong for a physician, but those having an illness" {Matthews Account 9:12}. It has never been the intent of Jesus that He should deny anyone salvation, but that through Him all will be saved. But they don't want to hear that.
What, then, shall we declare? That we may be persisting in sin that grace may be increasing? May it not be coming to that! We, who died to sin, how shall we still be living in it?
Paul to the Romans 6: 1-2, Concordant New Testament
~Scott~
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