Unversalism - An Introduction

Universalism
Universalism can be classified as a religion, theology and philosophy that generally holds all persons and creatures are related to God or the Divine and will be reconciled to God. A church or community that calls itself Universalist may emphasize the universal principles of most religions and accept other religions in an inclusive manner, believing in a universal reconciliation between humanity and the divine. Many religions may have a degree of Universalist theology in their tenets and principles, including Christianity, Hinduism, New Thought spirituality. A common principle is that love is a universal binding force.

A belief in one common truth is also another important tenet. The living truth is seen as more far-reaching than national, cultural, or religious boundaries.

I believe in the fundamental Truth of all great religions of the world. I believe they are all God given and I believe they were necessary for the people to whom these religions were revealed. And I believe that if only we could all of us read the scriptures of the different faiths from the standpoint of the followers of these faiths, we should find that they were at the bottom all one and were all helpful to one another. - M K Gandhi

Wikipedia

Universalism is the teaching that all people will be saved. Some say that it is through the atonement of Jesus that all will ultimately be reconciled to God. Others just say that all will go to heaven sooner or later, whether or not they have trusted in or rejected Jesus as savior during their lifetime. This universal redemption will be realized in the future where God will bring all people to repentance. This repentance can happen while a person lives or after he has died and lived again in the millennium (as some "Christian universalists" claim) or some future state. Additionally, a few universalists even maintain that Satan and all demons will likewise be reconciled to God. Christian Apolegtics & Research Ministry

How Universalism is contradicting Bible?
Nevertheless, both facets of universalistic belief are in serious error. People will suffer eternal damnation (Rev. 14:11) and the demonic forces have no redeemer. But, in my opinion, though universalism is a grave error, holding to the idea that all will be saved in itself does not automatically make someone a non-Christian. However, there are those within the universalist camp (who claim to be Christian) who also deny the doctrine of the Trinity and, thereby, the incarnation of the Word of God as God the Son. They also deny the personhood and deity of the Holy Spirit. Usually, these denials are held by Unitarian Universalists, though others who are not of the Universalist camp also deny the Trinity. Those who deny these essentials cannot be classified as Christians.

To deny the deity of Christ, is to deny one of the essential doctrines of salvation. In this sense, those universalists who deny the deity of Christ are in a false religious belief system. Of course, when one essential doctrine is denied, many other historic biblical doctrines are also denied and salvation is void because the object of faith is false.

There is no official "Universal Salvation Church" denomination but there is a Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA). The UUA can be classified as non-Christian because it denies the deity of Christ, the personhood of the Holy Spirit, etc. It is not possible to categorize all of universalists into one tidy doctrinal category. Its adherents vary in belief. Some are Arian (God is one person, Jesus is a creation). Some are Trinitarian. Others even lean toward new age concepts of man's divinity.

So, universalism is not really a doctrine that identifies a group. Rather, it is a doctrine of different, even contradictory groups, who all claim universalism.

The problem with words
The cults are particularly guilty of using biblical words with non-biblical definitions. This is absolutely necessary among them in order to maintain some sort of internal consistency of theology. So too, with many universalists. Hell can mean non-existence, after-life consciousness, or this present life on earth. Some universalists believe that all punishment is accomplished here on earth, while others believe it is future event with a loss of rewards, and not a physical punishment. The punishment in both groups is corrective and limited. It will last only as long, and only be as severe, as it takes to accomplish its corrective purpose, which is to bring all mankind to a state of holiness and happiness in obedience to God. Of course, the problem with this is that it strongly suggests that a person is made worthy to be with God through his own sufferings and corrections in the afterlife.

In universalism, the word "eternal" means "without end" when it comes to salvation, but not when referring to damnation, even though the same word is used for both and in the same context (Matt. 25:46). Universalists divide history and the future into different "eons" or "ages" and assert that punishment is "age-lasting," not eternal. The term "Son of God" is claimed by all groups as an accurate description of Jesus, yet to some it means a created being and to others it means God in flesh. Therefore, determining which belief is held by which universalist is often difficult and it requires digging.

Misrepresentation
Universalists often use the most negative terms to represent historic positions they disagree with. For example, regarding the damnation of the unsaved, instead of saying that historic Christianity teaches that those who reject Christ will suffer eternal damnation, they frequently say that historic Christianity teaches that "God can't save everyone and wants to torture most of humanity forever." Or, it is often implied that God will not torture people forever because "God is not sadistic enough to send people to hell." Such emotionally slanted words reveal a hostile bias against historic doctrines and is an unfair description of those beliefs. It is a surprisingly common tactic among universalists which demonstrates their lack of objectivity and sheds an automatic cloud of doubt upon their observations.

Conclusion
As you can see, universalism covers a wide range of beliefs. Though belief in universalism, in and of itself, does not automatically void salvation, it has the potential danger of allowing false teachers to abide alongside true believers as well as deny basic Christian teaching such as eternal damnation. Therefore, to determine if a universalist is Christian, you must delve further into other areas of his belief system.

Article Sources:

1. Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry
   
2. Wikipedia

This amazing info and I did not know that these people follow this faith. I know many who preach that all religions belong to God and they will be judged according to the good deeds that are defined in their religion. I would say that this is all satan's deception and nothingelse. Good deeds can never bring us to salvation.

Yeah they are really out there, some in churches as Pastors encouraging people to sin, by preaching God is love and He accepts us as we are. People listen to them as they feel secure and justified in their sins. They also preach that hell is not forever and misquote verses to their own destruction. When God has said that there is Hell and sinners will be punished then we must accept that for sinning we will be punished.

So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.

The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions (Galatians 5:16-20)

We must stay away from such false preacher and teachers as they have decided their doom.

The living God IS THE SAVIOR OF ALL MEN! Not the "preserver" of all, as some would have us believe. The Greek work used here is SOTER. It occurs twenty-four times in the New Testament and is correctly translated "Savior" every time.

Luke 1:47; 2:11; John 4:42; Acts 5:31; 13:23; Eph. 5:23; Phil. 3:20; 1 Tim 1:1; 2:3; 4:10; 2 Tim. 1:10; Titus 1:3, 4; 2:10, 13; 3:4, 6; 2 Pet. 1:1, 11; 2:20; 3:2, 18; 1 John 4:14; Jude 25.

Nor does the text say, God is the "provider" of salvation for all. This would not make Him the Savior of all. He is only the Savior of those He actually saves. In order to be the Savior of all, He will save all. THE LIVING GOD IS THE SAVIOR OF ALL MEN . Such a fact should fill the hardest heart with joy and cause continual thanksgiving to God for His power, wisdom, love, grace and righteousness.

Knowing how difficult it would be for man to believe this plain statement, God offers man encouragement by assuring him that it is a FAITHFUL SAYING, and WORTHY OF ALL ACCEPTATION. It is faithful to God, faithful to His Son, faithful to His Work, and faithful to the desire of all who have had the love of God poured into their hearts by the Holy Spirit. It is hard to understand why so many should condemn it as unfaithful and worthy of all rejection, when God has so plainly declared it to be a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation.

Man's need for salvation is desperate. He is sinful, dying and helpless to save himself (Rom. 1:18-3:25). To save man and make out of him a creature unto His own praise will indeed glorify God and His son, Jesus Christ.

In my seminary years, some friend gave me a book to read, the Book was entitled "The Key to Truth" and author was A.C. Thomas. The author asked 213 questions which claimed to clarify the God's plan of salvation.

The author tried to hide his deception in the verses of the Holy Bible and I remember, that some of my course mates did start to believe what the book said. I will give few examples how the Universalists try to deceive people by using the verses of the Bible.

1. As we are required to love our enemies, may we not safely infer that God loves His enemies? (Matt. 5:44)
   
2. If God loves His enemies, will He punish them more than will be for their good?
   
3. Would endless punishment be for the good of any being?
   
4. As God loves His friends, if He loves His enemies also, are not all mankind the objects of His love?
   
5. If God loves those only who love Him, what better is He than the sinner? (Luke 6:32-33)
   
6. As "love thinketh no evil," can God design the ultimate evil of a single soul? (1 Cor. 13:5)
   
7. As "love worketh no ill," can God inflict, or cause, or allow to be inflicted, an endless ill? (Rom. 13:10)
   
8. As we are forbidden to be overcome by evil, can we safely suppose that God will be overcome by evil? (Rom. 12:21)
   
9. Would not the infliction of endless punishment prove that God HAD been overcome by evil?
   
10. If man does wrong in returning evil for evil, would not God do wrong if He was to do the same?

See how satan tries to put doubts in the minds of believers. Nothing can justify a man's wrong actions. If you do wrong, you will have to pay the price. I agree that on such teachings, we must close our eyes. We must stay away from such preachers who would lead people to hell.