There’s a movement among Christians today towards what’s called Christian Universalism. It’s a belief that everybody ultimately will be saved—there will be no Hell, or at some point Hell will be depopulated and everyone will live forever with Christ in Heaven. It’s a wonderful thought. But does the Bible really teach it?
My first pastor was Marden Wickman, at Powell Valley Covenant Church in Gresham, Oregon. I came to faith in Christ through that church, and Pastor Wickman baptized me. I loved Marden Wickman, who loved to preach God’s Word. There was one preacher he quoted more than any other—G. Campbell Morgan.
As a student of theology, writer, and occasional preacher, I loved reading Martin Luther talking about learning theology, and about the “little books” some of us write and the little sermons we preach. Sometimes the reformers really make you smile.
I love the redemptive message of Les Misérables, from book, to stage, to screen. It reminds me of the song “Amazing Grace,” because it is deeply loved even by those who don’t fully believe its message. The beauty of the story is so great that even those who don’t believe in God, his grace and forgiveness and his ability to transform a man, still love it.
Universalism: the belief that everyone will eventually go to Heaven.
The logic behind it goes something like this:
In the previous blog I expressed concerns about some doctrines in the new bestselling book To Heaven and Back, by Mary Neal. This is my second and last article on this subject. It’s lengthy, but I think it’s important and I don’t want to drag it out with several shorter articles.
When I came across this statement somewhere, that bad doctrine is a cruel taskmaster, it stuck with me. I asked EPM staffer Julia Stager to provide some verses demonstrating it, and I added my summary statements to hers.
Last month Kevin DeYoung posted an excellent blog called “10 Reasons to Believe in a Historical Adam.” I can’t say enough about the importance of this subject. Everywhere I turn, including on the campuses of many Christian liberal arts colleges, I see the drift away from believing in an historical Adam and Eve.
In this powerful nine-minute video, Pastor Mark Driscoll answers the question about whether those who die without faith in Christ go to hell.
I’ve said before that one of my delights is exploring the vast reservoir of sermons by Charles Haddon Spurgeon. I came across one called “The Mighty Arm.” In this portion of the message, which is about one fifth of the whole, he talks about the power of God available to us as Christians, which we are free to call upon.
I'm the author of over 40 books and the founder and director of Eternal Perspective Ministries. I love Jesus, my wife Nanci, and our daughters, sons and five grandsons!
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