Since there seems to be a few "Universalists" that seem to enter into other threads, attempting to present what I believe is "another" Gospel whenever a means to segway into it presents itself, it has been agreed that this topic should have a thread of its own so we can get down to brass tacks. No matter what variances there may be between your regular variety of Universalists and those who insist that there is a difference because they are called Christian Universalists, it has been my experience that all of the varieties have the same end and that is they believe ALL will be saved no matter what. (as you may have already guessed, I am not a Universalist)
Since I believe that the souls of people who listen to Universalists are at risk, these would therefore be then considered
ESSENTIAL doctrines and definitely should be discussed in the open rather than veiled under the guise of other topics.
So, I am going to present several Scriptures that clearly refute the doctrine of Universalism of any kind and welcome those who believe in Universal Salvation to come and make their cases and reconcile their belief with these Scriptures. OSAS believers might want to tune in as well as all of the Scriptures I plan to share are directed to believers who have believed on Christ and not unbelievers.
Jude 1:3-6
Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not. And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.
In other words, Jude is saying, "I was all set to encourage you in our common salvation, but a more urgent need arose for me to exhort you in the faith because some are creeping in among you sowing false doctrines and if you listen to them, you can lose your soul! Therefore if you aren't sure I am telling you the truth that your souls are at stake, let me bring to your remembrance the Israelites who God saved out of Egypt and then destroyed because of unbelief. Oh, and incase you think you are better than them, let me then remind you that God spared not the angels who forsook the estate that God gave them with Him in Heaven and followed after foolishness losing their own home and whose days have been numbered and will be destroyed."
Hebrews
Where do I start in the Book of Hebrews? There are so many!
I'll try to keep my commentary brief to get through these. They are pretty much self explanatory anyway.
Hebrews 2:1-3
For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it. For if the word spoken through angels proved unalterable, and every transgression and disobedience received a just penalty, how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? After it was at the first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard,
Hebrews 3:12-14
Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we are made partakers of Christ, ifwe hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end;
exhort:
–verb (used with object) 1.to urge, advise, or caution earnestly; admonish urgently. –verb (used without object) 2.to give urgent advice, recommendations, or warnings.
Hebrews 4:1-2
Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.
Hello??? Just checking in with ya to make sure you are still watching this.
Hebrews 4:11
Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.
(what? Labor? but why?...isn't everyone going to be saved anyway? Why not just kick back and enjoy? hmmmm )
Moving on......
Hebrews 6:4-8
For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.
For the earth which drinks in the rain that comes upon it, and brings forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receives blessing from God: But that which bears thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned.
Hebrews 10:26-31
For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more sacrifice for sins,
But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.
He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
Hebrews 10:38-39
Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.
What? There are some that draw back unto perdition? Does that mean backslide to the point of no return?Yes it does. Lord have mercy.
Hebrews 12: 15-17
Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. For you know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.
Hebrews 12:25-29
See that you refuse not him that speaks. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaks from heaven: Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he has promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. And this word, Yet once more, signifies the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: For our God is a consuming fire.
James 5:19 (this refers to a believer, one who backslid)
Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; Let him know, that he which converts the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, (that's SECOND DEATH) and shall hide a multitude of sins.
2 Peter 2:4-9
For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly;
And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds The Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:
Clearly there is more to show you and I will, but this ought to provide a clear foundation in which to start. We haven't even finished with Peter or gotten to the word penned by John.
Since I believe that the souls of people who listen to Universalists are at risk, these would therefore be then considered
ESSENTIAL doctrines and definitely should be discussed in the open rather than veiled under the guise of other topics.
So, I am going to present several Scriptures that clearly refute the doctrine of Universalism of any kind and welcome those who believe in Universal Salvation to come and make their cases and reconcile their belief with these Scriptures. OSAS believers might want to tune in as well as all of the Scriptures I plan to share are directed to believers who have believed on Christ and not unbelievers.
Jude 1:3-6
Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not. And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.
In other words, Jude is saying, "I was all set to encourage you in our common salvation, but a more urgent need arose for me to exhort you in the faith because some are creeping in among you sowing false doctrines and if you listen to them, you can lose your soul! Therefore if you aren't sure I am telling you the truth that your souls are at stake, let me bring to your remembrance the Israelites who God saved out of Egypt and then destroyed because of unbelief. Oh, and incase you think you are better than them, let me then remind you that God spared not the angels who forsook the estate that God gave them with Him in Heaven and followed after foolishness losing their own home and whose days have been numbered and will be destroyed."
Hebrews
Where do I start in the Book of Hebrews? There are so many!
I'll try to keep my commentary brief to get through these. They are pretty much self explanatory anyway.
Hebrews 2:1-3
For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it. For if the word spoken through angels proved unalterable, and every transgression and disobedience received a just penalty, how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? After it was at the first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard,
Hebrews 3:12-14
Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we are made partakers of Christ, ifwe hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end;
exhort:
–verb (used with object) 1.to urge, advise, or caution earnestly; admonish urgently. –verb (used without object) 2.to give urgent advice, recommendations, or warnings.
Hebrews 4:1-2
Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.
Hello??? Just checking in with ya to make sure you are still watching this.
Hebrews 4:11
Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.
(what? Labor? but why?...isn't everyone going to be saved anyway? Why not just kick back and enjoy? hmmmm )
Moving on......
Hebrews 6:4-8
For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.
For the earth which drinks in the rain that comes upon it, and brings forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receives blessing from God: But that which bears thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned.
Hebrews 10:26-31
For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more sacrifice for sins,
But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.
He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
Hebrews 10:38-39
Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.
What? There are some that draw back unto perdition? Does that mean backslide to the point of no return?Yes it does. Lord have mercy.
Hebrews 12: 15-17
Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. For you know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.
Hebrews 12:25-29
See that you refuse not him that speaks. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaks from heaven: Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he has promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. And this word, Yet once more, signifies the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: For our God is a consuming fire.
James 5:19 (this refers to a believer, one who backslid)
Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; Let him know, that he which converts the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, (that's SECOND DEATH) and shall hide a multitude of sins.
2 Peter 2:4-9
For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly;
And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds The Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:
Clearly there is more to show you and I will, but this ought to provide a clear foundation in which to start. We haven't even finished with Peter or gotten to the word penned by John.