universal reconciliation possible?

[lutherangerman]

I am a christian for about 14 years now since I came to faith in Jesus. I believe strongly in God but I have my issues with christianity about salvation. Is it possible that God saves everyone since he loves everyone? I mean, this world is full of sinners and unbelievers and even christians don't add up in the calculation, usually. So if we have God as our lover, how could we fear being destroyed by Him? He calls Himself our Father, and it makes no sense to fear a father for doing evil to us, and destruction or hell would be evil. When God is good we dont need to be afraid and a christianity that is not afraid of God would be a good invitor to the kingdom of God where all are asked by God to enter and establish themselves there and eat and drink from Christ. I have had a dad who was more than good to me when I was young, and he was a honest and crimeless man. But he was an atheist because he just could not have faith. When he died, why should God not love him now that my dads eyes would be opened to Him? When after death we all come to God, then we all come to LOVE as God is love. So why should there be a problem?

 

[ViaCrucis]

My own position is that it's possible (what's not possible with God?), and it's my prayer and hope. But it's no guarantee, not promised.

I prefer to remain undogmatic about the ultimate fate of everyone, I focus instead on what God has promised us, our hope and salvation in Christ--which is only in Christ. Is it possible that somehow, someway, there will be those who never knowing Christ in this life are reconciled to God in Christ and only on account of His saving work on Calvary? It's possible, I certainly pray so and hope so. But I can't know so, and so we can't reach a dogmatic place there.

But what we can do is trust in the sure and certain promises of God that we have heard and received in the Gospel, and to announce this same saving Gospel to the world. Because it is God's will to save all, that all come to trust our Lord and receive that forgiveness which is in His name. Those who never heard, those who never knew, etc--they're in God's hands, and we therefore trust that He will do what is good, and right because He is, indeed, good and right.

What I absolutely do believe is that Christianity is not, and never is, a religion of the fear of hell. It is the religion of the God who condescended to meet us in Christ, who bears Himself to us in the raggedy clothes of our own weak, mortal flesh to share in our sufferings, and meet us in our sin--and who dying in death overcomes death, trampling over hell, the grave, and the devil is risen in victory. For for you, for me, for us, for the whole world. And that is good news, it's good news worth talking about.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[Izdaari Eristikon]

Rather than add my own two cents, I think I'll just endorse what ViaCrucis said.

 

[Korah]

Rather than add my own two cents, I think I'll just endorse what ViaCrucis said.

What he said.

 

[Mediaeval]

Our Lord said, "I am, be not afraid." The simple fact that God is means that there is nothing to fear for ourselves or for our loved ones or for anyone else. Accordingly, the apostle Paul wrote that the living God is the Savior of all men.

 

[lutherangerman]

Hello again,

it's sometimes difficult to believe in the salvation of ANYONE if we take the WHOLE bible as our foundation. There are words in that speak about love, but there are also words that speak about wrath. It's sometimes hard to know what's what in this big and difficult book. I would want to believe in love being all that's necessary, but the bible is phrased such that there must also be humility, righteousness, faith, justice and these things. I do not understand why some christians HAVE to believe in damnation, as if God wants to condemn someone, as if he cannot do something about our evils through limited punishments. I tend to think there are spiritual punishments, like those who are evil being confronted with it and having to bear shame and regret then. Maybe some people confuse earthly teachings like the Law of Moses, with spiritual teachings like the Law of Love in Jesus Christ. The law of Moses is a strange item, some consider it as creating hell on Earth while others see it as wordplay and story that cannot be taken literally but when read spiritually and metaphorically there is profit in it. The hebrew language certainly often uses hyperbole and metaphor and wordplay.