CHAPTER 26

BIBLICAL VERSUS UNBIBLICAL UNIVERSALISM

We first received the revelation of the biblical truth of Universal Reconciliation in November 2003. We soon found out that belief in Universal Reconciliation separated and isolated us from mainstream traditional Christianity, as Universalism is considered a heresy by traditional Christianity. We were very eager to get in touch with fellow Christians who believe in Biblical Universalism, so we visited and studied a number of websites, which teach Universal Reconciliation. However, to our disappointment, we found that there are many religious issues on which Universalists disagree. 

The Bible speaks about the unity of the Spirit of those who understand the true Gospel of Jesus Christ, which is the Gospel of Universal Reconciliation through the shed blood of Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world.

Ephesians 4:3-6
3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

Unfortunately to date, Christian Universalism remains fragmented with differing beliefs and views on why, how and when God will reconcile the whole world to Himself. Some Universalist sites teach doctrines that are simply not in the Bible. Ultimately, there are only two sorts of Universalism; Biblical Universalism and Unbiblical Universalism. However, we all grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ as God's Spirit guides us into His truth (2 Peter 3:18).

We have come across five types of Unbiblical Universalism, which we have labelled with the following titles to distinguish one from another.

1. Unitarian Universalism
2. Ecumenical Universalism
3. Trinitarian Universalism
4. Two-Gospels Universalism
5. Preterist Universalism

We make brief comments on each of these Unbiblical Universalisms below. 
 
1. Unitarian Universalism

This is a very liberal religious organization. Anything is accepted and anything goes. Yes, they profess that all will be saved; however, everyone is free to choose whatever spiritual path they wish to take. “Everyone is okay, so just live life the way you want to.”  You don’t need to believe in the Bible or Jesus Christ to belong to this group of Universalists.

2. Ecumenical Universalism

This is also a liberal organisation, but not as liberal as Unitarian Universalism. They profess to believe in the Bible; however, they interpret the Bible very loosely. The Bible is not their supreme authority. They emphasise unity with all Christian denominations, but at the expense of diluting the Word of God.

3. Trinitarian Universalism

As the name suggests, this group believes in the traditional Christian doctrine of the Trinity. We have no doubt that the doctrine of the Trinity is as heretical as the doctrine of hell.

The foundational truth of the Bible is that God (Father God) is One and He is the only true God. There is no other God like Father God. It is also a foundational truth of the Bible that the Son, Jesus Christ, is the One and only true Son of God. There is no other Son of God like Jesus Christ (John 17:3, John 1:18). Father God and the Son make a Family, not a Trinity.

The truth of the Bible is that there is One Holy God Family consisting of Father and Son. Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of Father God. He is a separate and distinct Person from God the Father, just like any human son is a separate and distinct person from his human father. The Holy Spirit is not a Person, as erroneously taught in the doctrine of the Trinity. The Holy Spirit is the power and presence of the God Family of Father and Son.

In Chapter 4, under the section ‘The Truth of God’ we give a detailed explanation of why the Trinity is an unbiblical doctrine.

4. Two-Gospels Universalism

Some Universalists, especially those who adhere to the teaching of A E Knoch (Concordant Publishing Concern) believe in and preach two Gospels: one gospel for the Jews and one gospel for the Gentiles, with a different destiny for each of these groups. We reject this view as unbiblical. The Bible from Genesis to Revelation speaks of only one Gospel. Apostle Paul clearly preached the one and the same Gospel to Jews and Gentiles, the Gospel of the Kingdom of God, which is the Gospel of Grace through faith in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ (Acts 19:8, Ephesians 2:8, Romans 3:29-30).

5. Preterist Universalism

There are some Universalists who believe that Jesus Christ already returned in 70 A.D. This belief is known as Preterism. We have absolutely no doubt that this is an unbiblical belief. Preterism cannot be true because there are several important prophesied end-time events to occur at the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, which have not happened yet. See Chapter 10 for details.

In addition to the above five Unbiblical Universalisms, there are two subjects that create strong debate and disagreement amongst Universalists: 'whether God created Satan an evil being from the beginning or not' and 'whether man has freewill or not'. Let us now comment on these two subjects.

Was Satan created an evil being from the beginning or not?

Some Universalists strongly believe that Satan is not a fallen angel because they argue that God created him as an evil being right from the beginning. We reject this view as unbiblical. The whole foundation of their belief is based on John 8:44, ‘He (the devil) was a murderer from the beginning’. When man first appeared on this earth at the beginning of the Adamic Age, Satan was already there as a sinner, and this is what Jesus means when He says that the devil was a murderer from the beginning.

The Bible is clear that Satan was created a holy angel and that he was cast down to earth when he first sinned by rebelling against God in the Pre-Adamic Age. Jesus Christ said in Luke 10:18, that He beheld Satan fall like lightning from heaven. We have already given details of the fall of Satan in Chapter 24, The Pre-Adamic Age, the Age of Angels.

Just think about it! If Satan had been created an evil being, then it would not make sense for the Bible to speak about the sins of Satan because he couldn’t be held responsible for them. It would also be absurd for God to judge him in the Lake of Fire. More importantly, if Satan had been created an evil being, it would not make any sense for God to reconcile Satan if his sinful evil nature had not separated him from God in the first place. Reconciliation of Satan demands that Satan was created a holy angel who became separated from God because of his sins, and this is exactly what happened.

Has man freewill or not?

Some Universalists strongly believe that man has no freewill. The problem lies with how freewill is defined. The Bible does not define man's freewill as a will capable of making choices independent of any divine influence. The Bible defines man's freewill as a will that is free to act in harmony with God’s will by having a relationship with God and fellowmen based on love and free from sin. The core issue when considering freewill is not an argument about the sovereignty of God, but whether or not we have the freedom to have a relationship with Sovereign God. Without freewill, it is impossible to have any meaningful relationship with God. We fully cover this subject in Chapter 22., God's Sovereignty and Man's Freewill. 

Conclusion

We are committed to preach the truth of Biblical Universalism. We believe that this book, God's Plan for All, clearly explains the truth of Biblical Universalism and that it is one hundred percent in line with the Word of God. 

We conclude this chapter by emphasising the unity of the Spirit, and join hands with fellow Universalists; all those who believe in the core truth of the Bible that Father God will save and reconcile the whole world through His one and only begotten Son Jesus Christ, who died on the cross to forgive the sins of the whole world.

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