Universalism

2018-02-11

Universalism is the teaching that everyone, regardless of whether one is a Christian or not, will be saved. This is a false doctrine. One such verse that is used to defend it is Romans 5:18:

Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. (Romans 5:18)

From this verse, universalists will see that all men receive this free gift of life. Here is another verse:

For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. (1 Corinthians 15:22)

From this, the universalist concludes that all will be made alive, or receive eternal life.

The issue with these verses is not following the logic. All human beings that were ever born, except for the Lord Jesus Christ, were born in Adam. Because of us (originally) being born in Adam, we are condemned before we even commit any sinful acts and will die physically and are spiritually dead already. However, not everyone is born in Christ. Only those who are born in Christ are saved. The unsaved are not in Christ and are not saved. We who are Christians are new creatures in Christ and are not descendants of Adam:

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. (2 Corinthians 5:17)

The conclusion of the matter is that all in Adam will die and face the judgment. All in Christ, who are born again, will receive eternal life. Christians are not in Adam. Though our bodies are still Adamic in nature, and will still die, spiritually we are Christ’s, and we will never spiritually die.

I have thought in the past that I wish universalism were true. However, this is a wicked thought, because we seek a way to circumvent the cross of Christ and hope that the unsaved will be shown mercy by God. We must come to God in His way. It is a good thing to want everyone to be saved, because even God wants everyone to be saved:

For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. (1 Timothy 2:3-4)

We do not lazily sit there and hope they all get saved. We must be proactive and share the Gospel with the unsaved.