The Subtle Deception of Universalism
Dave Faust
What do you get when you cross a Jehovah’s Witness with a universalist? A knock on the door for no apparent reason.
Actually, universalism is no joke. It’s a widely accepted philosophy imbedded in the psyche of our generation. The idea that one must believe in Jesus Christ to be saved sounds antiquated, judgmental, and narrow beyond belief to postmodern ears. According to Jesus, the broad road leads to destruction and the narrow road leads to life (Matthew 7:13-14), but universalists say the wide road is the right road and all people, no matter how unfaithful and disobedient, eventually will be saved. They emphasize God’s love and mercy but minimize his wrath and righteousness. They ignore the concept of Hell and assume that all who die will go to Heaven regardless of their beliefs. Some universalists reject the Bible entirely as an authoritative standard, while others use Scripture to support their position, citing passages like 1 Timothy 2:3 (God “wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth”).
Universalism’s popularity comes as no surprise. If believers and unbelievers alike will experience salvation, why be concerned about new birth, holy living, or sound doctrine? Why risk offending anyone by speaking about Christ? Why draw any religious lines in the sand? Universalism is a live-and-let-live philosophy, a religion of few demands.
When a leader in the Unitarian Universalist Church was asked how to become a universalist, he gave a striking response: “You may already be one without knowing it!” Many would never call themselves universalists, but they adopt the philosophy nonetheless and express it with statements like these: “Oh well, we’re all headed to the same place,” “Don’t be so narrow-minded; Christianity is no better than any other faith,” “A loving God would never condemn anyone,” or “Sincerity is all that matters.”
A newspaper’s letter to the editor put it this way: “There may be a main road to Heaven, but there are a lot of service roads that connect to it.”
When viewed in light of Scripture, however, universalism has many problems. For one thing, it dampens our appreciation for God’s grace. If everyone is going to be saved anyway, what’s the big deal about being rescued from sin?
Universalism steals our zeal for evangelism. In the book of Acts the church grew exponentially because Spirit-led believers preached passionately and lived sacrificially. They believed eternal life hung in the balance and salvation could be found in Christ alone.
Universalism weakens our understanding of the church’s purpose. Jesus not only said, “whoever believes and is baptized will be saved,” but he also said, “whoever does not believe will be condemned” (Mark 16:16). Ambiguity about our message produces apathy toward our mission. Universalism attacks the nerve center of the body of Christ, paralyzing outreach efforts and lulling believers into selfishness, indifference, and inactivity.
When Jesus was asked, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?” he responded, “Enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to” (Luke 13:23, 24). Ultimate judgment is God’s prerogative, not ours. Our job isn’t to consign others to Hell, but neither do we have the right to pronounce someone “saved” simply because he “seems saved” to us. Nor is it our job to insist on manmade rules and opinions that make the narrow road narrower than it already is. Instead, we need to focus on what God has plainly revealed and trust him with what we don’t know, proclaiming the whole counsel of God even when it’s unpopular.
Cultural trends come and go, but the Bible plainly teaches:
We serve a caring God who “is patient . . . not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9)—a God who “so loved the world,” whose Son came to rescue us from condemnation (John 3:16-17). We can share this message of hope without being condescending or holier-than-thou. Without hesitation or embarrassment, let’s lift up the saving name of Jesus and point to the narrow road that leads to life.
This article is adapted from “The Wide Road Is Still the Wrong Road” by David Faust, published in the October 25, 2009 issue of Christian Standard.
This column first appeared in The Lookout on Oct 2, 2011.
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