Universal Salvation--Great Heresy, or Greatest Gift?
For Christians only: No one is going to hell, even if you think they should!
Hey, Christian, what if you found out that no one is going to hell? No one. Not the other religions, not the famous and historic criminals, the warlords, the child murderers, the rapist, the robbers, the greedy, the whores, the queers, no one.
Would that displease you, or would you say “Thank God!”?
Choose wisely how you answer that question. It will determine just how compassionate you actually are. Here’s how it goes:
When God placed the humans into the Garden, he told them not to do something. They did it, anyway, creating a breach in their relationship with the Creator. They were no longer allowed in the presence of God. OK, fine.
Later, God decided that he didn’t like the idea that his highest creation remained separate from him. So, he came to earth in human form in order to close the gap. He took the ‘sin of disobedience,’ which is what stood between him and the humans, to the cross. When he died and rose, the breach was closed, and he no longer was separated from his creatures.
So far, so good, right? Well, here comes the kicker. This is where you may scream ‘heresy.’
God did the work of salvation. No one and nothing else could have done it. Jesus’ death on the cross and subsequent resurrection sealed the deal. The world was forgiven, from the first human to the last. Period. No more breach, no gap of any kind, between the Creator and the Created. It became just as it was before the so-called Fall.
The heresy? No one has to believe it for it to be true. That’s what is meant by Universal Salvation. Jesus did what he did and no one needs to even acknowledge it. If he did it, he did it.
What? I don’t have to believe it in order to get to heaven?
No, you do not.
Salvation is by grace alone. If you play any part in the process, then the responsibility shifts to you. Even the act of choosing to believe is part of the process. And you play no part in the process. No matter what your preachers, priests, or books tell you. If you must believe in order to receive salvation, then the obligation is upon you. And it isn't.
Salvation is from God and by God, and Jesus carried out all the necessary work. There is no gap remaining between you and God. “The Kingdom of God is within you…”
The world is eternally free from the original disobedience, not because anyone believes it, but because it was done on the world’s behalf by a God who would not let the stain continue to keep him separate from his beloved creatures. He knew that if even one soul was lost, his creation would be a failure.
So, there’s the heresy. It’s the same story. The difference is that no one has to believe it.
The world is saved. Period. If it hinges on belief, then it’s not salvation. It’s religion.
Now, how you choose to feel about this can reveal a true picture of how compassionate you actually are. If you really prefer that anyone should end up in hell, then you might want to revisit the words of Jesus: “I have come that they might have life, and…more abundantly.”
The early church instituted the idea of the necessity of belief. The reality is, if any of the salvation story is true, it’s true even if not one single solitary soul believes it. If it’s not true, then so what?
It’s also good to remember that a literal biblical eternal hell is not punishment; it’s revenge.
Let it go, Christian. Everyone is redeemed. And you should be glad.