I will refer to this doctrine as "TURA" (abbreviation) throughout most of this article, for the sake of brevity. The Bible tells us that, in the time right before Jesus returns, it would be a time of great deception and that many would be deceived. TURA is one of those deceptions.




Matthew 24:3-6 & 11:
3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?
4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.








The main scripture, upon which they base their false doctrine, is the one found in Colossians 1:20: "And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven."

They declare that all things in this verse includes those that have gone to hell and they will all be reconciled back to God; however, if we look at the verses in the proper context, we can see that the "all things" mentioned here are "all things in Christ."


Obviously, those outside of Christ, who have rejected Him, are not included in the word "all" in this verse. Notice that the verse says, "things in earth and in heaven," not things in hell, that God will reconcile. The truth is that He will reconcile "all things in Christ" by restoring this earth and bringing things into order during the millennium, after the wicked are removed.




Let's look at the rest of the scriptures surrounding this verse:



18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.
19 For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;
20 And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.
21 And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled
22 In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:
23 If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister.

Notice that these verses are referring to Christ and His shed blood on the cross. It is His sacrifice that opens the way for anyone to be reconciled to God. Paul is speaking here to the church and tells them that they were once alienated from God, but through the shedding of the blood of Christ, now all can be reconciled. God offers salvation to all. It is not His will that any should perish; however, because He created all men with a free will, some will not choose to accept His offer of salvation. Notice in verse 23 that it begins with the word "if" and verse 21 says He has reconciled those people if they continue in the faith and are not moved away from the gospel of Christ. Only those who continue in faith in Christ are reconciled, not everyone in the world.




There are other scriptures that tell us that these verses refer to "all in Christ" and do not mean "all -- inclusive of everything." On the ground of the work of what Christ accomplished on the cross, He plans to bring the whole universe, with the exception of rebellious angels and unbelieving man, into full accord with the mind of God. The rebellious are subdued, not reconciled. The restoration or reconciliation (apokatastasis, meaning "back in order") of all is when the Lord returns after the Great Tribulation and all of His elect are completed. According to the Bible, when Jesus comes the second time to rule the earth, He will rule with a rod of iron and all the rebellious shall be subdued and destroyed.



Revelation 2:26-27: And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.



Reconciliationists use another verse to say that all things will be made new, which they say will be the evil people that are in hell, like Hitler, who will be purified in the fires of hell and then made new to dwell with the people of God. This is such perversion of the Word of God and great heresy. Let us look at this scripture:



Revelation 21:5-8:
5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.
6 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.
7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

Notice that when God makes all things new, He specifies that those that overcome will be His children, but those that are sinners will go to hell. They will be cast into the lake of fire, not given an inheritance with the saints. Only those that believe in Christ inherit eternal life.

The verses below qualify who the "all" are. They are the ones who believe and have faith in God. They are the ones who will be reconciled back to God. They are the ones who will be saved through their redemption in Christ.




Romans 3:22-25:
22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God.

TURA doctrine also uses this verse in 1 Timothy to say that all men will be saved.









This heretical doctrine teaches that you can not be ultimately lost and dwell in hell forever, since Reconciliationists think that God is so loving, He could never leave souls in torment for eternity. The problem with this belief is that they do not understand the definition of the true love of God.

God is certainly a God of love, but He is also a God of justice, and true love cannot exist outside of justice. They want to define God as one of their own making that is acceptable to their understanding, instead of the God who is defined in the Bible as a God of wrath, as well as one of love. They quote this verse as their proof that Jesus will not judge anyone. John 12:47: And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.







This is another case where they take scripture out of context to make it line up with their own idea of God. Notice the surrounding scriptures below, especially verse 46 that says, "I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness." It is belief and faith in God that saves us from the judgment of darkness and hell. Then, in the remainder of verses, we are told that indeed we shall be judged by the Word of God and the commandments that Jesus spoke. In the New Testament Jesus had a lot to say about hell being everlasting.






The teachers of The Ultimate Reconciliation of All (TURA) not only declare that hell will not be eternal, but they also take other words, such as "everlasting", "forever" and "ever," and change their meaning to be "a period of time" in every place it refers to hell. Their justification for this is that they accuse the authors of the King James Version of the Bible of mistranslating these words. It is amazing how many of the false doctrines of today can only exist when certain words of the Bible must be changed to support their own private interpretation of those doctrines. Most disputes among men arise from the interpretation of the words of the Bible, not the words themselves. I will not try to defend the accuracy of the KJV Bible here, other than to say it has been proven to be reliable and is inspired by the Holy Spirit. No other book has been so scrutinized, sifted for error, criticized, and attacked over the centuries on such a massive scale as the Bible, and yet it stands.

If we study the Greek meaning of these words (forever, ever, evermore), in some cases in the New Testament, it does have a meaning of "unto the age" or "unto the age of the ages." TURA's interpretation is that it means "a period of time," while the traditional interpretation of these words means "across the ages", forever, perpetual, and eternal." If they are interpreted the way the Reconciliationists interpret them, this would mean that none of God's people will live "forever" and have "eternal" life, as the same Greek word (aionios) used for "forever" connected with hell is the same Greek word used to describe God, who lives forever and ever in Revelation 15:7. Even God Himself would die as you can note the scripture below that states that He is a God who lives forever and ever. If they say hell is not "forever," then that would mean that heaven is not "forever" also. We must apply the rules of interpretation to both heaven and hell. You cannot say hell is not eternal, and then turn around and say that heaven is eternal, since the same word for eternal must apply to both. Let's see what the Bible has to say about eternity and hell in the following scriptures.









IN HEAVEN:

God lives forever and ever:

Revelation 15:7: And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever.

His kingdom lasts forever and has no end:

Luke 1:33: And he (Jesus) shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

Those that believe in Jesus have everlasting life:

John 3:36: He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life (Greek "aionios" unto the ages); and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

IN HELL:

The devil will be tormented day and night for ever and ever:

Revelation 20:10: And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

The lost shall receive everlasting punishment:

Matthew 25:46: And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

Transgressors shall have no relief from their torments:

Isaiah 66:24: And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh.


Even if the Reconciliationists can tamper with the words, "forever," "ever" and "everlasting," to try and prove that hell is not eternal, but will be emptied out someday in the future, then what are they going to do with other words that they can't claim are mistranslated, like "never," "dieth not," "world without end" and "no end?" Let's see what Jesus Himself has to say about eternity and hell in the following scriptures.




Mark 9:43-48:
43 And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:
44 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.
45 And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:
46 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.
47 And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire:
48 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.



Jesus taught that hell was so bad that it would be better to lose an arm and your eyes in this life if they caused you to sin, than to go to this eternal place of torment called hell. Notice He states that there is no relief from the torment of death and the fires of hell. The fire is never quenched. He repeats this three times for emphasis. Jesus is not a liar, so if He says eternal hell is a reality, we should believe Him over any man who would pervert scripture to try and prove otherwise.












































































TURA has the earmark of a cultic religion, in regard to their views about hell. If cults do not use the fear of going to hell to bring people into bondage, then they try to discount hell altogether. One of Satan's favorite lies is to try to convince people that they suffer their hell on earth and that there is none hereafter. He also tries to get them to believe the lie that death only brings a state of sleep or rest. Another doctrine (TURA) teaches that hell is only temporary, and eventually, after being in the fires of hell, people become cleansed and purified to the degree that they will then be accepted into heaven.


These terrible heresies are believed by many Christians, who are ignorant of what God's Word has to say, about it.


Cults also teach that hell is a place where souls are simply annihilated, and therefore no longer exist. Some teach reincarnation, giving people another chance to be born on this earth for as many times as it takes to become purified, progressing to higher forms each time they return. Others say hell is only a place away from God, but it is not a literal, burning, fiery hell.

What does the Bible say about hell? Jesus described this place as such a place of horror that it would be better to sever a member of our body that would lead us there, than to end up in that place of torments.

And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched (Mark 9:43-48).

We see clearly that His statement signifies the exclusion of the hope of restoration, and that the punishment is eternal. He repeats the words, "Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched." three times for emphasis. Another account of the torments of hell is found in Luke 16:19-26:

There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. Hell is described, not only as a fiery place of torment, but also as a separation from God and His saints, a place where there is continual torment.







This place was prepared for the devil and his fallen angels. It was never meant for man to go there. Man is going there by choosing to follow Satan and his evil ways. Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. (Matthew 25:41).

The Greek word for hell in the New Testament, "hades," means the same as "sheol" in the Old Testament Hebrew. It is also spoken of as the grave, the pit, and the place of the dead. It is described as below the surface of the earth (Numbers 16:30, Psalm 55:15), beneath the depths of the sea, and is also spoken of as "the deep." It has gates and bars that hold its prisoners. The wicked go down into the region of hell, where they are kept in torment, until the day of the Great White Throne Judgment.


Hell (Hades/Sheol) is only a temporary place, in this sense, it is a temporary prison of torment until Judgment Day, when its prisoners then will be called forth and judged, and then sentenced to eternal hell (Gehenna, the lake of fire.) Hell is a place of shame, remorse, consciousness, memory, and anguish.



Revelation 20:11-15:
11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.









As mentioned previously, most of the church fathers and Bible theologians agree that the portion of hell that was emptied was known as "Paradise." This region in hell was where the righteous dead went, prior to Calvary. It was separated, by a great impassable gulf, from the lower regions. It was a place of peace and comfort and was the place referred to as "Abraham's Bosom." Not only was Abraham there, but all the Old Testament saints were kept there until Christ's crucifixion.

Christ then descended into hell (sheol, hades) (Psalm 16:10) (Luke 23:43) and at His ascension, He led "captivity captive" and delivered the prisoners of hope from "Paradise" (a compartment in hell) and led them to heaven.

Ephesians 4:8-10 says, Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)




The gates of hell (sheol and hades) do not prevail against the church today, as they once did against the righteous in the Old Testament. All true believers go directly to heaven at death and do not wait in "Paradise," as the Old Testament saints did.

(Matthew 16:18, 2 Corinthians 5:8).

Only "Paradise" was emptied, not all of hell, as TURA teaches. Hell is eternal incarceration and is itself cast into the Lake of Fire.






Christ has the keys to death and hell, which will ultimately have to give up its wicked dead for judgment. "Sheol" and "hades" (hell) will then come to an end and "Gehenna" (the "Lake of Fire") will take its place. Souls will burn forever there, with no escape; this is the second death.

I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death (Revelation 1:18).

And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, From whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:10-15).

Hell and hellfire are realities according to God's Word, and any that speak otherwise are in error and are promoting false doctrine.


Most groups who embrace this lie, spend most of their time trying to convert people to their false doctrine, instead of leading men to Christ. We find the spirit of pride and self-elevation is always present in groups like these. They think they have been given a special message or revelation, and are unable to fellowship with those who do not believe like they do. They are fearful of not promoting their doctrine and many times, this fear permeates other areas of their lives, robbing them of a walk of faith in Christ Jesus.

Another danger is, when someone embraces something false in one area of their lives, it leads to deception in other areas, as well. Our prayer is that the Lord will use this article to set those free who have embraced the false doctrine of "The Ultimate Reconciliation of All."




Psalm 23:6: "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever."

conclusion just below...

conclusion from topic above ...

Psalm 23:6: "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever."

For a more in-depth study of cults and false religions, you can purchase the book, Exposing Satan's Devices by Betty Miller. Please click here: http://store.bible.com/

EXPOSING SATAN'S DEVICES is a spiritual tool chest of the many devices Satan uses to keep people under his lies and deceptions eventually destroying them. It's very broad, and yet specific in its coverage of exposing Satan's devices. Some of the topics covered deal with things we all face in our day, with the devil on the rampage. As long as Satan stays covered, he is able to continue his evil works, but when the light of God's Word shines on his deeds, he can no longer use his deceptions. We certainly don't want to allow the devil to get an advantage over us by our ignorance of the devices he uses (2 Corinthians 2:11). This book is an expose of Satan and his methods, and how to overcome him through spiritual warfare. As overcomers, we have the victory!


Betty Miller has written several books on other topics as well. To view titles or purchase those books click here: http://store.bible.com/


http://www.bible.com/bibleanswers_result.php?id=132

1. Those who teach that the unrepentant will be punished in a future state, and that their punishment will be proportional to the degree of sin committed in the mortal state. They generally hold that the punishment is moral and not physical. There is no hell. They do not maintain that salvation is merited through these sufferings.
2. Those who teach that all the punishment for sin occurs in this life and that God's discipline in our lives is for the purpose of purifying us, though this purification is not our merit for salvation. In eternity, there will be a loss of reward for those who did not trust in Christ in this lifetime.

• The inspiration and inerrancy of the Bible.
  
  
  1. From what I have seen here, they hold to the orthodox position.

There is only one God.

1. From what I have encountered, most universalists who claim the title "Christian universalists" do not accept the standard doctrine of the Trinity, but lean more towards either Arianism (God is one person, Jesus is created) to modalism (God takes different forms in history). This is, of course, heretical.

Jesus is the Son of the Living God

1. Many cult groups say the same thing. What they mean by the phrase is what is important. The Christian Universalists tend to say the Son is a manifestation, an image, a representation of God's essence, yet he is not equal to the Father. Therefore, they are denying His true deity. But, not all who claim to be Christian Universalists deny this.
2. Some hold that Jesus is not God but that He is divine. This is perplexing since divinity is a quality of God, not angels or men.

Jesus' Resurrection

1. Most Christian Universalists affirm the physical resurrection of Jesus. But, some claim he did not rise from the dead physically, but was assumed into heaven to dwell with God. "The Crucified is living forever with God, as our hope. Resurrection does not mean either a return to life in space and time or a continuation of life in space and time but the assumption into that incomprehensible and comprehensive last and first reality which we call God."¹.
   
   
   1. If, by the above quote, the physical resurrection of Jesus is denied, as it seems it is, then anyone who holds to that position is indeed a non-Christian since it denies one of the essential doctrines of Christianity.

The Holy Spirit is God's presence

1. There is a surprisingly common denial of the personhood of the Holy Spirit. (personhood is self-awareness, a will, the ability to speak, etc.). This is a serious error on the part of those who hold to it. But to be fair, many universalists affirm the Holy Spirit as the third person in the Godhead.

There is no salvation without accepting Jesus as Savior

1. This statement is problematic for two reasons:
   
   
   1. Since to many universalists, Jesus is not truly God by nature, they have an improper object of faith (denying the Trinitarian nature of God and the deity of Christ). Their faith, then, is useless since they have violated the command to worship no other God (Exodus 20) and are worshiping a false god. The Jesus they believe in, is not the real one. This means they are definitely not Christian.
   2. There is a second chance theology at work here where people who have rejected Jesus in this life can come to faith in the next life, even though he has flatly rejected Jesus' sacrificial atonement.

Some Universalists believe...

1. in consciousness after death, others do not.
2. in limited punishment of sinners in a type of hell that is not of fire, but of some moral chastising.
3. that punishment in the afterlife was for a limited period during which the soul was purified and prepared for eternity in the presence of God.

http://www.carm.org/uni/christianunie.htm

1. 8-23-05
   I have been criticized for this position. Therefore I thought I would add a bit of information for further clarification. When I was first saved the gospel was preached to me and I received Christ as my savior. I called upon the name of the Lord. I sought the Lord Jesus and asked him to forgive me of my sins and I put no reliance on anything in me in anyway. The Lord saved me and he washed me clean. But, I did not continue to go to church because I was not a church-goer. I had gone to that church that night to see a film and ended up receiving Christ. No one sought me out afterwards and no one tried to disciple me. As a result, in my ignorance and drifting, I did not attend a church. I wandered for about two years until the Lord put upon my heart to get close to him. It was at this time in a Bible study that I learned that Jesus had risen physically from the dead. For the best of my recollection I believed that he had risen, I just don't remember knowing that it was a physical resurrection. When I was taught the physical resurrection of Christ from Scriptures I immediately accepted it.
   But, there are those who are saying that I was not saved because of this. My response is that I did not get saved because I believed in Christ's resurrection. I believed because I was saved. I do not affirm doctrinal regeneration. But, I do very much believe that a true Christian will not deny essential doctrines and because the Holy Spirit is in him, when presented with the truth he will accept it, as did I.
2. http://www.carm.org/uni/christianbeuni.htm

noted


noted

• "At the acceptable time I listened to you, And on the day of salvation I helped you" ;behold, now is "the acceptable time," behold, now is "the day of salvation" (2 Cor. 6:2, NASB) - emphasis added.
• "He again fixes a certain day, "Today," saying through David after so long a time just as has been said before, "Today if you hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts" (Heb. 4:7, NASB) - emphasis added.

The Bible teaches us that in the last days there will be a one world religious system which will be used by the devil in a great deception to ultimately war against God. Universalism could easily be used by the devil to help him accomplish this very thing. You see, there are a great many differences between religious systems. They cannot all be right. Because of these differences, hostilities often arise. But, if universalism were accepted by all religious systems, then it would logically greatly reduce hostilities both physical, intellectual, and spiritual. Sound good? It sure does. Except for one thing. It compromises the truth of the saving gospel of Jesus Christ who said He alone was the way the truth and the life. This means that all other systems are wrong! It means that Buddhism is not true. It means that Islam is not true. It means that only Christianity is true.

There is no fellowship with darkness.

Christians need to stand on God's word of truth which includes the narrow path to God of which not all will find it (Matt. 7:13-14), not man's word of "God will save everyone."

Universalist philosophy, if accepted by the worlds' religions, would greatly reduce the focus of differences between them. It would greatly reduce the need for orthodoxy, for defining and preaching the true God. But, the Bible teaches that Jesus alone is the savior and that now is the acceptable time of salvation... not the after-life. It teaches that there is one God, not many; that Jesus is God in flesh, not an angel or a "good man." Truth is at stake.

How many people will be deceived by universalism's comfortable message that all will be saved? Who knows. Universalism in itself is not a deception, just an error. But, how many will take refuge in its comforting doctrine and not come to a saving truth of Jesus? I can not say, but even one is too many.

I cannot help but notice that the secular world teaches tolerance, be-nice philosophy, and the belief that all will make it to heaven. Second chance redemption and a theology that teaches you'll make it no matter what is comfortable to the world's ears. Too bad the universalists agree with the world in this.

http://www.carm.org/uni/satanwant.htm




" For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel! "
1 Corinthians 9:16


" Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. "
Ephesians 5:16



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Voice,
I didn't have enough time to read all of the articles you brought forth, but did manage to read quite a bit. I agree that Universalism/TURA is false gospel. However, on the topic of annihilationism being a cult doctrine, I disagree with the author. I started a thread in the General Bible Study section entitled "Eternal Torment or Eternal Destruction...You Decide!"...(sorry, don't have the direct link handy).

Although I believe in annihilationism; I would rather err on the side of caution (torment) concerning the judgment of God than to completely dismiss His judgment...ie-the purpose of the Lake of Fire is not to purify, but rather to destroy.

sincerely,
Kim

Voice thanks for the articles. Informative.

Rose l didn't know you were a universalist.

Voice thanks again. It is hard to stand against things when we know peoples personal lives and beliefs are all wrapped up in them. When l started reading this topic l thought it was a 'no dah thing'. I was so surprized at the end to find someone so completely offended? One of our own actually believes this???

Rose you should be thankful to Voice for trying to help you instead of angry. I'm not sure why you would hide something you so strongly stand for?

I pray the Lord will set you free and bring you rest from this. I care about you.

I believe the scriptures teach that the LORD is equally fully love and fully justice.. with that said,

Rose, could you please explain what you meant when you said:

Free will is not what we think it is

Are these two words -free- and -will- .. something more than we understand in the english language?

Just asking for you to expound on that..

Thanx!
Cheryl aka HE IS Faithful

Wow Voice...You know...this is actually what The Course on Miracles teaches. (Oprah's pet)

My sweet friend allowed this to get a hold of her. She was so sure that all would be ultimately saved and there was no hell.

In our 20's she got Hodgkin's...She repented of her life style and was successfully treated for Cancer.

In her 50's it returned and she died. I had prayed the sinners prayer with her

still she wouldn't lay this stuff down.

A fire broke out in her house and burned the top floor where all her books and study materials were. Still she continued in this...She mocked my belief in sin...She believed sin was in the eye of the beholder and that we are all on the universal path to salvation. I don't know what ever happened in her last days, as we moved apart and l lost touch.. I wonder...

One of the things my friend had a hard time with was hell. It was so impossible to believe that God would send people there. Like dear Rose...she was comforted to believe there was no eternal hell and that somehow we would all eventually end up saved after purging selfishness out..

Something l realized one day about hell. It's a place where God removes his hand..It begins here but when the body dies so does hope. It's a terrible thing to be separated from God's grace. But it's a free will choice.

I had a dream about my friend before her cancer returned. She jumped out of plane and her parachute didn't open. She died and l saw her spirit being drug down a dark hall by disincarnate human spirits. Lesbians actually...It was strange, terrify and upsetting.

Father help the lost..even through us l pray in Jesus name.

Hi Miki,
That was a good post and the vividness of one's life situation becomes the most
crucial aspect of whether we decide to be saved or not. It is good that you were able to pray with her.
God bless you-
voice

Still Heresy: Christian Universalism


Back in May of '05 I wrote a short article explaining why so-called Christian Universalism is heresy. That post is linked here.

Why bring it up again? Because a universalist found and commented on the article just last week. No, the comment is no longer there, I'll repost it and my reply here as a new post for two reasons. One, I don't want to link (not even with a text reference) to the websites mentioned. And two, this topic deserves fresh attention. So, in response to my article, titled Heresy: Christian Universalism
Rebecca wrote:

You really ought to check out what Orthodox Christian Universalist teachings are prior to trying to refute them. As it is you have only shown your lack of knowlege [sic] of the topic. If you should like to find out what Christian Universalists actually believe, you should check out some of their writings which can be found in places like [ed. snipped web address] or [ed. snipped web address] or look up [ed. snipped name] ministries. There you can find information addressing the verses you mention, hundreds of verses which clearing support Jesus' perfect work and triumph over sin and death and the salvation of all men. Then, if you still reject the bible's teachings on universal salvation and Jesus' perfect work, at least you will have some knowlege [sic] of what you are arguing against. I hope that one day you will know of God's perfect, undeniable grace which cannot be twarted [sic] by mere man or triumphed over by Satan's works. In the meantime, I have no doubt that "he who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it unto the day of Christ Jesus." Be blessed in your search.

In reply, I wrote:

And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
Luke 4:8 KJV

Satan quotes Scripture... or rather misquotes (quotes it out of context) it to support his "logical" assertion during the Lord's temptation. The websites you mention do likewise. (Actually, they are all the same website!)

But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.
Galatians 1:8-9 KJV

If you do not wish to be on the wrong end of God's words, through His apostle Paul, then please renounce the false doctrine (the false gospel) of Universalism, certainly stop teaching it by pointing others to its propaganda websites!

The websites to which you've directed readers are examples of just the kind of heresy that the enemy uses to harden the hearts of those whom he is able. Even the name is a lie Orthodox (means according to the doctrine of Scriptures) Christian (means a follower of Christ and his teachings) Universalist (One who holds the doctrine that all men will be saved.) The simple reading of Scripture reveals that Universalism is neither a doctrine of Scripture, nor a teaching of Christ. It is flatly and undeniably heresy (a false doctrine).

I pray that you do this (renounce the heresy), because when the end comes and the Lord separates the sheep from the goats, you don't want to be a goat!
(See Matthew 25 for an example of the Lord's teaching on Hell.)

[Even though I have removed the direct references, the information is still easily available on the web. I cannot stop anyone from exposing themselves to false teaching, but I really do feel strongly about leading sheep directly into the wolves' den.]

http://bryan.shouse.com/2006/01/still-here...universalism_24




Heresy: Christian Universalism


There is a popular movement currently, that claims to be scripturally based, called Universalism, or Christian Universalism.

There is a type of Universalism that claims that all ways lead to heaven. If you believe that the Bible is the Word of God, it is pretty obvious that this is false. (John 14:6, Acts 4:12, etc.) Besides, followers of this type of Universalism deny the inerrancy of the Bible and claim it is just another good book, like the Koran and such.

There also exists a self-described "Christian" Universalism which actually claims to be scripturally accurate. They claim that the Bible teaches that all people will be saved through the finished work of Jesus Christ. They try to differentiate themselves from the non-christian univeralists by claiming that, in the end, everyone will be Christians.

Well, they do have a part right, "every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess to God" (Romans 14:11). But by this time it will be too late. (Psalm 1:5, Psalm 9:17, Psalm 37:38, Psalm 97, Ecclesiastes 12:13-14, for just a few references.) Perhaps thier Bibles leave out the judgment of the Flood in Genesis (Genesis 6, 7), or of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19:1-29)? Perhaps they have not read about the great white throne (Revelation 20:11-15).

And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
(Revelation 20:15)

How can a good God send people to hell? He doesn't, he gives people a choice, and does not violate their free will. We all have only one choice that truly matters; Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, or be cast into "outer darkness" (Matthew 8:12, 22:13, 25:30)

When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.

Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?

And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.

Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?

Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.

And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
(Matthew 25:31-46)

Be a Berean (Acts 17:11). Don't take my word for this, search God's Word. Don't take anyone's word for what the Bible says or doesn't say, search it out for yourself with prayer and reading!

http://bryan.shouse.com/2005/05/heresy-chr...iversalism.html