By Gary Amirault
John G. Lake was a very famous healing evangelist at the turn of the nineteenth century. His name is well known in that part of the Church that believes in divine healing. In the book “John G. Lake, The Complete Collection of His Teachings,” Roberts Liardon, author of the book, on page 263 quotes John G. Lake as saying:
“I knew one man who once said in my hearing that he prayed that God Almighty would cause him to grow big enough in God and pure enough in heart that he might go even to the damned and preach Jesus Christ and His resurrection and His salvation. My soul said ‘Amen,’ and it has been saying amen ever since. Blessed be his name.”
Jesus said in Matthew 16:18 that the “gates of Hell/hades will not prevail against His church/called-out ones.” God has an army of hell-busters that will knock down the gates of Hell and set the prisoners free. It is a rare heart in the Church that can say “Amen” to the idea that Jesus will be victorious over all; that Hell will be empty and heaven will be full; that the all who died in Adam will be made alive in Christ. The teaching of universal salvation has brought much persecution against those who have not only embraced the message in their heart but have actually expressed that hope in the Church.
When you contemplate the idea that Jesus will draw ALL mankind to Himself, does your heart say “Amen?” Or does it reject the idea as impossible? Will you be a hell-buster? Or will you sit on the sidelines?
For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the one shall the many be made righteous. Romans 5:19
5 thoughts on “Was John G. Lake A Universalist?”
Gary- I had some interesting conversations with the people of the small church and much larger international ministry that is JGLM in Plano, TX headed by Curry Blake (jglm.org). I visited there and they didn’t seem to understand that the man in whose name they are operating was almost certainly a universalist. Their statement of faith, carried over and apparently written by John G Lake himself, CAPS by me, is:
Grace and Repentance from Dead Works
We believe that grace which came by Jesus Christ is extended TO ALL TO THE END that they might believe in Him. We believe this grace is both the opportunity and the ability given to men to repent and turn to Christ for the remission of sin. We believe repentance from dead works includes forsaking any works that might be thought to merit favor or salvation from God. (John 1:16,17; Rom. 11:6; Heb. 6:1; 9:14)
One of the long time members was absolutely furious to find out that he has been attending a church nominally established by a universalist, A friend watches Curry Blake on line regularly and she said he now plans a sermon series to address these issues, perhaps because I riled up his small local congregation about this. It will be interesting to see if he chooses to follow the truth or reinterprets John G Lake into a more popular but wrong theology. He has used the coattails for John G Lake to support his ministry for a long time now, so I pray he is led by the Spirit rather than expediency as he looks into what John G Lake really believed. My admittedly limited readings of John G Lake thoroughly support that he was a universalist.
I believe you and I met very briefly at the Forgotten Gospel conference. I am a member of Peter’s church there.
Trey
One of the most deceitful deceptions being sown by Satan in these last days is the lie everyone will go to heaven. More and more ministers, even though they profess Jesus as their Lord and Savior, are teaching the heresy of universalism! Don’t be deceived saints, anyone embracing the lie there is no lake of fire for the wicked is denying the doctrine of Christ and has neither the Father nor His Son (2 John 1:9)
Of course there is a lake of fire AND liars will find their part in it…liars who have misrepresented our heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus, the savior of the world. You wouldn’t want to go into eternity continually misrepresenting the nature and character of our Creator, would you? So of course, Paul, you will need a good hot bath, not for eternity, but certainly a good healthy amount of time. Our God is a consuming fire. Enjoy the bath. Oh, those you condemn to eternal tortures? They are already nice and clean waiting to welcome you into the family. Oh, here’s a new commandment you’ll learn in your hot bath. “Love you enemies…”
Jesus did save all and we all will know this when all is said and done. That old King James says just that; but since we are so sin conscious we misunderstand the verses. I have talked with many preachers and they cannot prove me wrong. God said “I call Heaven and earth to record this day, I set before you life and death, choose life. I choose to see life in all God’s words. It is so simple. Proverbs 30:5 says that every word of God is pure. That Bible really disagrees with religion and I can prove it–all verses. I am praying that God will link me up with someone who sees truth, like Tentmaker.org and I can show them how the Bible truly says what they believe. This cover-up is part of the great anti-Christ spirit. Jesus opened the scriptures after his death and resurrection and we must do the same today. It is fantastic.
The gospel of Matthew 24 is the false gospel, it changes everything. I pray that people will see what you guys know.
My God succeeded on the cross and I must say that the thief did not repent, he was being sarcastic, but God promised him paradise anyway.
Eccles. 3:14 – whatsoever God does it shall be forever. His salvation is truly to all forever.
Barbra Pearson
My heart says “Amen” Gary to Jesus drawing ALL mankind to Himself.
He has done the work of saving us but so many people don’t know it and it’s so easy for many to just rock along in life and not even think about it all that much. They lose themselves in the things of this world ; things that don’t really satisfy their longings for something better and only God can fill that longing.
William Barkley wrote in his spiritual autobiography that God has a secret staircase to everyone’s heart , so in due time everyone will realize the truth about Jesus Christ and the Cross and respond with gratitude by working out their salvation through the doing of good works to the glory of God , growing in the grace and knowledge of the Lord daily.
Sadly, some won’t come to that realization until the next age or ages, if need be.
It’s our job to tell them that they are saved ( restored to a right relationship with God through what Jesus has done for ALL of us through His work on the cross.)