Universalism makes what Christ did on the cross meaningless?

[valueallhumanlife2008]

This has been a common criticism I've read from some apologetic websites as well as from some christians that I've discussed universal salvation with.  It's had me stumped for a while why our beliefs somehow makes what Christ did meaningless.  And then I realized, they are confusing christian universalism and pluralistic universalism.  I'll begin by defining both.

Let's start with the false doctrine of pluralistic universalism.

Pluralistic universalism is the belief that all religions lead to God and that all are equally valid including no religion at all.

Now for the biblical doctrine of christian universalism.

Christian universalism is the belief that all will eventually come to know the Lord and be saved through Jesus Christ.

Now when you tell people that all will be saved, some will simply assume we believe many will be saved in their sins and even in their own defiance of the Lord.  This is the teaching of pluralistic universalism, and I definately agree this form of universalism makes what Christ did on the cross meaningless.  For instance, if all religions lead to God and someone doesn't want to become a christian, they can just join some other religion and be saved.  According to pluralistic universalism Christ died for nothing, because if they aren't saved through Christ then they'll be saved through some other means.  This is a lie, and sadly many people accuse christian universalists for teaching this.

According to christian universalism it is not okay to sin, it is not okay to reject Christ.  No one will be saved apart from Christ.  In John 14:6 Jesus says "I am the way the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me."  The truth is we are sinners in need of a Savior and that we can be saved by putting our trust in the Lord. 

Now I'll show you a glorious truth also found in the gospel of John.

Here Jesus says "But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself." (John 12:32 NIV)

In Christ's own words He says that what He has done on the cross will draw all men to Himself.  It doesn't say some, or many, but all.  So does christian universalism make what Christ did on the cross meaningless?  Absolutely not!  It shows it to be much greater than what most people believe.  It does not fail. 

Those who believe in eternal punishment fall into two categories when explaining the fate of those who die without Christ.

1.  Those who die without Christ remain evil and defiant of the Lord forever, which is why they are seperated from the Lord forever. 

I believe this to be a contradiction of Phillipians 2:10-11 "that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

Evil will one day cease to exist as all will acknowledge Jesus as Lord.

2.  A more disturbing side is the belief that those who die without Christ, will confess that Jesus is Lord and want to be saved but God will refuse to redeem them.

I believe this to be a contradiction of Acts 2:21 "And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."

Some will say that after death it is too late and then quote Hebrews 9:27 "Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgement"

What is the purpose of judgement?  Take a look at Isaiah 26:9.  "When your judgements come upon the earth, the people of the world learn righteousness."

Now I know that here it is talking about natural judgements but could it be that all judgements that occur either in this lifetime or the afterlife are meant to bring people to righteousness?  I certainly believe so since we know from Phillipians chapter 2 that all will confess that Jesus is Lord. 

Both of the views taken by those who believe in eternal punishment contradict John 12:32.  They believe that not all will be drawn unto Christ either through their own continuance of evil which is unbiblical or that God will refuse to redeem them which is also unbiblical.  What Christ did on the cross was for the whole world.  The message of universal salvation through Christ does not in any way make Christ's sacrifice meaningless but it shows it in a power so great that I haven't the words to describe it.  Christ's sacrifice was the most powerful expression of Love in all the history of the world!  Hold on to it forever.

"And for this we labor and strive, that we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, and especially of those who believe." 1 Timothy 4:10

God bless you all,
Chris

[martincisneros]

If the chef fed everyone in the restaurant, what was the point of the chef cooking?

If the fire department rescues everyone in the burning building, then they were as easily saved without the fire department!  If everyone is rescued in the burning building by the fire department, then what was the point in the fire department going out there?  Their mission was a failure!

Since many people have mixed emotions about cops, I'll use a Hollywood analogy: if Batman and Superman catch all of the criminals, then all of the criminals were as easily caught without them.  What was the point in all of their efforts?  Batman and Superman set out to catch all of the crooks.  Because they did, what was the point in their efforts?  If they caught all of the criminals, that would prove there was no such thing as crimes and their effects upon the population!!

If Santa Clause delivered all of the presents on Christmas Eve, then what was the point in him going out there since the kids were going to get their Santa-given toys anyway!

If gasoline's going to always start a brand new engine that's been properly built, then what was the point in filling the gas tank with the gasoline?  It only works if it sometimes works!!

I'm still working through all of the ramifications of my Postmillenialism and what the end of the age from my perspective looks like, as far as the transition from the old heavens and earth to the New, so I may need to amend this one later, though I don't think I'll have to at this point:  I'll jack with the pre-trib and mid-trib premillenialism of some, although I don't personally believe in the rapture, but some do:  if Christ raises a generation of believers from the earth so that they don't see death, then what was the point in saying that the wages of sin was death if not all were going to die for as long as God existed?  If death isn't universal, then sin has no penalty!

If sugar or stevia universally sweeten all glasses of tea when enough is applied, then what was the point since glasses of tea are as easily sweetened without a sweetener?  Because if glasses of tea are always sweetened when a sweetener is applied to them, then they're as easily sweetened without any sweetener -- so what was the point in adding sweetener??

If a construction company completes every house that they start, then what was the point in their starting each morning on each of their projects?  Because if all houses that they start are completed by them, then the houses were just as easily completed without a construction company!

If in a single instance in the 4 Gospels, Jesus ever healed everyone in the Crowd, then what was the point in Him healing any of them since they were all obviously healed without His intervention, if it can be said that His intervention is easily the equivalent of no intervention on His part!!

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

[B_T]

This should be answered on the main site.

[WhiteWings]

The way I see it the 33 years Jesus walked on earth had 3 main goals/aspects

a] Teaching.
b] (re)building the relationship with the Father and/trough the Son.
c] Jesus was the most pure sacrifice ever.

Noone fully understands a.
Noone is able to build the perfect relationship.
Noone is pure enough to get a place in heaven.

The Bible states that eternal life is a gift. A gift is something that is not payed for (by a/b).
But this gift is not really free. Jesus payed with His pure life for the billions of gifts of life God will hand out.

If you think UR makes the death of Jesus meaningless you mixed up a/b  and c

/EDIT
I just found this joke and it explains what I tried to explain above.
(grace of God is bought by Jesus)

The Pearly Gate

A man dies and goes to heaven. Of course, St. Peter meets him at the pearly gates.

St. Peter says, "Here's how it works. You need 100 points to make it into heaven. You tell me all the good things you've done, and I give you a certain number of points for each item, depending on how good it was. When you reach 100 points, you get in."

"Okay," the man says, "I was married to the same woman for 50 years and never cheated on her, even in my heart."

"That's wonderful," says St. Peter, "that's worth three points!"

"Three points?" he says. "Well, I attended church all my life and supported its ministry with my tithe and service."

"Terrific!" says St. Peter, "that's certainly worth a point."

"One point? Golly. How about this; I started a soup kitchen in my city and worked in a shelter for homeless veterans."

"Fantastic, that's good for two more points, " he says.

"TWO POINTS!!" the man cries, "At this rate the only way I'll get into heaven is by the grace of God!"

"Come on in!"

[valueallhumanlife2008]

Thanks to all who responded.  I was actually offering my own answer to this criticism in my post above.  It's just that I've continued to hear people think that about us.  They think if universalism is true then Jesus died for nothing.  It just shows how much they don't understand what we teach.

[rosered]

 

  Brother its about Faith ,
without faith it is impossible to please  God ..

  to the faithful   the  Cross is the very powers that be ..
  but to the faithless  ,  its empty  they have no hope
  its the few that God has given this faith and hope to that will
  make a difference  here and now , to them  that it dont ?
  they will see one Day ..    God bless
lots of Thomases /double minded   and blinded I am certain ...

2Cr 3:14 But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which [vail] is done away in Christ.

  Jam 1:8 A double minded man [is] unstable in all his ways.


Jam 4:8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse [your] hands, [ye] sinners; and purify [your] hearts, [ye] double minded

Jhn 20:27 Then saith he to Thomas/ "twins "a twin " to me doubleminded ] , Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust [it] into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.  
Rom 15:6 That ye may with one mind [and] one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
  to the pure all things are pure .. :)

Tts 1:15 Unto the pure all things [are] pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving [is] nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled. pure  katharos
1) clean, pure

a) physically

1) purified by fire

2) in a similitude, like a vine cleansed by pruning and so fitted to bear fruit

b) in a levitical sense

1) clean, the use of which is not forbidden, imparts no uncleanness

c) ethically

1) free from corrupt desire, from sin and guilt

2) free from every admixture of what is false, sincere genuine

3) blameless, innocent

4) unstained with the guilt of anything


its a Big bump in the road to get from there to here ...
or here to there   hummm ..
 
peace rose

[aspiring son]

Isaiah 26-9

"when your judgements are in the earth, the people will learn righteousness"

Yes that does pertain to Israel in the context of that time period, but God's word is also spirit and life(John 6-63). So it is absolute. To judge something means to make it right- to correct. When his judgements fill the earth in the age to come: all will learn righteousness...halleluah!

God Bless

[davidsulem]

 valueallhumanlife2008 wrote

This has been a common criticism I've read from some apologetic websites as well as from some christians that I've discussed universal salvation with.  It's had me stumped for a while why our beliefs somehow makes what Christ did meaningless.  And then I realized, they are confusing christian universalism and pluralistic universalism.  I'll begin by defining both.

Let's start with the false doctrine of pluralistic universalism.

Pluralistic universalism is the belief that all religions lead to God and that all are equally valid including no religion at all.

Thank you, Chris for making me aware that people refer to the false doctrine of pluralistic universalism when they make  the above criticism of universal salvation.

In our  book, God's Plan for All, we have  answered this question as follows:

If God will ultimately save all people, then what is the point of Jesus Christ's sacrifice on the cross?

Jesus Christ died on the cross for the sins of the whole world.

1 John 2:2 (NIV)
He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.

Without the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, no one, not even one person, could be saved from death. The glorious and full gospel of Jesus Christ is that ALL people will be saved because of Jesus' sacrificial death on the cross for the sins of the whole world.