Many Eternal Torment people point to the "Narrow Gate" verse mentioned by
Jesus and say that Verse Settles it, Universalism is False :Peace2:
That's because there is God's way(narrow) and then there is the way of the world (the broad road that leads to destruction.)
ET people are assuming that death settles everything. That is not biblical.
In this life, choosing the way of the world will cause you misery, heartache, strife, and ultimately the lifestyle will destroy you.
Choosing the way of the Lord will cause you love, joy, peace, patience, long-suffering, and contentment.
Our merciful Father could bring anyone He wants to to Christ at anytime. For his own reasons and purposes, he brings most people to Christ -after they die. Otherwise, the devil "wins" in the sense that hardly anyone (comparitively) comes to know Christ in this life. Since ET people believe your chance is over when you die, they must believe that the devil is stronger than God.
The Bible clearly states , "God WILLS all men to be saved." So, who can thwart God's will? Apparently ET'ers think mans or the devils will is stronger than God. - I know Saul/Paul didn't think so and neither do any UR people.
Good post ded. Very much the way I understand it too.
I see it as narrow way = Jesus now, new spiritual birth, living in the kingdom, growing in grace and knowledge, righteousness (His), peace, joy. Dealt with (lovingly disciplined) as a son/daughter, things handled as a "family matter".
Broad way = destruction of the flesh (carnality and everything that's not of good) in the next age, as through (spiritual) fire, Jesus then. Still through Him and the cross - every knee, every tongue, "Jesus is Lord".
Mat 7:13 ?Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many.
Mat 7:14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.
Truly, the gate is really narrow. Christianity is a religion that excludes all other religions. For someone to be saved, they must believe in Jesus Christ alone. Atheists, muslims, hinduists, buddhists, anyone who does not believe in Christ is not saved. Because only Chist removes our sins, that's life. But how long will they stay "unsaved", certainly not forever!
Mat 7:13 refers to destruction ἀπώλειαν (apōleian) of the physical flesh. https://biblehub.com/matthew/7-13.htm Because the wages of sin is death.
As long as someone still has sin, they will suffer. There is a Lake of Fire, Sheol and Hades do exist. All biblical locations. The suffering experienced is temporary. In this life on Earth, there are few people who are saved before dying. They can still be saved after destruction of the flesh, as they still exist and can still believe in Christ to be saved, to regain life, permanently, eventually they will.
What is "few"? It is the first fruit! The lucky few like us who believed in Christ here on Earth and are saved! But God's plan is not completely reliant on luck. He planned to have everyone saved, that's a 100% guarantee.