Also referred to as Universal Reconciliation or (Christian) Universalism, Universal Salvation is the theological doctrine that ‘all sinful and alienated human souls - because of divine love and mercy - will ultimately be reconciled to God’ (source). In other words, it’s the belief that everybody goes to heaven. Everybody. It competes with the more typical Christian belief that only Christians who have repented and believe wholly in Jesus Christ’s status as Lord and God will go to heaven when their time comes, and I have personally wrestled with both concepts, seeing both the Scriptural and moral reasoning behind the two.
Why do I believe in Universal Salvation?
I believe this for two reasons; morally and through the promises of Scripture. Firstly, Scripture.
Why wouldn’t everyone go to heaven? Well, in Isaiah 59:2, we learn that our sins have ‘hidden His (God’s) face’ from us. This implies that should we sin, God will turn from us and therefore nobody at all would go to heaven, as we all sin (see Romans 3:23). However, John 1:29 counters this idea in favour of heaven’s accessibility. ‘John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”’. If Jesus takes away the sin of the whole world, then the whole world has no reason to be separated from God.
The next logical question is what does ‘heaven' mean? Descriptions and signs of heaven are prevalent throughout the entire Bible, so I’ve picked out a select few that I feel sum it up. Isaiah 54:8 says that ‘“in a surge of anger I (God) hid my face from you for a moment, but with everlasting kindness I will have compassion on you”, says the Lord your Redeemer’. To me, this verse promises kindness both in this life and the next, as God and eternity are everlasting. The idea of eternity is echoed later, in the New Testament (John’s Gospel, chapter 17, verse 2 to be exact). This verse is a little tough to comprehend without context, so I’ve replaced the ‘You’s and ‘He’s with whom they are referring to. ‘For God granted Jesus authority over all people so that Jesus might give eternal life to all those God has given to Him’. If God has committed all things to Christ and Christ can give eternal life to all that God has given Him, then surely it makes sense for all things to have eternal life (in heaven). Revelations 21:4-5 are two of my favourite verses, as they provide such a vivid picture of heaven; ‘He (God) will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away’.
Then, we get to the tougher part: but is salvation for everybody? I think that Scripture says yes. ‘The Lord Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples… destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations… swallow up death forever… wipe away the tears from al faces… remove His people’s disgrace from all the Earth’ (Isaiah 25:6-8). For all people. All people. He will eliminate death and remove the stain of all people’s sin. This notion of ‘all’ is repeated in John 12:32 (‘“And I (Jesus), when I am lifted up from the Earth, will draw all people to myself”’) and 1 Timothy 2:5-6 (‘the man Jesus Christ, who gave himself as a ransom for all people’). If God wants all men to be saved, can His wants be thwarted? One final comment on the ‘all’ is the Parable of the Wandering Sheep in Matthew 18, telling us that like the man who owns 100 sheep and is unwilling to lose even one, God is not willing to lose one single person.
As a final point on Scripture and to sum up the entire belief of Universal Salvation, Romans 3:3-4 (‘What if some were unfaithful (to God)? Will their unfaithfulness nullify God’s faithfulness? Not at all!’).
Phew. Thanks for sticking around. Here’s the much shorter but just as important reason for my belief in Universal Salvation; morals.
Not morals as in ‘I want everyone to be happy, so I want them to all be happy in heaven’, although that is true of me honestly. If that was my only reason, that wouldn’t make either haven or Universal Salvation real, that would just make me compassionate. I mean morals as in I know God’s heart, I know He is loving and forgiving, compassionate and kind, and I know He wants the best for every single person, because He created them. He is your protector and sustainer who does not want to see you go without. He is infinite and eternal, with you in your past and present and future whether you feel like you know Him or not. He is wise and just and faithful, He will strengthen you and help you if you only ask. But most of all, God is Love.
If you know love, you know God. And believe me, He knows you.
For a more comprehensive list of the Scripture that supports the doctrine of Universal Salvation, visit this link.
I believe this for two reasons; morally and through the promises of Scripture. Firstly, Scripture.
Why wouldn’t everyone go to heaven? Well, in Isaiah 59:2, we learn that our sins have ‘hidden His (God’s) face’ from us. This implies that should we sin, God will turn from us and therefore nobody at all would go to heaven, as we all sin (see Romans 3:23). However, John 1:29 counters this idea in favour of heaven’s accessibility. ‘John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”’. If Jesus takes away the sin of the whole world, then the whole world has no reason to be separated from God.
The next logical question is what does ‘heaven' mean? Descriptions and signs of heaven are prevalent throughout the entire Bible, so I’ve picked out a select few that I feel sum it up. Isaiah 54:8 says that ‘“in a surge of anger I (God) hid my face from you for a moment, but with everlasting kindness I will have compassion on you”, says the Lord your Redeemer’. To me, this verse promises kindness both in this life and the next, as God and eternity are everlasting. The idea of eternity is echoed later, in the New Testament (John’s Gospel, chapter 17, verse 2 to be exact). This verse is a little tough to comprehend without context, so I’ve replaced the ‘You’s and ‘He’s with whom they are referring to. ‘For God granted Jesus authority over all people so that Jesus might give eternal life to all those God has given to Him’. If God has committed all things to Christ and Christ can give eternal life to all that God has given Him, then surely it makes sense for all things to have eternal life (in heaven). Revelations 21:4-5 are two of my favourite verses, as they provide such a vivid picture of heaven; ‘He (God) will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away’.
Then, we get to the tougher part: but is salvation for everybody? I think that Scripture says yes. ‘The Lord Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples… destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations… swallow up death forever… wipe away the tears from al faces… remove His people’s disgrace from all the Earth’ (Isaiah 25:6-8). For all people. All people. He will eliminate death and remove the stain of all people’s sin. This notion of ‘all’ is repeated in John 12:32 (‘“And I (Jesus), when I am lifted up from the Earth, will draw all people to myself”’) and 1 Timothy 2:5-6 (‘the man Jesus Christ, who gave himself as a ransom for all people’). If God wants all men to be saved, can His wants be thwarted? One final comment on the ‘all’ is the Parable of the Wandering Sheep in Matthew 18, telling us that like the man who owns 100 sheep and is unwilling to lose even one, God is not willing to lose one single person.
As a final point on Scripture and to sum up the entire belief of Universal Salvation, Romans 3:3-4 (‘What if some were unfaithful (to God)? Will their unfaithfulness nullify God’s faithfulness? Not at all!’).
Phew. Thanks for sticking around. Here’s the much shorter but just as important reason for my belief in Universal Salvation; morals.
Not morals as in ‘I want everyone to be happy, so I want them to all be happy in heaven’, although that is true of me honestly. If that was my only reason, that wouldn’t make either haven or Universal Salvation real, that would just make me compassionate. I mean morals as in I know God’s heart, I know He is loving and forgiving, compassionate and kind, and I know He wants the best for every single person, because He created them. He is your protector and sustainer who does not want to see you go without. He is infinite and eternal, with you in your past and present and future whether you feel like you know Him or not. He is wise and just and faithful, He will strengthen you and help you if you only ask. But most of all, God is Love.
If you know love, you know God. And believe me, He knows you.
For a more comprehensive list of the Scripture that supports the doctrine of Universal Salvation, visit this link.
