During the recent funeral of a relative who, to my certain knowledge, had absolutely rejected belief in Jesus, I found myself shocked and saddened at the proclamation that there should be “sure and certain hope” for him “of the resurrection to eternal life through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Of course, it is just possible that he might have received Jesus since we had last met. The officiating minister might have known more about him than me. And the truth is that Jesus knows who belongs with Him, and God is the final judge. Nevertheless, that proclamation was a sign to me of a prevailing universalism, namely the belief that all humankind will eventually be saved.

Religion

In years gone by, when the Book of Common Prayer and the religious teaching of the established Anglican church were respected in practice by government, it was held that if a person had been baptised and had neither been excommunicated nor committed suicide, they should indeed have that sure and certain hope after death of eternal life with Jesus. Whether or not that was actually true can be judged by Holy Scripture.

The Book of Common Prayer, which was published after major religious disagreements in the Civil War, attempted to keep the peace by some obfuscation, and made an assumption that the nation was broadly Christian. More recently, to the dismay of believers who want a worldly authority they can trust, the established Church has followed suit through placating the influx of other faiths by apparently failing to uphold the authority of the Word of God.

Kingdom

The kingdom of God is not of this world (John 18:36) and the truth about the Creator of the universe and His only begotten Son Jesus Christ proves to be so contentious that it has been deemed necessary for established Christian institutions to appease governments. True Christians living in this secular world, however, are called to remember how from earliest times people have called to the Creator of the universe (Gen 4:26) and the God of Israel has replied. Those who have heard Him have been numerous. But most people have rejected Him and have followed their own ways. Yet sure agreement has persisted for many hundreds of years amongst those who have loved Him and followed His guidance.

sure agreement has persisted for many hundreds of years amongst those who have loved Him and followed His guidance.

Other gods have always been rejected by those to whom God has given that peaceful assurance (Deut 5:7). A vast body of Scripture was gathered from prophets of Israel and teachers which reveals God’s nature and guides us into accord with Him. This Holy Scriptures have been a constant source of blessing and revelation for seventeen hundred years and has sold more copies than any other book. At God’s chosen time He sent His only begotten Son into the world, to reveal His kingdom more powerfully (John 10:10) and to gather more people into His eternal kingdom.

By healing all those who trusted in Him and by willingly suffering crucifixion in obedience to His Father, Jesus made it absolutely clear that He is the way, the truth and the life and that no-one comes to the eternal Father except by Him (John 14:6). He rose from the dead and sends us His Spirit, offering us personal shalom in this world and revealing His way to overcome opposition to His kingdom, with the sure hope of passing through death to eternal life.

Apologetics

Although James, the brother of Jesus, says, “Mercy triumphs over judgement” (Jam 2:13) he is speaking to people, and is not denying that judgement belongs to God. And although Paul explains in Romans 2 that righteousness is actually possible without repentance and faith, he also demonstrates that “There is no-one righteous” because all of us fall short of righteous accord with God (Rom 3:10). Atonement is only possible through genuine trust that Jesus paid the price with His blood to redeem us (Rom 3:25). A person is justified, made righteous in God’s sight, by that faith (Rom 3:28).

Jesus promises that the Father will give the Holy Spirit to those who come to Him and ask, trusting in Jesus’ name

Scripture declares, “God will give to each person according to what he or she has done” (Rom 2:6). Both eternal life and the Spirit to persist in doing God’s will come through enduring faith in what Jesus has accomplished for us. The perseverance and endurance necessary to continue to follow Jesus only become possible through the Holy Spirit living in us (Rom 5:1-5). So, to maintain righteousness it is necessary for a person to have a personal relationship with God through the Holy Spirit who blesses us with ongoing faith. And Jesus promises that the Father will give the Holy Spirit to those who come to Him and ask, trusting in Jesus’ name (Luke 11:11-13).

Free grace

There is, of course, a universal availability of the grace of God to save everyone from any situation they find themselves in. Jesus paid the price for everyone who calls to Him (Joel 2:32, Ps 107, 1 Tim 4:10). Although Jesus healed everyone who came to Him in faith and trust, however, there is no record that many of the people he healed continued to follow Him.

Those who will be eternally united with Jesus will be those who have not lost that salvation. In most cases this will have required godly wisdom, endurance and perseverance in overcoming the forces of this world in righteous accord with God’s will (2 Cor 5:15; Rev 3:12 and 19:8). Despite experiencing hardship they will continue to be learning God’s ways from their experience, acknowledging that He is in charge. They will continue to keep short accounts with God, humbly accepting continual redemption through Jesus’ blood, and thereby be wearing “garments of salvation” (Isa 61:10, 1 John 1:7-10). Thus, they will be making themselves ready to be united with Jesus at the “wedding of the Lamb” (Rev 19:7-8).

The rest of the dead will come to life at the end of those thousand years to face judgement before the One seated on the great white throne, according to their deeds

These are the people who will return to reign with Jesus for a thousand years after He has overcome the forces of evil at the end of this age. The rest of the dead will come to life at the end of those thousand years to face judgement before the One seated on the great white throne, according to their deeds as recorded in the Lamb’s book of life (Rev 20).

Unless they have repented so that their sins have been forgiven and covered by the blood of Jesus, the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral and those who practise magic arts, the idolaters and all liars will not inherit eternal life with Jesus (Rev 21:8). The Bible says, “If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” And we are told in Isaiah 66:24 and Mark 9:48 that “their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.”

Overcoming universalism

The heresy of universalism could thus be demolished by bearing in mind the truth of Holy Scripture. It is not beyond the wit of humankind with God’s help to devise liturgy for Christian funerals which simply commits the soul into God’s hands, leaving all judgement to the Son with the Father.

John Gordon was formerly a GP, a psychiatrist and a psychoanalyst. He is now a licensed minister in The Order of Jacob’s Well.