https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Salvation-in-No-One-Else.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n\tby Jeffrey W. Hamilton<\/p>\n\t
Text: Acts 4:5-12<\/p>\n
<\/p>\nI. In April, 2011, Time Magazine listed their 100 most influential people, among whom was\nRob Bell, a preacher who founded a church called “Mars Hill.” \n A. It isn’t connected with any denomination. Time reveled in calling Mr. Bell and his\nchurch “evangelical,” but it isn’t an accurate term, except that it is a fast growing\nchurch.\n B. Mr. Bell, we are told, became annoyed when someone stuck a note to quotation\nfrom Gandhi, a noted Hindu, indicating that the quotation didn’t belong. The note\nsaid, “Reality check: He’s in hell.”\n
1. This upset Mr. Bell because, he claims, it can’t be proven.<\/p>\n
2. In fact, he has gone further to claim that everyone ends up in heaven. <\/p>\n 3. “I affirm the truth anywhere in any religious system, in any world view. If\nit’s true, it belongs to God” [Beliefnet, ‘Velvet Elvis’ Author Encourages\nExploration of Doubts].\n C. The belief system is known as universal reconciliation or sometimes just\nuniversalism. \n 1. It is the belief that because of the love and mercy of God, everyone will\nultimately be reconciled to God. \n 2. It has been around for a long time. Even from the second century. “I would\nbelieve with Origen that universalism is no easy thing. Origen believed\nthat after death there were many who would need prolonged instruction,\nthe sternest discipline, even the severest punishment before they were fit\nfor the presence of God. Origen did not eliminate hell; he believed that\nsome people would have to go to heaven via hell. He believed that even at\nthe end of the day there would be some on whom the scars remained. He\ndid not believe in eternal punishment, but he did see the possibility of\neternal penalty” [William Barclay, “I am a Convinced Universalist”]\n 3. In other words, the Roman Catholic belief in purgatory has its roots in the\nteachings of Origen.\n
D. Mr. Bell is just another in a long list of Universalists. <\/p>\n 1. He says that “the redemptive work of Jesus may be universal – meaning\nthat, … “every person who ever lived” could have a place in heaven,\nwhatever that turns out to be.” [Jon Meacham, “Pastor Rob Bell: What If\nHell Doesn’t Exist?” Time, 4\/14\/2011].\n 2. “At the center of the Christian tradition since the first church have been a\nnumber who insist that history is not tragic, hell is not forever, and love, in\nthe end, wins and all will be reconciled to God.”\n
II. Are there multiple ways to salvation?<\/p>\n
A. Ephesians 4:4-6 – There is only one faith, just as there is only one God<\/p>\n
1. The gospel is the power of salvation – Romans 1:16<\/p>\n
2. There can be no other – Galatians 1:6-10<\/p>\n
3. Those who reject the message are perishing – I Corinthians 1:18-23<\/p>\n 4. Matthew 7:13-14 – The teaching of universalism reverses the paths, saying\nthe broad path leads to salvation\n
B. Salvation is only through Jesus – Acts 4:12<\/p>\n
1. Jesus is the<\/i> way – John 14:6<\/p>\n
2. Disbelief in Jesus condemns – John 3:17-19<\/p>\n
3. Without belief, one dies in his sins – John 8:24<\/p>\n
4. Paul preached that salvation is through Jesus – Acts 13:38-39<\/p>\n a. He warned that rejecting the message would bring a curse – Acts\n13:40-41\n
b. A curse that was confirmed – Acts 13:45-46<\/p>\n
C. Rejecting Christ is to reject the Father – I John 2:22-23<\/p>\n
1. Rejecting Christ’s teachings means you do not have God – II John 9<\/p>\n
2. It is the same as calling God a liar – I John 5:9-12<\/p>\n D. If there was any other way to be saved, such as through the law, then Jesus’ death\nwas in vain – Galatians 2:21\n
III. But what the universalist claims is that Jesus died for everyone, so it is still through Jesus<\/p>\n
A. It is true that God wants all saved – II Peter 3:9<\/p>\n
1. Without repentance, we perish – Luke 13:3<\/p>\n
B. It is true that Jesus died for all<\/p>\n
1. God gave His Son for all – Romans 8:32<\/p>\n
2. Hebrews 2:9 – He died for everyone<\/p>\n
3. He death as a propitiation for everyone’s sins – I John 2:2<\/p>\n C. This means salvation is universally available, but it doesn’t mean everyone will be\nsaved\n 1. Note the use of “should” in II Peter 3:9. There is no reason any should\nperish, but it doesn’t mean it won’t happen.\n 2. In fact, just before Peter warned of false teachers bring destructive heresies\nthat will destroy them – II Peter 2:1-3\n
a. Peter then proved that God is able to destroy – II Peter 2:4-9<\/p>\n
b. Their own corruption will destroy them – II Peter 2:12<\/p>\n
3. The current world is reserved for destruction – II Peter 3:7<\/p>\n
4. It is because God will destroy that we ought to be holy – II Peter 3:11-14<\/p>\nIV. What most universalist do is claim that the wicked suffer temporarily until they get it\nright\n
A. Men only die once and the only next event is the judgment – Hebrews 9:27<\/p>\n
B. The wicked suffer a second death – Revelation 20:14-15; 21:8<\/p>\n
1. But God’s people will not suffer the second death – Revelation 20:6<\/p>\n
C. There is a separation of the good from the bad – Matthew 25:31-33<\/p>\n
1. The destiny of both groups is eternal – Matthew 25:46<\/p>\n D. There is no mention of changing destinies, which is why being righteous now is so\nimportant.\n
V. What is the end of the ungodly? – I Peter 4:17-18<\/p>\n A. People don’t drift into heaven. It comes by effort. If it takes effort on our part,\nthen what happens to those who don’t even try?\n
B. We understand, which is why we teach – II Corinthians 5:10-11<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Acts 4:5-12 I. In April, 2011, Time Magazine listed their 100 most influential people, among whom was Rob Bell, a preacher who founded a church called “Mars Hill.” A. It isn’t connected with any denomination. Time reveled in calling Mr. Bell and his church “evangelical,” but it isn’t an accurate term,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[119,32],"tags":[73,47,1581],"class_list":["post-63425","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-audio","category-sermon","tag-jesus","tag-salvation","tag-universalism"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":57050,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/the-salvation-army\/","url_meta":{"origin":63425,"position":0},"title":"The Salvation Army","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"December 20, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"by David Weaks I wonder how many people know that the Salvation Army is a church. 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See their works instead","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"June 30, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: After reading\u00a0your article I was rather puzzled about your thinking. I understand you are a church that focuses only on spiritual work, yet I see you are mixing, doctrine, church administration, church practice, and social work all in one comment. 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Hamilton Text: Jeremiah 7:1-15 \u00a0 I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Around the country we have many memorials and historical sites established to remind us of our victories. Yet, we keep several sites to remind us of our losses. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0I was able to see the Alamo in San Antonio. Only the mission still\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Audio"","block_context":{"text":"Audio","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/audio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":3818,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/is-it-possible-to-preach-christ-and-not-preach-baptism-or-the-church\/","url_meta":{"origin":63425,"position":4},"title":"Is It Possible to Preach Christ and Not Preach Baptism or the Church?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"April 1, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"by Donald Townsley via Guardian of Truth, December 15, 1988 From time to time men set forth the doctrine that we should \"preach Christ\" and leave the controversial subjects of the plan of salvation and the church alone. 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