Category: Christian Universalism

The Weak Threat of Hell

Posted on by Elissa Anne

After being told that I’m not a Christian and that I’m going to hell for all eternity, this is what I have to say about the weak threat of hell:

The Bible says “God is a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love.”
But we are taught that God is “so forgiving” because he “let’s” us into heaven…
How is that forgiving if the vast majority go to hell and stay there? That’s not forgiveness that is very obviously God holding a permanent grudge.

The Bible tells us to love our enemies.
Yet with the concept of traditional hell, God fails to love his own enemies. Traditional hell is a contradiction of scripture! It’s a contradiction of love, forgiveness and salvation!

The Bible says “Do not take revenge” yet traditional-hell has got to be the biggest revenge of all. The punishment isn’t even proportional to the crime. 70 odd years of sin isn’t even a blip on eternal punishment. At least when Hitler put Jews in the gas chamber…they died! It would be better to stay dead when we die that for God to resurrect people just to punish them for all eternity.

This business about deserving hell for our sins is a very human concept.
What about deserving to be loved because we are created in the image of God? We all deserve to be loved and are loved unconditionally. Love can’t end in permanent hell.

God is a father. Fathers don’t lock their children up and throw away the key. Fathers don’t torture their children. If your father punished you for no reason then I feel sorry for you. But God our father only disciplines because he loves. Hence why I believe hell is discipline with the purpose of saving us, not abandoning us.

The Bible says “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Yet we are taught to believe that once we die, God suddenly changes and forsakes us for all eternity if we don’t meet the right criteria.

Why this idea that God changes so much when we die? God is the same yesterday and today and forever.

I would be depressed for all eternity if I went to a heaven that excluded the majority of people. There’s nothing happy or truly victorious about a place that is exclusive to Christians only. Especially after all the hurt and damage we Christians have done to each other.

The age of accountability is NOT in the Bible.

The statement that we must accept Jesus before we die is NOT in the Bible.

God is love
Love is patient
Love is kind
Love keeps NO RECORD OF WRONG
Love never gives up
Love covers over a multitude of sins
Love so long and high and wide and deep it’s almost unfathomable
Love is unconditional
Love never stops hoping
Love endures all things
Love never fails
Love will save the day

The Book of Revelation

Posted on by Elissa Anne

The Revelation of Jesus Christ
Is about the Gospel in the end times
And in the age to come
The aionion
The “forever”

Revelation 21:1-8 paraphrase
Then I saw
A new heaven
And a new earth
The Holy City
Coming down out of heaven from God
Prepared as a bride
God’s dwelling place is now among the people
He will wipe every tear from their eyes
There will be no more death
‘I am making everything new!
To the thirsty I will give
The water of life
But the unbelieving…liars
Will be consigned to the
Lake of sulfur / fire!’

This is after all people have died and been judged
The new heaven and earth has arrived
Those that “wash their robes in the blood of the lamb” are in heaven (Rev 12:11, 21:14).
The unbelieving liars (who still identify themselves as sinners) are in the lake of fire.

But where is this lake of fire?
Revelation 21:14-15
Blessed are those who wash their robes that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the
Gates
Into the city
Outside
Are the dogs who practise falsehood / unbelieving liars.

The lake of fire is outside the gate. Those who have washed their robes in the blood have entered the gate to the heavenly city.
Those who have not are outside in the lake.
But look at what the people in the heavenly city are doing:
Revelation 22:17
The spirit and the bride say
COME
Let those who hear say
COME
Let the one who is thirsty
COME
And let the one who wishes
Take the free gift of the
Water of life!

Wait a second!
This is after death and judgement!
The bride is with Jesus in the new heavenly city, through the gate
And the spirit and the bride are beckoning those
OUTSIDE to
COME INSIDE!!

Who is outside??
All those in the
Lake of fire!

Now the only question is
Do they come in?
Well you see, the climax in any good Jewish story, is always in the middle.
So we have a beginning in chapter 21 where there is a new heaven
And we have an ending in chapter 22 where the spirit and the bride say come
And we have a climax between them
Revelation 21:24-25
The nations (outside in the lake of fire)
Will walk by its (heavenly city) light
And the kings
WILL bring their splendor into it!
On no day will its
Gates
(the gate between the heavenly city and the lake of fire)
Ever be shut!!!
The glory and honor of the nations
WILL BE BROUGHT INTO IT!!!

HALLELUJAH!!!!!!!

“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain
To receive power and wealth
Wisdom and strength
Honor and glory and praise!”
Rev 5:12

“Then I heard
EVERY CREATURE
In heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea and
ALL that is in them saying:
‘To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
Be praise and honor
Glory and power
Forever and ever!'”
Rev 12:13

“SALVATION
Belongs to our God
Who sits on the throne
And to the Lamb!”
Rev 7:10

“Who will not fear you Lord
And bring glory to your name?
For you alone are holy
ALL THE NATIONS
WILL COME and worship before you
For your righteous acts
Have been revealed!”
Rev 15:4

During the aionion / the forever / the age to come
All the people in the lake of fire
Will enter the gate
To the heavenly city
THIS is why we worship God!
THIS is why all honor and glory are due Him
THIS is why SALVATION belongs to GOD and not to the preachers and teachers or the Jews or the Muslims or the Christians!
THIS is why every knee will bow
And every tongue confess
THIS is the Gospel
THIS is the happily ever after of the entire creation
THIS is His holiness: that he would save every last soul and refuse to give up on a single one!

THIS Jesus is the only God worth worshipping
The only God I will ever bow to
The only God I could ever truly love and trust
Thank you Jesus!!!!!!!

What is my Motivation for being Christian?

Posted on by Elissa Anne

I’ve been asked this question a few times in light of the fact that I’m a universalist. What is the point if we are all going to be saved anyway? Why should we “obey” if God forgives unconditionally? Why don’t we just do whatever we want?

For me it is all about relationship. Intimacy. LOVE. I need love outside of myself, my family and my friends. Human love is often so empty in comparison to understanding at a heart level, that I am unconditionally loved and accepted by God.

In extension, when love is my centre, I pursue healthier choices in my lifestyle. I am not motivated by a need for God’s approval, a desire to score points or to “maintain my salvation.” Nor am I motivated by fear of “hell.”

Living in a love-relationship with God produces the fruit of love. God enables me to show more acceptance, forgiveness and love because he has given this to me.

So what is your motivation for being a Christian?

God’s Wrath is His Mercy

Posted on by Elissa Anne

Imagine you have a child who decides to take drugs and your child becomes addicted. At first, you do everything in your power to encourage your kid to get off the drugs.

A few years down the track that same son or daughter is stealing drug money from you. You make the tough decision to kick your child out of home with no money to “learn the hard way.”

This is your “wrath” as a parent. It is similar to God’s wrath. Wrath simply means allowing people to suffer the consequences.

A couple of years after that, your child changes his or her mind and decides it was a bad idea to take drugs. This is called repentance.

Your child comes home and you immediately offer your support while he/she detoxes from the drug addiction. This is called mercy.

God’s wrath leads to repentance.
Repentance leads to mercy.
God shows MERCY TO ALL
Romans 11:32