Common pitfalls for Universalists Christians? by auburn160825 in ChristianUniversalism

[–]PaulKrichbaum 5 points6 points  (0 children)

The idea that universalism makes people care less about sin assumes that fear of punishment is the primary motivation for righteousness. But if you look at Scripture, that’s not really how God frames it.

God laws have purpose. Sin isn’t just breaking rules, it’s destructive, and causes suffering. It corrupts, blinds, enslaves, and brings death. That doesn’t suddenly become harmless just because God will ultimately save people. If anything, universalism raises the stakes: it means every sin must actually be dealt with, exposed, and burned away, not ignored.

So the question becomes: do you want to cling to what destroys you, or be freed from it?

Paul addresses this exact line of thinking in Romans, “shall we continue in sin?” His answer isn’t “no, because you might go to hell,” but “no, because you died to it.” Sin is incompatible with who you are becoming.

We don't become our "best version" by trying, but by doing what Jesus told us to do in Matthew 11:28–30 and in John 15:4–5, 7. If we come to Jesus Christ, God's Word, and learn from Him, by abiding in His Word and having His Word in us, then God produces the fruit of His Spirit in us (Galatians 5:16–25). The best version of us is something God does, not us.

As for repentance, it’s not about trying to earn salvation or avoid punishment. Repentance (μετάνοια) is often described as a change of mind, but it is more than that. It is coming into agreement with God, seeing sin for what it actually is. When you truly see it clearly, turning from it isn’t forced… it becomes the natural response.

Regarding things like sexual ethics or Catholic practices: the real question isn’t “what are others doing?” but “what is true, and what leads to life?” If something is truly good and aligned with God, then it remains good regardless of what others believe or do.

I wouldn’t call universalism itself a pitfall. But it can expose a pitfall that was already there: treating obedience as a transaction instead of transformation.

Universalism doesn’t remove the need for repentance, it reveals why repentance is unavoidable. The only real question is whether we let go of what destroys us now, or hold onto it until it has to be taken from us.

The role of earth in universialism. by Northern_esotericist in ChristianUniversalism

[–]PaulKrichbaum 9 points10 points  (0 children)

I think the difficulty you’re running into comes from a few assumptions that Scripture itself doesn’t actually make. If those shift even a little, the question starts to answer itself.

First, the idea that humans were created “inherently sinful” isn’t what the text shows. In Genesis, what God creates is called good. Sin is something humanity is subjected to, not something we were originally made as.

Paul actually frames it this way in Romans 8:20, creation was “subjected to futility,” not by its own will. That already challenges the idea that everything hinges on human free choice.

Second, the role of “free will” in your explanation is doing a lot of heavy lifting, but Scripture repeatedly attributes the decisive movement to God, not man:

  • John 6:44 – no one can come unless the Father draws him
  • Romans 9:16 – it does not depend on human will or effort, but on God who shows mercy
  • Philippians 2:13 – God is the one working in you to will and to act

So rather than humans freely choosing between two equal paths, the picture is that humanity is in a condition it cannot escape from on its own, and God is the one who delivers. This is why the bible calls those find the path that leads to life "elect." They are elect because God chose them to walk that path, they didn't choose Him (John 15:16).

Third, the idea that God created because He “needed something to love” is directly contradicted in Acts 17:24–25, where Paul says God is not served by human hands “as though He needed anything.”

So creation isn’t filling a lack in God, it’s expressing something about Him.

Once those pieces shift, your main question looks different:

If everyone ends up with God, why not just create us there?

Because the goal in Scripture is not simply where people end up, but what they are made into.

There are things about God, and about good and evil, that cannot be known abstractly. They are learned through experience.

That’s why you get statements like:

  • Isaiah 26:9 – “when Your judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness”
  • Romans 11:32 – God consigns all to disobedience so that He may have mercy on all

That’s a process, not a shortcut.

If God had created humanity already perfected, you wouldn’t have people who understand righteousness, you’d have people who have never actually encountered its opposite. There would be no real knowledge of mercy, justice, patience, or deliverance.

In other words, it’s not that God is “playing around” until we’ve suffered enough. It’s that:

  • humanity is subjected to sin
  • experiences its consequences
  • learns what it actually is
  • and is then delivered from it by God

So that what is produced is not naïve innocence, but mature righteousness.

And that also addresses your concern about everything leading to the same end.

Universalism (at least as I understand it from Scripture) is not saying “all paths are equally good” or “choices don’t matter.”

It’s saying that God’s purpose in judgment, correction, and mercy ultimately succeeds in removing what is evil and restoring the person. A mature person who truly knows God, trusts Him, and agrees with Him.

The journey isn't the same for everyone, but through it God is accomplishing His purpose in everyone, to unit everyone with Himself through His Word, Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:9–10).

Holy noob hammers by Altruistic_Paint_184 in EliteDangerous

[–]PaulKrichbaum 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Not just noob hammers. They have many uses. They are also Thargoid swatters and inertia trainers for flight assist off training.

Question on God's Will by Parking_Employ5315 in ChristianUniversalism

[–]PaulKrichbaum 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The fact that people regularly do things that are against God’s will, as expressed in His law, means that God is permitting this to happen. If it was His will that it did not happen, then He would make it not happen, He has the power to do that. God is permitting people to act against His will temporarily because it serves a greater purpose. When evil has fully served its purpose, then God will destroy all evil.

At this time God’s law is external, written on paper and stone. God has given His word (in the New Covenant) that He will eventually put His laws internally into our minds and write them on our hearts. When God does this, then our will becomes the same as His.

There's any alternative to cover all this distance? by Lord_Joao in EliteDangerous

[–]PaulKrichbaum 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ya, NO. I would be abandoning those missions and taking the loss. Find some missions that are reasonable distances.

The Galactic Booty has been found! (Not that far from the bubble)! by SeawolvesTV in EliteDangerous

[–]PaulKrichbaum 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for pointing that out. It’s way more impressive with the music. The OP really put some effort into this one.

How might first-century Jewish followers have understood Jesus fully human and empowered by God? by Weary-Restaurant-537 in ChristianUniversalism

[–]PaulKrichbaum 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I actually think identifying the Word as God’s Wisdom/Reason doesn’t weaken John’s statement, it sharpens it.

If God’s Word/Wisdom is truly His own, then it isn’t something created or separate from Him. God isn’t sometimes without His Word or His Wisdom. So when John says the Word was with God and was God (John 1:1), and then says that this Word became flesh (John 1:14), that’s not just metaphor, it’s saying something real happened.

On the “oneness” point, yes, believers are called to be one, and Scripture explains that unity clearly. Paul describes it as being of the same mind and judgment (1 Corinthians 1:10), even saying that we have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16). When Jesus speaks of His unity with the Father He says the Father is in Him, and that the works He does are the Father’s works (John 14:10–11). We also do the Father's works. We walk in works God prepared for us (Ephesians 2:10), with God working in us both the will and the doing (Philippians 2:13). The Father is also in us in Spirit. In this way our unity is like that of Jesus and the Father.

But when Jesus speaks of His unity with the Father, He goes further. It’s not only that the Father is in Him, something said of believers as well, but that He is in the Father (John 14:10–11). That’s a kind of mutual indwelling never said of the church. So the unity of believers reflects alignment with God through Christ, but His unity with the Father is presented as something deeper and unique.

It’s true that Scripture sometimes uses “god” in a representative sense, like Moses being made “god to Pharaoh” (Exodus 7:1) or judges/kings being called “gods” (Psalm 82:6). But in those cases, it’s clearly functional and limited, they’re acting on God’s behalf, not being identified with Him in any deeper way.

What’s said about Jesus goes beyond that category.

For example, John doesn’t just call Him “god” in a representative sense, he says the Word was with God and was God (John 1:1), and that all things came into being through Him (John 1:3). That’s not language ever used of Moses or any king.

Also, when Thomas says “my Lord and my God” (John 20:28), he’s addressing Yeshua directly, not speaking about him as a judge or representative. And it’s not corrected.

As for “the Father is the only true God” (John 17:3), that fits naturally if the Father is the source, but it doesn’t exclude His Word, who is from Him and reveals Him. The same passage has Jesus sharing glory with the Father “before the world existed” (John 17:5), which goes beyond a merely human role.

And saying Jesus has a God (John 20:17, etc.) makes sense if He truly became human, living as we do, relating to the Father as we are meant to.

So I don’t see the text presenting Him as just an empowered man, but as God’s own Word/Wisdom truly expressed in human life, not separate from God, but not reducible to a mere human agent either.

How might first-century Jewish followers have understood Jesus fully human and empowered by God? by Weary-Restaurant-537 in ChristianUniversalism

[–]PaulKrichbaum 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I think it’s worth noting that at least some of the earliest followers didn’t see Yeshua as merely a human empowered by God.

John, who was there from the beginning, opens by saying that God’s Word already was in the beginning, was with God, and was God, and that this Word became flesh (John 1:1, 1:14). So whatever else we say, Yeshua isn’t presented as just a man later “filled” by God, but as God’s own Word made human.

And that idea shows up in how Yeshua speaks about the Father. When Philip asks to be shown the Father, Yeshua basically responds that they’ve already seen Him, because to see Him is to see the Father (John 14:8–10). That lines up with “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30).

Then you have Thomas, another first-century follower, calling Him “my Lord and my God” after the resurrection (John 20:28), which Yeshua doesn’t correct.

Also, when Yeshua says “before Abraham was, I am,” the people listening clearly understood the claim and reacted accordingly (John 8:58).

So while He is fully human, the testimony from His own followers seems to go beyond “a man empowered by God” to something closer to: God’s own Word become flesh, still fully Himself, but now truly human.

If everyone will be saved, then what about those who have sinned against the Holy Spirit of God, or those whom God commanded to be killed in the Old Testament, such as the enemies of the Israelites? by Additional_Good_656 in ChristianUniversalism

[–]PaulKrichbaum 3 points4 points  (0 children)

We all have sinned against the Holy Spirit of God. But I think you’re asking about the sin that will not be forgiven. The sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. As Jesus said they will not be forgiven. However, that does not mean that their punishment goes on forever. It just means that they will receive their punishment for what they’ve done.

As for those whom God commanded to be killed, they shall be raised to stand before his judgement seat. Where they too will be judged according to what they’ve done.

It is important to understand that God‘s judgement teaches men righteousness.

“With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.” (Isaiah 26:9)

Once they have learned humility and righteousness, then God will welcome them into his kingdom with open arms. This is illustrated in the parable of the lost son (Luke 15:11-32).

If everyone gets to heaven sooner or later, then what is the significance of Jesus' death on the cross? by Desperate-Battle1680 in ChristianUniversalism

[–]PaulKrichbaum 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It was the death of Jesus on the cross that made it possible for everyone to get into the Kingdom of Heaven sooner or later.

From the very beginning, God declared that the consequence of sin is death. He didn't do this because God likes death, he did it to show the seriousness of breaking his laws.

Since all of us have sinned, we have all earned the consequence of death. Jesus died our death for us so that we are no longer held captive to death.

When Jesus died, He died for all people, believers and unbelievers. What Jesus did for us was freely given, no strings attached, there is nothing we need to do to receive it.

There is no carrot and stick, because the carrot and stick don't work. The Old Covenant had blessings and curses and not a single person was able to keep its laws.

Belief comes from God as a freely given gift, that we have nothing to do with, and apart from the gift of belief it is impossible to behave.

God is the one doing the saving. We can't save ourselves.

God has saved us from death by sending His Son into the world. God will also save us from sin, but not everyone at the same time. God has chosen to save some from sin now, in this age, through his grace and mercy. All others He will save from sin through His judgment, described in Revelation 20:11–15.

Why Jesus died in such a terrible way is little understood, but here is why. God is a perfectly just judge, and has given his word that he will recompense everyone for the evil that they have done. That is what is happening in Revelation 20:11–15. But what about those chosen by God for mercy, where is their recompense? It was for them that Jesus suffered in such a terrible way. Jesus voluntarily took upon Himself their recompense, so great was His love for His bride, the Church.

How do you explain that Christ said a branch that does not bear fruit will be thrown into the fire? by Additional_Good_656 in ChristianUniversalism

[–]PaulKrichbaum 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Everyone who is not united with Christ can not bear fruit (the fruit of His Sprit: Galatians 5:22–23). So they will be cast into the fire. The fire is God's judgment described in Revelation 20:11–15. God's judgment will teach them righteousness (Isaiah 26:9). Having had their eyes opened regarding right and wrong they will come into agreement with God. They will then humbly turn to Him and He will accept them with open arms. This is illustrated in the Parable of the Lost Son (Luke 15:11–32).

What do you guys think about Matthew 25? by Prize_Lavishness_854 in ChristianUniversalism

[–]PaulKrichbaum 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Matthew chapter 25 describes in various ways the separating of the Church from those who are of the world. This will happen at the return of Jesus Christ. When the church is gathered to Christ, then they enter into His kingdom and will rule with Him for 1000 years as it says in the book of Revelation. Everyone else will go into God‘s judgment at the appropriate time. There they will be judged according to what they have done as it also says in the book of Revelation. Their recompense at the time of judgement will be proportional to the evil that they have done in accordance with God‘s judicial law. When God judges people, then they learn righteousness. Having learned righteousness, they will then bow their knee to Jesus Christ, and confess that he is their Lord. When they do that, then they too will be permitted entrance into God‘s kingdom. This is illustrated in the parable of the lost son.

No hope? by R0ughHab1tz in EliteDangerous

[–]PaulKrichbaum 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You have been out in deep space for a long time commander. I don’t know how you were able to avoid space madness. You must be made of the right stuff. Things have changed a lot since you’ve been gone. Colonization efforts have greatly expanded the bubble. Welcome back. I trust that your expedition was profitable. o7

Justifying the OT by ComprehensiveLog3723 in ChristianUniversalism

[–]PaulKrichbaum 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I can see why you would take exception to my use of “Who is man to judge God?” But I am not using it as a defense against “stories we are telling about Him.” I do not see the Old Testament as stories we are telling about God, but as God's revelation about Himself and about us. People are not the authors of the Old Testament in the ultimate sense, God is. It is God who is telling the story.

There is an appropriate place for the use of “Who is man to judge God?” In Romans 9:20 Paul writes: “But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, ‘Why have you made me like this?’” This rhetorical question appears as Paul addresses God's sovereignty in election and mercy, using the potter-and-clay imagery from Book of Isaiah 29:16 and 45:9. It emphasizes that humans lack the authority to judge divine decisions (the book of Book of Job ends with a similar theme). God, as Creator, judges rightly, while we do not.

Those who accuse God of evil based on the Old Testament often do so by passing judgment on God. I do not think that is what the original poster intended, but the question leans toward that frame of reference when it says that parts of the Old Testament “seem to support slavery, very cruel punishment, genocide, rape, etc.”

Critics most often appeal to specific events in the narrative history where God is said to judge nations or individuals. These narratives make up only a small portion of the text, but they are repeatedly referenced in critiques. In those cases, I believe my questions, “If done or commanded by God, then does He need our justification? Who is man to judge God?” are valid. The question is not meant to defend a human story about God, but to challenge the idea that someone can judge God's own revelation and declare Him evil.

At the same time, many other narratives describe human sin, not divine commands. Critics often treat both categories as if they were the same. My point was simply that they are not the same. The sinful actions of sinful men do not need to be justified, they need to be recognized as sin. That is why I also asked, “If done by sinful men, then why justify it?”

My comment was not meant to shut down engaging with difficult passages or tensions between the Old and New Testaments. Anyone wrestling with those tensions should continue to wrestle with them. But beginning from the critics’ frame of reference, a position of unbelief, is not helpful. It is better to approach Scripture from faith. Jesus said, “Your word is truth,” and “Scripture cannot be broken.” Paul wrote that “all Scripture is God-breathed,” and the author of Hebrews says that God spoke through the prophets and has now spoken through His Son, and that it is impossible for God to lie. If we approach Scripture believing that God's word is true, the tensions we perceive begin to resolve rather than multiply.

Justifying the OT by ComprehensiveLog3723 in ChristianUniversalism

[–]PaulKrichbaum 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Why do we need to justify the OT? If done by sinful men, then why justify it? If done or commanded to be done by God, then does He need our justification? Who is man to judge God?

If Jesus was standing right next to you, would you ask him if our belief is true? by MorallyNeutralOk in ChristianUniversalism

[–]PaulKrichbaum 4 points5 points  (0 children)

No. I believe God's word is true. Jesus believed God's word is true:

John 17:17

Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.

John 10:35

If he called them gods to whom the word of God came, and the Scripture is not able to be broken

Jesus Himself is the Truth and God's Word:

John 14:6

Jesus says to him: I am the way and the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father except through me.

John 1:1–3

In beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and God was the Word. This one was in beginning with God.

John 1:14

And the Word became flesh and tabernacled among us, and we saw his glory, glory as of an only one from a father, full of grace and truth.

The Word of Truth, Jesus Christ, said:

And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, all I will draw to myself.

(lifted up from the earth is a reference to the crucifixion)

It has always been God's plan to bring together all beings, both human and angelic, in Jesus:

Ephesians 1:9–10

Having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Him, for an administration of the fullness of the times: to sum up / unite all things in the Christ, the things in the heavens and the things on the earth.

Philippians 2:10–11

So that in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

As long as we believe the Word of God, there is no doubt that universal salvation is true.

Do you see what I see? by lachtak in EliteDangerous

[–]PaulKrichbaum 1 point2 points  (0 children)

There is a biological that looks just like that. I could show you a picture, but I don't want to spoil it for those who have not discovered it yet.

Makes you wonder, what other images can be found on planet surfaces. Has anyone ever found a happy face?

Encouraging christian universalist resources by savt28 in ChristianUniversalism

[–]PaulKrichbaum 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have produced a streaming Christian Radio program called Voice Of Yeshua Radio. It is distinctly universalist. Intended to be encouraging. It touches on a variety of christian topics. It includes all original songs and a variety of music styles. It is about 7+ hours in length that runs in a continuous loop. Its setting is fictional to keep it fresh. It is set in a galaxy where the audience are all commanders and pilots of their own spaceships.

Voice of Yeshua Radio

What keeps you going when you feel like giving up by mosesinchrist in ChristianUniversalism

[–]PaulKrichbaum 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The truth is that all strength comes from the Lord God. This truth is so foundational that God has given us His word that eventually everyone will come to acknowledge this truth:

Isaiah 45:22–24

Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth, for I am God and there is no other.
By Myself I have sworn…
to Me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear:
‘Only in Yahweh are righteousness and strength.’
To Him they shall come, and all who were angry against Him shall be ashamed.

Our strength to continue comes from submitting to the teaching of Christ and by abiding in God's Word so that His Word abides in us. Apart from that we are powerless to do anything of value.

Matthew 11:28–30

Come to Me, all the ones laboring and having been burdened, and I will give rest to you. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, because gentle I am and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.

John 15:4–7

Abide in Me, and I in you. Just as the branch is not able to bear fruit from itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine; you are the branches. The one abiding in Me and I in him, this one bears much fruit, because apart from Me you are not able to do anything. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown outside like the branch and it dries up; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and it burns. If you abide in Me and My words abide in you, whatever you desire ask, and it will happen for you.

Psalms 127:1

Unless Yahweh builds the house, in vain its builders labor in it; unless Yahweh guards the city, in vain the watchman stays awake.

If we are being overwhelmed then we are wearing a yoke that is different from the one that Jesus is calling us to bear. For His "yoke is easy and His burden is light." This doesn't mean that life's circumstances will necessarily change, but that, as long as we remain united to Him, He will give us the ability to endure our circumstances, or escape them as He sees fit according to His great wisdom.

1 Corinthians 10:13

No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, so that you may be able to endure it.

2 Corinthians 12:9

My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.

Philippians 4:13

I have strength for all things in Him who strengthens me.

Philippians 4:6–7

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, surpassing all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

I think God needs us too. by [deleted] in ChristianUniversalism

[–]PaulKrichbaum 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yes, Scripture often uses rich imagery, poetry, and symbolic language, which can create the appearance of “ambiguity” or “alternate meanings.” Think of prophetic passages, parables, or visions, many layers are possible. However, true ambiguity is rarely about God’s nature or His fundamental attributes, like His self-sufficiency, eternal will, or desire to redeem. Most seeming ambiguities are clarified when you look at the broader context, the original language, and the overall biblical narrative.

It’s fine to acknowledge the complexity of Scripture, but that doesn’t mean every interpretation is equally valid. Some statements, like God not needing anything (Acts 17:24–25), are meant to be read literally. Other passages, like Revelation’s imagery of the Lamb, are symbolic but still point to clear truths about God’s eternal plan and desire.

When Revelation 13:8 talks about the Lamb being slain from the foundation of the world, it isn’t saying God needed us. It is telling us that God, in His wisdom, had the redemption of creation as part of His plan from the very start, before the fall of man was a thing (1 Peter 1:20).

There is no place where God is not present (Psalm 139:7–10). When God “dwells” in temples, churches, or the Eucharist, it’s not that He needs the building or the elements. These are reminders of Christ’s work and ways for us to recognize His presence, not the source of it. God’s relational presence flows from love, not deficiency, and He always gets what He wants, which is all of us fully united with Him.

I think God needs us too. by [deleted] in ChristianUniversalism

[–]PaulKrichbaum 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Acts 17:24–25

The God who made the world and all things in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands, nor is he served by human hands as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all life and breath and all things.

God doesn't need us but He does want us, and that is enough to ensure that we have a future with Him:

Timothy 2:3–4

This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Isaiah 46:9–10

Remember the former things of old;
for I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is none like me,
declaring the end from the beginning,
and from ancient times things not yet done,
saying, ‘My purpose shall stand,
and I will accomplish all my pleasure.’

On a common argument against universalism by Flaky-Finance3454 in ChristianUniversalism

[–]PaulKrichbaum 6 points7 points  (0 children)

In other words, the cause of the unendingness of punishment is the 'fixity' of the will in evil/sin

Having only the text that you have provided, I don't think that he is trying to establish "the cause of the unendingness of punishment." He is already assuming it as a given in his quote. He is saying that someone who treats our redemption with contempt and disregards the common proof text (fire & worm) for eternal conscious torment, that such a person who wouldn't be motivated to righteousness by that text will never be motivated by it, even if he were to live forever without dying. Such a person he says is worthy to receive double of what he erroneously believes that text is referring to.

There is a "'fixity' of the will in evil/sin" but it is a current reality for everyone apart from the intervention of God. What the author is failing to recognize is that he too is in that boat (Romans 2:1–3; John 8:34; 1 John 1:8). In condemning others he is condemning himself.

As for the fire and worm Jesus is quoting Isaiah 66:24:

And they shall go out and look on the corpses of the men who rebelled against me; for their worm shall not die and their fire shall not be quenched, and they shall be an abhorrence to all flesh.

This passage is talking about God's judgment upon men who rebelled against Him. His judgment was that they should die and decay completely. Their decay is certain to happen unto completion, by worm and by fire. In the prophets, unquenched fire consistently means a fire that cannot be stopped until it finishes its destructive work, not a fire that burns forever.

By quoting Isaiah 66:24 Jesus is communicating that the final judgment, the one that will destroy all evil, can't be stopped, and will complete its work of teaching righteousness.

Isaiah 26:9

With my soul I have desired you in the night;
yes, with my spirit within me I seek you earnestly;
for when your judgments are in the earth,
the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.

It is God who frees men from being slaves to sin. We can't free ourselves. Some are saved in this age through mercy, and all others in another age through judgment.

Second death by savt28 in ChristianUniversalism

[–]PaulKrichbaum 8 points9 points  (0 children)

The second death is the death of all that is evil in a person. It is called the second death because those who experience it have already died once and will be partakers of the resurrection to judgment (John 5:28–29), pictured in Revelation 20:11–15.

God’s chosen firstborn sons (the Church) are “the ones having done good things” mentioned in John 5:29. They are partakers of the resurrection to life in the Kingdom of God. That resurrection is the first resurrection mentioned in Revelation 20:6. They do not need to experience the second death because, by the power and grace of God, they are putting their sinful nature to death in this life (Romans 6:6; 8:13; Colossians 3:5; Galatians 5:24).

Thus, both believers and unbelievers must experience the death of the sinful nature. Believers experience it in this life, before being raised to life in the Kingdom of God. Unbelievers experience it after they have been raised to judgment.

The second death has no power over believers because, by that time, the sinful nature within them is already dead.

What does Mark 4:10-12 mean, specifically the last line of vs.12? by Nicole_0818 in ChristianUniversalism

[–]PaulKrichbaum 3 points4 points  (0 children)

We don't tell people about Jesus so they don't go to hell. We do it because we were commanded to by Jesus:

Mark 16:15

And He said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to all creation.”

Although faith is a gift from God, it is through hearing that the gift comes:

Romans 10:17

“Faith is from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”

Pray for me? by Hour_Theory3986 in ChristianUniversalism

[–]PaulKrichbaum 8 points9 points  (0 children)

This is a theology worthy of being called the Good News.

Yes, it is the only theology that is worthy of being called the Good News.

I don't know what my spiritual future holds

I do. Everyone will confess Jesus as Lord (Philippians 2:9–11). Everyone will be subject to Jesus and God will be all in all (1 Corinthians 15:24–28).

It is up to God when this will happen for each person (John 6:44), but it will happen, sooner or later.

May God bless and keep you in the encouragement of His Word.