http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Rev%2014:11&version=NIV1984
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matt%2018:8&version=NIV1984
Suffering. No one likes to suffer. And very few people like to see others suffer. This is why there are such people as counselors, doctors, nurses, surgeons, hospice and clergy. They assist people who are suffering. Physically. Emotionally. Spiritually. This is not to mention family, friends and multitudes of others who are moved to compassion at the sight of human suffering. It is because suffering is so disliked that the doctrine of Hell is so disturbing.
According to the Bible, all humans are sinners. Regardless of gender. Age. Skin color. Language. Country of origin. Or social position. They are born this way. In sin. Separated from God. This means that they have no relationship with Him. As a result of this, everyone is headed to an eternity in Hell. This is the default mode of every single person. To change this, God sent Jesus to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. When people accept this sacrifice (by repenting of their sins and putting their faith in Jesus as their Savior) they pass from death to life. Their eternal destination is now changed. To Heaven. Now, near as I can figure, no one is upset about enjoying Heaven for eternity. But there a lot of people who do not like, or agree with, people suffering in Hell for eternity. This is where the doctrine of Universalism comes into play.
Simply stated, Universalism is the belief that someday (and there are different views on when this will happen) all those who are in Hell will eventually be saved. In other words, they will eventually make it to Heaven. While the early church theologian, Origen (3rd century AD) first developed this idea, it didn’t really get much traction until the mid-17th century in England. By the 19th century it had begun to take root in our country as well. An example of this is George De Benneville. Living in the 18th century, De Benneville rejected his Christian faith and developed his own variation of it. He was convinced that Hell was simply for purification. And not for punishment. After a person had suffered for some time, De Benneville felt that they would be accepted into Heaven. And he was also convinced that a good, loving God would never punish anyone eternally. So he began preaching Universalism doctrine wherever he went.
Since the 19th century Universalism has become enormously popular. In fact, as Richard Bauckham (Professor of New Testament Studies at the University of St Andrews) states, “no traditional Christian doctrine has been so widely abandoned as that of eternal punishment.” Well, I wonder why that is? Could it be because we have lost the concept of justice and punishment these days? Or the concept of absolute truth? Bingo! We have. It is now commonly accepted that all religions lead to Heaven. And that a loving God (for those who still believe in Him) would never eternally punish anyone for sin.
Of course, as Christians, our view on the eternal nature of Hell is based upon Scripture. So just exactly what does the Bible say about Hell? Is it eternal or not? More on this subject tomorrow.
Lord, I thank you that You have made a way for me to be saved. And all humankind. Through the finished work of Jesus on the cross. He died so that I wouldn’t experience eternal death. Hallelujah, what a Savior! In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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