Table of Contents:
By
Albert E. Jenke,
.
Ph.D
“ Introduction
God’s Ultimate Intention
Page 2
“ Chapter One
"Law and Grace", by Andrew Jukes
Page 4
“ Chapter Two
Excerpts From the Writings of William Law
Page 6
“ Chapter Three
"ALL-In-ALL", by A. E. Knoch
Page 9
“ Chapter Four
A Study In Job and Jonah
Page 11
“ Chapter Five
"Christ Triumphant", by Thomas Allin
Page 13
“ Chapter Six
TRUTH vs. "Sacred Cows"
Page 20
“ Chapter Seven
Prelude and Summary
Page 29
“ Chapter Eight
Paul's Soaring Logic
Page 30
“ Chapter Nine
To "Seek" -- Or To SAVE
Page 34
“ Chapter Ten
"Holiness Of God", by R. C. Sproul
Page 38
“ Chapter Eleven
"Growth In the Realization of God", by James Coram
Page 41
“ Chapter Twelve
Conclusion, or "Parting Is Such Sweet Sorrow"
Page 47
“ Outline
Scripture Reference and Major Premise Outline
Page 49
"Calvin and Election", by Dr. C. D. Cole
Page 57
Addendum One
Page 1
INTRODUCTION ****** God's ULTIMATE Intention
The following work is not intended to be an exhaustive treatise on the subject of the Salvation of
ALL Men!! There have been enlightened Men of God in prior years, endowed with greater
scholarship, understanding, and revelation than I possess, who have covered this subject with
much greater authority than I could begin to approach. I will speak more of this shortly. What I
DO propose to offer in the following pages is an updated compilation and summary of the "Mystery Hidden From Ages Past", which the God of revelation was pleased to speak forth through
these vessels. I will attempt to present it in the vernacular which 20th century man can understand. I will appeal to man's emotions, reason, intellect, and logic -- ALL of which were given to
us by the God of creation. I DO NOT see anywhere in His Word where He rescinded these gifts,
but He rather encourages us to be transformed into His Image by the "Renewing of our MINDS".
First, I would like to offer my deepest and highest gratitude to the God of Heaven who, by His
Grace (for reasons only He understands) chose me to share in the revelation of this mystery,
granting to me grace to believe and to understand. Second, I am deeply indebted to Adolph Ernst
Knock, founder of the Concordant Publishing Concern, who, in obedience to God, devoted his
life to searching out the "hidden things of God", and uncovering much "buried treasure" in the
Word of God. It was through an introduction to this ministry, and the Concordant Literal New
Testament, that God began to open up my heart, mind, and understanding to the things that I will
be presenting in the following pages.
I wish it to be clearly understood at the onset that I DO NOT claim for my own ANY of the ideas,
understandings, or revelations of which I will be writing. Ultimately, of course, they belong to God
and come from God. Specifically, however, they have come to me through the inspiration of Mr.
Knoch and others, whose writings are available through the Concordant Ministry. Another major
source of revelation was through the writings of Andrew Murray. He has written a number of excellent translations of the works of a Christian mystic of the 1700's, a William Law. Finally, Mr.
Law's writings themselves have been of extreme benefit.
The following writings ARE NOT for EVERYONE. I have NO delusions that the majority of
Christians will embrace this teaching that God's ultimate intention is nothing less than the Salvation of ALL Men. Such HAS NOT been the case for almost 2,000 years. However, I do also
believe that the winds of God's Spirit are blowing, clearing away the mists and fog that cloud
man's mind, heart and understanding. He is, as He has always been doing, unfolding in greater
measure the "Mystery that has been hidden from ages past". It is for the Searcher, for the Hungry,
for the man or woman who is willing to SELL ALL to acquire the "Pearl of Great Price". It is, last
of all, for the man or woman of Proverbs Chapter 2, the "Seeker of Wisdom", who is willing to
SEARCH for it, to DIG for it, as one who is seeking precious gold or rare gems!! Did not God say
that, "When you seek for Me with ALL of your heart, THEN will you find Me!!" The prayer that
is upon these pages is that they will be read by SUCH SEEKERS!!!!!!
For those whose spirits are stirred by the pages to come, I wish to direct you to the following list
of men and writings to take you deeper into God's heart on this subject (Listed in the order of
recommendation):
Page 2
"The Concordant Literal New Testament", from the Concordant Publishing Concern
"The Problem of Evil and the Judgments of GOD", by A. E. Knoch
"Restitution of ALL Things", by Andrew Jukes
"Christ Triumphant", by Thomas Allin
"Paul's Epistle to the Galatians", by Valadimir Gelesnoff
"The Power of the Spirit", selected writings of William Law, Edited by Andrew Murray
"Wholly for God", Edited from a work of William Law, by Andrew Murray
"The Spirit of Love and The Spirit of Prayer", by William Law
"All in ALL", by A. E. Knoch
"Death, Resurrection, Immortality", by Joseph E. Kirk
“The Greek Word ‘Aion - Aionios’, Translated ‘Everlasting - Eternal’”, by Rev. John Hanson
"The Ancient History of Universalism", by Hosea Ballou
"The Modern History of Universalism", by Thomas Whittemore
I recommend that you obtain a FREE catalog from the Concordant Publishing Concern.
Their WEB URL is:
http://www.concordant.org
Their address is:
Concordant Publishing Concern, 15570 Knochaven Road
Canyon Country, CA 91351, U. S. A. *** Tel. 805-252-2112
This ministry is devoted exclusively to enabling ALL Christians to come to a clearer, deeper
knowledge of the truths of God's Word, particularly as it pertains to the subject of "The Salvation
of ALL Men". They have an excellent collection of study materials, books, booklets, and tracts
available at VERY reasonable prices. I have found that they are truly devoted to Serving the
Body of Christ, NOT to making money off Christians. As an example, they offer a Semimonthly
magazine, "Unsearchable Riches", for $1.00 per year.
You may find "SeedMaster", as well as other low cost / FREE Bible Reference Software available on the WEB at page:
http://www.tlchrist.info/bible.htm
"SeedMaster", however, is an OLD program, and will not run on the newer versions of MS Windows. An excellent, modern, FREE Bible Research program (which I use and recommend) is
called "The Word" and is available for download at page:
http://www.theword.net/index.php
This book may also be viewed on the WEB at: http://www.tlchrist.info/universl.htm
*********************************************************************
PLEASE --- feel free to copy and distribute this document AS FAR AND
AS WIDE AS POSSIBLE, by whatever means are at your disposal !!!!
*********************************************************************
Page 3
CHAPTER ONE ** LAW and GRACE, by Andrew Jukes
An excellent understanding of the twin processes of Law and Grace, Mercy and Judgment in
God's plan of salvation is found in the book "Restitution of ALL Things", by Andrew Jukes. His is
the clearest and keenest exposition of this truth that I have ever read.
I shall attempt to paraphrase a summary of it here, to set the stage for the ideas that follow. However, I urge you in the strongest possible terms to get his book and read his exposition for yourself.
The Apostle Paul makes a foundational statement in Romans 11:32, where he states that, "God has
shut up (or locked up) ALL in unbelief (or disobedience), for the purpose that He might have
mercy upon ALL."
Mr. Jukes makes TWO key points:
The first being that the gateway into any NEW form of life is ONLY through death to the OLD
form. That is to say, that the ONLY way into ANY world is by a birth into it, even as the ONLY
way out of ANY world is by a death to it.
We have by sin died to God’s Light-World, to fall into and live in a Spirit-World of darkness. We
must, by the truth, that is, by Christ, die to this dark Spirit-World, to return again to live in God’s
Light-World. The outward birth and death of the body, and ITs’ life, have ONLY to do with the
outward seen world. God told Adam that, "On the DAY he ate of the tree that he would die." Die
he did, from the Divine life with God into the Natural life of this world.
We are told that if we would, "Find our New life with Jesus Christ, that we must Lose our old life
(die to it)." We are told further that, "Unless a grain of wheat will die, it will remain alone." We
enter into the life of heaven through the portal of death from this world. We are also told that the
unrepentant, after judgment, are cast into the Lake of Fire -- which is the "Second Death"
(Romans 6:3-5; 7:4-6; 8:13 ; 1Cor. 15:31,36,37; 2 Cor. 4:11,12).
The second point that Mr. Jukes has to make is simply this, "ALL men will die through God's
Judgment (Law) and be raised to life through His Grace (Mercy) given in Jesus Christ" (2Cor.
5:10; 1 Peter 4:5,17).
Within this ALL, there are two classes (1Cor 15:22-24): First, there are those who are His at His
appearing; those who have allowed God to Judge them in the flesh and have died to the body of
Sin NOW in this life under the Ministration of Grace (Romans 7:4-6).
Page 4
Within the second category, we have those who were cast into the Lake of Fire, the SECOND
death. These found it necessary to be Judged OUTSIDE of the body and die to sin under the Ministration of Judgment.
So it shall be that the Firstfruits, even as Israel in Types and Shadows were to be priests of God
unto the Nations, shall perhaps minister as agents of salvation unto their brethren of the "Latter
Rain" (1Cor. 6:2,3).
Thus shall ALL be purged and purified by Fire; the first group by the fire of the Holy Spirit, the
second group by the fire of Judgment!!! (Math. 3:11,12; Mark 9:49; Luke 12:49; 1 Cor. 3:13-15;
Heb. 12:29)
C.S. Lewis made a point similar to that of Mr. Jukes -- How much more blessed it is to allow
God to kill (destroy) this Man of Sin NOW within our body of flesh, when he can use our flesh
as an instrument of death, than when we have been liberated from this body and He must use
instruments of infinitely greater power to overcome this "Old Man".
I again repeat, that the preceding was but a VERY brief summary of what Andrew Jukes has to
say on this subject. He goes into it in FAR greater detail. I offer this summary merely to whet
your appetite. His, together with the writings of William Law, have done more than those of any
other man to open to my understanding "God's Mystery hidden from ages past", and to clarify
His dealings toward the Salvation and Restoration of ALL men.
If these explanations seem to you unique and "off the beaten path", consider that in the Apostle
Paul's day, he wrote that this "Mystery" was even THEN being unveiled!!
Further, Peter, in 2 Peter 3:15,16, comments that Paul wrote certain things in his letters that are,
"Hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort to their own destruction!"
Do you not think that perhaps He has been, and is continuing to unveil it to those that have "Ears
to hear and Eyes to see??"
The Jews in the days of Jesus COULD NOT and WOULD NOT comprehend the mystery of the
Suffering Messiah!!! Thus He said to them that, "Their house would be left to them desolate until
they could shout -- blessed is He who comes in the name of Jehovah."
You can download a FREE eBook containing the "Collected Works of Andrew Jukes"
at: http://www.totlogcon.com/filejuke.htm
Page 5
CHAPTER TWO *** Extracts From William Law
I add four extracts from William Law, which bear more or less directly on the subject of
the preceding and succeeding pages. Speaking of the fall, he says, ----“I have thus shown the glory of mans original state in Paradise, and the lamentable change that
the fall has brought upon him. From a divine and heavenly creature, he is so wretchedly changed
as to have inwardly the nature and dark fire of the devils, and outwardly the nature of all the
beasts; a slave of this outward world, living at all uncertainties amongst pains, fears, sorrows,
and diseases, till his body is forced to be removed from our sight and hid in the earth.
The reason why even the most profligate persons do not fully know and perceive their souls to be
in this miserable state, is because the soul, though thus fallen, is still united to the blood of a
human body, and therefore the sweet and cheering light of the sun could reach the soul, and do
that for it in some degree, and for some time, which it does to the darkness, sharpness, sourness,
bitterness, and wrath, which is in outward nature; that is, it could enlighten, sweeten, and clear it
in a certain degree. As this is not its own life, that is, it does not arise in the soul itself, but only
reaches it by means of the body, so if the soul has in this present time got no light of its own,
when the death of the body breaks off its communion with the light of this world, the soul is left
mere dark, raging fire, in the state of devils. If therefore the light of this world were to be at once
extinguished, all human souls that are not in some real degree of regeneration would immediately
find themselves to be nothing but the rage of fire and the horror of darkness.
Now, though the light and comfort of this outward world keeps even the worst of men from any
constant, strong sensibility of that wrathful, fiery, dark, and self-tormenting nature, which is the
very essence of every fallen, unregenerate soul, yet every man in the world has more or less frequent and strong intimations given him that so it is with him in the inmost ground of his soul.
How many inventions are some people forced to have recourse to, to keep off a certain inward
uneasiness which they are afraid of, and know not whence it comes. Alas, it is because there is a
fallen spirit, a dark aching fire within them, which has never had its proper relief, and is trying
to discover itself, and calling out for help at every cessation of worldly joy.
Why are some people, when under heavy disappointments or some great worldly shame, at the
very brink of distraction, unable to bear themselves, and desirous of death of any kind ? It is
because worldly light and comforts no longer acting sweetly upon the blood, the soul is left to its
own dark, fiery, raging nature, and would destroy the body at any rate, rather than continue under
such a sensibility of its own wrathful, self-tormenting fire.
Who has not at one time or other felt a sourness, wrath, selfishness, envy, and pride, which he
could not tell what to do with or how to bear, rising up without his consent, casting a blackness
over all his thoughts, and then as suddenly, going off again, either by the cheerfulness of sun and
air, or some agreeable accident, and again at times as suddenly returning upon him? Sufficient
indications are these to every man that there is a dark guest within him, concealed under the
cover of flesh and blood, often lulled asleep by worldly light and amusements, yet such as will, in
spite of everything, show itself, and which, if it have not its proper cure in this life, must be his
torment in eternity. It was because of this hidden hell within us that our blessed Lord said when
Page 6
on earth, and says now to every soul, ‘Come onto me, all you that labor and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest.' For as the soul is become this self-tormenting fire only because the birth
of the Son of God was extinguished in it by our first parents, so there is no other possible remedy for it, either in heaven or earth, but by its coming to this Son of God to be born again of Him.
Oh, poor unbelievers, that content yourselves with this foundation of hell in your nature, or
either seek for no salvation, or, what is worse, turn your backs with disregard on the One Only
Savior that God Himself can help you to. Think not of saving yourselves -- it is no more in your
power than to save the fallen spirits that are in hell. Talk not of the mercy and goodness of God.
His mercy is indeed infinite, and His goodness above all conception; but then the infiniteness of
it consists in this -- that He offered this Savior to mankind, because in the nature of things nothing less than this Savior could redeem them. Therefore, to choose to rely upon some other goodness of God beside that which He has offered to us in Jesus Christ is the most dreadful mistake
that can befall any man, and must, if persevered in, leave him out of the possibility of any kind or
degree of salvation. For as the Son of God is the brightness and glory of the Father, so no soul
made in the likeness of God is capable of any degree of brightness and glory but so far as the
birth of the Son of God is in it. Therefore, to reject this birth, to refuse this method of
redemption, is to reject all the goodness that the Divine Nature itself has for us." (1.)
“Yet the Love that brought forth the existence of all things changes not through the fall of its creatures, but is continually at work to bring back all fallen nature and creature. All that passes for a
time between God and His fallen creature is but one and the same thing, working for one and the
same end, and though this is called ‘wrath’, and that called ‘punishment’, ‘curse’, and ‘death’, it
is all from the beginning to the end nothing but the work of the first creating Love, and means
nothing else, and does nothing else, but those works of purifying fire, which must and alone can
burn away all that dark evil which separates the creature from its first-created union with God.
God's providence, from the fall to the restitution of All things, is doing the same thing as when He
said to the dark chaos of fallen nature, 'Let there be light.' He still says, and will continue saying,
the same thing, till there is no evil of darkness left in nature and creature. God creating, God illuminating, God sanctifying, God threatening and punishing, God forgiving and redeeming, are all
but one and the same essential, immutable, never ceasing working of the Divine Nature. That in
God, which illuminates and glorifies saints and angels in heaven, is that very same working of the
Divine Nature, which wounds, pains, punishes, and purifies, sinners upon earth. Every number of
destroyed sinners, whether thrown by Noah's flood or Sodom's brimstone into the terrible furnace
of a life insensible of anything but new forms of misery until the judgment day, must through the
all-working, all-redeeming love of God, which never ceases, come at last to know that they had
lost and have found again such a God of love as this.
If long and long ages of fiery pain and tormenting darkness fall to the share of many or most of
God's apostate creatures, they will last no longer than till the great fire of God has melted all arrogance into humility, and all that is self has died in the bloody sweat and all-saving cross of Christ,
which will never give up its redeeming power till sin and sinners have no more a name among the
creatures of God. If long ages hereafter can only do that, for a soul departing this life under a load
of sins, which days and nights might have done for a most hardened Pharaoh or a most wicked
Nero while in the body, it is because, when flesh and blood are taken from it, the soul has only the
strong apostate nature of fallen angels, which must have its place in that blackness of darkness of a
fiery wrath that burns in them and in their kingdom.
Page 7
To prevent this and make us children of the resurrection, Jesus Christ, the Only-Begotten Son of
God, came into the world, and died, and rose again for us. Does not this speak plainly enough
what it was that man lost by his fall, namely, the birth of the Son of God in his soul? Therefore,
it was that the Son of God alone, and He only by the cross, could be man's Redeemer." (2.)
"For in very deed, the new birth is a new man, whether Christ for us, or Christ in us, which is
formed by the Divine Word. This new man is ‘he that is born of God and cannot Sin,' because he
has no sin in his nature. This is ‘he that overcometh the world,' because he is of a divine nature, and
is both contrary to the world and above it. This is he who can alone ‘love his brother as himself,'
because the love of God abideth in him.
The old, natural man is of this world, and enlightened only with the light of this world. He is shut
up in his own envy, pride, and wrath, and can only escape from these by the cross of Christ, that is
by dying with Him. This is the ‘self' that our Savior calls on us to deny --- this is the ‘self' that we
are to ‘hate' and 'lose’, that the kingdom of God may come in us, that is, that Gods will may be
done in us. All other sacrifices that we make, whether of worldly goods, honors, or pleasures, are
but small matters compared to that death of self, spiritual as well as natural, which must be made
before our regeneration has its perfect work." (3.)
“Let no one, therefore, take offense at the opening of this mystery, as if it brought anything new
into religion; for it has nothing new in it. It alters no point of gospel-doctrine, but only sets each
article of the old Christian faith upon its true ground, pressing nothing more than this --- namely
the necessity, if we would be saved, of the opening of the life of God within us, and of a death to
that life of self which keeps us far from God. Suffer me therefore, once more, to beseech you, as I
have so often said, not to receive this mystery as a mere notion, nor, as the world has for the most
part done with the Bible, to make it a matter of opinion or speculation. This and every other doctrine is useless, and worse than useless, unless it teaches that Truth can have no real entrance into
you except so far as you die to self and to your earthly nature. The gospel says all this to you in the
plainest words, and the mystery only shows you that the whole system of the universe says the
same thing. To be a true student or disciple of the mystery is to be a disciple of Christ; for it calls
you to nothing but the gospel, and wherever it enters, either into the height or depth of nature, it is
only to confirm those words of Christ, ‘He that followeth me not, walketh in darkness,' and 'Unless a man deny himself, and forsake all that he has, he cannot be my disciple.' This is the philosophy opened in this mystery. It is not to lead you after itself, but to compel you by every truth of
nature to turn to Christ, as the one Way, the one Truth, the one Life and Salvation of the soul; not
as notionally apprehended or historically known, but as experimentally found, living, speaking,
and working, in your soul. Read as long or as much as you will of this mystery, it is all labor lost,
if you intend anything else by it, or would be anything else from it, but a man dead to sin and to
the world, that you may live unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord” (4.)
(1.)
(2.)
(3.)
(4.)
Grounds of Christian Regeneration, pps 11-15.
Address to the Clergy, pps 171-173, slightly abridged.
Grounds of Christian Regeneration, pps 69 and 99.
Way to Divine Knowledge, pps 255-258, abridged.
You can download a FREE eBook containing the "Collected Works of William Law"
at: http://www.totlogcon.com/filelaw.htm
Page 8
CHAPTER THREE ** "ALL-in-ALL", by A. E. Knoch
The following is a brief excerpt from the book "All in All", by A. E. Knock,
pps. 89-97, entitled, "The Salvation of the Unbeliever".
Those who believe are saved by His grace (Rom 4:16). Those who do not believe are saved
through His judgments. In both, however, it is He alone Who is Savior. Faith is but the channel
of grace; it plays no efficient part in salvation. Judgment is but a means which God uses. It does
not remove man's guilt or cleanse a single sin. That is done wholly and solely by the blood of
Christ. Every effort to bring about the ultimate salvation of all through the purgatorial or penitential sufferings of the sinner is a denial of this great truth. Judgments do not save, but the God
Who Judges is also the Savior, and all His dealings with mankind are governed by the grand goal
that He has set before Him -- to become All in All His creatures.
The judgment of unbelievers takes place in the interval between the passing of this present
earth and the creation of the new. Every tie that bound them to earth has been burned up. They
are the subjects of the most astounding miracle ever wrought, having been raised from the
dead. They are in the presence of the Divine Majesty. Their secrets are bared to His awful
gaze. The character of their judgment, being adjusted to their acts, not simply as to severity but
so as to correct them, will reveal God's purpose to save and reconcile them to Himself. This,
followed by their death in the lake of fire and subsequent vivification at the consummation,
becomes a means for their acceptance of Christ.
The salvation of the unbeliever will be by sight, not by faith. Otherwise, it is effected in the
same way as that of the believer, by the word and power and presence of God. In the judgment
day God will judge the hidden things of humanity (Rom 2:16). We are prone to consider this a
mere exhibition of His omniscience to facilitate the trial of the sinner and to insure his condemnation. More than this, it can't avoid having a very powerful effect on the unbeliever's attitude
toward Christ. The change that occurs in the ultimate salvation of the unbeliever is wrought, not
only by his resurrection, but by the august judgment session, when he stands in the presence of
Christ, with all his unbelief swept away by the awful realization of His power and the justice of
His throne. We are asked, "Is it possible for them to repent?" Rather, we would like to know, "Is
it possible for them NOT to repent, or change their minds?" We cannot conceive an unrepentant
sinner before the great white throne.
The apostle Paul's case is of surpassing significance in its bearing on the salvation of unbelievers.
He was the foremost of sinners, and it cannot be denied that, among men, there was no case quite
as desperate as his. All question as to God's ability to save vanishes in the light of his call on the
Damascus road. The miraculous means employed in his case surely would suffice for every one
of God's enemies.
Page 9
Who will deny, on sober reflection, that the appalling power and glory of the august judgment
session into which the unbeliever is ushered by his resurrection will be unutterably more impressive? The apostle's vision passed. He came back to a scene where all was as before. He alone
had changed. The unbeliever sees the power and presence of God not only in his own deliverance from death, but in all around him. The vision does not vanish. The Divine Presence bides.
God's thoughts and man's imaginations are nowhere more at variance than on the subject of
judgment, or punishment. God is love, man is hate. Jonah went through the streets of Nineveh,
crying, "Yet forty days and Nineveh shall be overthrown!" God saw their works, that they turned
from their evil way, and God repented concerning the evil that He said He would do unto them,
and He did it not (Jonah 3). What did Jonah do? Was he not pleased at the success of his mission? Did he not glory in the character of his God? Alas! He was like the majority of the Lord's
people today. Like Jonah, they imagined that God has a streak of hate in His character, and that
He wanted to destroy Nineveh to give it exercise. He had an object, though, in threatening its
destruction. Now that they repented and the object was attained, why should He belie His character and destroy them from sheer vindictiveness?? Jonah thought He ought, and so think those
today whose prototype he was.
Is it not unfortunate that Jonah's God was a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of
great kindness, and repenting of the evil that He had threatened? (Jonah 4:2). What did Jonah
care for Nineveh? What pains had it cost him? What comfort did it bring to him? God, however, looked at it from His standpoint. In it there were sixty thousand souls more in tune with
Him than sulky Jonah. He was their Creator, and He had not created them for naught.
This is God's way with the unbeliever.
Page 10
CHAPTER FOUR **** A Study in Job and Jonah
Not only is a through study of the Book of Jonah an excellent revelation of the perverseness and
hardness of the human heart, but likewise is a through study of the Book of Job. We are all very
willing to judge the vain emptiness of the words of his three quote, "Friends", as did God, but
how about the pompous, self-righteousness of Job's words?? In Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar, we
find the worst elements of deductive reasoning based upon first, "Spiritual Experience", second,
"Tradition of the Elders and the Wisdom of the Silver Head", and third, "Reason and Logic of the
Unregenerate Human Mind". It is God's testimony (Job 42:7) that these three men DID NOT
speak the truth about Him (God).
It is likewise the truth, that the bulk of Christendom DOES NOT speak the truth about God OR
about His Written Word, when they depict Him as a doddering, helpless, discrepant FIEND. This
is what is portrayed of our ALL powerful God: First, He creates a universe in such a way that He
KNOWS that Sin will enter into it, and populates it with beings that He KNOWS will fall victim
to said Sin. To make sure that they WILL fall, He creates a Mighty Tempter (Satan) to seduce
them into it. Then, when His plan is complete, He dispatches His Most Precious Son (the Highest,
Greatest, Most Powerful Expression of Himself) into this Arena of Sin to be the Savior of these,
His children. Surely now, our heart whispers, our God will reveal His mighty arm, His lost sheep
will be redeemed, evil will be vanquished, and the God of Love and Goodness will triumph.
WAIT THOUGH, what is this???? Our ALL powerful God stumbles again, and it is Satan who
emerges victorious!!! Despite all our religious, pious platitudes, SUCH IS THE CASE if Jesus
Christ came only "to OFFER salvation to those who would receive it." Satan DID NOT come
to "Offer damnation", but rather, men are brought into this world as his slaves, WITHOUT
CHOICE!!! According to the creeds of Orthodox Christendom, the "VICTORY" of Christ is
thousands. The "VICTORY" of Satan is tens of thousands!! If this is true, than the scripture
SHOULD NOT read, "Oh Death, where is your sting," but rather, "Oh Christ, where is YOUR
VICTORY???" The worst has not yet come, however. The evening may be dark, but the night
is yet DARKER STILL!!!!
Not content that millions upon millions of his created offspring should suffer under the diabolical torment of this "Prince of Darkness" during their brief sojourn through THIS LIFE, upon their
death they are immediately ushered into his even darker kingdom, without trial or recourse, for
infinitely greater measures of torment for HUNDREDS or even THOUSANDS of years. At the
Crowning Climax of this sordid scene comes the Day of Judgment, when the God of ALL Creation expends power beyond comprehension to snatch millions upon millions of HIS children
from the clutches of death, torment, and the god of Death. At last, we breathe a sigh of relief,
"Now surely the God of ALL Life shall do Justice!!" What, though, was the purpose of this miracle of miracles?? It is so that these lost, tormented, mindless souls might once again be cast into
the PIT, to be tormented without ceasing "unto the ends of eternity", "for ever and ever", "where
the worm never dies and the smoke of their torment rises without end."
THUS SPEAK the PROPHETS of ORTHODOXY !!
Page 11
Is it any wonder then, that the lost do not hear the cries of the ALL-MIGHTY God of Love??? If
Job could denounce his friends for uttering, "empty words without wisdom," what would he say
about these words?? How about, as he said in 13:5; 16:2,3 - "If only you would keep altogether
silent. For you, that would be wisdom! The comfort you give is only torment. Are you going to
keep talking forever??" How about Job though? Was his view of God any better?? No, according
to his words in chapter 16:9-14, I think he to would be right at home among the Traditions of
Christendom. Let us look at a few of his words: "In anger God tears me limb from limb. He
glares at me with hate. God has handed me over to evil men. I was living in peace, but God took
me by the throat and battered me and crushed me. God uses me for target practice and shoots
arrows at me from every side -- arrows that pierce and wound me; and EVEN THEN HE
SHOWS NO PITY!! He wounds me again and again; he attacks me like a solider gone mad with
hate." Job repeats these and similar accusations against God in many other verses.
The problem goes deeper than merely the response of the unsaved, however. Deep in their inner
hearts and minds, (hearts and minds, though corrupted, yet still fashioned by the God of
Creation), God's OWN CHILDREN, if they truly reflect upon these things, rebel against such
contradictory lies. They create unsupported, unbiblical "Back Doors", through which to escape
from these inexplicable contradictions. The mind wrestles with questions such as: "How can a
God of Love condemn innocent babies, children, and the mentally retarded to an eternity of unimaginable torment??" To answer questions that have no biblical answer according to Orthodox
interpretation, we invent such fantasies as "the age of accountability", "moral responsibility",
"mortal and venial sins", and "infant baptism". To the perplexities of questions such as: "What
happened to all mankind before Jesus Christ came?", "What about all the heathen cultures which
never heard the name of Jesus?", "Shall a common thief receive the SAME judgment as a
Hitler?", or "Is it Justice to condemn ANY creature to an ENDLESS Eternity of Unimaginable
Torment for a brief duration of sin??" we answer with the all encompassing platitude, "GOD IS
JUST!!" If the Orthodox interpretation of such scriptures as, "NOW is the Day of Salvation", "It
is appointed unto men to die ONCE, and after that the Judgment", and unless you "Confess Jesus
with your Mouth and Believe in your Heart, you CAN NOT be saved", God is going to have to
be a lot more than merely JUST to solve this dilemma that WE HAVE MANUFACTURED!!
No, Jesus summed up the problem when He condemned the Pharisees with these words, "By
YOUR Dogmas and Doctrines of MEN, you have rendered the WORD of God useless." Concerning the ultimate fate of mankind, has the BULK of His Church done any differently????
REJOICE OH HEART, however, for God HAS seen fit to unravel this mystery in His
Word!!! It is there for those who will seek for it as for fine gold. It will be found by those who
prefer the Glory of God to the Glory of Men. It will be sought after by those looking not for
rewards from Ecclesiastical Organizations, but rather, to hear from God, "Well done good and
faithful servant." It will be treasured by those who are NOT concerned about the scorn or rejection of men, but are looking for a heavenly treasure that CAN NOT be taken away. If, on the
other hand, you value more the praise and commendation of Religious Societies, then you have
your reward. I will attempt, in the pages that follow, to present with logic and reason, some of the
truths which God has seen fit to reveal to me regarding His dealings in Judgment and Salvation,
toward the ultimate goal of ----------------
The Reconciliation of ALL !!!!!.
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CHAPTER FIVE * Christ Triumphant , by Thomas Allin
The following is an excerpt from the book, "Christ Triumphant",
by Thomas Allin, pps. 220-224 and 312-316.
We now turn to an examination of the very many passages in the New Testament that clearly
declare, or imply, the salvation of all men -- how numerous these are we shall see. The time has
fully come for appealing with all boldness on behalf of the larger hope, alike to the letter and the
spirit of the New Testament. One thing only I ask, which common fairness and honesty require,
that our Lord and His Evangelists and Apostles may be understood to mean what they say. Thus,
we shall look at a FEW instances out of MANY. When they speak of all men, I assume them to
mean ALL men, and not some men. When they speak of all things, I assume them to mean ALL
things. When they speak of life and salvation as given to the world, I assume them to mean
GIVEN, and not merely offered. When they speak of the destruction of death, of the devil, and of
the works of the devil, I assume them to mean that these shall be DESTROYED and not preserved for ever in hell. When they tell us that the whole of Creation suffers but that it shall be
delivered, I assume that they mean an ACTUAL deliverance of all created things. When they tell
us that Redemption is wider, broader, and stronger than the Fall, I assume that they mean to tell
us at least this, that ALL the evil caused by the Fall shall be swept away. When they describe
Christ's empire as extending over all things and all creatures, and tell us that every tongue must
join in homage to Him, I assume them to mean what these words convey in their ordinary sense.
If I did not, should I not be making God a liar???
What does the traditional creed require? It practically requires a MUTILATED BIBLE. More than
this, it bids us to expunge precisely that which is most noble and divine in Holy Scripture. I have
no desire to ignore "the Terrors of the Lord" ---- I do insist, however, that those teachers misread
Holy Scripture who forgets that its essential purpose is to unfold His name, Who is "our Father",
and to proclaim His full victory in the extinction of all evil, and not in its perpetuation in hell. I
protest against teaching that "All" means in scriptural phrase absolutely "All" when some evil is
foretold, but that "All" means only "some" when spoken of final salvation. So rooted is this most
inequitable mode of interpretation, that it has become involuntary. The restitution of all things
means, we are told, that only some beings are to be restored, while some are tortured for ever, or
annihilated. That God shall be finally "All in All" means that He will shut up many for ever in
endless evil, to blaspheme and hate Him eternally, and only save the rest. That His tender mercies are over all His works means, in the ordinary creed, that His tender mercies expire at the
gates of hell. Solemn as is the question, there is something almost ludicrous, when we find those
who so teach, then turning around to charge us with evading the words of Scripture.
I submit that the entire history of exegesis contains no stranger fact than this persistent ignoring of
so large a part of the New Testament. To bring this out clearly, I append the following chain of
passages from a long series. They, clearly and closely linked, claim for Christ a saving empire
coextensive with the race, or (perhaps) rather with the whole universe. This connection is clearly
Page 13
marked, for each passage suggests or contains the same central idea, and thus forms a link in a
continuous chain. This chain begins at creation, when all things were created by Christ, who therefore, as S. PAUL implies, reconciles (re-creates) all things unto God -- Col. 1:16-20. Hence, His
work is the restitution of all things -- Acts 3:21. He is Heir of all things -- Heb. 1:2. In him all
nations are to be blessed -- Gal. 3:8. The Father has given Him authority over all flesh, to give to
whatsoever was given to Him eternal life -- S. John 17:2 (see original). So all flesh shall see the salvation of God -- S. Luke 3:6. For God, Whose counsel is immutable -- Heb. 6:17,18, Whose attitude towards His enemies is love unchanging -- S. Luke 6:27-35, will have all men to be saved -- 1
Tim. 2:4, and all to come to repentance -- 2 Pet. 3:9. He has shut all up unto unbelief, so that He
may show mercy upon all -- Rom. 11:32. For (out) of Him, as Source, and unto (or into) Him, as
End, are all things whatsoever -- Rom. 11:36. He has, therefore, put all things in subjection under
Christ's feet -- Eph. 1:22. So we are assured that God will gather into one all things in Christ -- Eph.
1:10. His grace comes upon all men unto justification of life -- Rom. 5:18. So Jesus, knowing that
the Father had given all things into His hands -- S.Jno. 13:3, promises by His Cross to draw all men
unto Himself -- S. John. 12:32. For having, as stated, received all things from the Father -- S.Jno.
3:35, all that was given comes to Him, and He loses none -- S. John. 6:37-39, but if any stray, goes
after that which is lost till He finds it -- S. Luke 15:4, and so makes all things new -- Rev. 21:5.
Thus, He comes so that the world through Him may be saved -- S. John. 3:17. His grace brings
salvation to all men -- Tit. 2:11. He takes away the sin of the world -- S. John. 1:29. He gives His
flesh for its life -- S. John. 6:51. Because the gifts and calling of God are without repentance (are
irrevocable) -- Rom. 11:29, He gives life to the world -- S. John. 6:33. He is the Light of the world
-- S. John. 8:12. He is the propitiation for the sins of the whole world -- 1 John. 2:2. He is the Savior of all men -- 1 Tim. 4:10. He destroys the works of the devil, not some of them only -- 1 Jno.
3:8, and the devil himself -- Heb. 2:14. He abolishes death -- 2 Tim. 1:10. He is manifested to put
away sin -- Heb. 9:26, and thus subdues all things unto Himself -- Phil 3:21 (the context clearly
shows this subjugation to be conformity to Himself). He does not forget the dead, but takes the
gospel to Hades -- 1 Pet. 3:19, of which He holds the keys -- Rev. 1:18. He is the same (Savior)
for ever -- Heb. 13:8. Thus, even the dead are evangelized -- 1Pet. 4:6, and death and Hades
destroyed -- Rev 20:14. All are therefore made alive in Him -- 1Cor. 15:22. Christ finishes, completes His work -- S. John. 17:4, restores all things -- Acts 3:21, and there is no more curse -- Rev.
22:2,3. Every knee of things in heaven and earth, and under the earth, bends to Him -- Phil. 2:10.
The creation is delivered from the bondage of corruption -- Rom. 8:21, and every creature joins in
the song of praise -- Rev. 5:13. So comes the END, when He delivers up the Kingdom to God,
Who is then ALL IN ALL -- 1Cor. 15:24-28.
These passages are, I repeat, not taken at random and piled up any way. They are the expression
of that Purpose that runs though the Bible. It is a Purpose first stated in man's creation in God's
image; a Purpose to be traced in the Law, the Psalms and Prophets; and most clearly in the New
Testament. From it we learn that (I.) Christ came, claiming as His own the entire human race, to
the end that He might save and restore the WHOLE, and not any fraction of it, however large.
(II.) He came with full power "over all flesh", having received power in heaven and on earth -over all hearts, all evil, all wills. (III.) He lived and died, and rose again, victorious in the fullest
sense, "having FINISHED His work," as He expressly claims.
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Thus, to deny the absolute universality of Christ's redeeming sway, as destined to embrace ALL
SOULS AND ALL THINGS WHATSOEVER, seems no less than to withdraw from the New
Testament an essential and vital part of its teaching. For here we are not dealing with some few
passages, in which it might be possible to say that "ALL" was used in a lax sense. We have a
connected series in which link follows link, a series in which the actual, not the potential, universality of Christ's kingdom is the center and essential thought. Let us now consider a little more in
detail, the passages themselves, taking them in their natural and fair meaning, not obscured by
traditional gloss.
"FOR THE SON OF MAN IS COME TO SAVE THAT WHICH WAS LOST."
S. Matt 18:11.
Here the question is simply this, will Jesus Christ do what He has come to do, or will He fail -as the traditional creed, in spite of all denials, indubitably teaches?? Will He save that which was
lost and not some of the lost merely, a totally different thing?? How can "that which was lost" be
saved, if any soul be finally lost??
Lastly, a chapter has been devoted to pointing out how full the New Testament is of passages too
often explained away, and yet teaching, or implying, the final salvation of all. So important is this
evidence, that I here append a brief summary. We have seen how to Christ is assigned a kingdom
absolutely without bound or limit, how all flesh shall see the salvation He gives. You have read
how the Good Shepherd seeks on, till each sheep He has lost is found, and how the Son of Man
came to seek and to save, not some of the lost, but simply "that which was lost". This might also
be rendered, "the destroyed", so little does "destruction" involve final loss. His mission is exactly
described as having for its object the salvation of the world, and He is said to take away the sin of
the whole world. Do these terms represent a partial salvation? Are they honestly consistent with
it? Again, it is said all things have been given to the Son, and that all that is so given shall come
to Him. He is repeatedly described as the "Savior of the world", which yet He does not save on
the popular view. He is called the "Light the world". He is said not to offer, but to give life to the
world, a totally different thing. He says (no words can be more absolute), speaking of His Cross,
that He will draw all men unto Himself. He adds, that He came not to judge, but to save the
World. Can you, on any fair theory of the meaning of human language, reconcile all this with the
horrors of endless evil? If the sin of the whole world be taken away, how shall there be a hell for
its endless punishment. If all things without exception (the original is the widest possible) are
given to Christ, and all so given to Him shall come to Him, can you reconcile this with unending
misery? Let us go on, however. We find language employed by the Evangelists quite as decisive
against the popular creed as that just quoted. When, for instance, we read in S. John how God's
Son was manifested for the very purpose of destroying the works of the Devil, we are forced to
inquire if that is consistent by any possibility with preserving these works in hell for ever? Is
there no significance in Christ's telling us that He is "alive unto the ages", and has the keys of hell
and death? Then again, what do the promises to make all things new, and that there shall be no
more curse or pain mean? If these be not promises of universal restoration, what are they? Lastly,
ponder over the vision of the Apocalypse, where every creature in heaven, on earth, and under
the earth (the dead), joins in the song of praise to God. Can you truly say that anything less than a
universal salvation can satisfy the plain sense of these words!!
Page 15
To (virtually) evade such words is bad enough, but having done so, to charge universalists with
fearing to appeal to Scripture is surely not fair. Take next, a very large body of fresh passages
teaching the larger hope, from the Epistles of S. Paul, S. Peter, and Hebrews. S. Paul, especially,
is full of glowing anticipation of the assured triumph of Christ's kingdom over all evil. Thus
ABRAHAM is to receive the world and no less as His portion, i.e., in the elect, all are to be
saved. Whatever sin has done to injure man is to be more than repaired by the grace of Christ. Is
it, however, possible to undo all that sin has done, if a single soul (1.) be left in endless evil?
Would not S. Paul be speaking untruly in such a case? Surely a fair answer is due to this inquiry
(even though a fair answer seems to lead to Universalism ). Further, the Apostle says that the
whole creation shall be delivered into the glorious liberty of God's children. Again, all Israel is to
be saved (and being the first fruits, their salvation involves that of the entire world). The Apostle
affirms that God's gifts and calling are without repentance (irrevocable). This is very significant,
for what is the popular creed but an assertion that God's gifts can be set at naught finally. Further,
what S. Paul asserts is echoed in the Epistle to the Hebrews, which assures us of the immutability of God's counsel. Again, if God has shut up all in unbelief, it is, as S. Paul says, that He
may have mercy upon all. Does "all" mean "some" in the latter clause, and not in the former??
Again, he assures us that if the first ADAM brought death universally, then the last ADAM
brings universal life, and that if sin abounds, much more shall grace abound. However, in saying that the last ADAM has failed in myriads of cases to undo the evil caused by the Fall, you
are giving these words a flat contradiction. Then, as to Christ's empire, we are told that to Him
every knee shall bow, i.e., "All creation, all things, whatsoever and wheresoever may be." -(LIGHTFOOT on Phil. 2:10) and every tongue confess -- the original term means thanksgiving,
rather, is the very term used of our Lord's giving His Father thanks -- S.Matt 11:25. Finally, we
are told that one day -- at the End -- God shall be All in All. It is the Father's good pleasure to
sum up all things in Christ, to reconcile all things unto Himself through Christ. Are we indeed
to believe that anything can be reconciled to God by being consigned to hopeless evil? For it is
a virtual, if unconscious, evasion to say that all things are reconciled to God, if, after countless
generations have sent their contingents to the devil, some one generation and those succeeding
it, shall be fully saved. Further, the Apostle assures us that the living God is the Savior of all,
that Jesus Christ has abolished death, and that the grace of God brings salvation to all men. Are
these statements fairly consistent with a partial salvation? Why also, do our opponents never
allude to the noble and most inspiring hope, suggested by such a passage as Rom. 11:36?
S. Peter, too, speaks to the same effect. He tells of Christ's preaching the Gospel to the dead, who
had been disobedient and died -- a story whose significance is the greatest possible, as indicating
how behind the veil Christ works on to heal and to save even those who died in sin. He adds, that
the Lord is not willing that any should perish. Is God's deliberate counsel -- such is the original
word -- to come to nothing? Then, in the Epistle to the Hebrews, we have this same remarkable testimony, e.g., the assertion that all things are to be put under Christ. It is stated that His object in
dying was to destroy the devil -- that once, at the conclusion of the ages, He has appeared to put
away, i.e., abolish sin by His sacrifice of Himself. Can anyone explain how the abolition of sin can
Page 16
be consistent with maintaining evil in hell for ever? Thus, the traditional creed seems to stand hopelessly opposed to the teaching of Scripture. Does it not almost deny God Himself, because if we are
to believe in God at all, there is no room for a defeated God. Therefore, either God really wills to
save all men, and if so, He will assuredly accomplish this, or He does not so will. The first proposition involves the larger hope -- the second is mere Calvinism. I can see no rational alternative.
Such is a brief outline of the teaching of the New Testament, for I have not quoted all its promises of universal salvation. It is no case of building upon Eastern metaphors, of dogma resting
upon mistranslations or misconceptions of the original, as in the case of the traditional creed. It
is evidence, clear and unambiguous, and repeated. We have without doubt line upon line, promise upon promise, assertions reiterated, accumulated, yet amid all their variety, closely linked
and pointing to one central thought. This thought is none less than the completeness of the triumph of Jesus Christ!! It includes the boundless nature of His saving empire over all, to the
assurance of a victory won by His Incarnation, His death, and His Resurrection over all the
powers of evil.
"The Father willed through Christ to reconcile the universe once more unto Himself, and so
to restore all things whatsoever and wheresoever they be." -- LIGHTFOOT on Col. 1:19,20.
You can download a FREE eBook, "Christ Triumphant", by Thomas Allin at:
http://www.totlogcon.com/filealin.htm
The True Meaning of the Words " Aion " and " Aionios "
Let us next consider the true meaning of the words "aion" and "aionios." *1 These are the originals
of the terms rendered by our translators "everlasting," "for ever and ever:" and on this translations,
so misleading, a vast portion of the popular dogma of endless torment is built up. I say, without
hesitation, misleading and incorrect; for aion means "an age," a limited period, whether long or
short, though often of indefinite length; and the adjective aionios means "of the age," "age-long,"
"aeonian," and never "everlasting" (of its own proper force), it is true that it may be applied as an
epithet to things that are endless, but the idea of endlessness in all such cases comes not from the
epithet, but only because it is inherent in the object to which the epithet is applied, as in the case of
God. Much has been written on the import of the aeonian (eternal) life. Altogether to exclude,
(with MAURICE) the notion of time seems impracticable, and opposed to the general usage of the
New Testament (and of the Septuagint). But while this is so, we may fully recognize that the
phrase "eternal life" (aeonian life) does at times pass into a region above time, a region wholly
moral and spiritual. Thus, in S. John, the aeonian life (eternal life), of which he speaks, is a life not
measured by duration, but a life in the unseen, life in God. Thus, e.g., God's commandment is life
eternal. -- John 12:50. To know Him is life eternal, -- John. 17:3, and Christ is the eternal life. -- I
John 1:2; 5:20. Admitting, then, the usual reference of aionios to time, we note in the word a tendency to rise above this idea, to denote quality, rather than quantity, to indicate the true, the spiritual, in opposition to the unreal, or the earthly. In this sense the eternal is now and here.
Page 17
Thus "eternal" punishment is one thing, and "everlasting" punishment a very different thing, and
so it is that our Revisers have substituted for "everlasting" the word "eternal" in every passage in
the New Testament, where aionios is the original word. Further, if we take the term strictly, eternal
punishment is impossible, for the "eternal" in strictness has no beginning.
Again, a point of great importance is this, that it would have been impossible for the Jews, as it is
impossible for us, to accept Christ, except by assigning a limited -- nay, a very limited duration -to those Mosaic ordinances which were said in the Old Testament to be "for ever," to be "everlasting" (aeonian). Every line of the New Testament, nay, the very existence of Christianity is
thus in fact a proof of the limited sense of aionios in Scripture. Our Baptism in the name of Jesus
Christ, our Holy Communion, every prayer uttered in a Christian Church, or in our homes, in the
name of the Lord Jesus: our hopes of being "for ever with the Lord" -- these contain one and all
in an affirmation most real, though tacit, of the temporary sense of aionios.
As a further illustration of the meaning of aion and aionios, let me point out that in the Greek
version of the Old Testament (the Septuagint) -- in common use among the Jews in Our Lord's
time, from which He and the Apostles usually quoted, and whose authority, therefore, should be
decisive on this point -- these terms are repeatedly applied to things that have long ceased to
exist. Thus the ARONIC priesthood is said to be "everlasting," Num. 25:13. The land of Canaan
is given as an "everlasting" possession, and "for ever," Gen. 17:8, and 13:15. In Deut. 23:3, "for
ever" is distinctly made an equivalent to "even to the tenth generation." In Lam. 5:19, "for ever
and ever" is the equivalent of from "generation to generation." The inhabitants of Palestine are to
be bondsmen "for ever," Lev. 25:46. In Num. 18:19, the heave offerings of the holy things are a
covenant "for ever." CALEB obtains his inheritance "for ever," Josh. 14:9. And DAVID'S seed is
to endure "for ever," his throne "for ever," his house "for ever;" nay, the Passover is to endure
"for ever;" and in Isaiah 32:14, the forts and towers shall be "dens for ever, until the spirit be
poured upon us." So in Jude 7, Sodom and Gomorrah are said to be suffering the vengeance of
eternal (aeonian) fire, i.e., their temporal overthrow by fire, for they have a definite promise of
final restoration. -- Ez. 16:55.
Christ's kingdom is to last "for ever," yet we are distinctly told that this very kingdom is to end. -I Cor. 15:24. Indeed, quotation might be added to quotation, both from the Bible and from early
*2 authors, to prove this limited meaning of aion and its derivatives; but enough has probably
been said to prove that it is wholly impossible, and indeed absurd, to contend that any idea of
endless duration is necessarily or commonly implied by either aion or aionios.
Further, if this translation of aionios as "eternal," in the sense of endless, be correct, aion must
mean eternity, i.e., endless duration. But so to render it would reduce Scripture to an absurdity. In
the first place, you would have over and over again to talk of the "eternity's." We can comprehend what "eternity" is, but what are the "eternity's?" You cannot have more than one eternity.
Let me state the dilemma clearly. Aion either means endless duration as its necessary, or at least
its ordinary significance, or it does not. If it does, the following difficulties at once arise:
1 -- How, if it mean an endless period, can aion have a plural?
Page 18
2 -- How came such phrases to be used as those repeatedly occurring in Scripture, where
aion is added to aion, if aion is of itself infinite?
3 -- How come such phrases as for the "aion" or aions and BEYOND? -- ton aiona kai ep
aiona kai eti: eis tous aionas kai eti. -- See (Sept.) Ex. 15:18; Dan. 12:3; Micah 4:5.
4 -- How is it that we repeatedly read of the end of the aion? -- Matt. 13:39,40,49; 24:3;
28:20; I Cor. 10:11; Heb. 9:26.
5 -- Finally, if aion be infinite, why is it applied over and over to what is strictly finite? e.g.,
Mark 4:19; Acts 3:21; Rom. 12:2; I Cor. 1:20, 2:20, 2:6, 3:18, 10:11, etc. But if an aion be not
definite, what right have we to render the adjective aionios (which depends for its meaning on
aion) by the terms "eternal" (when used as the equivalent of "endless") and "everlasting?"
Indeed our translators have really done further hurt to those who can only read their English Bible.
They have, wholly obscured a very important doctrine, that of "the ages." This when fully understood throws a flood of light on the plan of redemption, and the method of the divine working.
In these repeated instances [of the different combinations of the terms aion and aionios in the
Greek] there must be some definite purpose in the use of these peculiar terms; and we must
deeply regret the unfairness and inconsistency which in the case of aion mars and renders unfair
our versions. Thus it would be interesting to ask on what principle our Revisers have in one brief
epistle employed FIVE different words (or phrases) to translate this one word, aion, e.g., Eph. i.
21; ii. 2,7; iii. 11, 21, e.g., "world," "course," "age," "eternal," "for ever." Such are the devious
ways of our teachers, and our translators.
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
*1 "The word by itself, whether adjective or substantive, never means endless." -Canon FARRAR.
"The conception of eternity, in the Semitic languages, is that of a long duration and series of
ages." -- Rev J. S. BLUNT -- Dictionary of Theology.
"'Tis notoriously known," says Bishop Rust, "that the Jews, whether writing in Hebrew or Greek,
do by olam (the Hebrew word corresponding to aion), and aion mean any remarkable period and
duration, whether it be of life, or dispensation, or polity." "The word aion is never used in Scripture, or anywhere else, in the sense of endlessness (vulgarly called eternity, it always meant, both
in Scripture and out, a period of time; else how could it have a plural -- how could you talk of the
aeons and aeons of aeons as the Scripture does? -- C. KINGSLEY.
So the secular games, celebrated every century were called "eternal" by the Greeks. -- See HUET,
Orig. ii. pg. 162.
*2 Thus JOSEPHUS calls "aeonian," the temple of Herod, which was actually destroyed when he
wrote. PHILO never uses aionios of endless duration.
You can download a FREE eBook containing "Christ Triumphant", by Thomas Allin at:
http://www.totlogcon.com/filealin.htm
Page 19
CHAPTER SIX ****** TRUTH vs. "Sacred Cows"
The following treatise will be an expansion of the outline appearing at the end of this book. If
you wish a very quick overview of the Biblical validity of my assertions, or to search out for
yourself the scriptural references that I will be using, the outline will be an excellent reference
tool. Since no intelligent discussion of any subject can be carried on unless all parties involved
attach the same meaning and frame of reference to the symbols and words of the language being
employed, I will begin my writing by conducting a brief Concordant Inquiry into a few of the key
Hebrew and Greek expressions that we will be dealing with. Please DO NOT let the idea of considering the Hebrew and Greek languages of the Holy Scripture overwhelm you. It is NOT necessary that you be able to read either Hebrew nor Greek in order to follow what I will be
discussing. What IS necessary is an open heart, a teachable spirit, and a hunger to know the God
of Creation and of the Holy Bible -------- the FATHER GOD !
Over the centuries, God has continually made available to man greater measures of revelation
and better tools to search and understand His Word, to the end that we might KNOW HIM who
is beyond human comprehension in a greater, deeper way. This work (this book) owes a great
debt of gratitude to a number of these tools. The first tool is the work and ministry of a man by
name of Adolph Ernst Knock, and the ministry that represents his life work and love, the Concordant Publishing Concern. Out of this ministry came a Bible Translation called the Concordant
Literal New (and Old) Testament and the writings and insight of A.E. Knoch and many other
authors. The second tool of TREMENDOUS value to the layman such as myself is the computer,
together with computerized Bible Translations, Lexicons, and Concordances. There are currently
many, many excellent computer bible research programs, but one that I use and heartily recommend is called "The Word". It is available with a number of FREE Bible Modules (as well as
others for a fee), together with both Hebrew and Greek Lexicons, and a Concordance keyed to
the Strong's numbers. If you have never used a Computer Bible, this one will revolutionize your
Biblical Research. What may have previously taken you hours will now take minutes!!! As I
mentioned in the beginning of this book, the Concordant Ministry also has their Old and New
Testaments on computer disk. If you would like more information on how to effectively and
inexpensively use this tool, please contact me. ...................... Now to begin !!
As I stated earlier, our first task is going to be to clarify some very confused Biblical words, and
to lay a common foundation so that we might both be thinking the same thoughts and talking the
same language. The following discussion IS NOT going to based upon emotional, religious
rhetoric. It is rather going to be based upon THINKING, logic, scholarship, study, reason, and the
scientific method of cause and effect, premise and conclusion -- All of these being keyed to and
having their foundation in God's written revelation of Himself, the Holy Bible. If this prospect does not appeal to you -- If you are not willing to examine God's word with an unbiased
heart and a willingness to abandon all ideas and concepts that can not be reconciled to a dissection of that word, no matter how dear and cherished they may be -- Then you would probably be
well advised to quit reading now before your spirit becomes offended. Jesus said that HE is the
Way, the Truth, and the Light. He also said that we CAN NOT truly know Him (and therefore
can not know the Father) if we prefer the doctrines, dogmas, and traditions of MEN!!
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In John 3:19, the Bible makes a startling statement -- It says that, "Light came into the world, but
that men PREFERRED the darkness!!" It also says in Romans Chapter 1 that men's minds
became darkened because, "They did not see fit to honor God as Truly GOD."
The first and hardest concept that we are going to have to reach a common understanding on
before we can continue any further is the idea, as stated in the "KJV" and others, as "Eternal",
"Forever", and "Forever and Ever". Neither the Hebrew nor the Greek knows any such concept!!! I am not going to devote a great deal of space to this idea because A.E. Knoch has
many excellent, in depth studies available through the Concordant Ministry. The most complete of these is: “The Greek Word ‘Aion - Aionios’, Translated ‘Everlasting - Eternal’”, by
Rev. John Hanson. Simply write them at the address given in the beginning of this book and
ask for their Order Blank. If you plan to continue beyond this point, I also strongly encourage
you to order a copy of their Literal New Testament. If you have, or have access to a
computer, it would be of tremendous help for you to order a copy of "The Word", so that you
may research my points for yourself. You will never really understand or believe what I am
going to be presenting unless you are interested enough to do so. In fact, I DO NOT want you
to believe on my word alone. Why should you -- Who am I -- You don't know me ???
There is already enough emotional, brainwashing rhetoric in the Body of Christ without my
adding to the supply!! What I desire is to provoke in you a Holy Spirit fueled hunger, that
like the Bereans, you will seek out these things for yourself. Thus may God use one or many
of you to go BEYOND what He has already revealed of Himself and His purpose to men of
the past, and reveal new facets of His "Mystery Hidden from Ages Past". If I lose you at this
point, may God richly bless your life and grant to you grace that, "The eyes of your heart
might be enlightened so that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the
riches of His glorious inheritance in the Saints, and His incomparably great power for us
who believe." Eph. 1:18,19
In the Greek Scriptures, the word rendered "Eternal" in the "KJV" is the word "Aeon" (Strong's
Reference # 165), which denotes an age or an indeterminate period of time. The exact length of
time is of no importance for our discussion. That this is so is born out by the fact that the word is
translated "age" twice in the "KJV" and many times more in other translations. The word rendered "Everlasting" and "Forever" is the adjective of this word, "Aeonian" (# 166). My outline
will give you the exact number of different words that the "KJV" uses to translate these two
words. That these words can NOT possibly denote the concept of "Eternity" as we have come to
give it meaning may be born out by looking at a number of scriptures. These passages ascribe to
the "Aeons" both beginning and end, as well as indicating that there is more than ONE "Aeon" in
Gods timetable. Please refer to the outline. Another interesting contradiction of our revered
"KJV" may be seen in IC2 and IC3. One speaks of "a world without end" and the other speaks of
"the end of the world". Now which is it??? A sane, rational mind would agree that BOTH can not
be right. The "KJV" also tells us that there was a time BEFORE the "Eternity(s)" began???
An informative definition of the words AEON and AEONIAN is obtained from the American
Heritage Dictionary, Version 3.5. See following:
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ae·on (¶÷¼n÷, ¶÷÷n) n. Variant of eon. e·on also ae·on (¶÷¼n÷, ¶÷÷n) --n. 1. An indefinitely
long period of time; an age. 2. The longest division of geologic time, containing two or more
eras. [Late Latin ae½n, from Greek ai½n. See aiw- below.]
ae·o·ni·an (¶-½÷n¶-÷n) adj. Variant of eonian. e·o·ni·an also ae·o·ni·an (¶-½÷n¶-÷n) --adj. Of,
relating to, or constituting an eon.
aiw-. Important derivatives are: no1, ever, every, never, medieval, age, eternal, eon. aiw-. Vital
force, life, long life, eternity; also ÷endowed with the acme of vital force, young.÷ 1.a. NO1, from
Old English ³, ever; b. AUGHT1, from Old English ³wiht, ³uht, anything, ÷ever a creature÷; c.
EVER; EVERY, NEVER, from Old English Æfre (second element obscure), ever; d. AYE2; NAY,
from Old Norse ei, ever. a, c, and d all from extended form in Germanic *aiwi; b from Germanic
*aiwi ÿ *wihti, ÷ever a thing, anything÷ (*wihti-, thing; see wekti-). 2.a. Suffixed form *aiw-o-.
COEVAL, LONGEVITY, MEDIEVAL, PRIMEVAL, from Latin aevum, age, eternity; b. suffixed
form *aiwo-t³(ti)-. AGE; COETANEOUS, from Latin aet³s (stem aet³ti-), age; c. suffixed form
*aiwo-t-erno-. ETERNAL; SEMPITERNAL, from Latin aeternus, eternal. 3. Suffixed form *aiwen-. EON, from Greek ai½n, age, vital force. [Pokorny aiø- 17.] See also *yuwen- under yeu-.
More than this, I don't wish to say on this subject at this time, other than that God is working
through a series of "ages" or "Aeons" to accomplish His purpose (Eph. 3:11), and that
none of these ages is "Eternal". If we can agree so far, we can go on. If we can not agree,
than we BOTH have a problem. My problem will be that most of what I have to say will be to
you Heresy and/or foolishness since we will NOT have a common frame of reference. Your
problem will be that, given your meaning of the words under consideration, much of God's Word
is contradictory and foolish, and makes no rational sense (if that is important to you) !!!
The second concept that we are going to examine is the time honored tradition of man's
"Free Will". I propose to demonstrate that God has bestowed upon man the dignity of
"choice", NOT "Free Will". Free Will to me implies a self-determinate sovereignty. If man
DOES NOT posses this self-determination, than his will IS NOT FREE, for it is subject to
the control and/or influence of one or more outside and/or inner forces. Also, if man has a
"Free Will", then I contend that Satan, a being FAR greater in power and glory than man,
must also most certainly have a "Free Will". If you hold the orthodox interpretation of this
doctrine to be true, then I assert that we do NOT have ONE supreme, sovereign GOD, but
rather THREE Sovereign, Independent, Self-determinate Beings who fit our theological definitions of "gods". Consider the ultimate implication of this position. If a puny creature like
Man can resist, contradict, and thwart God's will, then surely Satan can do likewise. If this is
true, than God IS NOT in control of the universe no matter WHAT word tricks you may pull
out of your theological bag!! If God does NOT have ultimate and absolute control over the
universe and all that is in it, what assurances do you or I have that He can really accomplish
that which He promises?? How do we know after we get to "Heaven" that sin may not break
out into the universe again?? What confidence do we have that Satan might not escape from
the Lake of Fire and seduce some other world into sin?? Whatever your opinion on this subject may be, God's Word most certainly DOES NOT support such a concept.
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If you subscribe to the current crop of platitudes such as, "The Holy Spirit is a gentleman" and,
"God never forces anyone to do anything," you are going to be greatly shocked and at a loss to
explain some of His clear declarations in His Word. Take for instance Isaiah 43:13, where God
clearly proclaims, "I Am God. I do as I wish, and who can withstand Me?" He (God) repeats this
assertion in Isaiah 46:10 where He proclaims, " I make known the end from the beginning, from
ancient times, what is still to come. I say: MY PURPOSE WILL STAND, and I will DO ALL
THAT I PLEASE." It seems that Job, in the book bearing his name, had a similar exalted opinion of himself and Man in general, as does Orthodox Christianity today. He felt that surely, if
God would only give him a chance, he could explain a few things and straighten God out on certain matters. Finally, when he DID get a chance to talk with God face-to-face, the outcome was
that Job's view of himself was properly adjusted. He was brought to see that previously, he had
spoken ONLY from secondhand knowledge of things he had heard from others and really knew
nothing about himself. Now that he had seen and heard God in person, he realized just how
small, weak, and ignorant he really was. If you will refer to the scriptures in Item II of the outline,
you will readily see that what is portrayed in God's Word is that there is but ONE FREE WILL,
and that belongs to God alone. He states quite emphatically that ALL wills and ALL creatures
move in conformity to the council and dictates of HIS WILL. We may BELIEVE that we are
making independent choices based upon our "Free Will", but God is there, constantly working
behind the scene to move ALL according to the council of HIS Will and Purpose (Eph. 1:11).
While I will admit that our human vanity, pride, and ego may chafe under this truth, that does
NOT render it any-the-less true!! So strongly is this "Ego-Need" to be in control entrenched
within Man's heart, that he has substituted for the scripture of Rom 3:4, "Let God be true though
every man be a liar," HIS rendering of, "Let God's Word be made a lie so that MAN's word may
be true!" The Apostle Paul goes to great pains, especially in the Book of Galatians, to establish
that Salvation is purely the work of God alone, requiring NO contribution from Man. He stresses
over and over that it was a work finished from, "before the Ages began", totally complete and
lacking in nothing -- a gift bestowed by a loving God upon His Lost and Wayward Children!!
Jesus states repeatedly that for THIS purpose was He sent, "To seek and save that which was
lost." Yet, in the arrogance and conceit of his egotistical heart, Man insists that it is HE who must
hunt for and seek after God until HE (Man) finds Him!! Then, by great labor in penitence and
many "Good Works", he must secure and maintain this "Gift of Salvation". Even the more
enlightened souls pride themselves upon the fact that THEY were "Wise and Intelligent" enough
to see the wickedness of their ways and to grasp hold of this bounty of salvation. This, even
though Jesus also stated very clearly that, "No man can come to me unless the Father draws that
man." This fact is further emphasized by the Apostle Paul in Romans 3:11,12 where he states,
"NO ONE seeks after God ..... there is NO ONE who does good, NOT EVEN ONE." I don't
know how much clearer God can make it than in Rom.9:16 where He emphatically states that, "It
does NOT depend upon man's desire or effort, but on God's mercy." The absolute need of establishing this truth firmly in our mind will become clear as my arguments continue.
See "The Problem of Evil and the Judgments of God," by A. E. Knock, pps. 121-144 for a
superb discussion of this matter of Wills.
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Third in our line of inquiry today is the concept of "Hell". In the "KJV" and other versions,
this one English word is used to render four different Greek and Hebrew words. They are
"Sheol" in the Old Testament, (the New Testament equivalent is "Hades"),
"Gehenna", and "Tartarus". In the OT, Sheol carries the concept of "the unseen or the
imperceptible", and this idea is carried into the NT by the word "Hades". This may be seen
where quotations from the OT that used the word "Sheol" are rendered "Hades" There is NO
Biblical warrant (except for ONE very figurative example in Luke 16:23) for considering
"Sheol" or "Hades" as a place of torment or punishment, as both the just as well as the unjust
went there at death. A fine example of the bias of the "KJV" is in Acts 2:27,31, where they
have the Soul of Jesus after His crucifixion in "HELL" (Hades).
"Gehenna", also known as "The Valley of Hinnom", was a refuse dump south of Jerusalem used
to burn and dispose of garbage and dead carcasses. "Tartarus", used only one time in the Bible
(Peter 2:4), appears to be a prison where the sinning angels are being held until the Day of Judgment. Another place lumped into the classic "Hell" by many Christians is "The Lake of Fire" of
Revelations. This is, however, a distinctly different place with a distinctly different purpose. A
rather interesting scripture is Rev 20:14, "Death and HELL were thrown into the Lake of Fire."
If the Lake of Fire is merely another name for "Hell", how could it be thrown into itself?? If it IS
NOT "Hell", then what is it and what is its purpose??
The Biblical function of "HELL", or Sheol and Hades, seems to be as the resting place for the
dead when the Spirit of God is separated from the body, and the "Soul" or "Sensations" ceases.
There the just await the "Last Trump of Christ", when they shall be called forth and raised
immortal, and the unjust await the Great White Throne Judgment.
This was of necessity a VERY brief and sketchy discourse on the vital subject of Death and
"Hell". For much greater depth, I highly recommend "Death, Resurrection, and Immortality,"
by Joseph E. Kirk, available from the Concordant Publishing Concern.
The forth "Sacred Cow" that we are going to investigate is that of "Man's Immortality" or the
theological doctrine of the "Immortality of the Soul". When Satan tempted Eve (and Adam)
in the Garden of Eden, he offered them the duel lie "You shall NOT DIE and you shall be
like God." Human philosophy and Orthodox Theology have propagated these lies down to
the present day!! Man says that mankind is Immortal, i.e., that we have "Immortal Souls"
(whatever a "Soul" separated from Body and Spirit might be). He says that upon death, this
"Immortal Soul" either goes to be with God, or passes on into the regions of "Hell" to be tormented by Satan and his legions for "Eternity" or "Forever and Ever". As usual, God's Word
portrays a different scenario.
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First, in the beginning (Gen 3:22,23), God drove Adam OUT of The Garden of Eden, that, "He
might NOT live forever !!" He says in 1Tim 6:15,16 that there is ONE ONLY who is immortal,
and that is God. He says further, that immortality has been revealed or brought to man through
His Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ (2 Tim 1:10). The Bible states that the dead in Christ shall
be MADE alive (quickened). It is this power from Christ, imparted to us, that grants immortality
(see Strong's reference 2227, 11 occurrences). Finally, let's take a look at 1Cor 15:53-55, where
the context is concerned with the Last Trumpet, when the dead in Christ shall be raised and the
living in Christ shall be changed. Here is the unmistakable assertion that we, who are MORTAL
and CORRUPTIBLE, must put on IMMORTALITY AND INCORRUPTION!! It also states quite
clearly that, "The dead in Christ shall be RAISED." If they have already ascended upon death to be
with the Lord, where are they being RAISED from??? Finally, at the consummation of the ages,
the last enemy, Death, will finally be destroyed. Until that time, it would appear that Death is still
very much "alive" and active, continuing to claim his victims. It might also be noted that in Luke
20:26, Jesus states that those taking part in the age to come and the resurrection from the dead,
"Will no longer be able to die." I contend, along with many clear assertions of God's Word, that at
death we DIE. Our body returns to the ground, our Spirit returns to God, and our soul returns to
Sheol (Hades) or the Unseen, awaiting the resurrection. Then, the just will be raised and granted
Immortality, never to die again, and the unjust will be raised to judgment. More on this subject,
and the importance of it to our line of reasoning, will be unveiled as we continue.
The fifth travesty of translation (or better MIStranslation) that we are going to investigate is
the word "Judgment", and the BIBLICAL concept of judgment versus that which exists in
the minds of modern man. To the minds of most men today, "Judgment - Condemnation and Damnation" are synonyms (they mean the same thing). The "KJV" uses these three
words to translate the same Greek word (Strong's Ref. # 2920). It is automatically assumed
that, when God brings men before Himself for "Judgment", it is REALLY for the purpose of
accusing, condemning, punishing, and damning!! Thus it may come as a severe shock for us
to consider that the BIBLICAL concept of the word "Judge and Judgment" is in reality one
of correcting injustice or making right that which is wrong. It is NOT damnation BUT correction. This was the purpose of God in appointing Judges in Israel to render Judgment to
the people. Discipline would be closer in meaning, but that word has also been twisted and
distorted in the minds of men today.
We may thank our revered "KJV" in great part for hiding this concept behind a thick veil of confusion and misapprehension. The word "Judgment" appears 285 times in the Old and New Testaments. It is used to render NO LESS than 24 different Greek words (see outline). The two
Strong's Ref. #'s that we are going to consider here (for time and space sake) are 04941 in the OT
and it's NT equivalent 2920. That 2920 corresponds to 04941 may be seen from the NT quotes of
OT passages. Three examples are Isa 42:1 to Math 12:18, Isa 42:3 to Math 12:20, and Isa 53:8 to
Acts 8:33. If you have any doubt as to the personal bias of the "KJV" translators, consider that in
44 passages, 2920 is rendered "Judgment". Then, where it suits their theology in Math 23:33,
Mark 3:29, and John 5:29, they render the SAME word "Damnation" !!!!
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It is my contention, based upon a concordant analysis of the Word of God, that the PRIMARY
meaning of "Judgment" when executed by God is toward Correction. That is, it is Remedial,
with the aim of setting right that which is wrong, of making straight that which is crooked, or
of bringing forth Justice from INjustice. In the OT, many of the passages that use the word
"Judgment" from Strong's # 04941 (which is the primary one we are considering at this time)
tie it together with executing Justice and doing Right (Gen 18:19,25; 1 Cron 18:14). Both
the Books of Psalms and Proverbs speak of "Judgment" as something to be desired and beneficial, like Wisdom. The Book of Isaiah is particularly instructive in this respect. Many times
God reprimands Jerusalem because He looked for Justice, Mercy, Righteous, and JUDGMENT
to be found there -- and THEY WERE NOT. Therefore, He says, He will purge her of her
dross and sins with a Spirit of JUDGMENT, then she will return to Him as the spotless bride
that He intended her to be.
God's ENTIRE dealings with the nation of Israel were a Parable in which He reveals His purpose and heart in Judgment. He calls it His "Strange Work" and His "Alien Task" (Isa. 28:21).
Judgment IS NOT God's ordinary dealing with His creation, but rather His EXTRAordinary!!
The history of Israel and almost ALL the utterances of His OT Prophets show forth His heart
regarding judgment. Jer 30:12 - 31:14 is a prime example demonstrating this heart. First, He
condemns Israel for her wickedness, telling her that, "Your wound is incurable, your injury
beyond healing, there is NO remedy for your sore, NO healing for you." Then He makes sure
that Israel clearly understands that it was NOT some outside enemy or foreign invader that did
these things to her, but that it was GOD Himself who was responsible. He clarifies that it is
also NOT some vindictive act of vengeance, but is done for her healing and restoration. He
comforts her with the promise that, "I will restore your health and heal your wounds. I will
have compassion on you and restore your fortunes." Why will He do this?? God assures Israel
that it is because, "I have loved you with an everlasting love and have drawn you with cords of
loving-kindness to build you up again." I ask you, "If this is God's heart in the temporal, would
it NOT most certainly also be His heart in the much greater spiritual??"
On this passage, I conclude my point. In Type and Shadow, the OT teaches that God's "Judgment"
IS NOT Damnation - It is the Spirit of Cleansing and Restoration. YES, in certain cases God's Judgment may be severe, VERY Severe. It is non-the-less NOT Damnation, nor is it "Eternal". When it
has done the work for which it was intended, the blessed results are reconciliation and fellowship
with God.
Please reference "The Problem of Evil and the Judgments of God", by A. E. Knock, pps. 227-344,
for an Excellent, in-depth analysis of this subject.
You say that you believe that every word in the Bible is to be taken literally. You assert loudly that
EVERY word, from Genesis to Revelation is absolutely true. You blithely proclaim that there are
NO contradictions in God's Holy Word. Fantastic!! Let us now look at some of the, "Dark Sayings
of God" -- the things "Hard to Understand", and see how they fit into your theology.
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If "Aeon" means "Eternity" or "Forever" (What "Forever-and-Ever" might mean is another point
worthy of earnest thought); If the unbeliever is to be tormented in the Orthodox "Hell" for this
"Eternity" ; If the fate of the unbeliever is sealed at their death ; If Mankind TRULY has a
"FREE and UNassailable Will"; And if God creates ONLY that which WE deem "GOOD" -then I offer the following passages for your learned comments. Refer to the outline, Item IV:
1. Throughout MUCH of the "OLD Testament", especially the Book of Isaiah, and particularly Isa.
45:7 and 54:16, we are presented with a very real dilemma according to Orthodox Theology. IF IT
IS TRUE that God creates ONLY that which we as humans would label as "GOOD", and then
Satan is responsible for taking that "GOOD" and twisting it into what we call "EVIL", these verses
will require some VERY imaginative interpretation. For here God, speaking through the prophet
Isaiah, loudly and triumphantly proclaims that it is HE HIMSELF who creates BOTH Light AND
Darkness; Peace (or Wellness) AND Evil (or Wickedness). He goes on to say that HE is responsible for creating the Blacksmith who forms the Weapons of War and that HE created the Destroyer
to wreck Havoc.
It will do NO GOOD, as some translations and some Bible Teachers have done, to attempt to
retranslate the word "EVIL" so as to remove its Moral implications by using words like "Disaster", etc. This subterfuge is nothing short of AN OUTRIGHT LIE !! Anyone with a Concordance
can check to verify that the word rendered "Evil" in the "KJV" is Strong's #07451. This word is
the basic word of the OT used to denote Evil and Wickedness, and is so rendered "Evil" 442
times and "Wickedness" 59 times. By contrast, the word rendered "Peace" in the "KJV" is
Strong's #07965, and is translated as "Peace" 175 times and as "Well" 14 times.
2. Math 12:32 - this verse refers to the sin against the Holy Spirit. Is it perhaps possible,
from the wording of this verse, that there might be forgiveness for OTHER SINS in the Age
(World) to come. Also, I sincerely pray that there may be forgiveness for the translators of the
"KJV" for their unwarranted rendering of the word "Aeon" at this point as "World". Perhaps
it was because even THEY did not think that it made sense to write "In this Eternity or the
Eternity to come."
3. Luke 12:46-48 - Since this parable is comparing an earthly master to our Heavenly Master,
the question that comes to mind is, "Will there be varying degrees of torment in "Hell"?? However, if a moments logical reflection is given to the matter, it will have to be conceded that
ANY degree of torment, extended into "Eternity", becomes infinite in magnitude. How then,
can you have varying degrees of infinity??
Page 27
4. John 9:1-5 - This passage presents rather a perplexing difficulty. Here, JESUS HIMSELF
asserts that God brought a man into life, blind from birth, so that He (God) might USE this man as
an instrument to work through and to display Himself to the world through. This would seem to
cast somewhat of a blot upon the "Theory of Free Will"
5. Acts 2:27,31 - After His ordeal of betrayal, torture, humiliation, and crucifixion, when even
the Heavenly Father turned His back on Him, was the "Soul" of Jesus REALLY committed to
"Hell"?? Was this the just deserts for the spotless Lamb of God after He triumphantly proclaimed, "It is finished!!" If Jesus did go to "Hell", then I ask you, "For what purpose??"
6. Romans 2:14-16 - Is it possible that, on the Day of Judgment, those who have done "by
nature" the things written in the Law will be excused for certain parts of their conduct?? Also, if
man has a totally "depraved" or "sinful nature", how can he keep any of God's Law "by nature"??
7. Romans 9:16-23 - Here we are faced with one of those scriptures, about which, if we read it in
the context of Orthodox Doctrine, it needs truly be said that, "Seeing they DID NOT see and hearing , they DID NOT hear." Paul emphatically states that God raised up Pharaoh of Egypt specifically to fulfill His (God's) purpose, namely, that he might be a vessel through whom God,
"Might display to the world His Power and thereby, His name might be proclaimed in ALL the
earth." Paul goes on to say that therefore, "God has mercy on whom He wants to have mercy, and
HARDENS WHOM HE WANTS TO HARDEN!!"
What is the standard interpretation of God's dealings with Pharaoh, however?? It is that Pharaoh
hardened HIS OWN heart using HIS OWN "Free Will". Therefore, God was "Just" in continuing
to pour out His plagues and judgments on Egypt. I again point out to you, "This IS NOT what Paul
is saying!! He is saying that God planed and orchestrated this entire episode with Pharaoh in order
to fulfill His (God's) own preordained purpose. Orthodoxy counters, "But HOW could a merciful
God coerce a man into doing something, and then turn around and JUDGE him for it?" The
Scripture gives us only ONE answer, "God has mercy on whom He wants to have mercy ...."
Therein, also, lies OUR problem. WE would seek to JUDGE God by OUR standards, rather than
bow in subjection before Him who is Creator AND Owner. The question is, "Will we trust God
to be God?" The scriptures also assure us that, "God has shut up ALL in stubbornness, that He
may have mercy upon ALL." (Rom. 11:32). Let us , therefore, wait for Him to do it in His time
and in His Way.
8. 1 Peter 3:18-20 and 4:6 - These passages present some REAL difficulties for Orthodox Exegesis. They claim, in clear English, that Jesus went and preached to those Spirits who were in
prison and to the DEAD.
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CHAPTER SEVEN ****** Prelude and Summary
At long last we reach the CLIMAX of this book, the point to which ALL the preceding was
merely preparatory. It is here that we will approach the Grand Declaration of God's Holy
Word, namely, that His ultimate intention is nothing less than the "Reconciliation of ALL
Things". In Eph 1:10; Col 1:20; and Philp 2:10,11, He clearly states, if we have eyes to see
and a heart to believe, that this ALL refers to things in Heaven, things ON the earth, and
things UNDER the earth. This certainly seems to encompass God's WHOLE creation!! In
other words, if we will look past our unbelief, past our hardness of heart, past the traditions
and the dogmas of man, and finally, past the prejudices of Orthodoxy, we will see that the
true heart of God's Word is ..................................
UNIVERSAL RECONCILIATION or UNIVERSAL SALVATION.
If you have stayed with me to this point in the book and have followed the sequence of arguments that I have lain before you, I am going to ask one final indulgence of you. That is that
you will CAREFULLY consider the sequence of scriptural passages that I am going to conclude with. Dwell upon them, meditate upon them, let them sink deep into your mind like the
life-giving spring rains, dissect them and inspect them. When you have done all this, if the
English language has any meaning and words mean what we say that they do, then, though you
MAY NOT YET agree with me, you WILL have to agree that there is some vast discrepancy
between these clear declarations of the Bible (God's Word) and Orthodox Doctrine (Man's
word). I entreat you again, not for my sake (for who am I but one of MANY of God's spokesmen?) but for yours. It is my sole desire that your heart might be set free from the fear and
prejudice of Man's Doctrines, and be released into the freedom to soar to greater heights of
knowing God and understanding His Grand Purpose!!!!
Don't let the heart of the Pharisee dwell in your breast. Contrary to how they are often portrayed
by the Church, many of the Pharisees were good, devout and holy men as pertaining to the Law.
Their weakness was that they preferred the, "Praise of Men over the Praise of God". They
allowed their human Dogmas, Doctrines, and Prejudices to DISPLACE and REPLACE God's
Word and a vital relationship to Him. Thus were their, "Ears stopped and their Eyes blinded",
and when their long awaited Messiah DID come, they neither COULD nor WOULD acknowledge Him because He DID NOT comply with THEIR Religious System!!! Before we begin this
grand consummation, allow me to repeat, by way of refreshment, a number of key points that
have previously been established:
1. God has divided this era of His dealing with Man into a number of "Aeons" or ages. These
consist of various and/or undefined periods of time. The exact number of "Aeons" is not important right now, though there seems to be Biblical support for the number FIVE. Also, the number
of years in each "Aeon" does not in any way affect our stream of discussion. What IS important is
that God's redemptive dealings with Man ARE NOT "ETERNAL", but take place within the
sphere of these various "Aeons". Thus, the unbeliever does not suffer "Eternal Damnation", but
rather Judgment and "Aeonian" or age-abiding chastisement.
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2. Neither Man nor Satan has "Free Will" as it is commonly understood (or better misunderstood), but rather has freedom of choice, with God more than able to work behind the scene
to direct and influence said "choosing". Thus God, as He repeatedly proclaims in His Word
(and as WE repeatedly ignore), moves ALL things according to the council of HIS WILL. As
Shakespeare so aptly put it, "All the world is a stage, and the people merely players." This
DOES NOT make us puppets, but it DOES make us merely Creatures (and NOT gods as we
would like to think) in the hands of our Creator. We are the clay in the hands of the great potter, fashioned according to HIS design and purpose.
3. God's "Judgment" IS NOT vindictive punishment. It is most certainly NOT the angry outburst
of a frustrated, impotent God against an unruly creation that has broken free from the will of its
weaker Creator!!!! Judgment is the ultimate tool in the hand of the Great Potter to restore His
cracked and broken creation back to beauty and usefulness. It is the Good Shepherd finding and
restoring the "Black Sheep" back to the fold. It is the Loving and Ever-patient Father, bringing
the Prodigal once more into the family.
4. "Hell" is NOT a place of "Eternal" torment where "the worm dies not and the flame never
ceases", Judgment IS NOT vindictive torment, and man does NOT inherently posses immortality.
Upon his death, man's body returns to the earth, his spirit returns to God, and his soul returns to
Sheol, Hades, or the "Unseen", awaiting the resurrection. At the "Last Trumpet", believers will be
raised to meet our Lord in the air where we will be granted Spiritual bodies, with the resulting
immortality. Unbelievers will await the "Great White Throne Judgment". There, their sins will be
"Judged", and they themselves will be dealt with in such a way as to effect their final restoration.
They will then be cast into the "Lake of Fire, which is the Second Death", awaiting the consummation at the end of the "Aeons".
5. Thus will ALL be saved by the "Blood of the Sacrifice of the Lamb", Jesus Christ. Believers
are saved during this "Aeon" of Grace by Faith in Him whom we have not seen and in His Word.
Our sins are purged by the "Fire of the Holy Spirit" working in us NOW. Unbelievers will be
saved by Sight and by Judgment in the day of the "Great White Throne". Their sins will be
purged by the fires of Judgment on that day when "Heaven and Earth shall flee from the face of
Him who sits upon the throne," and all things shall be exposed to His and their gaze. Thus shall
WE reign and rule with Him during the last two "Aeons", while the unbelievers shall, during this
time, be cast into the "Lake of Fire". Finally, at the end of the "Aeons", shall come the grand consummation. At last sin, death, suffering, and pain shall be no more, ALL shall be made alive and
restored to fellowship with their Father and Creator, and God shall fulfill His Word. He shall
finally be ALL in ALL of His Creatures!!!
As we reach the consummation of this book, we are going to spend the remainder of the time
analyzing in detail a large number of scriptures that explicitly state this Glorious Goal. These can
only be denied by deliberate intent. They ARE NOT ambiguous or "Dark Sayings", but are quit
the contrary clear and concise expressions of the English language. You MAY choose to disbelieve them and cling rather to your own doctrine. God has given you this option. You CAN NOT,
however, say that they do not exist or really do NOT say what the seem to say.
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If these scriptures do not say what the clear rendering of English would attribute to them, then
NONE of the scriptures can be relied upon to say anything meaningful, for the English language
will have lost any meaning!! If this is the case, then your faith rests upon NOTHING, and you
are the most foolish and wretched of men (or women) !!!
Before beginning the investigation of the aforementioned scriptures, I want to address two
pointed questions for your consideration. The first is for the fathers among my readers. I
appeal to the love in your fallen human nature that you have for your own children. Before you
say that you can't reason from man to God, I would remind you that Jesus thought otherwise.
In Math 7:11, He asks , "If YOU, being wicked, know how to give good gifts to YOUR children, will not our Heavenly Father do MUCH MORE for HIS Children?" Which of you
fathers, if you had the power to change the situation, would rest content to watch as EVEN
ONE of your offspring writhed in the torment of "ENDLESS FIRE"? Yet it says of Jesus in
Isaiah 53:11, "He will see the result of the suffering of His soul, and be SATISFIED." BE
SATISFIED, with not ONE of his offspring in the torments of "Hell", but millions upon untold
millions!!! There is something seriously wrong with your concept of Love, let alone with
your concept of God, if you can truly believe this!!!
It says in 1Tim 2:4 that God, "Wills that ALL men be saved." It DOES NOT say "Wishes",
but "Wills". Ephesians 1:11 also says that God, "Works ALL things according to the purpose of
HIS Will." In the teaching of Orthodox Christianity, this leads to one of two conclusions -- Either
the Holy Scriptures lie, and God REALLY Wills that untold millions should burn in the torments of
"Hell", or, despite all of the empty claims of Christendom regarding the Sovereignty and AllEncompassing Power of its "god", He is really only a second-rate deity, overruled and frustrated in
His "desires" by the much stronger wills of Satan and MAN. If such is the case, it would appear that
Satan's taunt toward Eve was quite correct when he promised her that, "She would be as God." In
reality, she has EXCEEDED God, in that her will is superior to His !!!" Such is the "god" that
Orthodox Christendom is proud to worship and exalt in. In truth, salvation becomes NOT HIS
work, but rather MY work. He only OFFERS salvation. Ultimately, it is wholly up to me to grasp
hold of it and to preserve for a lifetime, for a "god" who is shackled by MY WILL can certainly
NOT be depended upon to insure my ultimate deliverance. Well, I praise God with my whole heart
that He, by His Sovereign Grace, has opened my eyes and heart to see the truth that, though this
might be YOUR "god", it is most surely NOT the Great "I AM" of the Holy Scriptures!!!
The second point that I would have you to meditate upon came by way of a Prophetic Utterance during a worship service at the church I attend. It was a challenge to the assembly NOT to
diminish HIS power by OUR lack of faith and/or excess of arrogance. The question that was
poised by God to us was as follows: "When I reached out my arm to redeem YOU, was YOUR
heart less wicked than that of other men? Did YOU posses a greater level of goodness and
righteous in My sight than other men? Were YOU less in need of MY Grace and Salvation, or
perhaps LESS LOST and rebellious than other men? Was there perhaps some GOOD THING
IN YOU that brought about YOUR redemption??" If you would say, "NO, I was as ALL of
Adam's Children, equally in need and equally lost," then I ask you, 'If MY Love and Grace
were sufficient to redeem YOU, why then do you say in your heart that they can not
redeem ALL MEN???'"
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CHAPTER EIGHT ****** Paul's Soaring Logic
With these points for you to ponder upon, we will now move into a consideration of the concluding scriptures. The scriptures for this final dissertation will be found in the outline Item VII.
There they are listed in Scripture order, but I am going to group them according to thought for
our discussion. The first set of passages that we are going to consider begins with Romans
5:12-21 and 1 Cor 15:22. They are both FIRST in order and FIRST in significance to the theme
under scrutiny. The Apostle Paul at this point rises to profound heights of mathematical logic as
he labors to prove that the extent of redemption not only equals but EXCEEDS the extent of sin.
His argument may be broken down into the following points:
1. Sin entered into the world through ONE man -- Adam. Through him, sin was passed through
to ALL the rest of his descendants, or to ALL humanity. After Adam, NO ONE had a choice in
the matter. They ALL came into the world as Sinners.
2. Jesus Christ, the SECOND Adam, came to nullify or undo the damage that the first Adam
brought upon his race.
3. The Second Adam bears the same relationship to the human race, that of Father or procreator,
as did the First Adam. Therefore, the results of HIS actions will be AT LEAST as inclusive as
those of the First Adam.
4. Paul, however, claims that the results of the work of the Second Adam will FAR EXCEED
those of the First Adam.
5. What were the respective gifts of the two Adams?? Through the First Adam SIN and DEATH
spread to ALL MEN. Verse 15 states that by the trespass of the one man (Adam) the "MANY"
died. Now let me ask you clearly -- Who are the "MANY"?? If the "MANY" does NOT refer to
ALL humanity, then you are telling me that there were some SINLESS beings that Jesus DID
NOT need to die for. However, Romans 3:23 and 5:12 say that ALL have sinned. Also, make a
clear note of this -- This "MANY" DID NOT have to do anything to be constituted sinners. It was
their inheritance from their father, Adam !!
6. Verse 19 goes on to say that IN LIKE MANNER, or according to the same rule or principle,
the gift of the Second Adam will overflow to this SAME "MANY". If the "MANY" that received
the gift of the First Adam means ALL of Humanity, by what possible manner of reasoning can
you make the "MANY" that receive of the gift of the Second Adam to be anything less than ALL
of humanity?? What is the gift of the Second Adam? It is nothing less than that the "MANY"
shall be JUSTIFIED and made RIGHTEOUS!!!
7. Paul says, if our hearts and faith can be stretched to believe and receive it, that the gift of Jesus
Christ will bring EVEN GREATER GLORY than this. He says that the "gift IS NOT like the trespass." The disobedience of ONE MAN brought death to the "MANY". How much greater weight
of glory will be released into the universe by the OBEDIENCE of the ONE MAN, Jesus Christ??
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8. In closing, it is noteworthy that Orthodox Christianity makes Paul to be a liar on this point, and
the Obedience of Christ to be a trifling thing compared to the Disobedience of Adam. According
to them, Adam's sin brought death and destruction to ALL men, while the GLORY of the Father
will, in reality, impart Life and Righteous to only a VERY SMALL handful of humanity.
9. (1Cor 15:22) sums this point up quite explicitly. It states that, "As in Adam ALL die, so in
Christ shall ALL be made alive." Perhaps at this point you will defend your doctrine of "Eternal
Damnation" by insisting that even those in "Hell" are alive. Then I ask YOU, "Can they be 'in
Hell' and be 'in Christ' at the same time??" As I read the Scripture, it asserts that to be "in Christ"
is to be connected to the Life of the Vine (Jesus Christ), to have the impartation of the Holy
Spirit, and to be partakers of all of the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit. In other words, it is to
have "Resurrection Life and Immortality". As Paul further states in 2Cor 5:17, "If ANYONE is
IN CHRIST, he is a NEW Creature (Creation). The old has passed away."
10. This line of reasoning is also contained in Isaiah 53:11,12, where Isaiah is foretelling the suffering of the Messiah. Here he states that the Messiah will justify "MANY", as He will bear the
sins of this same "MANY".
Moving along, we meet with another of Paul's mathematical -- logical arguments in Romans
6:5-8 linked with 2 Cor 5:14. I would like to regress a moment for the sake of the mathematically
minded among my readers, and consider the form of his logic on this point. It is the same form
that he used in the previous point. Paul uses an algebraic formula that says if D=A, and D=B,
and D=C, then D=A=B=C. Here is the analysis of Paul's reasoning based upon Romans 6:5-8
and 2 Cor 5:14:
D= IF we have been united with Him in HIS Death (or we have died with Him).
A= We shall be freed from sin
B= We will be united with Him in His Resurrection.
C= We will also Live with Him.
2 Cor 5:14 goes on to make the Glorious Assertion which the LOVE of CHRIST compels us to
proclaim, namely, "That we are CONVINCED that one (Jesus Christ) DID indeed die for ALL,
therefore, ALL have died." Theorem D is therefore true, "That we HAVE ALL been united with
Him in His death." It therefore follows that Theorems A, B and C need also be true: that, "We
have ALL been freed from Sin," "We ALL will be united with Him in His Resurrection," and
"We will ALL live with Him." As in 1Cor 15:23, however, "Each in his own turn."
The theological mechanics of exactly HOW ALL Humanity died, first in Adam and secondly in
Christ, are outside the scope of our present discussion. However, I am sure that you at least ACCEPT
the fact that in the First Adam all died, rendering ALL Humanity sinful (you MUST believe this if
you are an Orthodox Christian). This being the case, you are then COMPELLED to accept that in
the Second Adam ALL died again, with the result being Justification to ALL Humanity.
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CHAPTER NINE ****** To "Seek" Or To SAVE
The Apostle Paul makes an impressive and enlightening statement in 1 Tim 1:15,16, where he
states, "Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves FULL ACCEPTANCE: Christ Jesus
came into the world to SAVE SINNERS -- of whom I am the WORST. But for that very
reason, I was shown mercy, so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display His UNLIMITED patience as an EXAMPLE for those who would believe on him
and receive 'Aeonian' life." Talk about a scripture pregnant with revelation!!!! Let us take
some time and outline a number of the key issues that Paul raises here. Apparently, Paul feels
that what he is unveiling here is of PARAMOUNT importance, as he begins by pointing out
that what he is about to say is worthy of FULL acceptance. What is worthy of Full Acceptance?? That Jesus came into the world to SAVE SINNERS!!! You say, "Of course,
ALL Christians believe that." I ask you, however, to follow closely to what I am about
to lay before you and see if, in reality, "ALL Christians" REALLY believe this, and
whether this point has anywhere near "FULL acceptance".
Both Jesus Himself and the Apostle Paul state that He (Jesus) came to, "Seek and to SAVE that
which was LOST" Luke 19:10 (Consider also the parables of the Lost Sheep and the Lost Coin in
Luke 15:3-10. It states clearly that the Seeker in the parables continues to seek "UNTIL He may
be finding that which was lost !!"). As I have pointed out earlier, Paul states in 1Tim 2:4 that,
"God WILLS that ALL men be saved." Now I put the following question to you plainly and challenge you for an Honest, Intelligent answer. The question is simply this, "Would not a sane,
rational, intelligent man (or woman) find it exceedingly strange that an ALL powerful, ALL
knowing, ALL loving, SOVEREIGN God who claims that what He decrees none can contradict,
and who governs the Universe according to the 'Council of His Will', would fail as miserably in
His avowed purpose as Orthodox Christianity proclaims???" If it is true that He came to actually
SAVE the lost (which is what the Word of God states) and not merely to make an "Offer of Salvation" to those with the inner strength and goodness to accept it (which is what Orthodox Christianity claims to be true), then any man with an eye to see will have to confess that Jesus failed
miserably in His Mission. According to the Theology of "Eternal Damnation", those who are the
deepest in Sin, those who are the MOST LOST, those who are the Greatest Sinners, are precisely
those who ARE NOT found and saved!! Jesus denounced the self righteous Pharisees by reminding them that He DID NOT come for the righteous but for SINNERS. These self-righteous Christians also need this reminder, it would appear. Paul announced that Jesus called and saved him,
the WORST of SINNERS, as an example of His (God's) UNLIMITED Grace and Patience.
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Least you claim that I am merely wresting selected Scriptures out of context to support my claim,
let us look further. It seems to have been the peculiar characteristic of the Pharisees to MAJOR in
the "Letter of the Law" and to totally overlook the weightier matter of the "Spirit of the Law".
Let us as Christians beware that we do not succumb to the SAME TRAP. Take heed that you DO
NOT allow certain passages to totally overshadow and nullify the Spirit of the ENTIRE BIBLE.
I would say that the Entire Theme of the Old Testament could be summed up by this passage from Lamentations 3:31-33, "For men ARE NOT cast off by the Lord forever. Though
He brings grief, He will show COMPASSION." Surely this knowledge was what kept the
Nation of Israel going during their long periods of desolation. They knew that though the Lord
God would chastise them severely for their Sin and Rebellion against Him, yet there would come a
day when He would tenderly draw them back to Himself again. They knew this because it was His
constant message to them through His Prophets!!
What then is God's Revelation to men in the New Testament? Is it to be LESS than that of the Old
Testament?? The Apostle John begins his Letter with the words in verse 1:29, "Behold the Lamb of
God, who takes away the Sins of the WORLD." This is further amplified by Jesus Himself when
He proclaims in John 12:31,32, "If I am lifted up, I will draw ALL MEN to Myself." The Apostle
Paul has MUCH to say on this theme. In 1Tim. 2:5,6 he testifies that Jesus, "Gave Himself as a
Ransom for ALL." In 1Tim. 4:9,10 he states that Jesus, "Is the Savior of ALL men, ESPECIALLY
of believers." How, I ask you, can this verse be interpreted to EXCLUDE unbelievers?? The author
of the Book of Hebrews adds to this weight of testimony the statement in Heb. 2:9 that, "Jesus
tasted death for the sake of EVERYONE." In 1 John 4:14, the Apostle John again reminds us that,
"The Father sent His Son to be the Savior of the WORLD."
It would appear, at least in MY mind, that if Jesus came with the avowed purpose to SAVE ALL
MEN (or the World), then He will SAVE ALL MEN. If He does NOT, I can think of only TWO
reasons. The first would be that He and the Father LIED, and that was never really their purpose.
The second would be that He and the Father were too WEAK to accomplish their stated purpose.
They were overpowered by Satan and Man's Sin, and therefore, they FAILED. Are YOU ready to
subscribe to one of these two reasons why untold multitudes of those that the Father sent Jesus to
save should ROT FOR "ETERNITY" in the "Flames of Eternal Hell", particularly in light of the
fact that it states in 2 Peter 3:9 that God, "Is NOT WILLING that ANY should perish??"
Three more enlightening scriptures, worthy of "full consideration", are Heb. 9:26, 1 John 2:1,2,
and 1 John 3:8. If Jesus, "Appeared to DO AWAY with sin," and His mission was successful,
how then can SIN multiply and fester unto "ALL ETERNITY" in the "Pit of HELL"? Secondly,
if Jesus is REALLY, "The Propitiation .... for the sins of the WHOLE WORLD," how is it that
most of this WORLD will have to pay the price for their sins themselves for "Eternity in Hell"??
Now this word "Propitiation" is an interesting religious word. It is rendered in the OT by the
expression "Mercy Seat". This was the place where, once a year on the Day of Atonement, the
High Priest sprinkled the blood of the sacrificial lamb as a covering (or forgiveness) for the sins
of the people of Israel.
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Take note -- if you were a member of the Nation of Israel, you did not need to do anything for
your sins to be covered. God accepted the work of the High Priest and of the Blood on your
behalf. It says in the verse under scrutiny that the High Priest, Jesus Christ, sprinkled HIS Blood
for the sins of the WHOLE WORLD. The word Propitiation is also defined to mean "an
APPEASING sacrifice unto God". If, therefore, God has been appeased (or reconciled) toward
the WHOLE World, why does He insist upon "pouring out His wrath and fury upon those in
'Hell' (and for 'Eternity' no less)??"
Another very revealing "Type and Shadow" from the Old Testament is the concept of the
"Kinsman Redeemer" and the "Year of Jubilee". It seems God provided that, if an Israelite
should, due to unfortunate circumstances, be forced to sell himself as a slave or servant, he
could be redeemed by a relative. Should this NOT occur, in the "Year of Jubilee" (every 50th
year) ALL Israelite slaves and/or servants would be set free and most property would return to
its ORIGINAL owner. Could we not, if we have "Eyes to see", detect a ready parallel here
regarding God's dealings with ALL Mankind through His ultimate "Kinsman Redeemer",
Jesus Christ???
For our third point, let us examine John's statement that, "The reason the Son of God appeared
was to DESTROY the "Works of the Devil". Surely the Devil's works can HARDLY be
destroyed when he is allowed to gloat for eternity over the millions upon millions of God's
miserable creatures that he has succeeded in seducing away from their Father, and subjected to
unimaginable torment in the "Flames of Eternal Hell".
The last group of scriptures that we are going to explore relate to what might be called, "God's
Ultimate Intention or Purpose". They may be found in Acts 3:21, Romans 14:11, 1Cor.
15:28, 2Cor. 5:18,19, Eph. 1:9,10, Philp. 2:9-11, and Col. 1:19,20. These scriptures reveal to
us the glorious intent of God's Heart, which is that, in the Grand Consummation, when all of
His plan has been completely fulfilled, He will restore EVERYTHING into harmony with
Himself. ALL of Creation, ALL lost Creatures (Man included), ALL things in Heaven and on
the earth and under the earth will be reconciled again to their Creator. It was the Father's Good
Pleasure that through His Most Beloved Son, Jesus, as the ONLY Mediator, that ALL
THINGS should finally be brought together under ONE HEAD, the Father!!!! Then and
ONLY then shall the Father's Heart be satisfied, when He shall finally be ALL in ALL of
his Creation. Not only will the Father's Heart be finally filled, but HIS Universe will enter
into the JOY for which it was created, and at long last EVERY KNEE will bow ... to the Glory
of the Father. To this I say, "Amen and Amen, Come SOON Lord Jesus!!!"
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I have one closing point to make. So pervasive and ingrained is the need to twist the clear declaration of these scriptures, that varied and many ploys have been attempted. One of these is to
make Romans 14:11 and Philp 2:9-11 imply a FORCED subjection of God's enemies to His
imposed rule.
A moment's research and consideration of these two verses will soon expel that notion. First off,
the word rendered "Confess" is Strong's # 1843, which is also used in passages where the meaning is to "praise or thank". Enemies subjected by brute force are HIGHLY unlikely to "Thank or
Praise" their subjector, even if He is God. Regardless of WHAT warped opinions men have
come up with, beings in "Hell" are even LESS likely to be doing much "Thanking or Praising".
Also, exactly where is the "Glory to the Father" from the fact that the vast majority of His precious creation has been lost to despair and destruction, His power and His Wisdom not being sufficient to save them???
What I have endeavored to present to you in the foregoing pages has been nothing less than the
CLEAR, UNQUESTIONABLE assertions of God's Word. Yes, it IS true that there are passages
in our revered "Authorized Bible" and other translations which SEEM to allege doctrines that
would contradict much of what I have said. Granting that these are faithfully rendered according
to the Greek and Hebrew (which most of them ARE NOT), my closing question to you will simply be this, "What will you do with the truths and passages which have been brought to your
attention??" They CAN NOT simply be cut out of your Bible and discarded!! Will you at least
consider the POSSIBILITY that there is something wrong (or at least lacking) in the Orthodox
view of God, His relationship to us as His Creation, and what is commonly taught about God's
"Judgment, Hell, and Eternal Damnation"??
Jesus made one of the saddest observations regarding the Jews of His day when He exclaimed,
"Seeing, they do not see, and hearing, they do not hear." What He was saying was that their
Pride, their Hardness of Heart, their obstinacy in the Religious Doctrines of Men, the Worship
of their “RELIGION”, and their SIN had made their hearts and minds so Blind and Deaf that
they COULD NOT, they WOULD NOT recognize and honor Him as their long awaited Messiah. It can only be concluded by careful observation of the facts that this same Blindness,
this same "Veil of Moses", rests upon the majority of Christendom today.
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CHAPTER TEN * " The Holiness of God ", by R.C. Sproul
I recently came across a classic case of this Mysterious Malady in a book that I just finished reading. It is entitled "The Holiness of God", by RC Sproul. Right up until the last chapter, the
author was doing a superb job of expounding upon what is meant by "the Holiness of God" and
of the Biblical call for us as Christians to be "Holy, for He is Holy". In fact, on the back flap,
Chuck Colson, author of "Loving God", referred to Mr. Sproul as, "One of the most Brilliant
Thinkers of our day". As he entered into the last chapter, something must have gone astray within
his thinking processes. He begins with loud applause for an early American preacher named
Jonathan Edwards and perhaps his most famous sermon, "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry
God". It is probably best to allow you to draw your own conclusions about this sermon, so I am
reproducing a small portion of it following. You might also draw your own conclusions about
the state of a great deal of Evangelical Christianity by the Standing Ovation that they seem to
insist upon rendering to Mr. Edwards and his sermon.
******************************************************************************
******************************************************************************
Note: This is a portion of the sermon by Jonathan Edwards:
"The God that holds you over the pit of hell, much as one holds a spider, or some loathsome
insect, over the fire, abhors you, and is dreadfully provoked. His wrath towards you burns like
fire. He looks upon you as worthy of nothing else, but to be cast into the fire. He is of purer eyes
than to bear to have you in His sight. You are ten thousand times more abominable in His eyes
than the most hateful venomous serpent is in ours. You have offended Him infinitely more than
ever a stubborn rebel did his prince. Yet, it is nothing but His hand that holds you from falling
into the fire every moment. It is to be ascribed to nothing else, that you did not go to hell the last
night; that you were suffered to wake again in this world after you closed your eyes to sleep.
There is no other reason to be given, why you have not dropped into hell since you arose in the
morning, but that God's hand has held you up. There is no other reason to be given why you have
not gone to hell, since you have sat here in the House of God, provoking His pure Eyes by your
sinful, wicked manner of attending His solemn worship. Yea, there is nothing else that is to be
given as a reason why you do not this very moment drop down into hell.
O sinner! Consider the fearful danger you are in! It is a great furnace of wrath, a wide and bottomless pit, full of the fire of wrath, that you are held over in the hand of that God, whose wrath
is provoked and incensed as much against you, as against many of the damned in hell. You hang
by a slender thread, with the flames of divine wrath flashing about it, and ready every moment to
singe it, and burn it asunder. You have no interest in any Mediator, and nothing to lay hold of to
save yourself, nothing to keep off the flames of wrath, nothing of your own, nothing that you
ever have done, nothing that you can do, to induce God to spare you one moment. . . .Your wickedness makes you, as it were, heavy as lead, and to tend downwards with great weight and pressure towards hell. If God should let you go, you would immediately sink and swiftly descend
and plunge into the bottomless gulf. Your healthy constitution, and your own care and prudence,
and best contrivance, and all your righteousness, would have no more influence to uphold and
keep you out of hell, than a spider's web would have to stop a falling rock."
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Note: This section is a comment by Mr. Sproul:
"In the application section of the sermon, Edwards places great stress on the nature and severity
of God's wrath. Central to his thinking is the clear notion that a holy God must also be a wrathful
God. He lists several key points about the wrath of God that we dare not overlook.
1. Whose wrath it is. The wrath of which Edwards preached was the wrath of an infinite God. He
contrasts God's wrath with the anger of men or the wrath of a king for his subject. Human wrath
eventually concludes. It has an ending point. It is limited. God's wrath can go on forever.
2. The fierceness of God's wrath. The Bible repeatedly likens God's wrath to a wine press of
fierceness. In hell, there is no moderation or mercy given. God's anger is not mere annoyance or
a mild displeasure. It is a consuming rage against the unrepentant.
3. It is an everlasting wrath. There is no end to the anger of God directed against those in hell. If
we have any compassion for our fellowmen, we would wail at the thought of a single one of them
falling into the pit of hell. We could not stand to hear the cries of the damned for five seconds.
To be exposed to God's fury for a moment would be more than we could bear. To contemplate it
for eternity is too awful to consider."
******************************************************************************
******************************************************************************
Now Mr. Sproul, as I was able to deduce from his writing, tends to be a Calvinist, or a professor
in the predestination of man by a Sovereign God. As to this point, VERY GOOD, for I have
made it quite clear that I see God as being Totally Sovereign, governing ALL THINGS according
to the Council of HIS WILL alone!! Hold this fact in your mind for a moment -- I shall return to
it shortly. Mark also that the theme of his book pertained to the absolute Justice, Love, Wisdom,
and Judgment of God, as entailed by His Holiness. The point at which I began to notice that there
was indeed something discordant about Mr. Sproul's thinking was where he could see NO DIFFICULTY with reconciling a Being of these qualities and possessing TOTAL, UNASSAILABLE
POWER over against what he was applauding in Jonathan Edwards sermon!!
In the event that you see NO contradiction either, allow me to explain to you my observations. These not only outline the Calvinistic precepts put forth by Mr. Sproul but, to a large
part, the "thinking" of mainline Christianity. What I especially wish you to note in the following, however, is not so much MERELY the precepts themselves, but what is more
important, the CONCLUSIONS that MUST follow if you truly BELIEVE these precepts:
1. God is a Sovereign, HOLY God. He is self-defining, self-actuating, self-governing, selfdetermining. He answers to NO power outside Himself and confers with NO Council other than
Himself. Absolute power is contained within Him and Him ALONE, and there is NO other independent power outside of Him.
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2. He is a God of perfect Love, perfect Justice, perfect Mercy, perfect Understanding, perfect
Judgment, in who is "No Shadow of Turning", NO possibility of error or of Failing. In other
words, He is Perfectly HOLY, or set apart TOTALLY from ALL else in the universe.
3. He has created ALL universes and ALL creatures (including MAN) according to His Plan,
purely toward the end of fulfilling His Purpose and displaying His Glory. ALL His Ways and
ALL His Acts and ALL of His Purposes are Perfect and Flawless.
4. There currently exists a gap between this HOLY God and fallen, sinful Man, which, on his
own, NO MAN CAN BRIDGE. Hence we find that Jesus alone is this bridge. Furthermore,
according to Mr. Sproul on pages 232,233 (and according to the Bible, I might add), fallen,
alienated man has NO desire to seek after God, absolutely HATES God, and possess NO power
to see, discern, or understand the things of the Spirit. Therefore, as Jesus Himself asserted, "NO
man comes to Me (Jesus) UNLESS the Father draws him."
From these precepts, being the clear declarations of God's Word, the following four conclusions logically and truly follow:
1. God created the Universe, Man, and all else contained within it according to His perfect Plan,
exactly as He wished it to be.
2. God empowered both Satan and Man to be exactly as they are to be found today, within the
perfect wisdom of His Plan and Intention, and under His perfect control.
3. Man does NOT choose to come into this world as a sinner and as an enemy of God. This is his lot at
birth, and he must live and act under a curse NOT of his own making. Man is TOTALLY impotent
to save himself or to even avail himself of the salvation wrought for him in Jesus Christ. Unless God
reaches out His Hand of Grace and draws a man to Himself, and places in his being the Light and
Power to respond to what has been made available to him, he is HOPELESSLY Lost and Damned.
4. This being the case, then God must do this for EVERY MAN, or NO MAN can be saved!!
At this point, however, we must say with Shakespeare, "Herein lies the rub!" If you are an
honest and sincere man or woman, and are ready to carry the above logic to its ONLY reasonable
conclusion, then according to Orthodox Christianity and Mr. Sproul, the following statement
MUST define the outcome:
5. God DOES NOT do this for every man (or so say the Scribes of Orthodox Christianity).
Therefore, it is God Himself who decrees that SOME men might be saved and that OTHER
men might be damned. Thus said Calvin and his followers, if I understand correctly.
If this is what YOU say, then I say that you DO NOT worship the GREAT "I AM" of the
Hebrew and Greek Scriptures. NO!! I say that you worship one of the idolatrous demons of the
Canaanites, who "I AM" said to destroy. These demons more resembled the "god" who Jonathan Edwards so delighted in, one who, "Holds you over the pit of Hell as one holds a spider,
who abhors you, who looks upon you as a loathsome insect, and deems you worthy of nothing
else but to be CAST INTO THE FIRE."
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** CHAPTER ELEVEN **
Growth In the Realization of God
By: James Coram, President of the Concordant Publishing Concern
WE ARE ACQUAINTED with the entreaty; "Be rejoicing in the Lord always! Again I will
declare, be rejoicing! Let your lenience be known to all men: the Lord is near. Do not worry
about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, let your requests be
made known to God, and the peace of God, that is superior to every frame of mind, shall be garrisoning your hearts and your apprehensions in Christ Jesus" (Phil.4:7).
In the presence of such high entreaties, it is vital to our realization of truth to recognize that the apostle Paul does not come to us as a "second Moses." That is, Paul does not "command" us to do what is
right on the grounds that if we fail to do so we will suffer the curses of the law, or, if we should continue to disobey that we will "lose our salvation" and find ourselves among the vessels of wrath.
Paul comes to us, instead, as a wise counselor, as the Lord's apostle, encouraging us and building
us up in faith. He entreats us concerning that which is imperative to our service if God would be
pleased and we would be benefited. The fear and trembling that is to attend our walk as we carry
our salvation into effect (cf Phil 2-13) is not a fear of divine wrath, or a trembling born out of a
contemplation of eternal punishment. Instead, it is a fear to offend our God and Father Whom we
love It is a trembling produced by an awareness of the fact that the spirit of the One Who rouses
Jesus from among the dead condescends to make its home in us.
Insofar as the curses of the law are concerned, "Christ reclaims us from the curse of the law,
becoming a curse for our sakes" (Gal.3:1:3). We "were put to death to the law through the body
of Christ" (Rom.7:4); hence "we were exempted from the law" (Rom.7:6). Consequently, we "are
not under law" (Rom.6:14). These things are related to us by Paul with reference to the fact that
Grace reigns for life eonian (Rom. 5:21); eonian life is a gracious gift (Rom.6:23).
Divine Indignation
As to the question of divine wrath in the future "day of indignation," how thankful we are to
affirm that, "being now justified in [Christ's] blood, we shall be saved from indignation through
Him" (Rom.5:9). We are also mindful that, according to God's purpose, there are many who will
be "vessels of indignation" (Rom.9:22), yet only unto the end that, in due time, they themselves
should also be obtaining mercy (cp Rom. 9:16; 11:32).
Those, however, who are "God's chosen ones" (Rom. 8:33; cp 2 Tim.2:10), having been graciously granted to be believing (Phil.1:29), have had the blessing of justification conferred upon
them even now (Rom.3:22). In His kindness and grace to us, God did not appoint us to indignation, but to the procuring of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for our sakes, that,
whether we may be watching or drowsing, we should be living at the same time together with
Him (1 Thess.5:9,10).
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If some will not, as it literally is, "tenant the reign of God" (i.e., have an allotment or "place" in
His reign; (Gal. 5:21; cp 2 Tim.2:12), it is not to say that they will not live under its jurisdiction.
All who are members of the body of Christ will live under the jurisdiction of God's reign,
whether or not they have a place in its governance.
Vivification and eonian life are a display of God's grace; they are not a display of a divine reward
in response to man's faithfulness (Eph. 2:5,7). They are not a matter of qualification, but of favor.
The fact that, relatively speaking, the reverse is true concerning the selection of those who will
have a governing position within the kingdom is beside the point. The believer's eonian life
depends solely upon the grace of God.
Concerning the oncoming eons: whether or not we take part in the reign of that day, we will, in
any case, in that day be roused, vivified and seated together among the celestials (Eph.2:5,6). Our
"seat" among the celestials, speaks of a settled place of useful service. Every one of us will be
pleasing to God and faithful in His service. "Whenever Christ, our Life, should be manifested,
then you also shall be manifested together with Him in glory"' (Col.3:4).
JUSTIFIED FROM SIN
In the grace of God, Christ tasted death for the sake of everyone (Heb. 2:9). "Christ Jesus ... is
giving Himself a correspondent Ransom for the sake of all ..." (1 Tim.2:6).
"For the love of Christ is constraining us, judging this, that if One died for the sake of all, consequently all died" (2 Cor.5:14). And, "one who dies has been justified from Sin" (Rom.6:7; i.e.,
"freed from Sin." cp Rom.6:18).
This justification from Sin, which is now the portion of all, is wholly the achievement of the
cross. "What was impossible to the law, in which it was infirm through the flesh, did God, sending His own Son in the likeness of sin's flesh and concerning sin, He condemns sin in the flesh"
(Rom.8:3). Thus, in Christ, we behold "the Lamb of God Which is taking away the sin of the
world!" (John 1:29).
Sin in the flesh does not await condemnation: it has already found condemnation. Sin in the flesh
is not to be condemned in a future judgment (such as in the second death) It has been condemned
in a past judgment. the judgment of the cross. The sin of the world has been taken away through
the sacrificial offering of the Lamb of God. Christ Jesus our Lord. God made Christ ("the One
not knowing sin") to be a sin offering (2 Cor.5:21). Indeed, in literal terms, "He makes Him [to
be] sin" — that thus sin might be condemned and taken away.
Consequently; God has not only conciliated us to Himself through Christ, but has, in Christ, conciliated the world to Himself as well. Accordingly; He is not only dealing graciously with all our
offenses (Col.2:13), but, concerning the world as well, He is "not reckoning their offenses to
them" (2 Cor.5:18,19).
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Sin speaks of failure; it speaks of that which "misses the mark, the mark or target of that which is
inherently good, well pleasing and perfect (cp Rom.12:2). Sin in the flesh, "the sin of the world,"
has met its judgment through the One Who is the Sin Offering. Now, through the work of Christ,
man is justified from the evil slave owner, Sin (2 Cor. 5:14; Rom.6:7b). Man is declared to be in
the only right relationship to Sin, which is to be freed from its jurisdiction. Sin personified (literally man's sinful deeds), no longer has the prerogative concerning man's judgment. Instead, God
through Christ has gained the prerogative!
Therefore, God — not Sin — will now determine each man's judgment and final destiny. He will
do so according to His own purpose, not according to individual merit. Indeed many who will be
subjected to God's indignation are far less deserving of it than others who will be saved from it.
The vessels of mercy enjoy mercy solely because of God's gracious purpose, not because of any
deservedness of their own (1 Tim.1:12-16; Rom.9:15,16).
WHAT THE HUMAN DESERVES
Insofar as just deserts are concerned, all are deserving of death (Rom.1:32). Considered in themselves, in their own sinfulness, apart from the divine purpose, humanity is well suited and worthy
only of death. If this were the only consideration, it would be altogether fitting not only to put
man to death, but to leave him there on a permanent basis.
This is true of the entirety of humanity, not merely of some. Remember, all sinned; and all are
wanting of the glory of God (Rom.3:23). The glory of God represents the only ideal standard of
righteousness. It is not merely that man comes short of the glory of God that is significant. It is
that he is found wanting of the glory of God. Not only have all mankind sinned, but all mankind
— including those who are least offensive — are members of the old humanity which is corrupted in accord with its seductive desires (Eph.4:22).
WHAT GOD WILLS
Howbeit, in the end, God, who loves all (John 3:16), and wills to save all (1 Tim.2:4), will
become All in all (1 Cor. 15:28). In that day, God will fully manifest Himself as the One Who
indeed is the Savior of all mankind (1 Tim. 4:10). Until then, with respect to all interim judging,
it is only a question of whether one best serves the divine purpose as a vessel of mercy or as a
vessel of indignation.
OFFENSES NO LONGER RECKONED
The fact that God has conciliated the world to Himself and is not reckoning offenses to the all
who have sinned, affirms the fact that man's sinfulness continues to be offensive to God. It is not
that man's sinful ways are no longer offensive to the Deity. That is far from the case. It is that
now that the Sin Offering has been made, God is no longer reckoning man's offenses to him.
It must be emphasized that the conciliation does not exempt man from his close and often painful
connection with the generally attenuated yet sometimes full-toned indignation of God which,
even now, is being revealed from heaven upon the irreverence and injustice of men (Rom.1:18).
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We become acquainted firsthand with God's appraisal of sin whenever we ourselves experience
the practical retribution which attends our own failures (cf Rom. 1:18-32; cp 1 Tim.6:9).
It does not follow from the fact that, as a timeless truth, sin has been taken away, nor from the
companion fact that, personally speaking, offense is not being reckoned, that God will therefore
do nothing at all insofar as personal adjudication is concerned with respect to the dreadful deeds
of His beloved creatures. God will still bring every act into judgment (Ecc.12:14), both in the
case of the believer (at the dais of Christ; 2 Cor.5: 10) and of the unbeliever (before the great
white throne; Rev.20: 11,12).
GOD'S WORK OF JUDGMENT
Divine judgment, however, simply speaks of divine decision. For the sake of the accomplishment of the divine purpose, it remains expedient that the various judgments in which God
would engage in response to man's wickedness still be carried out. Through these means, God
will further make known the awfulness and injuriousness of sin.
Yet it must be recognized that the indignation in the day of the indignation and revelation of
the just judgment of God (Rom.2:5), will itself proceed "according to" (or, "in accord with")
that glorious body of divine revelation which Paul terms "my evangel" (Rom.2:16)! Paul's
evangel is the evangel which reveals the eventual "life's justifying" and reconciliation of all
mankind through the saving work of Christ (Rom.5:18,19; Col.1:20). How we rejoice to know
that the events of the day of judging will proceed on the basis of and in the light of the glorious
consummation when God becomes All in all.
In all future, adversative judgments, then, God will be mindful that the "sin in the flesh" of those
undergoing judging has already been condemned and taken away through the sacrifice of Christ.
He will be mindful as well that, through Christ's sacrifice, every sinner — even the most wicked
— is already joined to Himself. That is, this is so in fact, all human unbelief notwithstanding.
It is true that, in the current era, God acts in conciliation toward mankind. It is true as well that,
in coming times of indignation, it will appear that God surely is reckoning the offenses of
humanity against them. Yet in fact, in the depth of His heart, this will not be so. This is because,
at the cross, God was in Christ, conciliating the world to Himself. The recognition that, practically, this is a truth applied in a special way in the present, must not be misused so as to obscure
the realization that, factually, it is a timeless and abiding truth.
In His work of judgment, through Christ, what is seen on the surface covers what is in the depths
of God, made known in the One revealed in Paul's evangel (cf 1 Cor.2:6-10). Let no one imagine
that Christ, the Righteous One, departs from virtue in assuming the role of Divine Indignation.
He does so for the sake of the glory of God and the benefit of all concerned, being motivated by
love, wisdom and perfect righteousness. His motives are of the highest order, and His purpose for
the greatest good.
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FOR GOD AND HIS GLORY
It is vital to realize that the divine indignation of the day of indignation will be the manifestation
of an assumed character, not the reflection of what, deeply and ultimately speaking, is actually so.
Furthermore, the indignation of that day will be just the right amount, neither too much nor too
little. It will soon be past, and, even as all else, will prove to be for the glory of God and the
benefit of man. How glorious it is to know that God does not afflict "from His heart" (Lam.
3:33). How we rejoice in the realization that, ". . . though He afflicts, yet He has compassion
according to the abundance of His benignities" (Lam.3:32).
The Son of God, then, to Whom all judging has been given (John 5:22), will yet, as the Emblem
of God's assumption (Heb.1:3), assume the role of One Who is indignant. For the sake of the fulfillment of the divine purpose, even as for the benefit of the creature, it is wise and expedient that
Christ should be manifested thus. This theophany will occur principally in the conclusion of the
current eon, and then in the day of judging following the thousand years. This assumed, indignant
Character, while true to form, is not at all reflective of the heart of the One Who is love (1 John
4:8) — love, which is not incensed, neither is it taking account of evil (1 Cor.13:5), evil being
the outworking of the divine intention (cf Rom.9:19).
God has a purpose in all that occurs (cf Rom.11:36). Man's injustice commends God's righteousness (Rom.3:5). "The truth of God," by virtue of its being afforded an entity of contrast through
the vehicle of "my lie" (i.e., through the innumerable lies in which men so frequently engage),
indeed, "super abounds." That is, God's truthfulness, in the face of man's untruthfulness, thus
becomes much more apparent and precious "for His glory" (Rom.3:7).
God wants to display His indignation and make His powerful doings known (Rom.9:22). Accordingly, He has made the world and all that is in it (Acts 17:24), doing so in such a way that the
world will surely contain both creatures and creaturely deeds well-suited to the visitation not only
of His indignation, but as well of all His concomitant, powerful deeds. "Yahweh has made everything for its own pertinent end, yea even the wicked for the day of evil" (Prov.16:4; cp Eph.6:13).
All is not only out of God, and through God, but all is for God as well: to Him be the glory for
the eons! Amen! (Rom.11:36).
According to Paul, everything that exists and everything that occurs is "for" God. That is, everything is for His purpose; it exists unto the end that the purpose which requires its ephemeral presence might be achieved. It follows, then, that all that is "not of God," faithfully speaking, is
nonetheless out of Him, ultimately speaking.
WE RELY ON THE LIVING GOD
All will yet redound to God's glory. Thus we say, "to Him be the glory," in anticipation of and
with a view toward the good that God will surely bring into existence out of the evil upon which
the corresponding good is dependent.
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God cannot be glorified as the Savior He intends to become, unless His creatures are the kind of
sinners they need to be unto this end. Nor can God bless each one with salvation from sin in the
way and to the degree that He intends, unless each one's particular kind and degree of sin is fixed.
Therefore, that all might accord with God's purpose, all accords with what must be (cf
Rom.8:26). All, indeed, accords with what must be, since all is out of, through, and for God
(Rom.11:36), Who is operating all in accord with the counsel of His will (Eph.1:11).
Nonetheless, human behavior still occurs voluntarily, according to one's own choice. It is not true
that since all is out of God (and, therefore, that human choice is out of God), that it makes no difference what we do, or that future events will come about in spite of what we do. To the contrary,
future events will come about because of what we do. Accordingly, since we cannot know what
we will do before we actually do it, the matter of decision making, even as self-discipline and
self-control, remains vital.
We are awaiting the realized achievement of the full Saviourhood of God. Unto this end, we rely on
the living God (1 Tim.4:10). Accordingly, we give thanks to Him in everything (1 Thess. 5:18) and
for everything (Eph.5 :20). We do so, in word and deed, in the form of our unfeigned assurance and
trust in His goodness and wisdom in the face of all the evil extant in the world, replete with such an
abundance of horror and misery. God is our Savior, and He is the Savior of all mankind.
The existence of sin and evil is a harsh and unchanging reality. Whatever we may do, whatever
our own course may consist of, in any case, the current eon itself will continue to be a wicked
eon (Gal.1:4). We are all being afflicted. The entire creation — involuntarily — has been subjected to vanity, the slavery of corruption (Rom.8:20,21). It is on account of God that "we are
being put to death the whole day," that "we are being reckoned as sheep for slaughter"
(Rom.8:36). We are all dying; we are all sorrowing and groaning in our bodies of humiliation.
In his present state of corruption, man has become characterized by pride, bitterness and wrath.
Yet a proud heart can only be changed by the transforming power of a thankful spirit. A spirit of
thankfulness affirms that any virtue we may enjoy is ultimately God's gift to us, including the virtue that makes good use of the gifts which He grants.
A bitter and wrathful spirit can only be subdued by a spirit of kindness and love. God alone can
grant us such a spirit. Yet the means of grace unto the possession of such an endowment may
well be acceptance of and growth in recognition of God as God.
How helpful, then, it is truly to realize that the same awful deeds that man devises against us for
evil, God designs for us for good (cf Gen.50:20; cp Rom.15:4). How beneficial it is to know that
all is out of, through and for God.
It is in an awareness of this glorious truth that we say, "Now may our Lord Jesus Christ
Himself, and God, our Father, Who loves us, and is giving us an eonian consolation and a
good expectation in grace, be consoling your hearts and establish you in every good work
and word" (2Thess. 2:16,17)
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CHAPTER TWELVE *** Conclusion,
or
"Parting Is Such Sweet Sorrow"
Many years ago there was a popular song by a singer named B.J. Thomas entitled, "There are
none so blind as those who WILL NOT see." Another man by the name of William James is
credited with saying, "Many people think they are thinking when, in reality, they are merely
REARRANGING their Prejudices." If this book merely challenges you to TRULY THINK, to
meditate deeply upon that which you "THINK that you think", then regardless of the outcome of
your reflections, in my mind it will have been a RESOUNDING SUCCESS!!
It has NOT been my intent at any point in this book to purposely offend and/or insult. It HAS
been my EXPRESS intent to challenge you to truly THINK upon what you believe in light of
what God's Word, the Holy Bible, REALLY says , stripped of man's doctrine, dogma, prejudice,
and irrational thinking. I am sure that there is a good and proper place for "Correct Tradition".
Paul admonished believers to fashion their lives after the "traditions" that were received from
him (2Thes 3:6). Conversely, he warned us not to be despoiled by the "traditions of men" (Col
2:8), just as Jesus repeatedly criticized the Pharisees for preferring the "traditions of men" over
and above His Word and the Word of His Father.
I will be the first to concede that there is something very comfortable and reassuring about OLD,
cherished , time-honored traditions, platitudes, and doctrines, EVEN IF THEY ARE FALSE. It can
be a very fearful thing to consider being separated from these "Old Friends" who have given us so
much comfort and warm fellowship. Why else does Christendom continue to revere and literally
"Worship" the King James Bible, long after it has ceased to be the vernacular of the day and has
served its intended purpose, especially when there are so many better translations available today.
Jesus indeed said, "You shall know the Truth (Himself), and THIS Truth shall set you free."
(John 8:32) He also said, "You search the scriptures, thinking that IN THEM you will find Life,
yet you refuse to come to ME of whom they testify." (John 5:39) Again He said, "You make the
Word of God of NO EFFECT by your Traditions." (Mark 7:13) John goes on to say that, "Perfect Love CASTS OUT all fear." (1 John 4:18) C.S. Lewis, in his famous book, "Mere Christianity", made one of the most profound statements when he said, "The question of ALL questions
IS NOT whether Christianity is comfortable, convenient, morally uplifting, or does society and/or
individuals any good. The ONLY question that needs to be asked is, IS IT TRUE ??" If it and
the God that it proclaims are, in fact, TRUE, then your or my opinion on the subject is of LESS
than NO value. We had best be on our knees at once in worship to the Lord and Creator which it
proclaims. If, on the other hand, it is NOT true, then we need pay it no more attention than we
would to any other myth and/or fairy tale."
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The same can be said, in general, for ALL of our RELIGIOUS BELIEFS !! The points to
consider ARE NOT, "They are convenient and/or comfortable.", "ALL Christians believe them,"
"They have been in the church for centuries," "What will all my friends say if I do or do not
believe such-and-such," or, "This is what I have believed ALL my life." What IS important is
whether or not a given doctrine or belief, measured against both the Written and the LIVING
Word of God, with intelligence, wisdom, rationality, and a mind renewed by the Spirit of the Living God, registers as TRUTH. If it DOES NOT, then cast it out !! IT IS WRITTEN, "The son
born of slavery to the elements of this Age SHALL NOT share in the inheritance with the Son of
Promise born out of that Age which is yet to come. (Gal 4:30) C.S. Lewis also had a short
essay in a book by the title of, "The World's Last Night", called , "Lilies That Fester". The basic
tenant of the essay can be stated thusly: "That which purports to originate from the highest
source takes upon itself the most putrid odor when it dies, rots, and festers."
In Conclusion, I will leave you with this Scripture and Charge from the Apostle Paul, taken from
1Tim 4:9-12, "Faithful is the saying and worthy of ALL welcome (for this are we toiling and being
REPROACHED), that we rely on the living God, Who is the Savior of ALL men, especially of those
who believe. These things be CHARGING AND TEACHING." I would like also to offer in prayer
to all who have made it to the end of this treatise, the words of the Apostle Paul from Ephesians
1:17- 19, "I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the
spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know Him better. I pray also that the eyes of your
heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches
of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and His incomparably great power for us who believe."
Particularly, to those who are able to joyfully embrace Dr. Cole's article on Election, but are as of
yet held back from going the full distance to Universal Reconciliation, I earnestly pray to God that
He might break the Religious Bondage of the false doctrine of "Eternal Damnation" that Satan has
so effectively used to blind the eyes of His earnest seekers. You are so VERY close to the Revelation of the God whose ultimate purpose and heart is nothing less than, that at the Conclusion of the
Ages .................... He might finally be ALL in ALL of His Creatures !!
May God, the Father of our Lord, Jesus Christ, very richly bless and prosper your life,
and grant to you an abundance of Faith to Believe and Receive
Bnfo!boe!Bnfo!"""!!
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The End !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Universal Reconciliation
I. The AGES in Scripture
A. Ages (165), 128 Occurrences - Translated in the King James
1.
Ever - 71
2.
World - 38
3.
Never - 6
4.
Evermore - 4
5.
Age - 2
6.
Eternal - 2
7.
Misc. - 5
B. The Adjective of Age, Age-Long (166), 71 Occurrences - King James
1.
Eternal - 42
2.
Everlasting - 25
3.
World Began - 3
4.
Forever - 1
C. Ages or Aeons vs. "Eternal, Forever, and Forever and Ever."
1.
2.
3.
Before the AGES (World) BEGAN.
i.
Acts 15:18
ii.
1 Cor. 2:7
iii.
Eph. 3:9
iv.
2 Tim. 1:9
v.
Titus 1:2
The END of the AGES (World).
i.
Math. 13:39,40,49
ii.
Math. 24:3
iii.
Math. 28:20
iv.
1 Cor. 10:11
v.
Heb. 9:26
World WITHOUT END (King James) ????
i.
Isa. 45:17
ii.
Eph. 3;21
Page 49
4. More than ONE AGE.
i.
Math 12:32
ii.
Eph. 1:21
iii.
2 Tim. 4:10
iv.
Titus 2:12
v.
Heb. 1:2
Eph. 2:7
Heb. 6:5
Heb. 11:3
II. Free Will vs. God's Sovereignty
A. I put to DEATH and I bring to LIFE, I have WOUNDED and I will HEAL.
1.
Deut 32:39
B. No one can deliver out of my hand. When I act, WHO CAN RESIST IT ?
1.
Isaiah 43:13
C. I bring peace and CREATE EVIL, I the Lord do ALL THESE THINGS.
1.
Isaiah 45:7
D. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times. what is still
to come. I say: MY PURPOSE WILL STAND, and I will DO ALL THAT I
PLEASE.
1.
Isaiah 47:10
E. It is I who created the Blacksmith ........... It is I have created the Destroyer
TO WORK HAVOC.
1.
Isaiah 54:16
F. Who can speak and have it happen, IF THE LORD HAS NOT DECREED IT ?
1.
Lamentations 3:37,38
G. He has torn ... He will heal. He has injured, He will bind up our wounds.
1.
Hosea 6:1
H. For this reason they COULD NOT BELIEVE ........ He (God) has blinded their
eyes and deadened their hearts.
1.
John 12:39,40
I. You did not choose me, but I CHOSE YOU.
1.
John 15:16
J. By grace you have been saved, through faith -- and this NOT FROM
YOURSELVES. It is the GIFT FROM GOD.
1.
Romans 2:8
Page 50
K. ALL have turned away ..... All have become worthless ...... there is NO ONE
that does good ...... NO NOT ONE. ( Who then can be saved ? With God,
ALL THINGS are possible !!)
1.
Romans 3:10-18
L. For the creation (creature) was subjected to frustration ......... BY THE WILL
OF THE ONE WHO SUBJECTED IT, in hope that the creation (creature)
WILL BE LIBERATED FROM It's BONDAGE.
1.
Romans 8:19-21
M. In all things, God works for the good,.... ACCORDING TO HIS PURPOSE.
1.
Romans 8:28
N. It DOES NOT DEPEND ON MAN's DESIRE OR EFFORT, but on God's
sovereign choice and mercy.
1.
Romans 9:10-18
O. Does not the potter have the right to make out of the clay ( WHATEVER HE
WISHES ).
1.
Romans 9:19-23
P. God's Sovereign election and use of the Jews that salvation might be
brought to the Gentiles.
1.
Romans Chapter 11
Q. God has bound ALL MEN over to disobedience, that HE may have MERCY
ON THEM ALL.
1.
Romans 11:32
R. Him who works out Everything in conformity with the purpose of HIS WILL.
1.
Eph. 1:11
S. It is God who works in you TO WILL AND TO ACT, according to HIS GOOD
PURPOSE.
1.
Philip 2:13
T. God send them a powerful delusion, SO THAT THEY WILL BELIEVE THE
LIE.
1.
2 Thes 2:11
U. God ... who has saved us and called us -- not because of anything we have
done, but because of HIS OWN PURPOSE.
1.
2 Tim. 1:9
Page 51
III. "Hell", Sheol, and Hades
A. Sheol
Strong's Reference 07585 - 65 times in "KJV"
1.
Grave - 31
2.
Hell - 31
3.
Pit - 3
B. Gehenna
Strong's Reference 1067 - 12 times in "KJV"
1.
Hell - 9
2.
Hell Fire - 3
C. Hades
Strong's Reference 86 - 11 times in "KJV"
1.
Hell - 10
2.
Grave - 1
3.
Because You (God) will not abandon Me (Jesus) to HELL. ("KJV")
i.
Acts 2:27,31
D. Tartarus
1.
Strong's Reference 5020 - 1 time in "KJV"
Cast Down to Hell
i.
2 Peter 2:4
E. Lake of Fire
1.
Death and "Hell" were thrown into the Lake of Fire
i.
Rev 20:14
IV. Immortality
A. Lest he eat from the tree of life, and live FOREVER
1.
Genesis 3:22,23
B. They CAN NO LONGER DIE.
1.
Luke 20:36
C. The LAST Enemy to be destroyed is DEATH
1.
1 Cor 15:26
D. The mortal must be clothed WITH IMMORTALITY (110).
1.
1 Cor 15:53-55
E. God, the blessed and only ruler...... who ALONE IS IMMORTAL (110).
1.
1 Timothy 6:15,16
F. Lexicon Searches
Page 52
1.
Immortality
110
2.
Incorruptible
861, 862
3.
Made Alive
2227
4.
Alive
2198
V. God's Dealings in "Judgment" - 285 References
A. Old Testament
1.
Strong's Reference #'s - 01777, 01779, 01780, 02940, 04055, 04941, 06415, 06417, 06419,
06485, 08196, 08199, 08201
2.
Ref. # 04941 - To do Right
i.
397 References
ii.
Gen 18:19,25
iii.
1 Cron 18:14
B. New Testament
1.
Strong's Reference #'s - 144, 968, 1106, 1341, 1345, 1349, 2250, 2917, 2929, 2922, 4232
2.
Ref. #2920 - 47 References
i.
Relates to OT # 04941
ii.
Math 12:18 -> Isa 42:1
iii.
Math 12:20 -> Isa 42:3
iv.
Acts 8:33 -> Isa 53:8
v.
NOT Damnation as in
a.
Math 23:33
b.
Mark 3:29
c.
John 5:29
C. God's "Judgment" as represented by His dealings with Israel
1.
Jer 30:12 - 31:14
VI.Things "Hard to Understand"
A. I bring peace and CREATE EVIL, I the Lord do ALL THESE THINGS.
1.
Isaiah 45:7
B. It is I who created the Blacksmith ........... It is I have created the Destroyer
TO WORK HAVOC.
1.
Isaiah 54:16
C. Will not be forgiven, EITHER IN THIS AGE ( "KJV" - World) OR THE AGE
("KJV" - World) TO COME. (IS there forgiveness for OTHER sins in the age
to come??).
1.
Math 12:32
Page 53
D. By you words you will be ACQUITTED and by your words you will be
CONDEMNED.
1.
Math 12:37
E. The servant who KNOWS his Master's will but does not do it will be beaten
with MANY BLOWS. The one who DOES NOT KNOW will be beaten with
FEWER BLOWS.
1.
Luke 12:46-48
F. ALL that the Father gives me WILL COME TO ME.
1.
John 6:37,39,44,65
G. (He was born blind) so the WORK of GOD might be displayed in his life.
1.
John 9:1-5
H. Their thoughts now accusing, now EVEN DEFENDING them (On the day of
judgment).
1.
Romans 2:14-16
I. For the scripture says of Pharaoh, "I raised you up for this very purpose,
that I might DISPLAY MY POWER IN YOU."
1.
Romans 9:16-23
J. Through Whom (Holy Spirit), also He (Christ) went and preached to the
SPIRITS that were IN PRISON.
1.
1 Peter 3:18-20
K. The Gospel was preached even to those that are NOW DEAD.
1.
1 Peter 4:6
VII. ALL Creation shall be Redeemed
A. The Lord has laid on HIM the iniquity of us ALL
1.
Isaiah 53:6
B. He will see the result of the suffering of His soul, AND BE SATISFIED.
1.
Isaiah 53:11
C. My righteous servant will justify MANY ....... He bore the sins of MANY.
1.
Isaiah 53:11,12
D. For men are not cast off by the Lord FOREVER. Though He brings grief, He
will show COMPASSION.
1.
Lamentations 3:31-33
Page 54
E. Your Father in Heaven is NOT WILLING that ANY ....... should be lost.
1.
Math 18:14
F. Parables of the Lost Sheep and the Lost Coin
1.
Luke 15:3-10
G. The Son of Man came to seek and to save WHAT WAS LOST.
1.
Luke 19:10
H. He takes away the SIN of the WORLD.
1.
John 1:29
I. I will draw ALL MEN to MYSELF.
1.
John 12:31,32
J. He (Jesus) must remain in Heaven until the time comes to RESTORE
EVERYTHING.
1.
Acts 3:21
K. Through the disobedience of ONE MAN the many were made sinners, so
through the obedience of the ONE MAN, the MANY WILL BE MADE
RIGHTEOUS.
1.
Romans 5:12-21
L. EVERY knee will bow before me, EVERY tongue will confess to God
1.
Romans 14:11
2.
Confess (1843)
M. As in Adam all die, so in Christ shall ALL BE MADE ALIVE.
1.
1 Cor. 15:22
N. So that GOD may be ALL IN ALL.
1.
1 Cor 15:28
O. The love of Christ is constraining us, judging this, that if ONE DIED for the
SAKE of ALL, CONSEQUENTLY the ALL DIED.
1.
2 Cor. 5:14
P. God was in Christ, RECONCILING the WORLD to Himself.
1.
2 Cor. 5:18,19
Q. To bring ALL THINGS in heaven and on earth together under ONE HEAD.
1.
Eph. 1:9,10
Page 55
R. That at the name of Jesus, EVERY KNEE should bow ......... and EVERY
tongue confess ....... to the GLORY of the Father.
1.
Philp. 2:9-11
2.
Confess (1843)
S. For God was pleased ....... that through HIM (Christ) to reconcile to Himself
ALL THINGS........ on earth or in heaven.
1.
Col. 1:19,20
T. Jesus came to save sinners ..... of whom I am the WORST
1.
1 Timothy 1:15,16
U. God our Savior, who WILLS THAT ALL MEN BE SAVED.
1.
1 Timothy 2:4
V. He gave Himself A RANSOM for ALL.
1.
1 Timothy 2:5,6
W. We have put our hope in the Living GOD, who is the SAVIOR of ALL MEN
1.
1 Timothy 4:9,10
X. He tasted death FOR the SAKE of EVERYONE.
1.
Hebrews 2:9
Y. He has appeared .... TO DO AWAY WITH SIN.
1.
Hebrews 9:26
Z. Not willing that ANY SHOULD PERISH, but that ALL come to repentance.
1.
2 Peter 3:9
AA. He is the propitiation .......... for the SINS of the WHOLE WORLD.
1.
1 John 2:1,2
AB. The reason that the Son of God appeared was to DESTROY the DEVIL'S
WORK.
1.
1 John 3:8
AC. We have seen and testify that the FATHER has sent HIS SON to be the
SAVIOR OF THE WORLD.
1.
1 John 4:14
** ADDENDUM ONE **
"Calvin and Election " by Dr. C.D. Cole
Page 56
Another stunning example of this myopic spiritual blindness that the distorted doctrine of "Eternal
Damnation" forces upon those who must twist not only the Holy Scripture, but their own reason,
logic, intellect, and conscience to uphold it, may be clearly seen in an excellent tract by Dr. C. D.
Cole, entitled, "The Bible Doctrine of Election". Here is a brilliant, biblical discourse from the
Baptist Perspective on "Election vs. Free Will -- Calvinism vs. Arminianism". The article is worthy of careful reading and analysis. Many of the arguments and scriptural defenses that are presented in defense of the Doctrine of Election are EXACTLY the same ones that are presented in
defense of the Doctrine of Universal Reconciliation. As one reads it, he sits in eager anticipation,
awaiting that final spark of divine revelation that will burn away the veil of religious blindness
and prejudice from the author's eyes, opening to his vision the door into that world where finally
God will REALLY be "ALL in ALL of His Creatures".
The author opens his expose with the statement, "Election means that the destiny of
men is in the hands of God." He then continues with a brilliant defense of the doctrine of
the ABSOLUTE Sovereignty of God, HIS Purpose, HIS Will, HIS Electing Grace, and the
ABSOLUTE lostness, helplessness, and hopelessness of man. After filling us with such
expectation, he ends with this Edifice of Inane Elucidation, "Those who go to Hell will have
nobody to blame but THEMSELVES!!!" What Doctrinal Dribble! What Hermeneutic
Hypocrisy! What Religious Rot! What Theological Trash! Here the author builds a profound case proving that man's birth, life, and death are TOTALLY in the hands of a
Supreme, Sovereign God, and he then turns around in conclusion and offers this Obtuse
Sacrifice of Hypocritical Holiness to the God of Orthodox Doctrinal Correctness. I have
reproduced the text of this article below for your reading pleasure and consideration.
General Remarks to Disarm Prejudice
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There is no doctrine so grossly misrepresented. Brother A.S. Pettie's complaint against the enemies of total depravity is equally applicable here, when he says, "From hostile lips a fair and correct statement of the doctrine is never heard".
The treatment that the doctrine of election
receives from the hands of its enemies is very much like that received by the primitive Christians
from pagan Roman Emperors. The ancient Christians were often clothed in the skins of slain
animals and then subjected to attack by ferocious wild beasts. So the doctrine of election is
clothed in an ugly garb and held up to ridicule and sport. We will now try to strip this glorious
truth of its false and vicious garment with which enemy hands have robed it, and put upon it the
garments of holiness and wisdom.
1. Election is not salvation, but is unto salvation. "What then? Israel has not obtained that which
she seeks for; but the election (elect) has obtained it, and the rest were blinded" (Rom 11:7).
"God has from the beginning chosen you to salvation" (2Thes 2:13). Now then, if the elect
obtain salvation, and if election is to salvation, election must precede salvation.
Men are saved when they believe on Christ, not when they are elected. Roosevelt was not president when he was elected, but when he was inaugurated. There was not only an election to, but
an induction into the office. God's elect are inducted into the position of saint ship by the
Page 57
effectual call, (the quickening work of the Holy Spirit) through which they become believers in
the Gospel.
# 1Cor 1:29 2Thes 2:13,14
2. Election is not the cause of anybody going to hell, for election is unto salvation. Neither is
non-election responsible for the damnation of sinners. SIN is the thing that sends men to hell,
and all men are sinners by nature and practice -- sinners altogether apart from election and nonelection. It does not follow that because election is unto salvation, that non-election is unto damnation. SIN is the damning element in human life. ELECTION HARMS NOBODY.
3. Election belongs to the system of grace. In Paul's day, there was a remnant among the Jews
who were saved according to the election of grace (Rom. 11:5). The attitude of men towards
election is the acid test of their belief in grace. Those who oppose election cannot consistently
claim to believe in salvation by grace. This is seen in the creeds of Christendom. Those
denominations that believe in salvation by works have no place for the doctrine of election in
their confessions of faith; those that believe in salvation by grace, apart from human merit,
have not failed to include election in their written creed. One group is headed by the Roman
Catholics, the other is headed by the Baptists.
4. Election does not prevent the salvation of anybody who wants to be saved. The distinction,
however, needs to be made between a mere desire to escape hell and the desire to be saved from
sin. The desire to be saved from hell is a natural desire -- nobody wants to burn. The desire to
be saved from sin is a spiritual desire resulting from the convicting work of the Holy Spirit, and
God's electing grace is the very mother of this desire. To represent election by saying that God
has spread the Gospel feast, and a man comes to the table hungering for the bread of life; but
God says "No, this is not for you, you are not one of my elect," is to misrepresent the Holy Doctrine. Here is the truth -- God has spread the feast, but the fact is nobody wants to come to the
table. "They all with one consent began to make excuse." God knew just how fallen nature
would act, and He took no chance on His table being filled, so, He tells His servant to go out and
compel them to come (Luke 14:23). Were it not for the redemptive work of Christ, there would
be no Gospel feast; were it not for the compelling work of the Holy Spirit, there would be no
guests at the table. A mere invitation brings nobody to the table.
5. Election means that the destiny of men is in the hands of God. Many of us have regarded as an
axiom the statement that every man's destiny is in his own hands. This, however, is to deny
the whole
tenor of Scripture. At no time is the destiny of the saint in his own hands, either
before or after he is saved. Was my destiny in my own hands before I was saved? If so, I regenerated myself; I resurrected, by my own power, myself out of a state of sin and death; I am my
own benefactor and have nobody to thank but myself for being alive and saved. Perish such a
thought! By the grace of God I am what I am.
# John 1:13 Eph 2:1-10 2Tim 1:9 Jas 1:18
Is my destiny in my own hands now? Then I will either keep myself saved or I will lose my salvation. The Bible says we are kept by the power of God through Faith.
Page 58
# 1Peter 1:15 Psalms 37:28 John 10:27-29 Php 1:6 Heb 13:5
If my destiny is not safe in my own hands after I am saved, then how could it be thought to be
safe in my own hands before my conversion? The saint dies, his body is consigned to the grave
and becomes a dust-heap. Is his destiny in his own hands then? If so, what hope has he of ever
coming out of the grave with an immortal and incorruptible body? None at all if his destiny is in
his own hands. Such a theory, that the destiny of the saint is or ever has been in his own hands,
reverses the very laws of nature and implies that water can rise above the level of its source; that
man can lift himself into the attic by his bootstraps; that the Ethiopian can change his color, and
the leopard can remove his spots; that death can beget life; that evolution is true and God is a
liar. The theory that one's destiny is in his own hands begets self-confidence and selfrighteousness; the belief that destiny is in the hands of God begets SELF-ABNEGATION AND
FAITH IN GOD.
6. Election stands or falls with the doctrine of God's sovereignty and man's depravity. If God is
sovereign and man is depraved, then it follows as a natural consequence that some will be saved,
none will be saved, or all will be saved. The practical results of election are that some, yes
many, will be saved. Election is not a plan to save a mere handful of folk. Christ gave Himself
a ransom for many.
# Math 20:28 Rev 5:9
God's sovereignty involves His pleasure
# John 5:21 Math 11:25-27
His power
# Job 23:13 Jer 32:17 Math 19:26
and His mercy.
# Rom 9:18
7. The elect are manifested in repentance and faith and good works. These graces, being Godwrought in man, are not the cause but the evidences of election.
# 1Thes 1:3-10 2Peter 1:5-10 Php 2:12,13 Luke 18:7
The man who doesn't pray, who has not repented of his sins and trusted Christ, and who does not
engage in good works has no right to claim that he is one of God's elect.
Some False Views Examined and Refuted
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Page 59
Many professing Christians really have no view of election. They have not given it enough
thought and study to even have any opinion about it. Many have erroneous views. We shall
notice some of them.
1. The view that men are elected when they believe -- This view is easily refuted for it is contrary to
both common sense and Scripture. Election is to salvation, and therefore, must precede salvation.
It is nonsense to talk about electing a man to something he already has. The man has salvation
when he believes and hence election at that point would not be necessary. ELECTION TOOK
PLACE IN ETERNITY; SALVATION TAKES PLACE WHEN THE SINNER BELIEVES.
2. The view that election pertains only to the Jews -- This view robs Gentiles of the comfort of
Rom 8:28-39.
#Romans 8:28-39
Moreover, Paul, who was an apostle to the Gentiles, says that he endured all things for the elect's
sake, that they might obtain salvation.
# 2Tim 2:10
3. The view that election took place in eternity, but that it was in view of foreseen repentance
and faith. According to this view, God, in eternity, looked down through the ages and saw who
would repent and believe, and those whom He foresaw would repent and believe were elected
to salvation. This view is correct in only one point, namely, that election took place in eternity.
It is wrong in that it makes the ground of election to be something in the sinner rather than
something in God. Read Eph 1:4-6, where election and predestination are said to be "According
to the good pleasure of His will" and "To the praise of the glory of His grace."
# Eph 1:4-6
This view, thought the popular one with the majority of Baptists today, is open to many
objections.
(I) It denies what the Bible says about man's condition by nature. The Bible does not describe
the natural man as having faith.
# 1Cor 2:14 John 3:3
Both repentance and faith are gifts of God, and God did not see these graces in any sinner apart
from His purpose to give them. "Him has God exalted with His right hand to be a Prince and a
Savior, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins," Acts 5:31 "When they heard
these things they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, 'Then has God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life'", Acts 11:18. "In meekness instructing those that oppose
themselves; if God perhaps will give them repentance to the acknowledgment of the truth"
2Tim 2:25. See also: # Eph 2:8-10 1Co 3:5
Page 60
Election was not because of foreseen faith, but because of foreseen unbelief. It is not the election of God's faithful ones, but the faith of God's elect, if we are to keep Scriptural words.
# Titus 1:1
(ii) It makes the human race differ by nature, whereas the Bible says we are all by nature children
of wrath and all clay of the same lump.
# Eph 2:3 Rom 9:21
Men are made to differ in the new birth.
# John 3:6
(iii) It perverts the Scriptural meaning of the word "foreknowledge". The word as used in the
Bible means more than foreknowledge ABOUT persons, it is the foreknowledge OF persons. In
Rom 8:29,30, the fore known are predestined to the image of Christ, and are called, justified and
glorified. In 1Peter 1:2, the word for "foreknowledge" is the same as "foreordain" in the twentieth verse of the same chapter, where the meaning cannot be "foreknowledge" about Christ. God's
foreknowledge ABOUT persons is without limitations; whereas, His foreknowledge OF persons
is limited to those who are actually saved and glorified.
(iv) It is open to the strongest objection that can be made against the Bible view. It is often asked,
"If certain men are elected and saved, then what is the use to
preach to those who are not
elected?" With equal propriety we might ask, "If God knows who is going to repent and believe,
then why preach to those who according to His foreknowledge, will not repent and believe?" Will
some repent and believe whom He fore knew would not repent and believe? If so, He fore knew a
lie. Right here is the weakness of much of modern missions. It is based upon sympathy for the
lost rather than obedience to God's command. The inspiration of missions is made to rest upon the
practical results of missionary endeavor rather than upon the delight of doing God's will. It is the
principle of doing a thing because the results are satisfactory to us. If we are faithful, God is as
pleased with our efforts as when there are no results. Ponder:
# 2Cor 2:15,16
The elect prior to their conversion are known only to God. We are to preach the gospel to every
creature because He has commanded it. He will take care of the results. Compare with:
# Isaiah 55:11 1Cor 3:5,6 John 6:37-45
It is ours to witness; it is His to make our witnessing effective.
The Doctrine Defined, Explained and Proved
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
What is election as the term is used in the Bible? Election means a choice; to select from among;
to single out; to take one and leave another. If there are a dozen apples in a basket and I take all
Page 61
of them, there has been no choice; but if I take seven and leave five, there has been a choice.
Election, as taught in the Bible, means that God has made a choice from among the children of
men. In the beginning, God set His choice upon certain individuals, whom He gave to His Son,
and for whom Christ died as their substitute, who in time hear the Gospel and believe in Christ to
life everlasting. Let us amplify by raising three very pertinent questions.
1. WHO DOES THE ELECTING? Who chooses the persons to be saved? If men are chosen to
salvation, as the Scriptures affirm, who does the choosing? There must be a selection or universals. The language of Scripture seems peculiarly definite in reply to this question. Mark 13:20
speaks of the ELECT, whom He ELECTED, rendered in our version, "The elect's sake whom He
has chosen". The word election is associated with God, not with man. God is the CHOICER,
His people are the CHOSEN, and grace is the source. The theology, that God votes for us, the
Devil votes against us, and that we cast the deciding ballot is entirely outside the scope of Scripture teaching, and is almost too ridiculous to notice.
# John 15:16 # 2Thes 2:13
# Eph 1:4
2. WHEN WAS THE ELECTING DONE? For the answer we are shut up to the Scriptures. The
BIBLE, however, answers with sunlight clearness. In Eph 1:4 we read that "He chose us in Him
before the foundation of the world." The expression, "Before the foundation of the world ," is
found in John 17:24, where it speaks of the Father's eternal love for the Son, and in 1Pe 1:20,
where it refers to the eternal determination of the Divine mind concerning the death of Christ.
There are many similar expressions. ELECTION IS ETERNAL!
# Rev 13:8 2Thes 2:13 2Tim 1:9
3. WHY WAS THE ELECTING DONE? Was it on the ground of something good in the sinner?
Then nobody would have been elected, for there is none good. Holiness is not the cause, but the
effect of election. We are chosen that we should be holy, not because we are holy (Eph 1:4).
Nor, as we have already seen, is election in view of foreseen repentance and faith. Election is the
cause of repentance and faith and not the effect of these graces. To say that God chose men to
salvation because He foresaw that they would repent and believe and be saved is to attribute
foolishness to the infinitely wise God. It is as if the president should issue a decree that the sun
must rise tomorrow because he foresees that it will rise; or as if a sculptor should choose a certain piece of marble because he foresaw that it would make itself into the image he wanted. We
challenge any Armenian to raise these questions and get his answers from the Scriptures.
Objections Considered and Answered
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Many are the objections brought against this doctrine. Sometimes the objectors are loud and
furious. Alas! That so many of these objectors are in Baptist ranks. To preach this oldfashioned doctrine of our faith as did Bunyan, Fuller, Gill, Spurgeon, Boyce, Broadus, Pendleton, Graves, Jarrell, Carroll, Jeter, Boyce Taylor and a host of other representative men of our
denomination is to court the bitterest kind of opposition.
Page 62
John Wesley himself never said harsher words against this blessed tenet of our faith than do
some so-called Baptists of today. Arminianism, that offspring of popery, has had an abnormal
growth in the last decade or two as the adopted child of a large group of Baptists.
1. IT IS OBJECTED THAT OUR VIEW OF ELECTION LIMITS GOD'S MERCY. Right here
we criticize the critic, for he who makes this objection limits both God's mercy and power. He
admits that God's mercy is limited to the believer, and to this we agree; but he denies that God
can cause a man to believe without doing violence to the man's will, and thus he limits God's
power. We believe that God is able to give a man a sound mind (2Tim 1:7) and make him willing in the day of His power. (Psalm 110:2) At this point we must face two self-evident propositions. First, if God is trying to save every member of Adam's fallen race, and does not succeed,
then His power is diminished and He is not the Lord God Almighty. Second, if He is not trying
to save every member of the fallen face, then His mercy is limited. We must limit His mercy or
His power, or go over boots and baggage to the Universalist's position. Before we do that, let us
go "to the law and to the testimony", which says, "I will have mercy on whom I will have
mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion... Therefore has He mercy
on whom He will have mercy and whom He will He hardens" (Rom 9:15-18). It needs to be
said for the comfort and hope of great sinners, that God's mercy is not limited by the natural condition of the sinner. All sinners are dead until God makes them alive. He is able to take away
the heart of stone. No man is too great a sinner to be saved. We can pray for the salvation of the
chief of sinners with the assurance that God can save them if He will.
"The King's heart is in the hands of the Lord as the river of water; He turns it whithersoever He
will" (Prov 21:1). We rejoice to say with Jeremiad that there is nothing too hard for God. We
can pray for the salvation of our loved ones with the feeling of the leper, when he said, "Lord, if
You will, You can make me clean" (Math 8:2). When Robert Morrison was about to go to China,
he was asked by an incredulous American if he thought he could make any impression on those
Chinese. His curt reply was, "No, but I think God can." This should ever be our confidence and
hope when we stand before sinners and preach to them "CHRIST AND HIM CRUCIFIED".
2. ANOTHER OBJECTION TO ELECTION IS THAT IT MAKES GOD UNJUST. This objection betrays a bad heart. It would obligate the CREATOR to the CREATURE. It makes salvation
a divine obligation. It denies the right of the potter over the clay, of the same lump to make one
vessel to honor and another to dishonor. Using this reasoning, it makes the governor of a sovereign state unjust when he pardons one or more men, unless he empties the prison and turns all the
prisoners loose. Our view of election is in harmony with what even the Armenians allow to be
proper and just for a human governor. All can see that a governor, by pardoning some men, does
not harm others, who are not pardoned. Those who are not pardoned are not in prison because the
governor refused them a pardon, but because they were guilty of a crime against the state.
Isn't God to be allowed as much sovereignty as the governor of a state? Salvation, like a pardon,
is something that is not deserved. If it were deserved, then God would be unjust if He did not
bestow it upon all men. Salvation is not a matter of justice, but of mercy. It wasn't the attribute
of justice that led God to provide salvation, but the attribute of mercy. Justice is simply each
man getting what he deserves. Those who go to hell will have nobody to blame but themselves,
while those who go to heaven will have nobody to praise but God.
# Ro 9:22,23
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3. IT IS AGAIN OBJECTED THAT OUR VIEW OF ELECTION IS AGAINST THE DOCTRINE OF WHOSOEVER WILL. However, the objector is wrong again. Our view explains
and supports the doctrine of "WHOSOEVER WILL". Without election, the invitation to "WHOSOEVER WILL" would go unheeded. The Bible doctrine of "WHOSOEVER WILL" does not
imply the freedom or ability of the human will to do good. The human will is free, but its freedom is within the limits of fallen human nature. It is free like water; water is free to run down
hill. It is free like the vulture; the vulture is free to eat carrion, for that is its nature, but it would
starve to death in a wheat field. It is not the buzzard's nature to eat clean food; it feeds upon the
carcasses of the dead. So sinners starve to death in the presence of the bread of life. Our Lord
said to some sinners, who were in His very presence, "You will not come unto me that you
might have life" (John 5:40). It is not natural for a sinner to trust in Christ. Salvation through
trust in a crucified Christ is a stumbling block to the Jew and foolishness to the Greek; it is only
the called, both Jews and Greeks, who trust it as the wisdom and power of God.
# 1Co 1:23,24
Here is a physical corpse. Is it free to get up and walk around? In one sense, yes. It is not
bound by fetters. There is no external restraint. In another sense, however, that corpse is not
free. It is hindered by its natural condition. It is its nature to decompose and go back to dust. It is
not the nature of death to stir about. Here is a spiritual corpse -- a man dead in trespasses and
sins. Is the man free to repent and believe and do good works? Yes, in one sense. There are no
external restraints. God does not prevent but offers inducements through His
Holy Word.
The corpse is hindered by its own nature. There must be the miracle of the new birth, for except
a man be born from above he cannot see or enter into the Kingdom of God.
# Joh 3:3-3:5
It is painful to some of us to see our brethren forsake the faith of our Baptist forbears at this point
and join the ranks of the Roman Catholics and other Armenians. If anyone doubts this charge, let
him read the article of faith adopted by the Catholics at the Council of Trent (1563). I quote their
statement on the freedom of the human will -- "If anyone shall affirm that since the fall of Adam
man's freewill is lost, let him be accursed." Alas, in this day, such a spirit is not confined to the
Roman Catholics. Horatius Bonar makes the following quotation from John Calvin: "The Papist
theologians have a distinction current among themselves -- that God does not elect men according to their works which are in them, but rather as He foresees that they will be believers."
Ah, the real trouble with the objector is not election; it is something else. His real objection is to
total depravity or human inability to do good. I can do no better here than to quote from Percy
W. Heward of London, England. He says, "It seems to me that the majority of objections to
God's sovereign grace, to God's electing love, are actually objections to something else, namely
objections to the fact that man is ruined. If you probe beneath the surface, you will find that very
few object to election.
Why should they? Election harms no one. How can the picking of a man out of doom harm anyone else? The real objection at the present day is not to election, though that word is made the
catchword of sad controversy -- the real objection is to that fact which is revealed in Psalm 51,
that we are formed in iniquity, that we are born sinners by nature, dead in sins, until, as we read
concerning Paul in Galatians 1, "It pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb and
called me by His grace to reveal His Son in me..."
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Ah, beloved friends, we deserve nothing but doom. Acknowledge this and election is the only
hope. Acknowledge that we are poor lost sinners, dead in trespasses and sins, only evil continually. Acknowledge that there is in man no natural spark to be fanned into a flame, but that believers are born again of incorruptible seed which the Lord places. Acknowledge that if anyone is in
Christ, there is a new creation, for we are His workmanship, having been created in Christ Jesus;
and election must be at once recognized."
Every real believer on his knees subscribes to our view of election. You cannot pray ascribing
some credit to self. Sovereign grace will come out in prayer though it may be left off the
platform. No saved man will get down on his knees before God and claim that he made himself
to differ from others who are not saved, but with Paul he says, "By the grace of God I am what I
am." In praying for the lost, we supplicate God to convict and convert them. We do not depend
upon the freedom of their wills, but beg God to make them willing to come to Christ, knowing
that when they come to Christ He will not cast them out.
# John 6:37
A Methodist minister once went to hear a Presbyterian minister preach. After the sermon, the
Methodist said to the Presbyterian, "That was a pretty good Armenian sermon you preached
today." "Yes," replied the Presbyterian, "We Presbyterians are pretty good Armenians when we
preach and you Methodists are pretty good Calvinists when you pray." MORE TRUTH THAN
POETRY HERE!!
4. IT IS ALSO OBJECTED THAT OUR VIEW OF ELECTION IS A NEW DOCTRINE
AMONG MISSIONARY BAPTISTS. The fact is that it is so old-fashioned that it has about
gone out of fashion. The ignorance betrayed in such a claim is indeed pitiable. In refutation, we
resort to two sources of information (a) Confessions of faith; (b) Statements of representative
preachers and writers.
(a) CONFESSIONS OF FAITH
The Waldenses declare themselves as follows: "God saves from corruption and damnation those
whom He has chosen from the foundation of the world, not from any disposition, faith or holiness that He foresaw in them, but His mere mercy in Christ Jesus His Son, passing by all the rest
according to the inscrutable reason of His own freewill and justice." THE DATE OF THIS
CONFESSION WAS 1120!!!
The London Confession (1689) and the Philadelphia Confession (1742) read as follows: "By the
decree of God, for the manifestation of His glory, some men and angels are predestined or foreordained to ETERNAL LIFE through Jesus Christ, to the praise of His glorious grace; others being
left to act in their sins to their just condemnation, to the praise of His glorious justice."
The New Hampshire Confession (Article 9): "We believe that election is the eternal purpose of
God according to which He graciously regenerates, sanctifies and saves sinners; that being perfectly consistent with the free-agency of man, it comprehends all the means in connection with
the end; that it is a most glorious display of God's sovereign goodness, being infinitely free,
wise holy and unchangeable; that it utterly excludes boasting and promotes humility,
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love, prayer, praise, trust in God, and active imitation of His free mercy; that it encourages the
use of means in the highest degree; that it may be ascertained by its effects in all who truly
believe the Gospel; that it is the foundation of Christian assurance; and that to ascertain it with
regard to ourselves demands and deserves the utmost diligence."
(b) REPRESENTATIVE PREACHERS AND WRITERS!
A.H. Strong, former president of Rochester Theological Seminary: "Election is the eternal act of
God, by which in His sovereign pleasure, and as a result of no foreseen merit in them, He
chooses certain of the number of sinful men to be recipients of the special grace of His Spirit and
so to be made voluntary partakers of Christ's salvation."
B.H. Carroll, founder and first president of the Southwestern Baptist Seminary: "Every one that
God chose in Christ is drawn by the Spirit to Christ. Every one predestined is called by the Spirit
in time and justified in time, and will be glorified when the Lord comes." Commentary on
Romans, page 192.
W.T. Conner, professor of theology, Southwestern Baptist Seminary, Fort Worth, Texas: "The
doctrine of election means that God saves in pursuance of an eternal purpose. This includes all
the gospel influences, work of the Spirit and so on, that leads a man to repent of his sins and
accept Christ. So far as man's freedom is concerned, the doctrine of election does not mean that
God decrees to save a man irrespective of his will. It rather means that God purposes to lead a
man in such a way that he will freely accept the gospel and be saved."
To the above list of well known and honored Baptists, we could add quotations from Gill,
Fuller, Spurgeon, Bunyan, Pendleton, Mullins, Dargan, Jeter, Eaton, Graves, and others too
numerous to mention. It is sadly true that many of our pastors hold election as a private opinion and never preach it. We personally know a number of brethren who say that election is
clearly taught in the Bible, but that we cannot afford to preach it, because it will cause trouble
in churches. This is worse than compromise: it is surrender of the truth. It is a spirit that leads
preachers to displease God to please men. This writer believes that silence upon this subject
has produced more harm than open opposition to it. Those who openly oppose election will,
eventually, make themselves ridiculous in the eyes of all Bible loving Baptists.
5. IT IS FURTHER OBJECTED THAT OUR VIEW OF ELECTION MAKES MEN CARELESS IN THEIR LIVING. It is said that belief in the doctrine leads men to say, "If I am elect, I
will be saved; if I am a non-elect I will be lost, therefore, it matters not what I believe or do." The
same objection has been persistently made against the doctrine of the preservation of the saints.
This is bald rationalism. It is the setting of human reason against divine revelation. It takes no
account of the operation of the grace of God in the human heart. If Baptists surrender election on
such a ground, to be consistent, they will have to surrender the doctrine of preservation on the
same ground. Election does not mean that the elect will be saved whether they believe on not, nor
does it mean that the non-elect will be damned regardless of how much they may repent and
believe. The elect will be saved through repentance and faith, and both are gifts from God as
already shown. The non-elect do not repent and believe.
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The objection we are now considering is simply not true to fact. Believers in election have
been and still are among the most godly. Augustus Toplady challenged the world to produce a
martyr among the deniers of election. The Puritans, who were so named because of the great
purity of their lives, with few exception (if any), were believers in personal, eternal, unconditional election, and of course, in the security of the believer. Modernism, that spawn of the pit,
is rapidly adding to the number of its adherents, but they are coming from the ranks of
Arminianism. Others have challenged the world to
find a single Higher Critic, or a single
Spiritualist, or a single Russellite, or a single Christian Scientist, who believes in the absolute
sovereignty of God and the doctrine of election. Without an exception, these awful heretics
are Armenians to a man. This is a significant fact that is not to be winked at.
6. OBJECTORS CLAIM THAT OUR VIEW OF ELECTION DESTROYS THE SPIRIT OF
MISSIONS. They boldly assert that if unconditional election should find universal acceptance
among us that we would cease to be a missionary people. There is an abundance of historical
evidence with which to refute this claim. Under God, the father of modern missions was William Carey, a staunch Calvinist. Andrew Fuller, first secretary of the society that sent Carey to
India, held tenaciously to our view of election. It did not destroy the missionary spirit of these
men. "The proof of the pudding is in the eating." Belief in election did not destroy the missionary spirit in Judson, Spurgeon, Boyce, Eaton, Graves, Carroll and a host of other Baptist leaders.
The Murray church, which Dr. J.F. Love called the greatest missionary church on earth, heard
election preached by Boyce Taylor for nearly forty years. The greatest missionary churches
among us today are those that have been purged from the heresies of James Arminius.
Election is the very foundation of hope in missionary endeavor. If we had to depend upon the
natural disposition or will of a dead sinner, who hates God, to respond to our gospel, we might
well despair. When we realize, however, that it is the Spirit that quickens, we can go forth with
the gospel of the grace of God in the hope that God will cause some, by nature turned away, to
be turned unto Him and to believe to the saving of the soul. Election does not determine the
extent of missions, but the results of it. We are to preach to every creature because God has commanded, and because it pleases Him to save sinners by the foolishness of preaching. W e believe
more in election than the Anti-mission Baptists. We believe that God elected means of salvation
as well as persons to salvation. He did not choose to save sinners apart from the gospel ministry.
# Ro 1:16
Election gives a saneness to evangelism that is greatly needed today. It recognizes that sinners
"believe through grace" (Acts 18:27) and that while Paul may plant and Apollos may water, God
gives the increase. Arminianism has had its day among Baptists and what has it done? It has
given us manpower, but robbed us of God's power. It has increased machinery, but has
decreased spirituality. It has filled our churches with Ishmaels instead of Isaacs by its ministry of
"sob stuff" and with the methods of the "counting house".
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