American Beliefs About Universalism

According to a new study by the Barna Group, an organization that has for decades tracked religious beliefs in America, a surprising trend has surfaced that might have been under the radar in earlier days or has just gained in popularity more recently. This analysis on the above issue ended in 2011 after 5 years of study. Each survey involved a minimum of 1,000 respondents who were randomly selected from across the continental United States with those age 18 and older.

The particular belief in question is nothing new on the list of theological options concerning the subject of salvation. The only real question then is whether or not it is biblically correct? That is always the main question that must be considered when considering the veracity of any spiritual truth or doctrinal matter. This particular one has other names but is best known as ‘Universalism’. And when looking at what it adheres to, it is easy to see why it would become popular to people who have no biblical foundation or background to evaluate its claims.

Briefly stated, ‘Universalism’ is the notion that everyone will eventually be saved and make it into heaven. And again, with that obviously appealing option, it is no wonder why the current statistics on this view seem to be gaining momentum. About 43% of all Americans now believe that it really does not matter what religious faith you follow because they all supposedly teach the same basic ideas. Another 40 % state that people will experience the same outcome after death regardless of their religious beliefs. Add to these numbers that a stunning 7 of every 10 Americans today concur that, if a person is generally good or does enough good things for others, they will earn a place in heaven. The problem with this aspect, among other things, is deciding on the accurate definition of ‘good’. Whose standard is to be used? Also, how would anyone know when they have been ‘good’ enough or ‘done’ enough to merit salvation? It seems that this logic boils down to taking a rather monstrous risk, on an all-important and eternally critical matter, while basing beliefs on some very limited and shaky data.

Also there is one other related and shocking trend to add to the above movement. It seems that 59% of adults now also believe that Christians and Muslims worship the same God. While these same folks may admit that each religion has different names and some varying beliefs regarding God, they still maintain that the Bible, the Koran and the Book of Mormon are all basically different expressions of the same spiritual truths.

Despite this new trend of an old system, even a somewhat casual study of the Bible will quickly dispute the above beliefs on Universalism, not to mention the other world religions also referred to. But with that said, some will ask, why believe what the Bible says over any other human book? Is it just a book written by man like any other religious instruction manual? And to be fair, that question is valid. But it also can be answered without question in the various areas of what it claims and teaches.

The Bible, believe it or not and like it or not, is not just a human book and man’s concept of God’s existence and interaction with man. It is not like any other book or one that just rehashes in different terms the same basic concepts as all the others. The pen that inscribed the precise words in the Old and New Testaments may indeed have been in the hands of flawed men. But the things recorded there were directed by the Holy Spirit of God as 2 Peter 1:19-21 reveals. “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit." Then Paul adds in 2 Timothy 3:16 that biblical truth, from cover to cover, was originally inspired of God. This means literally ‘God–breathed’. Verse 16 reads, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” The word ‘inspiration’ means that it came from the very mouth and mind of God Himself and is therefore errorless in all it says and teaches.

But there will still be some that declare that this is just the Bible speaking about itself and it therefore carries no more weight than any other religious book. Again, is that a reasonable question? To be fair - yes. But it is only those who have not studied it deeply, and been affected by it internally, who fail to see how unique and supernatural the Scriptures really are.

Because it would take far too much time to explain, perhaps a few examples of the trustworthiness and truth of the Bible can be quickly mentioned. The Bible alone has been verified by numerous proofs down through the centuries. No other book of any kind has proven to be 100% accurate in matters of science, history, archeology, and in possessing the supernatural ability of changing the human heart from the inside out. Then there is perhaps the greatest validation of all. Only Scripture can boast 100% accuracy in predicting hundreds of prophecies – something no other book can even begin compare with. These and other undeniable proofs exist, if one is willing to fully seek out the truth about what the Bible is, what it says, and who authored it.

With that said, what about its view on salvation and specifically this topic of “universalism”? Is it true? Does it match up with God’s word in any way, shape or form? Are there multiple gods and multiple ways to heaven other than through Jesus Christ? And can one work his or her way to heaven through good works – however defined and however many that might require? The brief answer to these questions is simple. Absolutely not! It is also no shock to Bible students that such false teachings would be around, come around, and even take hold of many according to 2 Timothy 4:4 “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.” Also see 2 Peter 2:1.

The Bible, especially in the New Testament, contains scores of clear-cut passages about who the one true God is, how sin afflicted His once flawless creation, and the solitary means whereby He provided mankind a way to gain forgiveness from sin, and spend eternity in heaven with Him. Here are a few verses just for starters.

“For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.” (1Timothy 2:5-6)

“Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”em> (John 14:6)

“And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” (John 17:3)

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)

Then too, many other verses substantiate this same foundational reality such as Acts, 16:31, 1 Peter 1:17-19, Romans 5:7-10, John 10:1, Acts 16:31, Titus 3:5, Romans 6:23, and 1 John 5:20. God has left no doubt whatsoever about His person, His uniqueness, His power and His method of dealing with the eternal penalty of human sin. He shares no attributes or works along side of any other so-called gods to provide man a vehicle to be saved. He alone is God as Deuteronomy 6:4 states. "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one!”

The teaching and promoting of Universalism is an extremely serious biblical error bringing with it unthinkable and lasting consequences. In Christendom, there are many church camps. Sometimes there are certain theological beliefs that don’t quite match up between denominations on certain doctrinal positions. This does not always mean that people in these groups will not be in heaven together. Maybe once in eternity, they might then find out who was on target and who may have been a little off center in one of the more secondary doctrinal basics. But when any theological teaching tampers with and spreads dangerous error on the most critical doctrine of salvation, this becomes of the utmost importance as it affects the single most important thing in this life and the next - the final destiny of a human soul.

If the Bible is the Word of the true God and perfect source of spiritual truth, and it is, then those who are banking on the increasing teachings of universalism had better rethink and search out the stated position of the collective 66 books known as the Holy Bible. The God who authored it made it certain that even a child can grasp the truth of who He is, what man needs, what Jesus did to meet that need, and how to be properly ready to face Him in eternity. The writer John summed it us as well as it can be and needs to be.

“And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.” (1 John 5:10-13)

Bill Breckenridge