Nobody touched by the cross will be the same and no doubt, everyone will be touched by the cross…
I do not like the term ‘Universalism’ because it allows people to categorize you into a box that they think they know, but do not.
I prefer to use phrases like ‘the power of the cross’ or ‘Christ’s complete work on the cross,’ etc. You see, people who deny universal salvation deny that Christ’s cross is a completed work and is powerful enough to save unbelievers. So they prefer to use universalism because, I believe, they don’t want to admit that they believe the cross is not powerful enough to save without human effort.
The term ‘Universalism’ gives off an idea to some people that salvation is just given to ungrateful sinners that live their life any way they want and just get a free ride into heaven. It costs nothing.
However, it cost the Son of God everything. If God didn’t send Christ then nobody would be saved and all of us would remain in our death and sin. However, God sent Christ to deal with sin and death forever by abolishing them and every enemy. As a result, at God’s appointed time, death and it’s sting will be no longer anywhere in God’s creation so that God will be All in all of His creatures.
So, one of the rubs against ‘universal salvation’ or the ‘100% success of the cross’ is that ungrateful, horrible people will ride willy nilly into heaven laughing all the way. See, this is a complete misunderstanding of how grace works and what the cross actually does.
Yes, we are saved by grace. We are saved by Jesus Christ’s faith, His death for sin, His entombment, and His resurrection. God gives faith to some people to believe in the complete accomplishment of salvation. Others will realize this truth through judgement. All will receive this grace ‘For God is the Savior of all mankind, especially (not exclusively) of believers (1 Timothy 4:10).’
Salvation is all of God and Christ Jesus has saved all humanity according to Romans 5: 18-19, Colossians 1: 15-20, 1 Corinthians 15: 21-28, 1 Timothy 4:10, etc. However, each are saved in their own order or class according to 1 Corinthians 15: 23.
So, I want to speak to those that call me a ‘universalist’ and make the argument that this grace is cheap because any ‘ungrateful sinner’ will get in.
I would like to briefly show that no ‘ungrateful sinner’ will be in heaven. I’m not saying that Christ does not save ‘ungrateful sinners’ because He does. In fact, God chooses the stupid, weak, unwise, and ignoble.
27 but the stupidity of the world God chooses, that He may be disgracing the wise, and the weakness of the world God chooses, that He may be disgracing the strong,
28 and the ignoble and the contemptible things of the world God chooses, and that which is not, that He should be discarding that which is,
29 so that no flesh at all should be boasting in God’s sight. -1Corinthians 1: 27-29
However, what I want to show is that no ‘ungrateful sinner’ will be an ungrateful sinner once God’s grace and Christ’s cross gets done with them.
First: Those of faith
If you have been given faith in the complete work of Christ for your salvation then you have come to an end of ‘self.’ This means you know that Christ alone has saved you and its not by any ‘free will’ choice but because God has chosen you.
A true realization by faith as to what Christ has accomplished for you never causes someone to lax and want to sin. In fact, Paul says that in the grace of God, we behaved ourselves in the world (2 Corinthians 1: 12-13). Think about it in real world terms, if someone saved your life wouldn’t you want to spend the rest of yours living in gratitude and love towards that person? Well, those that realize Christ’s completed work understand that Christ saved them and so much more.
So now, believers live in Christ and are free from the law of sin and death. This grace gives them room to grow in pure love of Christ because they serve Christ because He saved them. However, those that claim you have to ‘behave’ in order to be saved only do so out of fear of death or torment.
You see, grace motivates you to ‘behave’ because Christ has saved you and you don’t need to fear death and sin any longer. The law of ‘behave or else’ causes you to act in fear of punishment in order to earn salvation as opposed to acting in love and gratitude. Believers act right because they are saved, not in order to be saved. If they do sin, yes, grace superexceeds sin in every way.
Yet law came in by the way, that the offense should be increasing. Yet where sin increases, grace superexceeds (Romans 5:20).
So, those that have been given belief as to Christ’s completed work are not ungrateful sinners that do not respect what Christ has done. On the contrary, they realize exactly what Christ has done to sin and death, so that they have the freedom to live for Christ.
In addition to this, God puts the believer through experiences in order for them to work out the salvation that has been accomplished. There will be no spoiled brats in heaven. They will go through everything needed in order to appreciate to the fullest extent all that God has done through Christ.
Second: Unbelieving sinners
Okay, so what about those sinners that do not believe and don’t care at all about Christ? They are just going to skip through the pearly gates?
Not so fast. Yes, it is true that we are saved ‘while we are God’s enemies’ and not when we believe. It can be said that Christ never saved a believer. Why? Because He saves us while we are sinners and enemies. Then, God gives belief to those chosen in order to realize this salvation. Unbelievers just have not come to realization that Christ has saved them.
8 yet God is commending this love of His to us, seeing that, while we are still sinners, Christ died for our sakes.
9 Much rather, then, being now justified in His blood, we shall be saved from indignation, through Him.
10 For if, being enemies, we were conciliated to God through the death of His Son, much rather, being conciliated, we shall be saved in His life. -Romans 5: 8-10
So, unbelievers where not given belief by God. Many people think that because they don’t believe that the only viable punishment for them is eternal separation from God. Why? Why is eternal hell or annihilation God’s only option in dealing with His unbelieving creation? “Ooh sorry, there’s nothing God can do because you made a choice,” says the christian.
Unbelief is an offense to God, but God does not reckon our offenses to us because He has conciliated the world to Himself in Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 5: 18-19). Unbelief is a sin, however, Christ came to save sinners (1 Timothy 1:15). So, do these unbelievers get to heaven without a transformation? Of course not!
It is important to note that God chooses who will believe since before time began (2 Timothy 1: 9-11). Then, works out their experience so at the appointed time, they believe. This human choice is a result of God’s predetermined choice, not a result of man’s free will. So, these believers will have a special salvation in that they get in early and will work with Christ to save the rest of God’s creation. This is described in Romans 8: 18-25.
Now these unbelievers will miss out on the 1000 year kingdom and will have to go through judgement. The judgement of God will be intense and will give the unbeliever everything necessary for correction in order to come to the realization of Christ that those believers have been given by faith.
Its important to note that judgement from God is always for the good of the one being judged and not a vindictive, permanent condition. Judgement is correction as Isaiah 26:9 says and it is not eternal. See, God’s mercy and His judgement are not separate. I’ve heard many times from Christians that ‘God is just.’ Yes He is, but His justice runs through His mercy. This means that God’s justice, judgement or correction is a part of mercy.
For as light Your judgements will be to the earth; The dwellers of the habitance will learn righteousness. -Isaiah 26:9
So do the religious not believe that this 1000 year death sentence and judgement are enough to bring the unbeliever into a realization of truth? Well, for the most vile of sinners the lake of fire awaits. How about being in the lake of fire for years? Is that enough to satisfy the Christian? Do you still need eternal hell?
God doesn’t.
The blood of the cross does the necessary work for all creation with belief and the right dose of judgement for the unbeliever.
and through Him to reconcile all to Him (making peace through the blood of His cross), through Him, whether those on the earth or those in the heavens. -Colossians 1:20
Grace and peace to you all.
Saved ignoble 
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