We know that God is love and mercy, but we also know that He is Holy and Just. He will not allow unreconciled sinners into heaven. (John 14:6).
Number 1, 1950 (Lavender Mist) Pollock, 1950,
National Gallery of Art
Universalism is actually a terrible blasphemy against the Spirit, the unforgivable sin. It is also a heinous reproach unto the incarnated Jesus, who died a horrible death to make a way for sinners to be reconciled.
Do universalists think it was all a big joke? That Jesus says, 'oops, just kidding about that cross thing, come on in anyway!' Do they believe entry into heaven is like a Jackson Pollock painting? Splats and drips winding up where they did due to gravity and haphazard placement? That once any sinner dies they slide down the white tunnel and plop into some part of heaven like a splatting tomato bouncing off a vegetable truck? "Come on in, whoever you are and wherever you came from."
Do they not suppose that God is precise as He was in Genesis, creating the earth just so far from the sun and the moon just so far from the earth and each petal of each flower just so. He does not throw open the doors of heaven and say, "Aw , you're all just so adorable, come on in!"
The transition from earth to heaven is extremely orderly. Once there, the proceedings are orderly too. Everything is moment upon moment, exact, and completed with a precision that astounds the mind. The scene from Daniel 7 is one such example about what happens in heaven is precise, including the people who are there.
A stream of fire issued
and came out from before him;
a thousand thousands served him,
and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him;
the court sat in judgment,
and the books were opened. (Daniel 7:10)
If you read the entire chapter, it's not long, your mind will be blown. Daniel's certainly was. (Daniel 7:15, 28).
"And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done." (Revelation 20:12)
In this verse, we are given an additional detail, the things we do are in the books as well. The book of life is singular and the books in general is plural. It stands to reason that the book of life is singular because Jesus said few find the way. (Matthew 7:14). The book of life is the roll of the names of the saved. Heaven has a precision, and those who are elected to salvation are in the book. Actually, there are two sets of books, one is the book of life and the other is the book which the unsaved will be judged.
People hate it when I say that we will be judged.
People reject the notion of standards today. They reject the concept that some people are qualified for things and other people aren't. For example, women are not qualified for ministry. Unrepentant, active homosexuals are not qualified for marriage. Unrepentant sinners are not qualified for heaven.
God has standards. He has expectations. No set of standards worth the paper they're printed on is a standard which accepts all comers. There are learning standards. When a student achieves them, they graduate. If they don't achieve them, they don't graduate. There is a standard of care, "the degree of prudence and caution required of an individual who is under a duty of care." There is a breed standard, in which in animal fancy and animal husbandry is a set of guidelines which is used to ensure that the animals produced by a breeder or breeding facility conform to the specifics of the breed."
Does a person think that a farmer has a standard for breeding of cows, but our Holy God doesn't have
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standards for entry into His kingdom? Foolish notion!The standard for entry is a single item. Just one. "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel." (Mark 1:15). That's it. No works, no study, no tradition, no payment. Jesus did the work, He studied the Father's will, and He paid the price. He did it for us. Believe on His gospel and you will be saved.
There are so-called Christians who believe that all people will go to heaven. They are Universalists. This violates not only the one standard that God set forth (Belief in Jesus' atoning work on the cross for forgiveness of sins) but it violates logic. It belies the orderliness of the heavenly scenes we see in scripture. It makes God out to be a patsy and a liar.
Billy Graham is one who believes that all peoples, 'if they lived a sincere life" will go to heaven. He has believed this since 1960. He said in part,
"They may not even know the name of Jesus but they know in their hearts that they need something that they don't have and they turn to the only light they have and I think they're saved and they're going to be with us in heaven."
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There are essential doctrines that one must believe in order to be considered a Christian. The exclusiveness of the Gospel is one. If a person doesn't believe the exclusivity of Christ as the sole entry to heaven, he cannot be considered a Christian.Acts 4:12 says "And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”"
Now, Mr Graham is going to die soon. He has said so himself. His son has said so. When Mr Graham dies, there will be many accolades and an outpouring. I want you to know the truth: not all who claim the name of Jesus are in Him. The scriptures say that many will plead with Jesus on His day.
"Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’" (Matthew 7:21-23)
It is the most heartbreaking scripture in the bible. It tears my heart apart every time I read it. My mother will be one of these pleading with Jesus. So will my sister. And so will Billy Graham.
The precision of God is ultimate. It is laser-point. It is Jesus.
