Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, by Your grace, Your loving help, I now commit all that I have and am to You. Lord Jesus, You are my Gift of Salvation, so wherever You lead me I will follow. Amen. (Romans 10:9-10)

"And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself" (John 12:32).

How much hell do you want others to go through? The love of Christ compels us. That is the urgency. People must be brought to repentance so they can experience the full redemption and deliverance which Christ died to give them. People will never be saved until they ARE saved. Does it not matter to you if your loved ones or neighbors live out their earthly lifetimes without the joy—and deliverance—that comes from knowing Jesus? What kind of environment do you desire in this world for your children? What about your grandchildren?

People looking for excuses to sin will always find them under any belief-system. Regarding the salvation of all mankind, Paul said, "These things prescribe and teach" (1 Tim. 4:9-11). Understand-ing God’s true character and plan for His creation lays a healthy foundation for authentic righteousness that comes from whole-hearted trust and love toward the Lord. The greatest commandment of all is that we love Him with all our being. How can we totally trust and love our Creator, and at the same time be totally convinced that His commitment to us is conditional?

That’s like asking, "What’s the point of having a hospital that has discovered the cure for all diseases?" Just because Calvary will prove itself to be 100% successful does not render Christ’s sacrifice unnecessary. If a rescue team saved all the passengers on a sinking ship, would that prove their mission to be futile? The unscriptural dogma that only some will be saved undermines the atonement. It renders our Lord’s work as mostly a failure. Some (Calv-Arminians?) believe that most people will be saved. This renders Christ’s atonement almost successful!

No doubt in many quarters it will cause a stir. Jesus said that He had not come to bring peace, but a sword. Sometimes a wholesome division must occur so hearts already divided will be exposed—for the purpose of healing, resulting in true unity later on.

Once saved, always saved. Hmmm . . . that is, if you truly are among the "elect" few chosen for salvation, according to your doctrinal foundation. But how do you KNOW (based on Scripture) you have acknowledged Christ as Lord with ALL of your heart? The Bible tells us that only a fool trusts in his own heart—that it is desperately wicked—who but God can know it? When you’re in the throes of some desperate weakness, how does God’s covenant with Abraham anchor your soul? Can you honestly love and admire God wholeheartedly while also believing He may have brought many of your loved ones and neighbors into being for the purpose of eternal torment? If "yes" is your answer, my prayer is that the Lord will give you a conscience when He does save you.

First of all, salvation is a gift, not an achieve-ment we accomplish and are "rewarded" for (Eph. 2:1-10). However, all of God’s judgments are rooted in His love (Ps. 62:12). So—for their own good—all people will be called into account for their deeds (ourselves included) and rewarded accordingly! Even so, it will not be a happy experience for any who have lived in calculated rebellion against the Lord (Romans 2:6-11, 1 Cor. 3:13-15).

However . . . you haven’t always been a saint, have you? Did you volunteer to live for Christ, or did God’s Spirit lead you to repentance? Do you actually want other people to suffer endless torment because the Holy Spirit overcame your stubbornness and led you to Christ before He did the same thing for them? Perhaps you need to read about the "elder brother" in the story of the prodi-gal son (Luke 15:11-32). Also review the story of the hired workers in the vineyard (Matt. 20:1-16). Remember, if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us (1 John 1:8).

Christ came, not to the gentiles (the world pop-ulation in general), but to the "lost sheep of the house of Israel" (Matt. 15:24). These were already God’s chosen covenant people—all of whom will finally be saved, according to Paul (Romans 11:26). Bear in mind that these covenant people are the ones Christ is talking to on this occasion.

So, the Lord is not here contradicting promises He has made elsewhere by saying that only a few will ever be saved. Otherwise John 12:32 would have quoted Him as saying, "If I be lifted up, I will draw only a few people to Myself." Furthermore, 1 Corinthians 15:22 would say, "In Adam all die; in Christ only a few will be made alive." So Luke 13:23-30 is not about whether Christ will eventually reap the full harvest of human souls He paid for with His own blood—that is, how many will finally be saved (Gen. 22:17-19, Romans 4:13, also note carefully Romans 11:15-16,32,36).

Here He is talking about being saved during this dispensation to occupy a rulership role in His love-kingdom—to act as co-laborers, co-restorers with Him in His world-harvest field (John 4:34-38). Only those who enter the narrow gate of self-denial, allowing Christ to perfect them in love and holiness can qualify to minister to the world in this era as well as the Kingdom Millennial Age to come. These will shine as lights set on a hill (Matt. 5:14; Ps. 48). They will serve as kings and priests—a holy nation, a royal priesthood—to reflect God’s character to the world (1 Pet. 2:9-12). Many are called to this high privilege, but few respond. Such as refuse will find themselves in a place of outer darkness—not "forever," but for a season (Matt. 25:14-30). This describes exactly what happened to many Jews when Jerusalem was crushed under Rome’s armies in 70 AD—which Christ prophesied in Matthew 24 and 25.

Nothing is mentioned about eternity in this passage and others which are similar to it. Read the best-seller The Final Quest, by Rick Joyner. Also contact Arthur Eedle (see Suggested Reading List) for his excellent articles: "Jesus—Firstborn of Every Creature" and "Millennial Kings and Priests." This Luke 13 passage has to do with attaining to a "better resurrection," being made qualified to "rule over cities" in the Millennial age (Heb. 11:35, Phil. 3:10-11, also compare Luke 19:12-27 and Ps. 78:34). The current theology that insists that only the priesthood people (the church) will ever be saved leaves the church with no one to "reign over" in the Millennium! Again, the church is not the only born of God’s new creation in Christ. It is the first born, co-redeemer, "called out" company. But "called out" for what? Review Colossians 1:18 and also study Acts 15:15-17 and Amos 9:11-12.

In the original language of Scripture, Hebrews 2:16 says, "God is not now laying hold of angels." So if He is not laying hold of them now, why should we? The present focus is on mankind. However, Colossians 1:15-20 does say all the invisible realm was made for Christ and is being reconciled through His cross. It would harmonize with God’s character for our Good Shepherd—eventually at some future age—to lead His rebellious angels to repentance (Romans 8:19-23, Heb. 13:8). But apart from true heart-repentance, there can be NO salvation for anyone! I would caution against any kind of intercession on our part for fallen angels now. At present, we’re in the midst of rescuing Adam’s sons and daughters. We’re plundering satan’s prison-house, freeing all who have been "taken captive by him to do his will" (Luke 11:21-22, 2 Tim. 2:26).

Human wills, therefore, must first be made free (by the church’s intercession and ministry) so they can respond to and receive Christ’s light. Also, satan and his minions must first be judged and punished for their atrocities before we can sensibly think in terms of their eventual rehabilitation. See Andrew Jukes’ Restitution of All Things mentioned in the reading list for more exposition of Scripture on this subject. His long-time bestseller, The Names of God, is still available in most bookstores. It’s an excellent study of God’s character. (Keep your Kleenex box handy! This book so tenderly reveals the heart of our wonderful Lord as shown in Scripture you’ll probably cry a lot!)

That is a good attitude to adopt. That is, if you’re absolutely certain you can prove that endless torment is an essential yet mysterious doctrine taught in Scripture. And it’s a worthy attitude if you’re sincerely convinced that God’s prophetic word, as well as His will, purpose, and desire to redeem His whole creation will be thwarted forever.

We all must be prepared to give a reason for the hope that lies within us, according to Paul. How do you explain your hope to people who ask, "Why would a loving God create people whom He already knows are doomed for endless agony?" How do you assure them of God’s unconditional love—and total commitment—from a Scriptural basis?

People asked the same question about justification by faith in Christ alone five centuries ago when Martin Luther and others began proclaiming it. Many dedicated Christians throughout the centuries have believed in this full gospel of restoration. In fact, history indicates that most of the church understood the Good News in this way for the first three to four hundred years, AD. The oldest statement of orthodox faith known to Christianity was formulated in the 300’s at the Roman government’s request. Now get this—the Apostle’s creed, as it came to be called later (which appears in two slightly different versions) makes no mention of an endless hell! One version mentions Christ’s descent into Hades where He preached to Noah’s generation. However, that passage in 1 Peter tends to disprove—not support—the notion of endless punishment!

Interesting, how the fourth century Christians’ ideas about "orthodoxy" differ from those of much of today’s church, isn’t it? For good historical documentation, order Christ Triumphant, the book mentioned at the top of the reading list. (It’s available from Concordant Publishing for $7.00, plus $1.50 postage and handling.)

On the contrary, any "God" who will permit sin such as cursing, blasphemy, and bitterness to endure eternally would be soft on sin. For only such a compromising deity would invent an endless hell of ceaseless cursing and blasphemy to co-exist with his holy nature forever.

But thank you for being honest. As long as you’re absolutely certain that your own version of "God" is solidly based on the original language of Scripture—and all that is prophesied in Scripture—then believe what your heart dictates to be true. Would you please write us a testimony explaining how your meditations on the Lord’s judgments (as you understand them) have increased your love for Him? How have they inspired your heart toward deeper worship? The psalmist David also sang of God’s judgments. Do you have any songs to share that would increase our faith? Please share them if you do. I say this with all respect and sincerity.

I understand! Yet I am also confident our Good and Just Father knows how to see that such men get what’s coming to them—to the satisfaction of us all—without taking forever to do so. I shudder to think of being in their shoes! However, if endless hell actually were taught in Scripture, do you know who would be hardest for me to understand going to Heaven? Adam and Eve! I can’t imagine a greater miscarriage of justice than for our first parents to be saved despite the damages they caused all the rest of us. People like Adolph Hitler would never have been born had it not been for Adam and Eve’s rebellion.

Well, you believed people had "free wills" before, didn’t you? What’s wrong with God showing the same kindness and patience toward others He has shown toward you until they make a good choice? I don’t understand how God can be "one" and also "three," but the Bible teaches it, so I believe it. However, Scripture does not require that I must believe that God is love/hate or that God is committed/uncommitted. Big difference!

Next time you go to church, have a good look at the classic songs of the faith in your hymnal. Also, if your church uses an overhead projector, note carefully the words of many choruses now being published by today’s younger generation. "Ancient of Days" is good for starters. Also, don’t forget to review all the verses to well-known Christmas carols, as well as Handel’s "Messiah." If our "free will" is the bottomline factor determining our destiny, why aren’t there any songs about it? Truth liberates the heart to worship, doesn’t it?

According to Eugene Peterson, the entire book of Revelation is a hymn of worship, sung by many of the early church (see The Message translation by Eugene Peterson). Obviously, much of today’s church cannot sing all of it because they don’t understand God’s judgments as the first century Christians did. Review Psalm 96, bearing in mind that the only Scriptures available to the earliest Christians came from the Old Testament. And remember that the New Testament finds its roots in Moses and the prophets.

So do I. God is Sovereign Holy Love. And 1 Corinthians 13 tells us exactly what He wants to do, and does do—and will always do.

Sovereign Holy Love can only act in harmony with His nature. Thus He cannot perpetuate error, pain and evil. Nor can He "allow" them to exist forever. For Omnipotent, Omnipresent Love Himself always succeeds and never fails. Therefore, Calvary MUST succeed for all the world—for any exception would mean an eternal victory for satan.

And to be utterly honest, I’m convinced that most Christians, in their deepest hearts, believe the same thing. Otherwise, instead of opposing (easy and convenient) abortions, we would all be mounting a campaign for the immediate sterilization of the human race. That is, if we truly believed that most infants born in this world are destined as adults for endless torment. For no human parent with a heart would dream of conceiving a child—knowing—that hopeless damnation was its probable (or even possible) destiny.

Is God any less merciful than we are? Is He only as powerful as we are? Think about it.

"Love is very patient and kind,

never jealous or envious, never boastful or proud,

never haughty or selfish or rude.

Love does not demand its own way.

It is not irritable or touchy.

It does not hold grudges

and will hardly even notice when others do it wrong.

It is never glad about injustice,

but rejoices whenever truth wins out. . .

There are three things that remain

—faith, hope, and love—

and the greatest of these is love"

(1 Cor. 13:4-6,13, The Living Bible).

"Every tongue shall take an oath,

He shall say,

‘Surely in the Lord I have righteousness and strength!’"

(Isa. 45:23b-24, NKJV).

« « «

"Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom,

that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him . . .

His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,

and all dominions shall serve and obey Him"

(Daniel 7:14,27b, NKJV).

« « «

"Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth

and under the earth and on the sea,

and all that is in them, singing:

‘To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb

be praise and honor and glory and power,

for ever and ever!’"

(Rev. 5:13, NIV). 

 

Appendix II

Ponder Prayerfully

If most people will be lost forever because Christ does not finally lead ALL to repentance:

	then eternity will prove that satan did a better job at corrupting creation than Christ did in redeeming it.
	then eternity will demonstrate that satan’s power to seduce human wills is stronger than God’s power to influence them toward good.
	then eternity will show that God devised His own everlasting defeat when He planned His creation.
	then eternity will reveal that God’s love is no different from the "love" of corrupted men, because it places value on people based on their performance. How so? All who have failed to hear of Christ and respond to Him within a certain time limit are discarded!
	then eternity will demonstrate that Christ’s atonement for all mankind (in many cases) is an everlasting failure.
	then eternity will show that God planned that good and evil co-exist forever, side by side, in His universe as an eternal testimony of His holy (?) and loving (?) nature.
	then eternity will prove that our Loving Creator has knowingly brought many people into being whose suffering shall have no end—that He has done a thing to His own offspring that no normal earthly father would dream of doing.
	then eternity will show that God—Who receives no pleasure in the death of the wicked—has failed to fulfill His promise that He will perform all His good pleasure to unite all creation in Christ (either because He will not or He cannot do so).
	then eternity will prove that God’s "desire" that all be saved either is not a deep and sincere desire—or else—it is an irrational desire that He knows to be vain and futile. Hence, Perfect Love and Wisdom desires what He knows will never happen—not ever! This means that God’s desire is rooted in unreality and is merely sentimental and wishful thinking.
	then eternity will show that God’s purpose (to unite all in Christ) will never be accomplished. Therefore He lied when He assured us, "I have spoken it; I will bring it to pass. I have purposed it; I will also do it" (Isa. 46:11, Eph. 1.9-10).
	then eternity will show that Christ will not, in fact, inherit ALL things. So all Scriptures that prophesy along these lines were only nice-sounding words—gross and misleading "inflated advertising." For Christ shall have drawn only some, not all, people to Himself. For the gentiles will not hope in Him. Only some gentiles will hope in Him.
	then eternity will show that God loves pain. Otherwise He would have retained His original state of pleasure by never spawning creation.
	then eternity will show that God’s covenant with Abraham that in Christ all earth’s families will be BLESSED is by no means a sure anchor for the soul. For only mild and temporal and mostly imperceptible blessing was intended by this covenant for earth’s families. Such "blessing" will hardly be of comfort when remembered by vast multitudes agonizing forever whose lives on earth were characterized by disease, oppression, ignorance, squalor and hard labor.
	then eternity will show that Loving-Kindness, Himself, has created billions of people whom He foreknew would never hear Christ proclaimed during their earthly lives and therefore would suffer forever.
	then eternity will prove that God created many things for His everlasting displeasure and therefore is not worthy of all power, honor and praise—contrary to Revelation 4:11 and Isaiah 46:10.
	then eternity will prove that, for many, God’s calling them into being was a curse of such magnitude that its horror defies description.
	then eternity will prove that Christ will be "satisfied" that God’s pleasure (forever!) shall only partially "prosper" in His hand. How so? Only the firstfruits of His world harvest of human souls will ever become His inheritance.
	then eternity will show that Scriptures calling the church "the firstborn" and a "kind of firstfruits" were meaningless.
	then eternity will demonstrate that Christ is not the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. It will reveal Him as the Lamb of God who tried to take away the world’s sin and failed.
	then eternity will prove that abortionists are far more merciful than "God" or "Christians" who would preserve infants alive so as teenagers and adults most of them would have to endure endless torment.
	then eternity will demonstrate that God’s "tender mercies" are over only some (not all) of His works, for only some will bless His name forever and ever. Many others will agonize for all eternity.
	then eternity will demonstrate that Christians who proclaimed so many messages about "resting in God’s love and grace" were grossly imbalanced in their emphasis (to put it as kindly as possible).
	then eternity will demonstrate that God’s will shall never (fully) be done on earth as it is in Heaven. For when earth yields up its dead from their graves, most who are resurrected will live outside of God’s will forever and ever. Therefore, Christ taught us to pray a prayer He knew would NEVER—not ever—be answered.
	then eternity will prove that God will not be the plague and destruction of death and Hades. For the sting of death in its most hideous form—the second death—shall endure forever and ever. Thus, Paul was grossly deceived to have shouted, "O death, where is your sting; O Hades, where is your victory?" For death shall prove itself to be victorious—in may cases—for all eternity. The second death, the lake of fire, will sabotage God’s fulfilling all His good pleasure forever and ever.
	then eternity will prove that only some things shall be made new, not all. Moreover death, sorrow, tears and pain, contrary to Scripture, will endure forever as testimony of satan’s victory over Calvary.
	then eternity will demonstrate that God has called Himself the "Savior of all men," fully knowing He would never save but only a few. Thus He only wanted to sound nice when He referred to Himself as "the Savior of ALL men."
	then eternity will prove that God is weaker than evil. Or else, eternity will show that He chose to go into everlasting collusion with evil when He created all things so that evil forever could exert greater power than His over the wills of many people.
	then eternity will demonstrate that Christ failed to accomplish His purpose to save the world—that which was lost—and to destroy the devil’s works. For He shall have saved only some of the world, and some of that which was lost, and destroyed only some of satan’s works.
	then eternity will reveal that love is neither committed nor unfailing—nor is it by any means unconditional.
	then eternity will show that Holy Love has foreseen and therefore fore-planned for everlasting disaster for much of His own creation.
	then eternity will demonstrate that God is kinder to animals than He is to human beings. For He has allowed death to end any suffering that beasts endure in their earthly lifetime. Yet He has ordained endless torment for human beings, created in His image.
	then eternity will either demonstrate that—bottomline—human beings (contrary to Scripture) are in fact their own saviors through the strength of their own ingenuity and will-power. Or else, eternity will show that God has chosen to save some and brought others into existence for the purpose of endless suffering.
	then eternity will show that "Love" gives up on His own offspring forever—in advance of His having created them. For He has foreknown all of His works from eternity past and fulfills all His plans based on His foreknowledge.
	then eternity will reveal God as the author of endless pain, error, and evil—since His own Word states that He Himself willed His creation’s fall (Romans 8:20-21).
	then eternity will demonstrate that Christ, contrary to Scripture, never intended to draw all mankind to Himself—or else He promised to do so but was unable to fulfill His promise. Therefore John 12:32 is meaningless at best and a lie at worst.

APPENDIX III

Experience Explodes Arguments

After six months of agony, it happened overnight. It happened when my desperately wounded heart finally became convinced God loves me. It happened when I suddenly knew My heavenly Father truly had created all things for His pleasure—myself and loved ones and you and your loved ones, and they and their loved ones, and they and their loved ones. . . I woke up on May 1^st of 1996 instantly free from:

	a deeply rooted fear of God’s hopeless abandonment,
	chronic manic suicidal depression,
	any desire whatsoever for alcohol, even to this very day,
	dependence on five prescriptions of anti-depressants and related medications,
	tormenting sexual night dreams and obsessions that had recurred off and on since age twelve and had brought great heartache in my marriage,
	self-hatred,
	chronic insomnia,
	a love/hate relationship with God and the resulting morbid perfectionism that had nearly ruined my life and marriage.

 

After my attempted suicide in August of 1995 my wife, Paula, was deeply heartbroken. She found herself with no choice but to commit me to the care of a Christian psychiatric hospital. I was also under the wonderful care of Helen Crossland, founder of Homes of Hope Ministries, and the godly and refreshing influence of her husband, Don. Bless them, bless them, Lord! Had it not been for their wise counsel (as well as that of our on-going seasoned inner-healing counselor and spiritual mom, Carolyn Barnett), I probably would be a goner today. I also thank God for the unconditional love, wise counsel, deep generosity, and caring heart of Dr. Wanda Stephens, founder of Living Hope Institute in Little Rock, Arkansas. I also owe much to Dr. David Haas for believing in me when I had lost all ability to believe in myself. The same goes for Dick King, who pastors Emmanuel Baptist Church. Also I owe deepest thanks, along with Paula, to the proven friends and partners of our ministry. They continued to support us financially during the very darkest days of our lives. And I thank God for all who continue to do so. We will need support as the Lord leads and anoints us to impart His healing hope to those who weep under the shadow of darkness. Bless them abundantly, dear Father! And bless all our dear and proven friends who have sacrificed much in order to shower us with love and every kind of assistance possible. (And friends, you KNOW who you are, need I mention?)

Back to my story. . . I had attempted suicide. What had happened? I had lost all hope, that’s what had happened. About a year before I went under, I was given a book that contained selections from George MacDonald’s writings. (Anyone remember the Scotsman C.S. Lewis often referred to as his spiritual master/teacher?)

As I read and re-read that book over the next several months, I often blubbered and cried like a baby. Was it possible? Could it be that God could be that good? I began searching the Scriptures.

But it was too late. The damage to the memory banks of my brain’s neuron cells was too massive. My head could hope, but my heart could not. I had spent too many years trying to find wholeness the wrong way. Too many years trying to meditate on the love of my heavenly Father while also trying desperately to believe with integrity:

God’s ever-active, unfailing love is unconditional—but—on the following conditions:

1) That you are in the elect (Calvinism) or that God has foreknown that you are one of the few who will repent—in this lifetime (Arminianism).

2) That you hear of Christ in this lifetime.

3) That you respond to Him in this lifetime.

4) That you trust only in His mercy and His grace—as well as trust in your own ability to walk in consistent obedience. For thus you must prove your salvation (Calvinism) or assure your salvation (Arminianism).

5) That you don’t die in sin.

6) That you endure until the end (based on a wrong interpretation of Scripture).

	God is committed love/God’s love, however, is not committed to many people (Calvinism).
	God "loves" everyone—but, however, even so . . . (Arminianism).
	God has chosen to help some people/God has chosen to abandon most people.
	God saves hopeful failures/God gets rid of hopeless failures.
	Love is kind/Love has spawned billions of people He already knows are doomed for endless fiery disaster.
	God is all powerful and loves you. However, He has ordained that your free will shall be the bottom line factor that determines your eternal destiny. Thus, your identity—whether a child of God or a child of everlasting evil and darkness—depends on your willpower.
	God is the Savior of all/He is not the Savior of all.
	The Lord wishes the best for you and you must love Him with all your heart, though He is not fully committed to you or anyone else, unless people are diligent to trust and obey. In other words. He loves you, but don’t count on it.
	God is Everlasting Forgiveness/Eternal Wrath and Vindictiveness
	Our Lord is utterly victorious and will destroy the devil’s works. Yet the devil will destroy most of Christ’s works (people) forever.
	God is worthy of all power, honor and praise because He has created a few things for His pleasure. However, when I sing that chorus, I must say "all things."
	God is Sovereign, so He can commit any atrocity He pleases (Calvanistic agony once again). Or—God is good, but the whole reason He gave us free wills was so He would eventually have a universe forever divided between "winners" and "losers." A universe He will weep over for all eternity. In other words, God loves pain!? (Arminian torment again.)
	You can count on God if you are in the "elect" (Calvinism). Or,
	You can count on God if He can count on you (Arminianism).
	You must believe all the Lord says in His Word, but He also wants you to "rest in His grace," so you must try not to always take all He says too seriously. On the other hand—perhaps you had better take Him more seriously! Yes or no? (How could we Arminian Christians talk so much about grace even while we teetered on the brink of a possible Christless infinity!?)
	God, in His holy, sovereign grace, may have chosen you for salvation. How dare that you not rejoice that your friends, neighbors and loved ones may be predestined for eternal torment! Truly spiritual people can delight and hope in the Lord no matter what! Charles, what’s wrong with you!? (Torment from my attempt to cling to Calvinism).
	The Lord is gracious, tenderhearted, compassionate and patient. He does not cast off forever because of the multitude of His mercies. Even so, it isn’t wise to carry that idea too far. He gets rid of some people. That is, He "loses ability" to ever reach them, etc., etc. . . . That does sound nicer, doesn’t it? (Arminianism again.)

All of these hopeless contradictions were entrenched in my belief system, posing as "truths." Shocking? Have a look at these . . .

	God thinks you are "very special." Don’t worry that in His foreknowledge He’s written off most everyone else. Just trust . . .
	Perhaps God wants us to believe all the Bible, but not to think about parts of it too much, so we’ll have courage to trust in His grace? Also, He wants us Christians to preach only the comforting parts of it—at least most of the time, in order to make Him appear nice? (Calv-Arminian agony working.)
	Maybe God hopes everyone in the world at least will feel loved by Christians before He consigns most everyone to endless torment. In the meanwhile, we Christians should oppose abortion (!) and build hospitals and try to provide every help possible for the world’s starving and homeless multitudes . . . ? (Believe me, I tried very hard not to think about this horrifying contradiction.)
	All earth’s families will be blessed in Christ, Abraham’s "Seed." Well, a little bit, for a few years (so I was trained to believe)—before most of them are sentenced to endless despair. (Powerful promise, huh?)
	God loves you and is committed to you for who you are, not for what you do. Nevertheless, He has already planned in advance to abandon most people because of what they do or don’t do.
	God is love/hate (Guess which system!)
	God is good, but . . . (Guess which system!)
	You can trust God, though it isn’t wise to trust Him too much. You must trust the reliability of your free will. For it is appointed unto man once to die, and after that—no hope.
	And here’s the heartbreaker: Jesus loves all the little children of the world—red and yellow, black and white. Are they precious in His sight? Yes. They are precious until they reach the age of accountability.

 

Need I say more? My "God-Picture" was utter chaos! Ironic, isn’t it? After all, I had written and published two devotional books, revealing the loving heart of my heavenly Father. What made it worse was, my loving Father actually was revealing His true heart to me. Even in the early eighties (I can see it now!) He was beginning His blessed invasion. In the meantime, my spirit knew Him in one way, but my brain perceived Him in another way.

Talk about agony! Problem was, at the time I had no adequate SCRIPTURAL FOUNDATION for the kind of "Father of tender mercies" I was hearing from and conveying in my speaking and writing.

So yes, my understanding of the Lord had finally evolved into something beautiful. But was it too beautiful? That’s what disturbed me; it was only the "beautiful" side of God that gave me any hope whatsoever! What I dared not do was to think much about His austere aspects, His judgments—at least as tradition has taught us to perceive them. For in my framework of understanding there was no hope in God’s judgments. Not for despairing people who could not hope or people who are not in the "elect" (depending on whether my tortured mind was laboring under the despair of Arminianism or Calvinism).

But in the throes of my own battles against the world, the flesh and the devil, how could I avoid thinking of the Lord’s judgments on occasions? Besides, I had felt a growing uneasiness with the way I had always approached the Bible: meditate on the nice parts, "believe" the horrifying parts, but don’t believe them too much. I had to find some sort of grace to count on! So my policy had been to stuff "Everlasting Horrors We Must Believe About God" in a "backfile" in my brain, labeled "Required Orthodox Tenets" and then try not to think of them much. I’ve often wondered if my Calvinistic and Arminian friends do the same thing. . . .

Is that your policy? If you’re deeply wounded and scrambling to survive while searching for healing, I do not recommend it. That is exactly what I did for years! I backfiled much of my belief system. Believe me, this is a sure recipe for eventual insanity!

Now, I want to ask a respectful, yet honest question of my readers, especially Christian pastors and counselors: how can we help thinking people get healed of deep inner traumas while encouraging them to "believe"—and yet not be too concerned about all that is written in the holy Word of our Lord? Unless we can behold our loving Lord in all of His terrible (awesome!) beauty, how can our hearts ever be fashioned into His holy likeness? Is the secret of deepest healing of the heart found in playing "believe, but don’t think about" mind games with the Bible? Is that how the Lord (secretly) expects we should deal with His Word?

That, I regret to report, was my way of ministry for many years. I taught folks to give mental assent to the orthodox (?) teaching of endless torment—and then—I found myself urging them to focus on the love and grace passages in Scripture. For I knew no other way to convey God’s heart as my spirit knew Him to be. But praise the Lord! Those days are over. However, perhaps, as a leader or counselor, you have been "stuck" in the same way I was. You know that healing can only come when people know they are valued and loved unconditionally. But your paradigm or concept of the gospel has forced you (unconsciously, as was true in my own case) to "downplay" certain parts of Scripture to help people entrapped in paranoia. I’m praying the Lord will use this book to help free you to minister what your heart already knows.

Identity! Identity is what spawns behavior. Identity is what determines desires, emotions, perceptions and feelings. I am convinced that any interpretation of Scripture that undermines a solid sense of identity, HAS to be wrong. For identity is what Christ came to give us! He is the Light that shines on every infant that enters, kicking and squalling, into this pain-wracked world.

Calvinism undermines identity. It tells us we have purpose (a good purpose) and value—if—we can be CERTAIN our conversion experience and all subsequent "confirmations" we receive of it aren’t spurious. Furthermore, it transmits to us a bone-chilling picture of God: God is Holy Love/Holy Love is everlastingly wrathful, unforgiving, arbitrary and biased. Calvinism is embarrassing to its adherents. It forces them (the grace-oriented ones) to present the gospel sounding much like they believe in Christ’s total triumph. Afterwards, however, Calvinist leaders are forced to train their new converts to become either arrogant religionists who feel superior to the "non-elect" or despairing manic depressives.

Arminianism (and its half-brother, Calv-Arminianism) undermines identity. I am not criticizing people who embrace any of these systems. Many Christians are like I was for years—what other choice do we have? I understand that. However, now that you have read these pages, you are seeing that there is abundance of Scripture for more hope, aren’t you? My earnest prayer is that you will prayerfully study the Scriptures.

Arminianism leaves the identity issue open to question. It transmits this picture of God: God is Holy Love/Holy Love is noncommitted or weak. For if our frail sin-impaired wills ultimately determine if we are God’s children or children of everlasting despair—who we ARE—then deepest healing will elude us in this life. How can we trust a "God" who tells us we had better trust in ourselves? We will not have time to be healed. We will be too busy trying to make right choices! How do I know this? I’ve been there! And again, Arminian Christians will find themselves singing and preaching (as much as possible) as if they believed in Christ’s Total Victory (except the "legalistic" ones who take their theology seriously). However, their new converts will be trained: "Bottomline, it’s up to you." And the result? The same result as Calvinism: some people becoming self-righteous religionists (as long as youth and vitality hold out) and others becoming suicidal manic depressives. And of course, there will be a good number of people in all the above systems who will manage to maintain a semblance of balance and cope pretty well. That is, until they experience enough agony of self-doubt to desire answers to hard questions.

What is the cure for all of this? Just to do what 20th century grace-oriented evangelical churches have always been doing? Keep sweeping the hard Bible bits under the carpet? Even while we publicly talk in terms of "identity" and "unconditional love" and "resting in God’s grace?" To the agony of our thoughtful listeners who are struggling? Is this the answer?

No! Enough is enough. The lie of conditional love must die or we cannot live. We can exist and cope—we can even appear to live—but that lie must bite the dust so we can live. It’s time that we Bible-believing Christians stop fearing being ostracized or unkindly labeled. It’s time that, for the sake of our children, we understand and proclaim Christ as the thoroughly Good News He is. Our children cannot live with true righteousness or hope unless they know Whose—and who—they ARE.

I’m a new man because I now can delight in all I know about my heavenly Father. I no longer backfile His judgments, I rejoice in them! I can hope in his judgments and even sing of His judgments—even His age-abiding judgments. I now know My Heavenly Father is committed. Not just "loving," but committed. What a difference meditating on His utter goodness has made in my life! Ask Paula! My wife will tell you. Even my friends who have yet to see the fullness of God’s love as we’ve seen it will tell you. I’m a changed Charles. I know who I am. I love being a husband and a grandpa more than ever these days and so enjoy being alive. YES! And my identity is not "minister" (though I love the ministry!).

Paula and I so yearn that others experience the wholeness God has brought into our hearts and our home. It’s been prophesied by individuals—worldwide—who knew nothing about us, that a dream in our hearts will happen. What is that dream?

For many years, Paula and I have envisioned teaming up with other ministries the Lord will join to us, to bring healing to broken hearts. Especially for hearts that have endured harsh spiritual abuse. And all based on: "God loves you, but you must . . ." Don’t misunderstand. I’m not saying I have no appreciation for the fact that the Lord wants us to learn to make good choices. Nor am I saying the Lord does not want each of us to feel uniquely special to Him. And by no means am I saying we shouldn’t encourage people in a wholesome fear of the Lord. Anyone who has lived for a few decades knows our Lord’s judgments are real. Actions produce consequences! However, fear of rejection is the most common culprit that catapults people into destructive behavior.

We cannot have it both ways. We cannot teach unconditional love—and at the same time—tell shattered people that God’s unfailing love is (somehow?) conditional. Whether it be conditioned on their "special election" or conditioned on their performance! Such non-sense is not the gospel. It’s heartbreaking despair. Have you ever wondered why some Christians become atheists? Or commit suicide? Having read these pages you can see why, but those are the kind of people our hearts yearn after. We know the Lord’s heart yearns after them even more.

Are you drowning in the quagmire of spiritual despair? Take heart, my friend! Salvation is not a gamble, it is a Gift—it’s not of works, but of Christ—so no one can boast! Very soon the time is coming when the body of Christ will believe what it has sung about and proclaimed. The Lord is up to something—magnificent!

Oops! I got up on my soapbox again, didn’t I? Back to the vision. . . Paula and I yearn to be part of a team that listens to the Holy Spirit, and in His wisdom and power liberates spiritually and emotionally abused hearts so they will hope again. We envision a "Restoration Ranch." It will be out in the country (somewhere!) next to a large lake. (For years, perfect strangers have described this vision to us prophetically—in detail!—having no natural knowledge of what the Lord had put in our hearts.) We envision serious chemical, sexual and emotional addictions being healed. Marriages healed! Christian leaders restored and made whole.

We also envision a "school of the Holy Spirit" on the same grounds. It will be "hands on, learn as you listen to God" training for Christians who yearn to learn to hear the Holy Spirit for the healing of wounded hearts. We know this vision will happen. Interestingly enough, the Lord has now "maneuvered" us to live in the Dallas/Ft.Worth area—where He long ago told us He would establish it! Awesome, huh? Some very interesting things have been stirring—Praise the Lord!

Salvation by faith in Christ alone, the holiness of God, the miraculous ministry of the Holy Spirit—all of those wonderful realities have been "coming back" to the body of Christ over the last five hundred years.

What’s next? Every fiber of my being sings that the Lord is about to reveal His true heart and plan for His creation to many, many people worldwide. It won’t be long before the FULL "faith once delivered to the saints" will return to us all, accompanied by unprecedented signs and wonders. Hide and watch! And when God’s firstborn family members know their identity—watch out, world! Christ’s healing light will shine on you.

  

REMEMBER

Isaiah 52:14, John 3:16

Worried Child,

I AM just, pure and holy. My love is limitless and seeks not its own. When those dark thoughts cloud your mind, causing you to question My love, I ask that you do one thing: remember the cross.

See it now. See the One crucified. See the humiliation, the horror of Innocence disrobed, mutilated and bleeding. Pain racks His every atom. Each gasp of air is agony untold. His every nerve is a conduit of fire.

Can you hear Him cry? No one else can either, but I can. I hear it forever—how could I forget it? It’s almost the sound of a boy—a stifled, intermittent cry it is . . .

No, child, don’t turn away. Not yet, please. Do you see the thorns piercing His brow? The disfigurement of His face? The spikes splitting His hands and His feet? The jeering crowds at the foot of His cross? They didn’t kill him. They would have if they could have—but they could not. He gave His life. He shielded His enemies who were worthy of death by dying Himself in their stead. He suffered murder to save His murderers. He suffered shame to save His mockers. And He would do it again. Again and again. And so would I. Is this not the destiny of Perfect Love in a fallen world?

This is the way love is, and this is the way I AM. Never forget it.

Entreatingly,

Father

(Selection from the devotional From the Father’s Heart, by Charles Slagle, Destiny Image)

 

Finally . . .

If the message of this book has liberated your heart to trust and love the Lord more deeply—wonderful! That was its purpose.

May I share a word of advice? This word especially applies if you have experienced deep wounding through spiritual abuse. Ask the Lord to grant you grace to:

	refrain from debating about this full gospel or being overly anxious to help others to "see" it. Give the Holy Spirit room to work!
	forgive people who in the past conveyed the gospel inadequately to you—or perhaps even spiritually abused you. Instead, thank the Lord that they gave what they had, and ask Him to shower His healing and blessing upon them.
	not make understanding Christ’s total victory a require-ment for fellowshipping with your Christian brothers and sisters—whatever you do!
	not make this full gospel "your subject" conversationally more than enjoying the Lord Himself and bringing His healing life to others. People who think a good deal, who have been deeply wounded, can fall into that snare while the devil throws a party! JESUS CHRIST MUST REMAIN THE FOCUS. (The early Pentecostals had to learn the same lesson about sharing their newfound freedom in the Holy Spirit!)
	refuse to start a new denomination or "non’’-denomina-tion; the Lord knows there are too many already!
	be led of the Holy Spirit in all situations where the Lord Himself receives honor and—by His power—lives are transformed and healed. Even if it means on occasions He may lead you to minister truths that seem to reveal little or nothing of Christ’s total victory.
	become a brighter light that attracts others to Christ Himself—and not just words and concepts about Him.
	not be hurt if some Christians misjudge you. Trust the Lord to do business. He will! Hasn’t He always? Remember, some who misunderstand you today may be beside you proclaiming Christ to a needy world tomorrow!
	be at liberty not to go to great lengths to hype or to hide your understanding of the gospel. Just enjoy constant fellowship with the Lord and trust His light to shine through you.
	remember that, by God’s astonishing grace, many Christians who do not completely share your understanding of Scripture—nevertheless—know God’s heart, perhaps better than you do! So avail yourself of every opportunity to be blessed by your other praying, Christ-honoring brothers and sisters. You need them and they need you!

JESUS IS LORD!

 Suggested Reading List

Christ Triumphant, by Thomas Allin. In a style similar to that of C. S. Lewis, Thomas Allin shows the Scriptural and philosophical absurdities in the traditional dogma of eternal punishment. This full length book is especially valuable for the historical evidence he gives to show that many of the early church fathers believed in the restoration of all things. Copies may be obtained by writing to:

Concordant Publishing Concern

15570 Knochaven Rd.

Canyon Country, CA 91351

USA

Restitution of All Things, by Andrew Jukes. This full length book is chiefly Biblical exposition and presents a strong case for the theology of the full gospel or restoration. While this book is not easy reading, it is most helpful for anyone wanting to thoroughly study the Scriptures in this regard. It may also be obtained through the above address.

Concordant publishing concern also publishes some short booklets dealing with the translation of the word "eternal" which are highly informative and useful. These are:

Eonian: Everlasting or Age-lasting?, by Grace H. Todd

Whence Eternity?, by Alexander Thomson

Time and Eternity, by Grace T. Stevenson

The Outcome of Infinite Grace, by Dr. Loyal Hurley. This sixty-two page booklet is a brief yet thorough treatment of the gospel of restoration. It is excellent. Copies may be obtained by writing to Concordant.

The Prophetic Telegraph. This is a free mailing put out periodically by Arthur & Rosalind Eedle. It presents research on a wide range of spiritual topics, including the full gospel of restoration. To join their mailing list write to:

The Prophetic Telegraph

Oxleigh, Langham Rd.

Mumby, Alford

Lincs LN13 9SQ

Great Britain

Happily Ever After, by Robin Phillips. Though this booklet is yet unpublished, Mr. Phillips is happy to give photocopies of his manuscript to anyone who is interested. Phillips presents a good overview of the main scriptural evidence for universal reconciliation and answers some of the common objections. Copies may be obtained by writing to Robin & Esther Phillips at the same address given for The Prophetic Telegraph.

Discovering the Character of God, by George MacDonald. This book, published by Bethany House, gives selected readings from the writings of nineteenth century author George MacDonald, whom C. S. Lewis regarded as his spiritual mentor. This was the book that first led me to an understanding of the full gospel of restoration.

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Original article found at: http://www.sigler.org/slagle/interest.htm