The False Doctrine Of Universalism

The False Doctrine of Universalism

A Universalist is someone who believes that every human being whom God has created or will create will finally come to enjoy the everlasting salvation into which Christians enter here and now.” – Dr. J. I. Packer, Hell under Fire, page 170.

In other words, everyone eventually makes it to heaven.

There are many Bible verses which refute this false belief including:

Jesus said in John 13:36, “Where I am going, you cannot follow me now; but you shall follow me afterwards”

Jesus was getting ready to leave the earth for heaven, and he was letting Peter know that he could not follow him at this time, but would follow him later.

In John 7:33, Jesus is now talking to the Pharisees and He said, “I shall be with you a little while longer, and then I go to him who sent me, you will seek me and not find me; and where I am, you cannot come.”

Jesus just told the Pharisees they could not go to heaven, since they were of their father the devil (John 8:44).

Jesus told them in John 8:21, I am going away, and you will seek me, and will die in your sin. Where I go you cannot come.”

Again, Jesus told them they could not go to heaven if they die in their sin.

If they die in their sin then Jesus said in John 8:24: “ye shall die in your sins : for if you believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.”

We see that if a person does not believe Jesus is the Son of God, they shall die in their sins; and if they die in their sins, they cannot go to heaven.

So we see that the Pharisees, and anyone who doesn’t believe Jesus is the Son of God, will not go to heaven.

In Matthew12:32, Jesus said, “But whosoever speaks against the Holy ghost it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, or in the world to come.”

Those who blasphemed the Holy Spirit cannot enter heaven.

In Matthew 26:24, Jesus said about Judas, “It had been good for the man if he had not been born.”

Judas was obviously not going to heaven.

And in Luke 13:24-28, Jesus said, “Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able. When once the master of the house is risen up, and has shut the door, and you begin to stand without and knock at the door saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you; I know you not who you are…depart from me, all you workers of iniquity. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out.”

And also in Matthew 8:11 it is the same teaching Jesus gives but this time He uses the phrase, “kingdom of heaven” instead of “kingdom of God.” The words God and heaven being interchangeable.

We see that many will seek to enter heaven, but shall not be able. Jesus said to them, I know you not, and called them, workers of iniquity. They are thrust out of the kingdom of heaven.

Philippians 3:18-19 says, “The enemies of the cross, their end is destruction.”

It says their end is destruction, not heaven.

Psalm 9:17 says, “The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all nations that forget God.”

It doesn’t say they will be let out of hell.

John the Baptist said in John 3:36, “He that believes on the Son has everlasting life, but he that believes not the Son, shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”

Abide is the Greek word Meno in the Strong’s Concordance and it means, “To remain, to dwell, to live, to continue.” The wrath continues, not ends.

They also are not in heaven.

  • Revelation 21:8 gives a list, such as all liars and unbelievers who will, “have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone.”
  • Matthew 22:13 Jesus said, “bind him hand and foot and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” That doesn’t sound like heaven!
  • Matthew 24:51 Jesus said, “cut him in pieces, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

Jesus again said in Mark 9:43-47, “If thy hand, or foot, or eye offend thee, cut them off, or pluck it out; it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, then having two eyes to be cast into hell fire. Where their worm dies not and the fire is not quenched.”

Note that it says the fire is not quenched. There is no mention in that verse of ever being let out of hell, as the Universalists claim. It says just the opposite.

  • Matthew18:8-9 Jesus says, “to be cast into everlasting fire…into hell fire.”
  • 2 Thessalonians 1:9-10 says, “everlasting destruction.”
  • Jude 7 says “eternal fire…”
  • Jude 13 says, “…and blackness of darkness forever.”
  • 2 Peter 2:17, “the midst of darkness is reserved forever.”
  • Revelation 14:10-11 states, “He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night.”

They will continue to exist in torment day and night forever and ever.

Then Jesus said in Matthew 23:33, “How can you escape the damnation of hell?”

In other words, you can’t escape. That verse alone clearly refutes universalism. In addition, the Universalist teachers give all people false hope after they die with this teaching.

  • Isaiah 38:18 says, “They that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy truth.”
  • Proverbs11:7 says, “The hope of unjust men perish.”
  • Job 8:13, “The hypocrites hope shall perish.”
  • 1 Thessalonians 4:13; Ephesians 2:12; Ecclesiastes 9:4 and Proverbs 14:32 all say the same.

The Universalist believes that everyone goes to heaven.

If that were true then why was there a need for the cross? Why believe Jesus died in our place on the cross, if any and all beliefs take us to heaven? Why the need to repent of our sin and believe in our heart on the Lord Jesus, and that God raised Him from the dead? Why would there be need of Christians to go and preach the Gospel?

You have a choice to believe the Universalist…or believe the words of the apostles, most all the other authors of the Bible, and most importantly the words of Jesus.

A Universalist believes that a loving God would not let His children suffer for all eternity in hell. They are mistaken. Those going to hell are not God’s children. It says in Galatians 3:26; John 1:12; John 8:44; Romans 9:7-8; John 17:9; Ephesians 1:5; Ephesians 5:1 state that only those who have repented and received Jesus as their Lord and Savior are His children. All people are God’s creation, but not all people are His children.

Only Jesus Christ paid for our sins and told us we must repent (Luke 13:3 and Luke 24:47; Acts 3:19 and Acts 26:20). We must believe as Romans 10:9-10 which says, “If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thy heart that God has raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” Jesus said in John 6:40, “And this is the will of him who sent me, that everyone which seeth the Son, and believes on him, may have everlasting life.”

Not everyone but only those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. That is crystal clear. If you don’t believe the words of Jesus you will not enter heaven. Universalism is heresy and it teaches a false Gospel. Galatians1:8 says, “But though we, or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel unto you then that which we have preached, let him be accursed.”

Did you read that clearly? Those who teach Universalism are cursed. You might want to think twice before teaching or adhering to this false, demonic doctrine.

© Copyright 2007-2021 Soul Choice Ministries – All Rights Reserved
By Bill Wiese, author of 
23 Minutes in Hell