This paper addresses Christian Universalists, those who believe that all of humanity is saved by Jesus Christ, not the philosophical universalism that teaches there are many ways to God, with all religions equally viable. The latter is a complete lie, denying men the one and only Way to God, through the Lord Jesus Christ. By Him alone can mankind enter into fellowship with God in His Kingdom. And by Him indeed will all men be reconciled to God, each in his own order.
There is one fundamental and deadly error in the teaching and preaching of Christian Universalists, and it is not the doctrine of universal salvation. The reconciliation of all things is a wonderful truth promised by God, the Lord Jesus Christ being declared both the beginning and the end of all things. It is written that to Him every knee shall bow, and all will know Him, from the least to the greatest. That is the Good News of God, which we do not dispute, but joyously affirm. Where the Universalists deviate from the truth is that they think to have found, and preach to others, another way to Heaven. As it is written:
“But even if we or an angel from Heaven preach a gospel to you beside what we preached to you, let him be accursed” (Galatians 1:8).
So how is it the Universalists so grievously err? Where have they gone astray?
Their error is this: The Universalists disregard the God-ordained principles and requirements by which one gets to the place of which they preach, which is salvation and peace with God and man. Therefore they never get there themselves, and neither do their listeners who follow them.
How do the Universalists disregard God’s ordained principles and ways? In a nutshell, they preach that since God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, and the work was finished on the cross, it is only a matter of mentally assenting to this fact that will automatically usher one into the reality and victory of spiritual life of the Lord Jesus Christ. The cross of Christ, which represents the God-ordained personal requirements by which we die to the world and are raised again by His resurrection life to truly have those things, is thereby eliminated.
Without the personal cross there is no victory or resurrection to life, here or in the next world. Jesus likened the Kingdom of Heaven to a pearl of great price, for which a man sold all that he had. There is a cost of admission. The gospel preached by the Universalists is one of bloodless identification with Christ, which is not possible.
By denying God’s requirements and ordained means for us to enter into His Kingdom, the Universalists also deny the provision the Lord has made that enables us to walk in true righteousness, fulfilling His royal Law. That is the Kingdom of Heaven, which comes from within (Luke 17:21). Jesus said that our righteousness must exceed that of the Pharisees if we are to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Please read Matthew 5:18-48. What the Lord commands He will also fulfill for those who look to Him. He would have us all to be walking as He does, and He will do it. That is salvation, Jesus Christ come in the flesh, the Kingdom of God on earth.
To give shape and form to the error of the Universalists, I will use statements from an article by Gary Sigler, The Gospel of Grace. I will thereby contrast the true gospel with the false one proclaimed by many Universalists. I know that there is variation among those called Universalists, yet we have seen that most, if not all, have dispensed with the weightier matters of the Law, judgment, and the cross. Without acknowledging and applying the standards of God, all are just shooting in the dark, not able to see or to aim for the target. We are sent from God to shine the light so that others might be guided in the way that is in Christ. God, the Scriptures declare, is light, and in Him there is no darkness (1 John 1:5). I know that for those who do not love God and our Lord Jesus Christ, what I have to say will not change their minds, but for those who do, and are called to the faith that is in Him, they will hear. As it has been said, “let him that has ears to hear, hear.”
Gary writes:
“All the religions of the world, including Christianity, have been caught in the trap of working according to the flesh. We have not truly realized that the old man is dead. He was crucified with Christ.”
The old man is not dead simply because we realize him to be so. In fact, he is far from it, until and unless we are crucified with Christ. Hear what Paul wrote:
“For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. I am [NOT WAS] crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, Who loved me, and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:19-20).
AND: “Knowing this, that our old man is [NOT WAS] crucified with Him in order that the body of sin might be destroyed, that from now on we should not serve sin” (Romans 6:6).
The believer is called to take up his or her cross and to work out his or her salvation with fear and trembling, that the body of sin might be destroyed presently. Whereas the true gospel calls for striving to enter in (Luke 13:24), enduring unto the end (Matt. 10:22), and paying all for the pearl of great price (Matt. 13:46), here, in the false, Universalist “gospel,” there is no need for those things because it “has all been done,” if only you will “realize” it. It is yours when you “acknowledge” it, whatever that means! Forget having to forsake all things; not required!
Next statement:
“You are not a mere carnal human being who was brought forth into bondage to sin and death. The truth that will set you free is that God is not any longer holding you accountable for your sin, because of Calvary. If you don’t understand that, you will never be free.”
Taken as a whole, the statements I am quoting here are nothing more or less than a form of self-hypnosis. Have you watched hypnotists at work? With the right subject, in the right circumstances, they can make a man think he is a chicken or a beauty pageant queen. You can believe you are anything, or have anything. All you need to do is be convinced of it, or convince yourself of it. The Scriptures say that all men are liars and are quite capable of believing any lie (especially when it is in their favor).
There is no greater lie than that you have no accountability for your present and unrepentant sin, nor any greater benefit to flesh than to be told it is no longer accountable. Because Christ is the propitiation of the sins of the whole world does not mean that one is not accountable. It means that we are all the more accountable for what we do! Read:
“He who despised Moses’ Law died without mercy on the word of two or three witnesses. Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy of punishment, the one who has trampled the Son of God, and who has counted the blood of the covenant with which he was sanctified an unholy thing, and has insulted the Spirit of grace?” (Hebrews 10:28-29)
All men shall appear before the judgment seat of Christ. Because He paid the price for all sins does not short-circuit the process of revelation, repentance, restitution, and obedience:
“I tell you, you shalt not depart from there, till you have paid the very last mite” (Luke 12:59).
The work of Christ at Calvary is the beginning of the process, not the end!
“For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life” (Romans 5:10).
Everyone listen up: Fear God rather than believe lies that will increase your woes and sorrow in the end.
“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive the things done through the body, according to that which he has done, whether good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:10).
“But they shall give account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead” (1 Peter 4:5).
Next:
“Realize that you are not being held accountable for what you inherited in Adam. I often share with people that sin is the worst disease known to man. Every disease known to man came out of sin because of the Fall. Yet, in many Christian circles today, in many religions today, you can develop a cancer on your body and what would they do? They would pray for you. They would love you. Some of them would weep and intercede for you, but if all of a sudden you were caught in adultery what would their reaction be? It should be the same. They should have the same concern and care for you and pray and minister to you.”
Who says? And what does concern and care look like? What of Paul delivering the fornicator over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh (1 Cor. 5:5)? Was that not love and concern? How can you judge what the reactions of saints should be to the sins of others using the reaction of the false and hypocritical religious as your guide? The reason Gary does this is because he, too, is religious and hypocritical. He is part of the problem, not the solution. That is because he has never repented of his sin, but has found another way into the feast, and teaches others to follow the same illegal route.
Can we take a peek at how God views sin and compare His reaction to that of what Gary says ours should be?
“And a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession. And he kept back part of the price, his wife also knowing, and brought a certain part and laid it at the apostles’ feet. But Peter said, Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart for you to lie to the Holy Spirit, and to keep back part of the price of the land? While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own authority? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men, but to God. And hearing these words, Ananias fell down and expired. And great fear came on all those who heard these things” (Acts 5:1-5).
Luke goes on to record that the Lord struck the wife dead as well for her part in the deception. Would God strike someone dead for having cancer? So much for having the same care for one sinning (breaking God’s Law) as for one suffering illness, as though there were no difference.
I will give you a personal example of the love of God for a sinner who was ill. We were sent to speak to a professing Christian who had cancer. We told her that unless she repented of her sins she would die. She scoffed at us, and said that she had 1,000 Christians praying for her. She said that she also had her own pastor, and who were we to say anything to her. It appeared at that time that her medical treatment was working, and she was quite confident in her stance backed by her arsenal of prayer warriors and all. Within a year, however, she died, unrepentant.
My point: Who but God knows how true saints will react and deal with any situation? Did we pray for her? Not as men think of prayer; however we sought the Lord and told her the truth from Him that would have saved her had she believed.
Those born of the Spirit are like the wind. You don’t know where they come from, or where they will go. Those not born of the Spirit and the will of God, but of their own will, follow a form of religion that is predictable, because they are depending on their own righteousness to fulfill it.
That is what is being taught in this false “gospel of grace.” It is the care and concern of the carnal man, the love of the flesh, just as those 1,000 Christians loved this woman, but couldn’t prevail with God to save her from a horrible death. Only the hard, unpalatable, and yes condemning (to the flesh) truth of God, which is the Lord Jesus Christ, was sufficient, and will do for any and for all. As Jesus said, unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.
Next:
“Unless you know the love of God as it is revealed, you will condemn. But if you understand Calvary, you would treat that act [adultery] the same as you would a cancer. You would know the truth and you would pray, “Oh God, we know that at Calvary the penalty was paid. And Father, we know that the power of your Spirit has regenerated this one. And God, we believe in your ability and in your power and we release the power, we release the Spirit of God to bring repentance and healing and restoration to this person.” But if you don’t understand Calvary, then you will hold people accountable for their sins. You will also hold yourself accountable.”
Is there not contradiction? First, Gary says, “God is not any longer holding you accountable for your sin, because of Calvary,” and “We have not truly realized that the old man is dead,” and “We know that the power of your Spirit has regenerated this one,” but then he says, “We release the Spirit of God to bring repentance and healing and restoration to this person.” Is it a done deal or is it not? If so, why ask for something done? If not, then there is something necessary, and to say otherwise (as at first) is a lie.
But there is not only contradiction. There is presumption. Gary suggests that we can use God much like sorcerers use forces of magic. Who are we to “release the Spirit of God” as though He were some impersonal force at our command? And to do what? Bring repentance? If God is no longer holding us accountable, what need is there of repentance?
People need to be held accountable for their sins. If they repent, in deed and not just word, there is forgiveness. Healing and restoration will follow and they do not need our permission or release to do so. But if there is no repentance, people will and must suffer the fruits of their sin. To try to overrule this is folly, and wickedness.
“If you have no regard for the law, you are on the side of the wicked; but if you obey it, you are against them” (Proverbs 28:4 Good News Version).
Hear what one man of God did to the fornicators amongst the people of God:
“And I contended with them, and cursed them, and struck certain of them, and plucked off their hair. And I made them swear by the Name of God, saying, You shall not give your daughters to their sons, or take their daughters to your sons, or for yourselves” (Nehemiah 13:25).
This servant of God was not dealing in unreal mumbo-jumbo, but was holding people accountable for things they knew to do, or not to do. Had they not already suffered many things as a nation because of their sins? Certainly. They should have known better, and so should we, if we name the Name of Christ, and have tasted anything of His grace and mercy:
“And that servant who knew his lord’s will and did not prepare, nor did according to His will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he not knowing, and doing things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For to whomever much is given, of him much shall be required. And to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more” (Luke 12:47-48).
Next:
“You must learn to look within and discover the truth of what it means to be born again. You are a totally different person in your spirit. As you discover this and begin to pray and meditate daily on this new life, the seed of Christ in you will begin to grow and fill your soul with His life. He will flow into your mind and renew it so you think like Christ. He will flow into your will and make it pliable to do His will. He will flow into your emotion so that the pure unadulterated love of God will flow from you.”
The gospel according to men requires your intellect, insights, and hard work to actualize it. You “must do” this and you “must do” that. It is not God leading, and doing. He is passive, inert, and unable to do anything unless you comprehend what He has done and manipulate Him!
What Gary is preaching here is another “christ,” the work of human emotions based on visualization and projection of the carnal mind, will, and soul. The love of this “christ” is the love of man, not the love of the true Lord Jesus Christ Who is God. We have seen the proof of this false and superficial love from some of the Universalists to whom we have been sent to speak (you know who you are). You strike without provocation, and flee when none pursues you. We will see more of that with this writing, no doubt.
Next:
“The promise is to the new life that is the seed of Christ in us. We have within us another person born in our spirit. This new person must be properly fed and nourished and He will grow to be the overcoming one in us. This is God once again being birthed in humanity. The life in us is not the old carnal life made over. Jesus said, ‘That which is born of flesh is flesh, and that which is born of spirit is Spirit.’ Most have never realized that in their spirit is another person.”
If you have not realized that you are born again of God, that is because you have not been born again of Him (there are other births not of Him; I am not speaking of those). When you are born as a human being, you know that you are a human being. When you are born of the Spirit, you know that you are child of God:
“But we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit from God, so that we might know the things that are freely given to us by God” (1 Corinthians 2:12).
“And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father” (Galatians 4:6).
Most who profess to be Christian have not been born of God, so there is no new nature dwelling within. Notice that it is His Spirit, crying, “Abba, Father,” and not one’s own. So much for self-righteousness. It is the Voice of the New Creature, which is spontaneous, without effort on the part of the vessel!
“But you are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone has not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His” (Romans 8:9).
The false gospel applies Scriptures, which are speaking to born again believers baptized in His Spirit, to any and all that say they believe, indiscriminately, without understanding or confirmation. We can tell you by experience, and the Scriptures bear this out, that the new birth is a momentous event, and not something to be assumed because you, as a human being made in the image of God, affirm certain truths about Him. The latter is not the new birth, but knowledge from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, by which you assume these things and teach others to assume them as well. The result is death, as God promised, and not life, as Satan promised. This philosophy comes from the counsel of the serpent, who said: “It is good to eat from this Tree; it will also open your eyes to see as God.” Knowledge is being preached for salvation, and is substituted for the living Lord Jesus Christ and the cross by which we come into the true knowledge of Him. The Lord is the Tree of Life, but how will you know the difference between the two Trees, when they look alike and both seem to promise the same thing?
Here is the difference between the two: One feeds you knowledge by which you can be as God. The other brings you into communion (sharing His flesh and blood) with Him through the obedience of faith, whereby you enter life with God. Consuming from this Tree is what Jesus spoke of when He said:
“Truly, truly, I say to you, Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink His blood, you do not have life in yourselves” (John 6:53).
Paul the apostle said this:
“For if we have been joined together in the likeness of His death, we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection…” (Romans 6:5).
Next:
“In Zechariah 12:1 it says, ‘The Lord stretched forth the heavens, He laid the foundations of the earth, and then He formed the spirit in man.’ That’s the creation story. In John 4:24, Jesus told the woman at the well, ‘God is Spirit.’
What did He form in man? He formed the very substance of His life within us. This is what was placed in Adam. This is why Adam died by partaking of the knowledge of good and evil, because he lost the consciousness of being spirit.
So the answer for you, if you’re in sin and bondage as a Christian, the very first thing is that you must be quickened by God. It is not a matter of being sorry for anything that you have ever done. You simply need to turn and open to your Creator. You need to call on the name of the Lord and be born again.”
This is an entirely wrong conception of repentance and of being born again, concocting a mixture of Scripture and New Age, spiritualist philosophy. First of all, your spirit needs to be saved too. There is nothing in you that is right with God, including your spirit. Otherwise, why would a man’s spirit need to be saved, as is spoken of by Paul? Furthermore, it is demonstrated in this Scripture that the spirit cannot be saved, and is not saved, while sin reigns in the flesh:
“To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus” (1 Corinthians 5:5).
The Scriptures declare that all realms, heaven (spirit) and earth (flesh) need to be cleansed and redeemed:
“But the present heavens and the earth being kept in store by the same Word, are being kept for fire until the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men” (2 Peter 3:7).
“Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God” (2 Corinthians 7:1).
As for sorrow, though you cannot manufacture the godly kind, it will certainly accompany any true repentance. As it is written:
“Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that you sorrowed to repentance, for you were made sorry after a godly manner, that you might receive damage by us in nothing. For godly sorrow works repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world works death” (2 Corinthians 7:9-10).
Gary, you need to be sorry for, and to repent of, teaching people a false way to God. You preach another Jesus. This I know: Some day you will be sorry and deeply ashamed for what you have done.
Next:
“Something that will transform your life more than anything else you can do is to grab a hold of the Scriptures, and realize that God is speaking to you. As long as you are living in this earthy nature, the Adamic mind, or the natural carnal mind, you are separated in your consciousness from God.”
Can you just “grab a hold of the Scriptures,” and realize that God is talking to you, thereby shedding your Adamic nature? This is a Christless, crossless philosophy. It says that you can, by affirmation of Biblical knowledge, bring your consciousness into union with God.
Of what need then is Jesus Christ? All you need to do is exercise a certain formulaic thinking, and “abracadabra!” you are no longer carnal, and sin no longer exists. Christ is reduced to a spiritual influence helplessly waiting for you to tap into the power line by your understanding and initiative. He is the proverbial genie in a bottle.
It won’t happen. Things do not work that way. The gospel of Jesus Christ says that He, and not the Bible, will transform your life, by His will and work, not yours, and that this is a process, just as is growing up from an infant through childhood to become an adult.
“But as many as received Him [not the Bible, or doctrine], to them He gave authority to become children of God, to the ones believing into His name, who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but were born of God” (John 1:12-13).
Next:
“What does this mean? Well, if you are living according to an Adamic consciousness, or the natural or carnal mind, you are in your awareness separate from God. You see, this doesn’t mean it’s bad. You could be a very good person, but if you are living according to the Adamic carnal mindset you are bearing the image of a person and a human nature that is both good and evil.”
“The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy; there is none that does good, no, not one” (Psalms 14:2-3).
Jesus said that no man is good (Mark 10:18). To openly declare otherwise is either rebellion or ignorance, or both, but it is not the truth. How can one who is not in agreement with the Lord, and who does not know Him, presume to lead men in the path of truth?
“But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because He knew all men, and needed not that any should testify of man; for He knew what was in man” (John 2:24-25).
To presume to teach from God that men are possibly “very good” in their carnal natures, a mixture of good and evil, is directly contradicted by the testimony of God. Hear what the Scriptures say:
“For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace because the carnal mind is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the Law of God, neither indeed can it be. So then they who are in the flesh cannot please God” (Romans 8:6-8).
God says that we must be circumcised in heart to walk according to His laws, in which we will have life and peace and all good things from Heaven (Deu. 30:6). What Gary is doing, and is teaching others to do, is to attain Heaven by mental assent (a form of self-hypnosis as has been noted). The Bible likens this to appearing at the wedding feast without the wedding garment, which represents the righteousness of the saints (Rev. 19:8). Righteousness by circumcision of heart is required to attend.
“…you have brought into My sanctuary strangers, uncircumcised in heart, and uncircumcised in flesh, to be in My sanctuary, to pollute it, even My house, when you offer My bread, the fat and the blood, and they have broken My covenant because of all your abominations” (Ezekiel 44:7).
Gary says, “Attend, and you are circumcised.” God says, “Be circumcised (in your heart), and you will attend.”
Next:
“The Word of God is great mystery. Hidden in the Word is the simplicity of the Gospel. God was in Christ, the fullness of the Godhead was in this man Jesus. When He went to the Cross to die He took ALL of the old, sinful, carnal nature-the world and the flesh and the Devil-and put an end to it all.”
Yes, Christ did His part, and all is put away in Him, but here is the vital truth left out: now we must also do our parts in this great salvation, following Him by faith (believe on Him), so that He can complete that which must be worked out in us.
“So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation” (Hebrews 9:28).
“Wherefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12).
“This also, knowing the time, that it is already time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we believed” (Romans 13:11).
Otherwise:
“For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful looking for judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries” (Hebrews 10:26-27).
Next:
“I invite all of you who read these words to begin to enter in a simple way into the kingdom of God. No, you cannot enter into the kingdom of God in flesh and blood. But remember, you are spirit. Right now, you’re spirit. Not your natural mind. Not carnal understanding. But spirit. As a spirit you can enter into the presence of God.”
Here again is the deceptive error, that through acknowledgment and concentration on the premise that you are spirit, you are thereby automatically set free from the carnal nature. It is akin to a Buddhist denial of reality. It is the Christian Science approach of realizing health for the body applied to the soul and spirit. The idea is that we already have perfect spiritual health, if we would only focus on it so that it might be realized. What is said, in essence, is: “Acknowledge that you are a spirit, and your sin nature, and the sins that come from it, will vaporize, and if they reappear, it does not matter, because they are not real. Because the Lord has done it all, you now have it all.”
This is the same preaching that Paul condemned when writing to Timothy, wherein some were teaching that the resurrection was already past, which caused others to leave the path of faith and justify their lawlessness:
“But shun profane, vain babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness. And their word will eat like gangrene; among whom are Hymeneus and Philetus, who have erred concerning the truth, saying that the resurrection is already past, and who overthrow the faith of some. Nevertheless the foundation of God stands sure, having this seal: ‘The Lord has known those who are His.’ And, ‘Let everyone who names the Name of Christ depart from iniquity!'” (2 Timothy 2:16-19)
A sheep is a sheep because it is a sheep. Because it is a sheep, it has no choice but to grow wool, be herbivorous, and bleat. It does not reckon itself to be a sheep and begin to bleat so that it will be a sheep or realize it is one. It is what it is. So are those truly born of God.
Next:
“‘As you have born the image of the earthy, so shall you bear the image of the heavenly.’ You know what that is? It is simply a matter of repentance. A lot of people don’t like that word, but do you know what the word ‘repentance’ really means? You can check this out if you study it. Repentance simply means that you change your mind.”
Here is another hallmark of the false gospel of grace: If only you will change your mind about what you believe, you will become heavenly. The mental belief of this gospel cuts out the middlemen, such as the Law, the righteousness of God, godly sorrow, and the cross.
This changing of mind is not the repentance of Scriptures. It is a self-induced work of changing your mind through knowledge, philosophy, logic, deduction, affirmation, and in general, the exercising of the power of the human will, which is not at all the same as changing your mind by turning to Jesus Christ and casting yourself on Him as Lord over all, which He is. The latter includes repentance from the dead works of the former.
Does changing your mind about what you believe as is taught by the Universalists do anything for you? Yes, to a degree there are results of a kind that can be impressive and in certain ways positive. We have all seen such examples. Is it the power of the faith of the Lord Jesus Christ? Only if there are the true fruits of repentance; otherwise it has nothing to do with Him.
Repentance granted by the Lord is about far more than changing your mind on what you think is true; it is about on Whom you believe. Here is a description of that repentance:
“Therefore also now, says the LORD, turn you even to Me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repents Him of the evil” (Joel 2:12-13).
And the belief in God as spoken of in Scripture is about far more than mental acknowledgment. Here is what it means to “believe,” according to God:
“Therefore, brothers, I call on you through the compassions of God to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, pleasing to God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, in order to prove by you what is the good and pleasing and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:1-2).
While it may appear to be the opposite, the repentance of the mind (as opposed to that of heart, mind and soul) is a lot of work and an unbearable burden, even when you are being told that you are not accountable and need not do anything other than believe. That belief must be continually worked up as it is constantly challenged by the reality that denies there is an expression of a perfected spiritual nature that you have been told to think that you have. The repentance of God is blessed relief because it is His work, wherein you truly depend on Him to fulfill His Word, and not your ability to change your mind, or to reckon yourself to be something you are clearly not:
“Come to Me all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke on you and learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you shall find rest to your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30).
Next:
“We need to enter into His presence daily, to have the divine nature of God dispensed into our soul. You can be a prostitute or a king, but you can enter into His presence with a conscience void of offense, knowing that if you are a prostitute He died for you. He is not imputing to you your sin and your unrighteousness.”
Here is what Jesus said to one sinner whose offenses He forgave:
“Afterward Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, Behold, you are made whole. Sin no more lest a worse thing come to you” (John 5:14).
If (and let us agree that one who repents should not be prostituting her body) a prostitute has received forgiveness from the Lord, then she should go and sin no more, lest she suffer worse things than before being forgiven. How can God not be imputing sin when He sends judgment on those who continue in sin?
“And it shall be, as the LORD rejoiced over you to do you good and to multiply you, so the LORD will rejoice over you to destroy you and to bring you to nothing. And you shall be plucked from off the land where you go to possess it” (Deuteronomy 28:63).
It is wrong and evil to suggest that anyone can enter into the presence of God as they choose and please. Nothing unclean enters into His presence. You must be washed from your sins before you can enter the city of God, of which it is written:
“And there shall in no way enter into it anything that defiles, or any making an abomination or a lie; but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life” (Revelation 21:27).
Listen again! Here is the end of those seeking to bypass the requirements of God:
“And the king coming in to look over the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment. And he said to him, Friend, how did you come in here without having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. Then the king said to the servants, Bind him hand and foot and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 22:11-13).
Next:
“I can guarantee you from years of experience that when you learn to enter in a simple way into the presence of God, that He is the divine electricity. You cannot enter into His presence and enjoy Him without something of His divine nature being added unto you. That’s why it is day-by-day that we go to Him and spend time with Him.”
God is not like some kind of spiritual resort spa that you go visit at will. We can guarantee that the true God is very different from this notion, as is amply attested to in Scripture. No flesh glories in His presence. That is the reason for obedience and the cross; it does away with the flesh.
A saint does not practice going into God’s presence, but rather becomes a new creature made in His image as he or she walks in the Spirit in everyday life and in all things. God does the work, and not you, as is suggested here, even though those who suggest it would deny that it is a work of the flesh. Do not be deceived – it is, and an unbearable one at that.
The transformation is not something you practice to achieve, anymore than a caterpillar practices to become a flutterby. It is something that you receive as a pure gift of grace as you walk with in the Lord and overcome sin unto the end. “Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:9). In due time, you enter into rest, ceasing from your own works and trying to be as God. Then God is all in all, and you will no more go out of the temple (Rev. 3:12), but will abide with Him continually.
Next:
“In the Bible, Eve is a type of the Church. Today, in the systematized, organized religion in most cases, not in all cases, but in almost all the religions of the world and all the denominations of Christianity, you will still hear it said, ‘If you will do this, God will bless you.” And, “If you don’t do this, God will curse you.’”
Surely there are things for which, if you do them, you will be blessed, as well as things for which you will be cursed. Read all of Deuteronomy 28. The Word of God stands forever. Yes, it requires faith to do those things that are right in His sight, which faith He supplies in Christ. That is what salvation being worked out is all about and the reason for which we, the saints, are presently subjected to those things we suffer. It is so that we will learn by faith “to do” this, and “not to do” that, not by precept, but by the new nature that loves the truth.
If Christ learned obedience by the things He suffered in the flesh, how much more must we (Hebrews 5:8)?
Next:
“The truth of the matter is that there is nothing that we can do from our carnal nature and from the Adamic consciousness to make ourselves godly. God is not interested in taking the carnal, fallen, human nature and making it godly. God wants to infiltrate your consciousness so that you live not by a knowledge of good and evil, but you live by the tree of life-you live by the Spirit of the Living God that has been quickened within you. You live not out of a knowledge of choosing right or wrong or good over the evil, but life just flows out of your being. This is the inheritance we receive by being born again.”
While it is true that there is nothing we can do of ourselves, like the leopard cannot change his spots, it does not therefore follow that there is nothing we need to do. That is where faith, obedience, and taking up the cross come in. Those are God’s means to deal with that “carnal, fallen, human nature and making it godly.” While there is no good thing in my flesh, there is crucified flesh that is submitted to the spirit in true godliness. That is the victory and manifestation of the Lord Jesus Christ on earth. Every true saint of God will be exercised in such faith, obeying in the things required of God, learning what is necessary to do, and what is not. That is what eating from the Tree of Life is all about, doing the will of God by faith, and by so doing, learning to exercise one’s own senses to know what is good and what is evil.
“But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, even those who because of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil” (Hebrews 5:14).
The Universalists confuse matters because they claim to preach spirit, but in fact preach of, and from, the flesh. They recommend the Tree of Life, but instead they themselves eat from, and point to, the Tree of Knowledge.
Once again it is Satan coming as an angel of light. He has ever been lying that the Tree of Knowledge will bring life. And revel he will with you in the knowledge gained from it! But he cannot and will not give glory to God by taking you through the cross.
Satan is there to glorify man, even using God to do so. We are not ignorant of his tricks! He’ll say or promote any method or idea linked to the Name of God and Jesus Christ, but he cannot and will not take you to the cross and death. That is where the Tree of Life is, guarded by the flaming sword, available only to those who come and take up their crosses by faith.
The flesh will never be perfected by the knowledge of good and evil; it will only be self-inflated and insufferable in the end, fit for destruction. However, for those who are called and chosen, taking up the cross by faith, their flesh crucified in the Lord, the inner man will indeed learn what is good and right in the sight of God, and they will walk in it because their flesh has been put under Him and the spirit rules. That is what God desires for us! And why not? Eve was right; wisdom is a desirable thing to have. God will see to it that we have it, and the only way possible is through Jesus Christ, Who overcame for us, that we might overcome in Him.
“Let us choose for ourselves what is right; let us know among ourselves what is good” (Job 34:4).
“Seek good and not evil, that you may live; and so the LORD, the God of Hosts, shall be with you, as you have spoken. Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish judgment in the gate. It may be that the LORD God of Hosts will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph” (Amos 5:14-15).
“He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8)
“Butter and honey he shall eat until he knows to refuse the evil and choose the good” (Isaiah 7:15).
“Therefore to him that knows to do good, and does it not, to him it is sin” (James 4:17).
“Make you perfect in every good work to do His will, working in you that which is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ; to Whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen” (Hebrews 13:21).
“For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it” (1 Peter 3:10-11).
Next:
“The truth of the matter is that the moment that you begin to choose good and evil, it separates you in your consciousness from God. We have borne the image of that Adamic man and we again have been caught trying to regain that which was lost in the beginning through the knowledge of good and evil.”
Unless a person is born of the Spirit of God, there is nothing to separate. Those dead in their sins are already separated from God. That is the predicament of mankind. He is made in the image of God, but is born into this world separated from Him.
As for not choosing between good and evil, whether sinner or not, does not everyone have to make choices daily, using his or her own senses? Is not choosing not to choose just another choice a person makes? How can it be said that you are not eating from the Tree of Knowledge in choosing what you believe and do (even if non-choice), while others are accused of eating from it in what they choose?
How, in other words, does one know from which Tree he or she is eating? And what is the difference between those eating from the Tree of Life and those eating from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil? Both have works and profess to believe God. But we know that one is called wheat, the work of God, while the other is called tares, the work of the enemy. They look identical, but only one produces food necessary for life.
Those who eat from the Tree of Life are those who go through the sword of fire. They take up the cross, are judged by God, lose their lives in forsaking all, and are taken up by Him in His resurrection life, by which He overcame and also took up His life. They walk as He walked. They are the salt of the earth, the Bread from Heaven. Of them, the Scriptures speak:
“For the earnest expectation of the creature waits for the manifestation of the sons of God” (Romans 8:19).
But do people recognize Jesus Christ come in the flesh? Do the religious know Him?
“He came unto His own, and His own received Him not” (John 1:11).
“If you were of the world, the world would love its own. But because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hates you” (John 15:19).
Those who eat from the Tree of Knowledge have an appearance of godliness, but do not produce the fruits of the Spirit, which can only be discerned by the Spirit. They do not come through the sword of fire and receive correction from God, which is necessary to be formed into the image of His Son. The gospel they preach is about what you know, not Whom you know, causing one to trust in doctrine and to judge others by knowledge, rather than trusting in God and judging by His Spirit.
For example, do you think Satan doesn’t know that all will be reconciled? Think again. How else does he know he has but a short time?
“Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and those tabernacling in them. Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and in the sea! For the Devil came down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has but a little time” (Revelation 12:12).
Having the knowledge and doctrine of the salvation of all in the Lord Jesus Christ is not salvation, but the Universalists treat it as such, and are fooled into believing it is so to save their own flesh from judgment, which judgment in truth brings salvation.
“Thus says the LORD, Keep you judgment, and do justice, for My salvation is near to come, and my righteousness to be revealed” (Isaiah 56:1).
Next:
“He bore the penalty for my disobedience, and if He did that, that’s payment enough. If you don’t ever understand that, you will never be released from your bondage. As long as you feel guilty, as long as you feel unworthy, you will never experience the fullness of God’s love. You can never really appreciate what He’s done for you, because you don’t feel worthy.”
While we are totally dependent on His grace, that does not mean we are worthy of it. Nor does it mean that we are not the recipients of it (that is the meaning of grace, and the fullness of His love!). Because we know that we are not worthy does not mean that we feel guilty or do not appreciate the gift. Actually, the reality is quite the opposite, for those who have received the real thing:
“And answering, Jesus said to him, Simon, I have something to say to you. And he said, Teacher, speak. There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. The one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. And they having nothing to pay, he freely forgave both. Then which of them do you say will love him most? And answering, Simon said, I suppose that one to whom he forgave most. And He said to him, You have judged rightly” (Luke 7:40-43).
God chooses on whom He will have mercy, and whom He wills He hardens (Romans 9:18). We are grateful, not because we are worthy, but because we are not. Jesus spoke a parable describing true faith. He ended it saying:
“So likewise you, when you shall have done all the things commanded you, say, We are unprofitable [unworthy] servants, for we have done what we ought to do” (Luke 17:10).
Again, it is appropriate here to remind you that a telltale mark of a false gospel is that you have to do something, like understand “this,” or know “that,” to be saved. It sounds like I am contradicting myself at times because I too talk about understanding “this,” knowing “that,” and doing “the other.” So what is the difference? The false gospel, represented by the statement, “If you don’t ever understand that, you will never be released from your bondage,” says you must find it in yourself to understand. The true gospel, which we preach from Heaven, says that when God has done it you will be found doing His will, and then you will know, and understand. Yours is to believe and obey what He gives you.
“Then they said to Him, What shall we do that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said to them, This is the work of God, that you believe on Him Whom He has sent” (John 6:28-29).
Next:
“If you don’t get caught up in religion and performance, Christ will begin to grow in you. Christians should be taught from newborn babies to simply enjoy their Father. Don’t worry about your habits. Don’t worry about your failures. Fall in love with your Daddy. Learn to enjoy Him and partake of His forgiveness.”
You want to partake of His forgiveness? Then forgive. That is what He said to do:
“Forgive, and you shall be forgiven” (Luke 6:37).
While legalists trust in their present works to get them into heaven, “gracists” trust in God’s past works to get them into heaven, or as is thought and taught here, those works have already delivered them into heaven, if they will only believe it. We, as saints of God, on the other hand, work out our salvation according to the commandment of our Lord. We can do this because we are presently eating His flesh, and drinking His blood, by His grace and faith.
“Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he has done, whether it be good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:9-10).
Therefore we speak, especially to contend with false gospels that lead to destruction:
“Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men…” (2 Corinthians 5:11).
“And do not fear those who kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul. But rather fear Him who can destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28).
Next:
“We have two awareness’s within our being as Christians. That’s where the problem is. We have never been taught that Adam can’t make it, and that Christ doesn’t have to try, He’s already there. You must understand that you are not Adam. What you really are is Spirit.”
Jesus Christ did have to try in the days of His flesh:
“Who in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto Him that was able to save Him from death, and was heard in that He feared. Though He were a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered; And being made perfect, He became the Author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey Him…” (Hebrews 5:7-9).
If we, as His disciples, are flesh and blood, then we must try, too. We are called to obedience. We will fail, but in due time He grants the grace to overcome. Otherwise, why speak of overcoming?
“To him that overcomes will I grant to sit with Me in My throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with My Father in His throne” (Revelation 3:21).
Instead of trying to understand that you are not Adam but really are Spirit (which can be likened to pulling yourself up by your own bootstraps), here is what the Lord said about making it into union and fellowship with Him:
“He who has My commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves Me. And he who loves Me shall be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will reveal Myself to him” (John 14:21).
And: “Jesus answered and said to him, If a man loves Me, he will keep My Word. And My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him” (John 14:23).
Love God by His definition and leading, and you will know Him and understand. If you are His, He will do all of this for you. If not, you will not hear or understand anything He says.
“Jesus said to them, If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but He sent me. Why do you not understand My speech? Because you cannot hear My word” (John 8:42-43).
Knowledge is never enough. The Lord demands fruits. He says that you will not enter the Kingdom unless your righteousness exceeds that of the religious preachers of law (Matthew 5:20). He says that only those who do the will of the Father in Heaven will enter the Kingdom (Matthew 7:21). He says it is better to enter the Kingdom with one eye (Mark 9:47), than to have both eyes and be cast into hell (seeing and knowing all doctrine). He says that you must be born of the Spirit to enter the Kingdom (John 3:5). He tells us, through His servants, that we must enter the Kingdom through much tribulation (Acts 14:22).
Nowhere do you hear the Lord Jesus Christ or any of His servants say that you can and must enter Heaven by your understanding of what you are in Him. You are what you are, not what you think you are. And you can only know what you are in the Lord after He does it in you. If you knew beforehand, what need would there be for Him to do it? (Make no mistake; He does all that must be done.) Listen:
“Jesus answered and said to him, You do not know what I do now, but you shall know hereafter” (John 13:7). And:
“Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be. But we know that when He shall be revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2).
“For you have need of patience, so that after you have done the will of God you might receive the promise” (Hebrews 10:36).
Next (and our last quote from the paper):
“It’s so simple. It’s right in the Word. The forgiveness, the loveliness, the heart of our Father, has never been told to us. Christ has redeemed you from the curse of the Law because He understands that you were born into this human consciousness and you cannot help what you are.”
“It is so simple” means that anyone should get it. How can that be so if Jesus said that these things are mysteries that only certain ones are given to know?
“And He said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand” (Luke 8:10).
“No one can come to Me unless the Father Who has sent Me draw him, and I will raise him up at the last day” (John 6:44).
How can that be so simple if Jesus said that with men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible (Matthew 19:26)?
The false gospel of Universalism is depending on corrupt flesh to know and receive the love of God, Who is Incorrupt. This is not possible, because it depends on man’s inherent goodness, which is nil. It has things backwards. We do not know God and see God until we, by His grace and choosing, love Him. How do we love Him? We obey Him:
“He who has My commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves Me. And he who loves Me shall be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will reveal Myself to him” (John 14:21).
How do we obey Him? Read:
“For it is God Who works in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13).
The preaching of the apostles and the Lord Himself begins with the command to repent. They didn’t try to convince people that God was “lovely.” Check it out and see for yourself. They personified the love of God by laying down their lives in speaking the truth about how “unlovely” mankind, and more specifically, we, are.
Christ, our Master, led the way by example, in forgiving those who, inflamed with hatred against His love by which He spoke the truth to them, took His life (Luke 23:34). They did not see Him as God’s love, but as a hateful thing coming against their own righteousness.
“And one of the lawyers answered and said to Him, Master, you reproach us also when you say this” (Luke 11:45).
Only those to whom repentance from this perpetual state of sin and rebellion is granted will come to know the heart of the Father, by the grace of God in Jesus Christ, and not by man’s teaching.
“The one who does not love has not known God, because God is love. By this the love of God was revealed in us, because His Son, the Only begotten, God has sent into the world that we might live through Him” (1 John 4:8-9).
Yes, Christ came to deliver us from the curse of the Law, not by going around it, but through it. The Law is a tutor to bring us to Christ. If you go around it, you cannot come to Him. Embrace it (we are speaking of the moral Law) as the representation of God that it is, and He will deliver you from the curse of not being able to match up to its requirements because of your sinful flesh, and will in due time empower you by the faith that is in Him to keep it. You cannot help what you are, but He can. That is the whole point.
Trying to take an end run around the holy requirements of God puts the Universalists at odds with their own salvation, because by so doing they are denying God Himself. He is the Law. So it is. Those who cut to the front of the line are sent to the back. “The first shall be last.”
Meanwhile, the saints of God are perfected in the love of God (which love the Universalists falsely represent) in the keeping of His Word by the faith of the Son of God, Who loved us, and gave Himself for us.
“But whoever keeps His Word, truly in this one the love of God is perfected. By this we know that we are in Him” (1 John 2:5).
In summary, the Universalists think to have found a cheap way to Heaven. The reasoning goes: “If the work has been done and all will be saved, then why not start the party now? All one needs to do is simply believe that God has saved everyone by His love, and since it all has been done for you, there is nothing for you to do. Anything that speaks of sin, law, requirement, or judgment is the devil come to take away your peace.”
Thus the Universalists set themselves in automatic opposition to the Lord Jesus Christ Who comes to tell people their sins, and to convince the ungodly (which yet exist, despite His resurrection!) of all their ungodly deeds and speeches (Jude 14-15). Who are the ungodly? Those especially who take the Name of Christ upon themselves but do not obey Him. Those to whom He says: “I tell you, I do not know you, from where you are; depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity [lawlessness]” (Luke 13:27).
Yes, for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son! Yes, He is the propitiation for the sins of the whole world! Yes, He does not will that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. Therefore it is now our turn, we who believe, to do our parts in Him. As Paul said of himself:
“If indeed you continue in the faith grounded and settled, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which you have heard and which was proclaimed in all the creation under Heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister, who now rejoice in my sufferings on your behalf, and I fill up the things lacking of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh, on behalf of His body, which is the church” (Colossians 1:23-24).
It is we, the saints of God, that are the means by which the love of God brings the salvation to all through Christ. We, by His grace, are born again to become as He is, bone of His bone, flesh of His flesh, to carry forth His work. If it were all done and over, then why are we still here in this wicked world? Because it is not over; there is yet our part to play in the great battle and victory that is assured in Christ.
“Therefore since we also are surrounded with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily besets us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right of the throne of God. For consider Him Who endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself, lest you be weary and faint in your minds. You have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin” (Hebrews 12:1-4).
The Lord is not the blind fool of the false religious faith and love of Universalism. I leave you with this reminder of what is said of Him:
“Behold, I send an Angel before you, to keep you in the way, and to bring you to the place which I have prepared. Be on guard before Him, and obey His voice. Do not provoke Him, for He will not pardon your transgressions. For My Name is in Him. But if you shall indeed obey His voice, and do all that I speak, then I will be an enemy to your enemies, and a foe to your foes” (Exodus 23:20-22).
By the grace of God I testify of the true Lord Jesus Christ, Whom I love, because He loved me and gave Himself for me,
Victor Hafichuk
“Your testimonies that You have commanded are righteous and very faithful. My zeal has consumed me, because mine enemies have forgotten Your words” (Psalms 119:138-139).
Appendix A: Some reading that compliments and amplifies the themes touched on in this writing:
The Good News (especially the qualifying portions near the end)
So You Want to Walk with Jesus
Are All Persons Children of God?
The following are from Diabolical Doctrines:
Believers Are No Longer under Law, but Grace
Appendix B: Here is an example of the evil fruits of Universalism, in the form of a false prophecy quoted in Gary Sigler’s writing, “The Gospel of Grace”. My comments, which show how and why this is false, follow the prophecy.
Gary wrote:
“I received an email from Charles Slagle (CharlesSlagle@webtv.net) the other day and he wrote:
‘Good Works
Jn.12:23-32; II Cor. 1:18-22; Gal. 2:20-21; 5:6; Eph. 2: 1-10; Ps. 139:16.
My Cherished Child,
Yes, it is true. Salvation comes by good works. However, it does not result from YOUR good works. It comes from the good works your Loving Savior and I perform!
You must bear in mind that Truth Personified is Who I AM. I AM not a double-talker. I do not tell you on one day that I will guard all of your tommorrows, and then on another announce that My commitment to you depends on YOUR performance.
My yes ALWAYS means yes. My no ALWAYS means no.
You must remain rooted in this truth.
Otherwise, the satanic spirit of religiosity (who is antichrist) can sneak in when you least expect it and steal your joy. Any message that comes your way which even hints that My reliability depends on YOUR reliability is satanic. Cherished one, if you possessed sufficient reliability within yourself to will your own destiny, then Christ’s mission to earth was unnecessary! He could have spared Himself the trouble of dying on the Cross.
There are spirits that pose as ‘angels of light’, do you recall?
You can recognize their voices, however sweet and lovely they may sound. And here is how: Without fail, they will always tell you in some fashion or another, ‘God loves you—BUT His commitment to you depends on YOUR success in making wise and timely choices.’
That is a lie.
It is My grace, My constant and loving enablement, that restores and heals you. Your faith plays a part in your deliverance, yes. However, you must remember that it is My committed love that EMPOWERS you to trust in Me. Therefore, even your faith, your ability to trust, is My gift—bottom line.
How so? You are able to trust Me today, ONLY BECAUSE I won your trust yesterday. In fact, I have nurtured your faith from the moment you arrived in this world. The truth is I have written all of the days I have ordained for you in My book long before they came to be. You were in My heart aions before time or worlds existed!
Trust must be earned. Any sensible parent knows that. Through his constant deeds of faithful love a good father earns his children’s trust. That is why I tell you in Scripture that the only thing that counts is faith that FUNCTIONS by Love.
Who am I?
Ever Active and Unfailing Love—that is Who I AM. So, I AM the Author and Finisher of your faith. I AM the one who causes your faith to function.
Return to joy, treasured child!
I will complete the good work I have begun in you. You will not love or trust Me in your deepest heart if you buy into the lie that your faithfulness determines My success. It is Our love affair that heals you.
I Remain Yours,
With Unfailing Commitment,
Abba Father‘”
This is a classic example of how the Universalists, carried away with their knowledge, have attributed their own thinking to God, declaring it even to be Him speaking to them. Does God yet speak? Of course! He is alive; you live because He is. However, it does not necessarily follow that because you have your own thoughts about God that it is Him speaking. Here is what He says to man:
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, says the Lord” (Isaiah 55:8).
How do we know this is not God speaking? Let us count the ways:
1) God is one, not two, which the voice speaking proposes as coming from your “Loving Saviour and I.” Jesus Christ IS God. When you hear the voice of God it is Jesus Christ speaking, as He spoke to John in Revelation. Never in Scripture do you find Two Persons speaking.
2) “My Cherished Child” – Not everyone is a child of God, so God would not refer to all as His children. Neither is the man who speaks these words a child of God. Therefore, it is not God speaking.
3) Salvation, the voice claims, does not come by YOUR good works, but by God’s. That is true, but it also is false. How so? Because good works will be the evidence and fruits of faith that God has given you, and if you do not have these, you are not His. “My brothers, what profit is it if a man says he has faith and does not have works? Can faith save him? … But someone will say, You have faith, and I have works. Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith from my works” (James 2:14, 18).
4) The voice says “My yes ALWAYS mean yes.” That is true, but the implication from the voice is false, which is that this means that God will not change His mind. He does change, and it has to do with what you do (by His grace). “And the instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build it and to plant it; if it does evil in My sight, not to obey My voice, then I will repent of the good with which I said I would do them good” (Jeremiah 18:9-10).
5) The voice says his commitment to you does not depend on your performance, and then goes on to say that you “must remain rooted in this truth.” Is that not performance? The voice is a liar, tricking people into thinking their works bring Christ down from Heaven.
6) The voice says that unless you do what it says, “the satanic spirit of religiosity (who is antichrist) can sneak in when you least expect it and steal your joy.” It goes on to say, “Any message that comes your way which even hints that My reliability depends on YOUR reliability is satanic.” Are you not being told you must be reliable to perform what is being told to you here, otherwise Satan will overcome you? Therefore, by the standards of this voice, it must be Satan speaking.
7) The voice says to watch out for anyone that tells you “His [God’s] commitment to you depends on YOUR success in making wise and timely choices.” If, as this voice says, you must make the wise choice of not listening to other voices, what good is it to you that God is yet committed to you, but is dependent on you making that choice? Is that not just another way of saying God is dependent on your success in making the right choice? This voice is another god, with a little “g,” and not the sovereign and almighty God. You will not find the true God worried about having things stolen from Him. He says: “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give to them eternal life, and they shall never ever perish, and not anyone shall pluck them out of My hand. My Father who gave them to Me is greater than all, and no one is able to pluck them out of My Father’s hand” (John 10:27-29).
8) Are those of us who require righteousness of professors of God speaking with sweet and lovely voices, as our speaker here warns? Hardly. Isn’t it the other way around? Is not the speaker’s voice here a sweet one, sickeningly so? How would the voice speaking this false prophecy rate this Voice? “And you shall say to them, So says the Lord, If you will not listen to Me, to walk in My Law which I have set before you, to listen to the words of My servants the prophets whom I am sending to you, even rising up early and sending (but you have not listened), then I will make this house like Shiloh, and will make this city a curse to all the nations of the earth” (Jeremiah 26:4-6). How sweet are the voices of true prophets to the rebellious?
9) The voice goes on, presuming to be God: “It is My grace, My constant and loving enablement, that restores and heals you.” There is no mention here that we are restored not by magic, but by walking in the truth. It is true that it is God’s grace that enables us to do that, but without the actual doing we are not healed. As it is written: “And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way, but let it rather be healed. Follow peace with all, and holiness, without which no one shall see the Lord…” (Hebrews 12:13-14).
10) The voice asks: “Who am I? Ever Active and Unfailing Love—that is Who I AM. So, I AM the Author and Finisher of your faith. I AM the one who causes your faith to function. Return to joy, treasured child!” This is Charles, not God, speaking to himself. It is spiritual masturbation: it feels good, you can imagine whatever you want, there are real results, but not from the real thing. In the world (for most people) it is a shame to be found masturbating, as it ought to be, but here we have someone doing it publicly as though it is the highest expression of love in existence. Rather than the selfless love of Christ, Who gave Himself for us, it is self-gratifying idol worship. The idol is none other than that old goddess of love, Ashtoreth, queen of heaven, which is drunk on the blood of the saints.
It is true that God completes His work that He has begun. The other part of the picture is, however, that religious works, such as this one, are not His work. They are self-generated works, seeded at night by the enemy. So they will fail, and that too is by the design and wisdom of God. All must be judged to know what is right. If there were not heresies then those that were approved by God would not be made manifest. Light needs darkness. How do you know what light is, unless you experience darkness?
When God is doing a work in you, you will know it. His commitment to you will be evident in your performance, not dependent on it. The cart will follow the horse, and He will be leading the way. He has proven His word to be faithful in me, and I know that He cannot fail to do all that He pleases. He is God, and He is faithful. Praise God! That is good news!