Six Reasons Why Bishop Carlton Pearson Was Right About Hell: A Biblical and Historical Perspective

The story of Bishop Carlton Pearson’s transformation from a prominent Pentecostal preacher to a vocal proponent of what he calls the “Gospel of Inclusion” is one that has stirred widespread debate in the Christian world. In the late 1990s, Pearson began to question the traditional doctrine of hell, suggesting that a loving God wouldn’t condemn people to eternal torment. His shift in theology, which led to his rejection of hell as traditionally understood, caused him to be ostracized by many in the Christian community. Yet, as we explore both the teachings of Jesus and the writings of the Apostle Paul, we find strong biblical and theological foundations that support Pearson’s perspective.

Here, we’ll examine why Bishop Carlton Pearson’s understanding of hell as a metaphor rather than a literal place of eternal punishment aligns closely with the teachings of Jesus and Paul, as well as with early Christian beliefs about justice, restoration, and God’s love.

1. Jesus’ Use of Gehenna and Hyperbole

To understand why the traditional concept of hell may be inconsistent with Jesus’ teachings, we need to consider his use of the term “Gehenna.” In many English translations of the Bible, Gehenna is translated as “hell,” but the term has a specific historical and cultural context. Gehenna (or “Ge-Hinnom”) was a real place—a valley outside Jerusalem associated with idolatry, child sacrifices, and, later, with a site for burning refuse. By Jesus’ time, it symbolized a place of judgment and purification rather than a literal realm of eternal torment.

When Jesus warned people about Gehenna, it’s likely he was using hyperbole, a common rhetorical technique in first-century Jewish teaching. Jesus often used vivid, exaggerated language to stress the seriousness of moral choices, but his intent wasn’t to endorse a place of everlasting punishment. For instance, when Jesus spoke about cutting off a hand or plucking out an eye to avoid Gehenna (Matthew 5:29-30), he was clearly using metaphorical language. This kind of hyperbole was meant to convey the urgency of ethical living and the serious consequences of unloving behavior—not to describe a literal place of eternal suffering.

Jesus often challenged the Pharisees and religious leaders of his time, who emphasized doctrines of purification and punishment as motivators for religious adherence. By referencing Gehenna, he could have been critiquing the fear-based approach that emphasized outward behavior over inner transformation. In this way, Jesus’ references to Gehenna align more closely with a call for present-life transformation and a warning against the natural consequences of unethical living, rather than a belief in post-mortem punishment.

2. The Apostle Paul’s Silence on Hell

Perhaps even more striking than Jesus’ use of Gehenna is the complete silence of the Apostle Paul on the topic of hell. Paul, who wrote much of the New Testament and is considered one of the foundational voices of early Christianity, never mentioned hell as a place of eternal torment. Instead, Paul’s writings focused on themes like grace, reconciliation, and the transformative power of the resurrection. His emphasis was on salvation as a present experience of living in unity with Christ, rather than a fear-driven avoidance of eternal punishment.

Paul often spoke about consequences for sin, but he framed these in terms of “death” or “destruction”—language that suggests separation from God rather than endless suffering. For example, in Romans 6:23, he writes, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Here, Paul contrasts spiritual death with the promise of life, focusing on the gift of life in Christ rather than the threat of eternal punishment. Similarly, when Paul mentions “perishing” or “being cut off,” he uses these terms in a way that suggests a loss or cessation, not a never-ending hell.

Paul’s silence on hell supports Pearson’s view that the traditional doctrine may be a later development in Christian history, influenced more by medieval theology than by early Christian beliefs. The absence of hell in Paul’s teachings indicates that, for him, the core of the gospel was the hope of resurrection and the transformative power of God’s grace, not fear of eternal punishment.

3. Reconciliation, Grace, and a Restorative View of Justice

At the heart of Paul’s gospel is reconciliation—God’s act of restoring humanity into right relationship with Him. Throughout his letters, Paul emphasizes that God’s love is unconditional, an idea echoed in Jesus’ teachings. For both Jesus and Paul, God’s justice is restorative, focused on healing and transformation, rather than retributive, aimed at punishing sin forever.

The traditional concept of hell as a place of eternal torment contradicts this understanding of God’s justice. If God’s justice is truly restorative, then the ultimate purpose of judgment would be correction and healing, not unending punishment. This aligns with Pearson’s belief that God’s love is too vast and merciful to consign anyone to eternal suffering. Pearson’s “Gospel of Inclusion” suggests that God’s grace is for all people, and that God’s desire is for every person to be reconciled to Him—a concept deeply rooted in Paul’s teachings on grace and the transformative power of God’s love.

4. Early Christian Views and the Development of Hell Doctrine

The doctrine of hell as eternal torment did not emerge until centuries after Jesus and Paul. In the early church, many Christians held a view called “universal reconciliation,” which suggested that all souls would ultimately be reconciled to God. Early theologians like Origen believed that even the most hardened sinners would undergo a period of purification before eventually being restored. It was only in the medieval period, with theologians like Augustine, that the notion of eternal, conscious torment became mainstream in Western Christianity.

This historical context suggests that the doctrine of hell as eternal punishment is not intrinsic to the gospel message but is a later addition, influenced by cultural and philosophical factors. In this light, Pearson’s rejection of hell aligns with an older and arguably more biblically consistent tradition within Christianity—one that sees God’s justice as fundamentally merciful and redemptive.

5. The Dangers of a Fear-Based Faith

One of Pearson’s primary criticisms of the traditional doctrine of hell is that it promotes a fear-based approach to faith. When people are motivated by fear of punishment, they may focus on external behaviors while neglecting the transformative inner life that Jesus taught. This fear-based approach can lead to a “performance” mentality, where faith becomes about following rules to avoid punishment, rather than about growing in love, compassion, and unity with God.

Jesus’ teachings emphasize love and relationship with God as the foundation of faith, not fear of retribution. Paul also highlights that it is “the kindness of God that leads to repentance” (Romans 2:4), suggesting that genuine transformation arises from experiencing God’s grace, not from terror. Pearson’s perspective resonates with this message, encouraging believers to embrace a loving and merciful view of God that fosters inner transformation rather than external conformity.

6. Hell as a Symbol for Natural Consequences and Present-Life Transformation

When Jesus spoke of Gehenna, he was likely using it as a symbol for the natural consequences of a life lived in opposition to God’s ways. Just as physical fire consumes waste, the metaphor of fire may illustrate the way selfish or harmful behaviors ultimately destroy or consume a person’s life, relationships, and spiritual health. In this sense, “hell” can be understood as the self-inflicted suffering and separation from God’s love that people experience when they reject divine love and grace.

Bishop Carlton Pearson’s view aligns with this interpretation, suggesting that hell represents the painful realities of life disconnected from God, rather than a literal place of torment. In this view, Jesus’ warnings about Gehenna were meant to provoke a change in this life, urging people to turn away from harmful ways and embrace God’s love.

Conclusion: Why Carlton Pearson Was Right

Bishop Carlton Pearson’s message that God’s love excludes no one and that hell is not a literal place of eternal torment is rooted in both biblical teaching and early Christian tradition. The hyperbolic nature of Jesus’ references to Gehenna, Paul’s complete silence on hell, and the restorative view of God’s justice all support Pearson’s belief that the traditional doctrine of hell does not align with the gospel’s core message of love, reconciliation, and transformation.

Pearson’s “Gospel of Inclusion” echoes the foundational Christian belief that God’s love and grace are truly for all people. Rather than promoting fear of punishment, his message calls believers to a deeper understanding of God’s character as endlessly merciful and compassionate. By rejecting hell as eternal torment, Pearson invites Christians to rediscover the good news of a loving God who desires to restore and heal, not condemn.

In embracing this perspective, Pearson aligns with a gospel that celebrates God’s grace and calls us to live lives of love, compassion, and transformation. He reminds us that God’s love is too vast to be limited by human notions of retribution, pointing instead to a divine justice that seeks the ultimate reconciliation and wholeness of all creation.

 

Matt 16:6-12, Acts 20:28-30, And 2Thess 2:3-12 Describes the same event

In the context of tying together the warnings about the "leaven of the Pharisees" (Luke 12:1; Matthew 16:6), Paul's concerns about wolves entering the flock (Acts 20:28-30), and the "strong delusion" in 2 Thessalonians 2:11, we can explore an alternative interpretation: that what later became known as Christian orthodoxy itself represents the strong delusion Paul warned about.

The Leaven of the Pharisees: The Seeds of Religious Control

When Jesus warned His disciples to "beware of the leaven of the Pharisees," He was speaking about the hypocrisy and legalism of the religious leaders of His day. These leaders emphasized outward religious observance, ritualistic law-keeping, and rigid control over the spiritual lives of the people. They misrepresented the heart of God's law, replacing mercy, justice, and love with a burdensome system that suffocated genuine spirituality.

In this context, the leaven of the Pharisees can be viewed as the seeds of a controlling, institutionalized religion. This leaven, while subtle at first, would eventually permeate and corrupt the spiritual message of Jesus. What began as small compromises and power grabs within religious leadership later grew into a system of orthodoxy that emphasized external conformity over internal transformation. The leaven represents the early stages of this false religious system taking root.

Acts 20:28-30: The Rise of Institutionalized Power

Paul’s warning in Acts 20:28-30 about wolves entering the flock connects to the theme of religious control and distortion of truth. Paul speaks to the Ephesian elders, warning that "savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock." More tellingly, Paul says that even from among the leadership itself, people will arise "to draw away disciples after them" by distorting the truth.

These wolves represent not only external heresies but also the internal forces of institutionalized power within the church. As the early Christian movement began to grow, there were increasing pressures from leaders within the church to establish a unified, authoritative version of Christian belief. This led to the formation of what would later become orthodoxy—a set of beliefs enforced by ecclesiastical authority, with anyone deviating from it labeled a heretic.

In this view, the wolves are not just false teachers in the traditional sense but also the leaders who sought to consolidate power and impose their own interpretations of the gospel on others. These efforts culminated in the councils of the early church, where debates about the nature of Christ, the Trinity, and scripture were decided by a select group of leaders. Over time, the fluid, diverse expression of early Christianity was replaced by a rigid orthodoxy that demanded absolute conformity.

2 Thessalonians 2: The Strong Delusion as Orthodoxy

In 2 Thessalonians 2, Paul describes a "strong delusion" sent by God to those who "refused to love the truth." This delusion causes them to believe a lie, ultimately leading to their destruction. Traditionally, this passage is interpreted as referring to the deception of the Antichrist in the last days. However, viewed through the lens of the development of orthodoxy, the strong delusion can be seen as the institutionalization of Christian belief that took place in the late first and early second centuries.

The "strong delusion" here could be interpreted as the formalization of Christian doctrine into a rigid orthodoxy that claims to be the ultimate truth but, in reality, distorts the gospel message. The church councils, beginning with the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD, imposed strict definitions of Christian belief, such as the nature of the Trinity and the divinity of Christ. These councils, backed by the Roman Empire, declared their interpretations to be the only valid expressions of Christianity. Anyone who did not conform was branded a heretic and often persecuted.

The "strong delusion" was not merely a theological disagreement; it was the beginning of a system that sought to control the spiritual lives of believers through fear, coercion, and dogma. By institutionalizing faith and creating a strict orthodoxy, the early church leaders laid the groundwork for a religious system that placed external conformity above the transformative inner life that Jesus and Paul emphasized. In this sense, the orthodoxy that emerged was the very delusion Paul warned about—one that led people away from the true gospel and into a system of control and fear.

The Unified Event of Deception

When we tie these three warnings together—Jesus' warning about the leaven, Paul's warning about wolves, and the strong delusion of 2 Thessalonians—we can see them as different perspectives on the same event: the rise of Christian orthodoxy. What began as subtle distortions of religious truth (the leaven of the Pharisees) grew into a system where leaders (the wolves) consolidated power, and ultimately, through the formation of orthodoxy, a strong delusion took hold of the church.

The "strong delusion" of 2 Thessalonians can be understood as the creation of a rigid orthodoxy that diverted people from the true gospel of grace, love, and internal transformation. Instead of allowing for diverse expressions of Christian spirituality and encouraging believers to grow in personal relationship with God, the emerging orthodoxy enforced uniformity and submission to church authorities. This delusion caused people to believe that adherence to institutional dogma was the path to salvation, rather than the radical freedom and transformative power offered by Jesus Christ.

In the late first and early second centuries, as Christian orthodoxy was solidified through the decisions of councils and the consolidation of church power, many early Christian communities that embraced diverse interpretations were labeled as heretical and silenced. The strong delusion, therefore, is not merely a distant end-times event but something that occurred as the church increasingly moved away from the teachings of Jesus and Paul and toward a system of religious control.

Conclusion: Orthodoxy as the Strong Delusion

In this interpretation, Christian orthodoxy itself is the strong delusion. It represents the culmination of a long process of deception, starting with the leaven of the Pharisees and growing into the wolves that preyed on the flock. As the church developed into an institution of power, it imposed doctrines that distorted the gospel, leading many believers away from the truth of grace and spiritual freedom. The strong delusion is the belief that adherence to this orthodoxy is the only path to salvation, when in reality, it has replaced the transformative message of Christ with a system of control.

This interpretation challenges the traditional view of orthodoxy and invites believers to reexamine their faith in light of the gospel’s message of grace, love, and inner transformation, rather than external conformity to a system that may have, in fact, been the very delusion warned about in scripture.

 

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Jesus on the World, the Way, and the Father

 In John’s Gospel, chapters 14-17, when Jesus speaks of “the world,” it is important to understand the specific cultural and religious context in which he lived. Jesus was addressing his disciples within the Jewish world, which had its own distinct religious systems, societal norms, and expectations. The “world” Jesus refers to is not the entire globe or humanity at large, but rather the religious and political structures of his immediate environment—the Jewish religious leaders, the Pharisaic traditions, and the expectations of the Messiah. His critique of “the world” focuses on how this religious system had often become spiritually blind, ritualistic, and distant from the heart of God’s message.

For example, when Jesus says in John 15:19, "If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you," he is speaking to how his teachings and the lifestyle of his followers challenge the prevailing norms of the Jewish religious leaders. This “world” rejected Jesus because he revealed a way to God that transcended religious law and focused on love, grace, and the true nature of God as a compassionate Parent. Jesus challenges the exclusivity of the religious system of his time, which had become oppressive for many.

In John 14:6, Jesus famously says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” This verse is often interpreted as Jesus declaring himself the exclusive means of salvation for all people, implying that no one can approach God unless they explicitly believe in him. However, within the context of John’s Gospel and Jesus’ mission, a different interpretation emerges. Jesus is speaking specifically to his Jewish disciples, not making a blanket statement for all humanity. His claim that he is “the way” is rooted in his teaching about the nature of God, whom he presents as the divine Parent.

The key to understanding John 14:6 lies in how Jesus defines his relationship with God. Jesus is not saying that belief in him as a person is the only way to reach God. Instead, he is teaching that his understanding of God—as a loving, nurturing, and familial figure—is the only way to truly know and experience God. Jesus reveals God not as a distant lawgiver but as a Father (or Parent), emphasizing love, grace, and relational intimacy. His path or “way” is the way of understanding God through this lens of relational, familial love. In that sense, Jesus is providing a new understanding of divine connection, contrasting the rigid and distant views of God that many in his religious community held.

Therefore, when Jesus says, “No one comes to the Father except through me,” he is not implying that people from other cultures, religions, or paths are excluded from God’s presence. Rather, he is teaching that the way he models—one of deep relationship with God as Parent, based on love and trust—is the clearest way to truly see and understand God’s nature. This is why Jesus often spoke of God as “Father,” emphasizing the intimate, personal relationship that God desires to have with humanity. In essence, Jesus' message is that it is through his teachings, example, and way of living that people can come to see and experience God as this divine Parent who desires a close, familial bond with all people.

This perspective opens up a broader understanding of the gospel, moving away from an exclusive interpretation and inviting a deeper exploration of how Jesus' life and teachings help us see God in a more compassionate and relational way. His emphasis is on awakening people to the reality of God’s love and inviting them into a transformative relationship that reflects God's parental care, rather than a message of religious exclusivity

Paul the Mystic, Paul the Rabbi: A confusing dichotomy that is detrimental to the mystical message.

 2Co 12:2-4  "I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows—such a one was caught up to the third heaven.  (3)  And I know such a man—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows—  (4)  how he was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter."

What we know about Paul the Mystic began on his journey to Damascus to persecute the church. That was his first mystical experience. Prior to that from all we know, Paul was simply a trained rabbi that sat at the feet of Gamaliel, a student of the venerated Hillel. It is important however to realize that Paul had two influences throughout his ministry. It is difficult to separate the mystical Paul from the rabbinical Paul. This is the source of most of the confusion surrounding Paul's teaching. Let me give a clear example of what I am writing about. Here are two passages that show both Paul's. The first is the mystical, and the second is the rabbinical. Rom 5:20  "Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more," and Rom 6:1-2  "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?  (2)  Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?" The confusion comes into play when we let the voice of the rabbinical Paul over-ride the mystical Paul. In effect, Romans 6:1-2 nullifies Romans 5:20. At least, in my time in evangelical Christianity most pastors and teachers have had the rabbinical Paul quash the mystic.

This is only important insofar as it either establishes or negates, the love, mercy, and grace of God. My view is that it is ONLY unconditional grace, which produces the love within an individual that will lead to genuine supernatural transformation. In this way, Paul the rabbi negates the important revelation received by Paul the mystic. In reality, it is Paul the mystic that adds clarity to the message of Jesus. Jesus ministered in two ways. He taught what it means to love, and what love actually looks like. He also demonstrated the ethereal supernatural nature of the world by suspending physical laws. In my view, it is very likely that Jesus did preform these supernatural feats because there are many reported in Mark's gospel which is considered to be the first gospel written. I am not of the number that doubts the miracles. The truth of the matter is this. Jesus as the incarnate Logos, creative Word, was able to spiritually take advantage of the fact that the world we occupy is basically composed of energy without corporeal substance. In other words, the one who sustains the world with his powerful word, can change it by his word. 

My point is this. Paul the mystic is important in our understanding and Paul the rabbi is not. As Jesus taught us how to love and act loving, Paul the mystic gave us the supernatural formula for being transformed into love itself. His formula was simply to be transformed by the renewing of the mind. Renewing the mind to what? The mercy and grace of God! See, that is what drives the love train. It is the unconditional, unwavering, unimaginable, and inexhaustible love of God that is the catalyst. New covenant people, new creations, have no business concerning themselves with Paul the rabbi. If it had a positive purpose at all, it was limited to the conditions of the first century and the melding of Jews and Gentiles. I really do not believe it had a purpose beyond Paul's compulsion to hang on to his Judaic beginnings. 

Paul the mystic, the one who was taken up into the third heaven, receive revelation that is crucial to progressing as a follower of Jesus. He discovered that we are seated in heavenly places in Christ. The heavenly places are synonymous with the quantum/ethereal level where all of the material world is created and sustained. He was told that Christ followers were the body of Jesus. That means that Christ followers are the hands, feet, voice, and mind of Jesus here on earth. This is revelation of the mystical union that all disciples should have. He was made aware that the first purpose in creation was redemption. It was to the praise of God's glorious grace and it was not to praise God per se but to be so convinced of God's mercy, love and grace that we could not help but love God! Not just a little bit but really, really, really, love God with ALL our heart, ALL our soul, and ALL our strength! It was to love God so much that it would transform us into love itself. Paul the rabbi was still concerned with rules. Paul the mystic saw a glimpse of the freedom of the manifestation of the sons and daughters of God!

My prayer is that we will all be able to begin to discern the difference between Paul the mystic and Paul the rabbi, and appreciate the revelation he received without the constraint of his rabbinical fears.

Comprehending the Love of God through Christ: The New Humanity Part 14

Eph 3:14-21  For this reason I bow my knees before the Father,  (15)  from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name.  (16)  I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit,  (17)  and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love.  (18)  I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth,  (19)  and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.  (20)  Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine,  (21)  to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

The above passage from Ephesians has always been one of my favorites. Paul is writing a prayer of his heart for the Ephesian saints. but, this prayer is for all of us and should encourage all of us. After the experience on the Damascus road, Paul spent a lot of time with the Spirit of the Living Christ Jesus, and had so much revealed to him. He said in one place that he was caught up in the third heaven, and heard things that it is not lawful for humans to utter. He got a glimpse of the incomprehensible God of the universe. He makes two main points in this prayer. First is the indescribable scope and intensity of God's love for humanity. Second he eludes to the tremendous power that is at work in the saints because of the indwelling Holy Spirit.

The Apostle John wrote God is Love twice in one chapter. God is perfect love and is perfectly good. So why would one fear love? John also wrote that perfect love casts out all fear as fear is torment and the one who fears has not realized they are loved with perfect love.  And yet, so sadly so many of my dear sisters and brothers fear God. If we go back to the garden story. Our prototypes ran and hid when they discovered they were naked. Of course they had been naked all along, but the awareness of the fact, caused them to fear God and hide from him as he approached them. Ever since then people try to hide from God whenever they become aware of their failure and are reminded of the presence of God. Jesus, the last Adam and the ultimate prototype walked among us as God to convince us that we did not need to hide from God. He explained that God was our Papa. He told us about the absolute relentless love that the Father had for him. Jesus Papa loves his creation in an unfathomable way. As Paul mentioned in his prayer for the saints, it is a love that surpasses knowledge. I know he said the love of Christ. However, Paul also said in another place that in Jesus the Godhead dwells bodily. So the love of Christ is the love of Father/Papa.

Paul prayed that we/they would be able to comprehend the magnitude of this love. But read the last part of the prayer. He mentions that the power of God is at work in us. That power is able to accomplish abundantly far more than we can imagine. What a promise! This is made available as we begin to lean on, trust in, and cling too the indwelling Holy Spirit. It is the power that is in work in us. Peter wrote that we become partakers of the divine nature. I believe that the Holy Spirit is the mind of Christ. Paul said that we should let the same mind that is in Christ Jesus be in us. He did not mean allow it in. It is there as a guarantee of our redemption. He meant that we should begin to acknowledge the mind of Christ within us. That mind will assure us of the love of Papa and will birth the same love in us for our fellow humanity.

That is the character and being of the New Humanity. We understand that Christ indwells us, and it is our hope of glory. When Jesus told the Jews that the kingdom of God was among them, the fact is, that after Pentecost, the kingdom of God was WITHIN them as they were indwelt by the mind of the King. This is such encouraging news. It is the kind of news that will stir our spirits to the good works that Papa designed for us to walk in before anything was created. Rejoice in this prayer and read it often for encouragement.

As we become increasingly aware of this let us allow our minds to align with His mind in us. Don't take these words of Paul as a commandment that you can fail at. Take them as and encouraging focus for your mind. Php 4:8  "Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things."

Characteristics of the New Humanity; New Humanity Part 12

1Co 13:2-3  "And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.  (3)  If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing."

A question that has been asked through out the centuries by Christians of all ages is "how then shall we live?" It is a very important question. The answer to this question was shown to us by the incarnate life of Jesus. Joh 13:35  "By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." So first and foremost, the characteristic of the New Humanity is love. It is important to point out that it is agape/love, the same love that the Apostle John wrote of when explaining who God is. It is unconditional love that puts the good of the other first. It is patient and kind. It does not envy, is not arrogant or prideful. It is hopeful and faith filled. It loves truth and it is unending.

How is it birthed in the New Humanity? What is the source of this love? The simple answer it is God's grace. All of the previous posts in the New Humanity Series have focused on God's grace, the finished work of the cross of Jesus, and the absolute fact that it was accomplished in God's plan before creation. As I have stated over and over in many different ways on this blog, transformation results from believing the gospel of God's grace. Being justified by the faith of Jesus, being reconciled to God by the faith/faithfulness of Jesus produces real profound peace with God which in turn results in real profound love for God. This peace and love is the source of agape/love in the believer.

Jesus modeled a perfect example of this love in his earthly sojourn. He became the champion of the disenfranchised. Wherever he found a need he met it. He healed the sick and maimed. He fed the hungry masses. Further, and probably most important he taught what loving "agape-style" looked like. It was to love our enemy. It was to do good to them that misuse us. It was to go the extra mile when asked to only go one, in other words, do more than was requested. These were not platitudes. It was how he lived his life. Paul describes Jesus as a human this way. Php 2:5-8 " Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,  (6)  who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited,  (7)  but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form,  (8)  he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death—even death on a cross." In other words, he became a servant though he was the King.

The kingdom of Christ is a kingdom where his followers strive to follow his leadership. Not in a compulsive way; not as the commandments of the Old Covenant, but by a transformed mind that is ever growing toward being the very mind of Christ. As the mind of Christ develops in the believer, as she or he moves closer to having the compassion for humanity, especially the poor, the poor in spirit as well as the poor in possessions and wages, the more compelled he or she would be to love in an unselfish, serving way.

This is the importance of the synoptic gospels. The sermon on the mount, the sermon on the plain, Matthew 25:31-46 becomes important in understanding what it means to become a follower of Jesus and to begin to have the mind of Christ. Jesus said let your light shine before humanity so that others may see your good deeds and thereby glorify your Father in heaven. I love the way that Isaiah put it. Isa 58:6-12  "Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke?  (7)  Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover them, and not to hide yourself from your own kin?  (8)  Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up quickly; your vindicator shall go before you, the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.  (9)  Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer; you shall cry for help, and he will say, Here I am. If you remove the yoke from among you, the pointing of the finger, the speaking of evil,  (10)  if you offer your food to the hungry and satisfy the needs of the afflicted, then your light shall rise in the darkness and your gloom be like the noonday.  (11)  The LORD will guide you continually, and satisfy your needs in parched places, and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters never fail.  (12)  Your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to live in." Look at the promises that accompany this prophecy. There are two things that Isaiah points out. One is to have compassion and provide aid to the less fortunate, and the other is to refrain from religious judgment.

So when Jesus said the words recorded in Matthew 25:31-46, he was pointing out what Isaiah had  written 750 years earlier. Yes, one of the characteristics of the New Humanity is to rebuild the ruins of all the years of greed and oppression. The New Humanity, Jesus followers, will be busy doing these things, and quite frankly, if they did they would not have the time to focus on sin and sin management. They would be so busy doing the good works that God had determined before the foundation of the world for them to do that they would be too exhausted to sin. I say that in jest but in reality there is a lot of truth in it. This is where our resources should be donated. When I say resources I mean both our time and our financial contributions. It would not be to have stained glass windows and salaries for people who are doing our work so we don't have to. I would argue that very little of this work is being done by Curchianity anyway, but too often, the little that is being done is done by those who we have hired to do it.

I realize that there are many doing this, but when you look at world statistics, see how many people name the name of Jesus and attend some kind of church; there is precious little of this being done for there to be so many Christ followers in the world. I believe that the proper understanding of grace and the method that the Holy Spirit uses to transform needs to be widely understood for this work would become a natural outflow of redemption. It needs to be understood that these works are not the reason that God loves us so passionately. He loves us because he loves us and nothing will change that so it is not to gain favor that we will model these characteristics. Rather, it would be what we would/will do as we grow having the mind of Christ.

Until this becomes our characteristics as Christ followers, it is almost like having wasted grace. Oh it is definitely great that we realize we can set aside our shame and fear, and that we can rest in the eternal love of Father and Jesus, but demonstrating this love to the rest of humanity is another important reason for redemption. And, it will definitely bring more praise to God's glorious grace!

Why I believe Universal Reconciliation is a Historical Fact: New Humanity Part 13

I believe in universal reconciliation as a completed work and a historical fact. Yes, I believe that all humanity is reconciled to God by the faithful accomplishment of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is different than ultimate reconciliation in that ultimate reconciliation accepts that all are reconciled at some point in the future, and only some are reconciled now. In fact, let me go so far as to say that I believe that all were reconciled before the foundation of the world, which is before anything was spoken into existence by the powerful loving Word of God. Yes, reconciliation was settled before creation. Redemption was God’s purpose in creation. God created with a single purpose in mind. It was to bring praise to his glorious grace and allow Him to bestow perfect love on his creation. Ultimately it was a plan whereby he could perfectly love his creatures and in turn, they would have the means to genuinely love him back with an intensity nearly unfathomable.

You will no doubt want to say to me, what about choice? What about beings with free will? To that I say each human has a choice to believe it or not. Each human has the choice to walk in this reality while in this earth or not. Each human has the ability to realize that they are image bearers of a loving God and demonstrate this quality in their world. It is the choice of being human on this earth plane. However, in the reality of eternal energy, that reality which quantum physicists are beginning to be able to observe, examine, and can see by repeatable experimentation. They are finding that this ultimate energy field has an awareness and intelligence, and though our understanding is still so primitive, one can only surmise that it is the source of all that is and that it is in fact, the Father, the Word, and the Spirit that holds all things together. The writer of Hebrews said as much. He said that Christ holds all things together by his powerful Word.  Paul told the Athenians that Jesus was the God in whom we live, move and have our being.

This brings me to the first proof of universal reconciliation. I am going to show a fairly large portion of Ephesians chapter one. The Spirit inspired Paul to write about the absolute sovereignty of the triune creator. Eph 1:3-14  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places,  (4)  just as he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love.  (5)  He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will,  (6)  to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.  (7)  In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace  (8)  that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and insight  (9)  he has made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ,  (10)  as a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.  (11)  In Christ we have also obtained an inheritance, having been destined according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to his counsel and will,  (12)  so that we, who were the first to set our hope on Christ, might live for the praise of his glory.  (13)  In him you also, when you had heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and had believed in him, were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit;  (14)  this is the pledge of our inheritance toward redemption as God's own people, to the praise of his glory.

The phrase, before the foundation of the world explains that it was prior to the Word speaking the world into existence. There are two passages in scripture that predate Genesis chapter one. One is John 1:1-5 and the other is the passage above from Ephesians chapter one. John chapter one predates all other scripture, but Ephesians one is next in order. I am not saying that either John chapter one or Ephesians chapter one was written chronologically before Genesis chapter one. What I am saying is that these two passages describe events that predate creation. And what is most important for my purpose is Ephesians chapter one explains God’s motive for creation. It was redemption. Further, it was to the praise of his glorious grace. So, let me ask a question. What would bring more praise to his glorious grace? The fact that he made it so some could choose to be redeemed or that he planned to redeem his entire creation? Of course, it would be to redeem the entire creation. And, Paul states that exactly in verse 10 by saying ALL things. What can possibly be left out of all things? Absolutely nothing!

Paul goes on to say that God accomplishes all things according to his council and will. So, when Peter tells us that he is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance then he will accomplish that. In the above passage, Paul establishes the absolute sovereignty of God. So, the first proof is established that God had chosen to redeem humanity before he created them, and the purpose was to praise his glorious grace. Now, what could be the greatest praise for his glorious grace? The answer is genuine love for God. In fact, this glorious grace is the key to enabling one to obey the first and greatest commandment. Once one grasps the plan that God put in motion before he created the world, one cannot help but love God with all their heart, with all their might, and with all their soul. This is the only way to enable real love for Father.

Moving on to the next proof; Rom 5:18 Therefore just as one man's trespass led to condemnation for all, so one man's act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all. In Adam all died and in Christ all are made alive. Notice what Paul says in the above passage. Does he say that Christ’s act of righteousness leads to justification and life for some? Does it say that Christ’s act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all those who believe? No, it says that Jesus’ act of righteousness leads to justification and life for ALL. Paul begins Romans five by saying that having been justified by faith one has peace with Father. It is important to point out that it is not that people are justified by their faith. No, Galatians 2:16 explains that all are justified by the faith, faithfulness of Jesus. So once again we are confronted with a sovereign act that God does on behalf of humanity to further redemption and reconciliation. It is important to read Galatians 2:16 in either the King James Version, the NET Version or the YLT Version… but if you read it in any Greek Version you will see that one is justified by Christ’s faith and not their own. So now we see that ALL are justified. Would a sovereign God that is love justify someone that would later choose to go to eternal torture?

So now I come to the third proof; 2Co 5:17-21 So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!  (18)  All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation;  (19)  that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us.  (20)  So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.  (21)  For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. Here Paul speaks of the ministry of reconciliation. He says that God/Father was in Christ/Jesus reconciling the world to himself. Notice he does not say that God was in Christ reconciling the elect to himself or those who would one day believe to himself. No, Father was in Christ reconciling the entire cosmos to himself. The Greek word translated world in this passage is the kosmos. Again, after looking at the sovereign God in Ephesians chapter one, who planned redemption before the foundation of the world, reconciled the world to himself in Christ. Let us face the facts here. The entire cosmos is reconciled to God and it is very unlikely that he would allow anyone to perish and not partake of redemption and reconciliation.

I can hear it now. What about hell? What about all those who rejected Jesus in his earthly ministry? Well, that would require more words than I have written here but I will say this. All of Jesus references to hell was connected with the upcoming judgment on Jerusalem and the temple. All of the references to Gehenna were references to the imminent judgment that was to come on the Jews from Rome. Romans chapters nine, ten, and eleven, the place where Calvinists get their doctrine of election is parenthetical to explain why the Jews, God’s chosen people, missed out on redemption and why the Gentiles were saved with only a remnant of Jews that escaped the terror of Roman occupation in the first century. Yet, Paul says at the end of Chapter eleven that ALL Israel will be saved. Rom 11:26-35  “And so all Israel will be saved; as it is written, "Out of Zion will come the Deliverer; he will banish ungodliness from Jacob."  (27)  "And this is my covenant with them, when I take away their sins."  (28)  As regards the gospel they are enemies of God for your sake; but as regards election they are beloved, for the sake of their ancestors;  (29)  for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.  (30)  Just as you were once disobedient to God but have now received mercy because of their disobedience,  (31)  so they have now been disobedient in order that, by the mercy shown to you, they too may now receive mercy.  (32)  For God has imprisoned all in disobedience so that he may be merciful to all.  (33)  O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!  (34)  "For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?"  (35)  "Or who has given a gift to him, to receive a gift in return?" This puts the icing on the proverbial cake in my view. Here is another of Paul’s infamous ALL’S. All have been imprisoned under disobedience so that He can have mercy on some? Oh, that’s not what Paul said, God will have mercy on all.  I like how this passage ends Rom 11:36  “For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever. Amen.” This takes us back to the idea of the source in quantum mechanics. From Him, through Him and to Him. And guess what He gets the glory that he had purposed before creation.