We are answering a Tough Question that faces many Christian teenagers today. Some of their friends attend churches that teach universal salvation. You can read more about what that is in the first part of our answer.

What we’d like to do in the second part of our answer is look at this part of the question:

[Podcast Version available here.]

If that’s true, why did Jesus have to die?

If universal salvation (also known as universal reconciliation) is true, why did Jesus have to die? That’s a logical and legitimate question. If God is not going to ‘punish’ anyone for their sin, why ‘punish’ His Son?

Some people who believe in universal salvation believe it is because of Jesus’ death on the Cross that all people will be saved – that Jesus took punishment for their sin on Himself, thus removing any reason for them to believe or live in a way that pleases God. If everyone will go to Heaven when they die, then that means atheists, agnostics, hedonists, and members of every religion will go to Heaven – even though they did not believe in Jesus Christ. That seems to fly in the face of what Jesus said in John 3. While many unbelievers can quote parts of John 3:16-17 – “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. – they don’t read the verses that follow –

He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God. John 3:18-21

Yes, God loved the world so much that He sent His Son on a spiritual rescue mission from Heaven to earth, but His ‘condemnation’ will continue on people who do not believe in Christ – on people who love darkness rather than light. Unfortunately, that’s the vast majority of the world’s population. So, given the clear words Jesus spoke how will everyone somehow escape God’s condemnation and go to Heaven even if their ‘deeds were evil’ and they ‘loved darkness rather than light?’

Universalists use several Bible verses to support their belief (worldview) including 1 Corinthians 15:22-26; 1 John 2:2; and 1 Timothy 4:10. For some universalists who believe God will ‘punish’ evil people, they don’t believe He will punish sinners ‘infinitely’ or ‘continually.’ They like to quote from Micah 7:18; Lamentations 3:31-33; Isaiah 57:16-18; Proverbs 11:1; and Psalm 145:13-14.

Using these two principles alone provides a basic biblical introduction for those who are unfamiliar with the doctrine of Universal Salvation. Once we understand that the atoning work of Christ is the bases for the resurrection of the dead, including all of mankind, then we only need to determine if God punishes people without end.

‘Universal Salvation, The Total Victory of Christ Blog’

This is terrible theology. Universalists have ripped verses out of the Bible and taken God’s Word out of context. It’s easy to pull Bible verses out of context to support a particular position, so we need to make sure that what we believe is based on handling God’s Word correctly (2 Timothy 2:15). You may want to spend some time reading the larger context of Bible verses your friends use to support their belief about universal salvation. That will help you help them to see their verses in context.

I suggest you also share Bible verses with your friends that counter their position. Be sure to read the entire context of the verses so you can explain that to them as well. Here are some examples.

The Words of Jesus

We have a little more than 30,000 words that Jesus spoke during His earthly ministry recorded in the New Testament. As you read them carefully you will see that He clearly presents the idea of being a ‘loving’ God who will ‘punish’ the wicked based on His ‘wrath.’

He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.

John 3:36

And He went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem. Then one said to Him, ‘Lord, are there few who are saved?’ And He said to them, ‘Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able. When once the Master of the house has risen up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open for us,’ and He will answer and say to you, ‘I do not know you, where you are from,’ then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets.’ But He will say, ‘I tell you I do not know you, where you are from. Depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity.’ There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves thrust out. 

Luke 13:22-28

Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops. And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

Matthew 10:27-28

The Words of Jesus’ Apostles

Jesus promised His apostles that the Holy Spirit would ‘guide them into all truth.’ That ‘truth’ includes what happens to people after they die – ‘everlasting life’ or ‘everlasting destruction.’

We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is fitting, because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of every one of you all abounds toward each other, so that we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure, which is manifest evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you also suffer; since it is a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation those who trouble you, and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, when He comes, in that Day, to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe, because our testimony among you was believed.

2 Thessalonians 1:3-10

For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

2 Peter 3:5-7

And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.

Revelation 20:12-15

Jesus Had To Die

The Bible makes clear that Jesus had to die. He had to die in order to “destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8). Jesus had to die to bring us to God (1 Peter 3:18). Jesus had to die so we could be justified by faith (Romans 3:24-26). Jesus had to die to pay the penalty for our sins (1 Corinthians 15:1-8).

However, and this is a big however, not everyone will be saved in the end. That’s not the promise of God’s Word. The promise of God’s Word is that everyone is a sinner and the wages of sin is death (Romans 3:9-20; 6:23). The promise of God is that those who have been saved by grace through faith will spend eternity with God. Those who don’t, won’t. Anyone who depends on the false teaching of universalism will be terribly disappointed when they find themselves outside looking in.

Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie.

Revelation 22:14-15

I hope this answer helps!

[Podcast Version available here.]

The Next Question

In the next part of our special series, Tough Questions From Christian Teens, we will ask …

Was It Right For Parents To Have Their Children Killed For Cursing Them?

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