UNIVERSAL RECONCILIATION

Universal Reconciliation, or Universalism, or Unitarian Universalism is becoming a popular belief. “Universal Reconciliation is the doctrine that all sinful and alienated human souls — because of divine love and mercy — will ultimately be reconciled to God.” (Wikipedia) I can only hope that this is so because I desire to see no one destroyed or turned away from the love of God. However, this business is the Lord’s and not mine to determine. What we have is scripture for our answers… whether we like them or agree with them or not.

Ezekiel, a prophet, (622-570 BC) wrote, “But if the wicked turn away from all their sins that they have committed and keep all my statutes and do what is lawful and right, they shall surely live; they shall not die. None of the transgressions that they have committed shall be remembered against them; for the righteousness that they have done they shall live. Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, says the Lord God, and not rather that they should turn from their ways and live?” This does not sound like Universal Reconciliation to me.
The entire issue of right relationship with God seems to be a choice, as recorded in Ezekiel. “If the wicked turn away from all their sins” is conditional. This simply means to me that reconciliation is conditional as well. It is easy to see why many would want to believe in a universal reconciliation because it requires no conditions, no choices, no changes and no responses. This does not seem to be the context of most scripture. Jesus said, “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.”

“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Jesus