The Evangelical Universalist Forum

I'm A Calvinist/Universalist

Evangelical Universalism Arguments for Evangelical Universalism
#61

In his book “Hope Beyond Hell” the Christian Universalist, Gerry Beauchmin, has a section that I would agree with totally. He believes in the complete sovereignty of God and denies “free” will. This is what I believe. God is completely sovereign but the paradox is that man is responsible. pp. 39-40

To be fair to Gerry, one can hold that God is in control and all will eventually be saved. In fact, the reason a lot of Christians have hope is because God is in control. They not only have faith in Jesus as Savior but Lord as well. They trust that God brings beauty out of ashes and this gives them hope. There’s nothing wrong with this. As the Christian philosopher Alvin Plantinga has shown, if God has morally justifiable reasons for permitting evil and suffering then He does nothing wrong in permitting it. My job as a follower of Christ is to trust Him, clean house, and help others. God doesn’t cause evil and suffering on this view. He PERMITS IT. And because of the suffering, death and resurrection of Christ I have good reason to trust Him. For He works everything together for my good because I love Him.

#62

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Heaven’s Light

Bring back those days again
With dreams that are new
When my heart is free of sin
And a love through and through
When Beauty flows like streams
Bringing us joy and delight
When nothing is what it seems
As we hold each other tight
When storm clouds roll on
And the cool days burn bright
As all deep darkness is gone
When we feel heaven’s light

#63

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Tender Heart

When I look into your spirit
I see a tender heart
A gentle being inside your eyes
That makes me feel soft inside
Melting my hardened heart
And making my face glow
Giving me that special joy
Deeper than the oceans wide
As I blossom like a flower
Because of the beauty you give
I can see the wonder around me
Without that unhealthy fear
Aware of my inner true self
I come face to face with love
That would lay down my life for you
With sorrow, joy, and blood

#64
#65

People were created in God’s image. At the fall that image was damaged. It wasn’t completely erased but clouded. People are still God’s image bearers and it’s because of this every human being has value. Since it comes from God our value and worth are extrinsic rather than the inconsistent view of humanism that says our value is intrinsic. Because we retain the image of God every human being is cloaked with a robe of value and worth. As R.C. Sproul has stated:

#66

Human beings love different things with different types and degrees of love. We should love humans in a way that we don’t love animals. We should love our children in a way that we don’t love someone else’s children. Indeed, a man’s love for his wife should be different in degree and extent than the way he loves someone else’s wife. There should be distinctions in our love. The Bible tells us this much when it says:

We are to do good to all but show a special love to Christians. Well, God’s love is not less than mans. It tells us:

God has a special love for a chosen elect who are saved by grace through faith in this lifetime. He does however save unbelievers by baptizing them in the lake of fire in the next. When we all meet together the faith and hope of the elect pass away and there will be nothing but expression of perfect love towards each other.

#67

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#68

As a Christian I am a partaker of God’s holiness. He imparts His own Beauty to me giving me His joy and happiness. I am a partaker of this infinite fountain of joy of which He is Himself. These streams of holiness are His Divine light and love. I am swept up in His heavenly Beauty as I participate in His Trinitarian circle of love and joy.

#69

The laws of either/or logic are good in some areas like math, areas of science, and day to day life but there are limitations to it when applied to Ultimate Reality (God). The reason why is because God is a mysterious paradox. Paradoxes are both/and not either/or. The nondual paradox and mystery for Christians is a living Person (Christ). He is very God and very human. In Him all cosmic opposites are reconciled. It’s about becoming open to the opposites we find in Christ. For me, it’s not about trying to figure God out with either/or logic. It’s about coming into a faith union with Christ whose very essence is love and beauty. Granted there are ways we are to be like God and ways we are not. This isn’t a problem though. It should produce humility within us. For example:

  1. God is morally pure I am not

  2. God is in control of the universe I am not

  3. God is infinite in wisdom I am not

  4. God is all-powerful I am not

  5. God is all-knowing I am not

  6. God is the most glorious I am not

Christ is the very template for total paradox. According to John Piper:

A paradox is two truths that clash. Reality is filled with them. Every time I try to piece it together I go nuts. I just accept the clashes and truths along with them. Both halves of the paradox can be experienced in different frames of reference. That’s why I don’t piece them together. Reality clashes. Moreover, we are finite and limited creatures and all that attends to this fact. God is both one and three, both just and merciful, both transcendent and immanent. Christ is both human and divine.

Reality Shift

Reality shifts within my mind
The light of my soul goes dark
The suffering of my soul intensifies
Fear grasps my heart as I go paralyzed
Unable to relate nothing makes sense
The world clashes inside my head
I then let go of strict duality
As my spirit opens up to reality
I see what was once insanity
Becomes wonder, paradox, and mystery
It’s here that I hold opposites together
Within the world, my heart, and soul

#70

On the glorious splendor of your majesty, and on your wondrous works, I will meditate - Psalm 145:5

#71
#72

For me, joy comes by giving. It’s not about being selfish for me but being of service and doing God’s revealed will (Trusting Him, cleaning my house, and helping others). This causes humility to grow in me. I turn my major defects over to God by letting go of the desires that lead to sin and trust in God. I give myself (good and bad) over to God so that He can remove the bad. With my faith in God’s care, fear and anger are no longer controlling me. Faith and self-worth towards God helps me endure through life and grow spiritually. When I let go and let God I surrender my old ways. I no longer fight and argue about God. I empty myself to be filled with beauty and love as I gain hope for each new day. I’ve opened my heart and mind to God and I’m finding that the more I know the less I know.

How Then Can We Argue?

Having lunch in a field one day, I troubled an ant with a
question. I asked of him humbly,

“Have you ever been to Paris?”
And he replied, “No, but I wouldn’t mind going.” And then he asked me
if I had ever been to a famous ant city. And I regretted that I
hadn’t, and was quick to add, “I wouldn’t mind, too!”

This led to a conclusion: There is life that we do not know of
How aware are we of all consciousness
in this universe?

What percent of space is this earth in the infinite realm?
What percent of time is one second in eternity?

Less than that is our knowledge of God

How then can we ever argue about Him?

by Meister Eckhart

#73

I cannot dance O’ Lord,
Unless You lead me
If You wish for me to leap joyfully,
Let me see You dance and sing -

Then I will leap into love -
And from love into Knowledge,
And from Knowledge into the Harvest,
That sweetest Fruit beyond human sense.

There I will stay with You, whirling.

By Mechtild of Magdeburg

#74

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When My Heart Is Free

I want to sit with you
And listen to you speak
Words of beauty and truth
That make my spirit meek

You inspire and thrill my soul
Giving me courage and peace
You make my spirit whole
Bringing a sweet release

I want to hold you tight
And kiss your beautiful face
As I enter into the light
Of mercy, love, and grace

Sitting with you my friend
Enjoying this circle of love
My heart now free from sin
Singing to the stars above

#75

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Pretty Lady

Pretty lady in gold
Will you hold my hand
And take away the cold
As we walk along the sand

Pretty lady in blue
Will you kiss my face
And hold me next to you
Inside this lovely place

Pretty lady in red
Can we go deep inside
As we lay on the bed
With hearts open wide

Pretty lady in green
Take my life, my heart
As we live inside this dream
We will never be apart

#76

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#77

I think Mother Teresa said it beautifully:

People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.

        If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives.  Be kind anyway.

        If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies.  Succeed anyway.

       If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you.  Be honest and sincere anyway.

        What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight.  Create anyway.

        If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous.  Be happy anyway.

        The good you do today, will often be forgotten.  Do good anyway.

      Give the best you have, and it will never be enough.  Give your best anyway.

      In the final analysis, it is between you and God.  It was never between you and them anyway.
#78

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The Assurance

I think of heaven tonight
With emptiness in my soul
Just wanting to be alright
And let the strange feeling go

I can see the future so clear
And hear a sweet, dark sound
For it won’t be the same down here
With you no longer around

“Please bring comfort and peace”
To God this night I pray
Hoping this feeling will cease
And everything will soon be okay

Then drifting away to sleep
I enter a soft peaceful part
With an assurance forever deep
You will always remain in my heart

#79
#80

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The Day Of Your Birth

You know I would never speak a lie
When I say you are a special guy
A pleasure to be around and fun to be with
A friend from the stars and a wonderful gift
We’ve had times to remember, cherish, and hold dear
Memories of wonder of this past year
And as I think of you on this beautiful day
Memories become golden as they are here to stay
May you never forget this day of your birth
For the gold you have given has a special kind of worth