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William Stewart

Is Hitler in Heaven? The Truth About Universalism

Universalism
via Bundesarchiv, Bild 183-H1216-0500-002 / CC-BY-SA

Last week, while in a Bible chat room on the internet, another person in the same chat room was affirming Universalism, defined as

a theological doctrine that all human beings will eventually be saved; the principles & practices of a liberal Christian denomination founded in the 18th century originally to uphold the belief in universal salvation and now united with Unitarianism.

(Merriam-Webster.com)

According to Universalism doctrine, all people, no matter what they have done will be redeemed and go to heaven. While in the chat room, I asked the proponent of the doctrine if Adolf Hitler will also be in heaven, to which he earnestly replied “Yes.”

Health and Wealth Gospel: Faith or Finances?

health and wealth
via JoelOsteen.com

Joel Osteen, health and wealth gospel advocate, assures his followers that

God wants us to prosper financially, to have plenty of money, to fulfill the destiny He has laid out for us.

Osteen is perhaps the most popular prosperity preacher in North America today. He preaches a “name it and claim it” gospel; turning Christianity into a religion about temporal happiness rather than devoted service to the God of heaven in hope of eternal life. He tells us that

God wants to increase you financially, by giving you promotions, fresh ideas and creativity.  

Finding the Lost Word: Josiah’s Example of Faith & Obedience

obedience
via Franz Bachinger | Pixabay.com

During the reign of Josiah, king of Judah, Shaphan the scribe was sent to the house of the LORD, where he was to inquire about the money available for repairs to the temple. It appears that the temple was not the only thing in Judah that was run down – their faith and obedience to the will of God was also depleted. At the temple, Hilkiah the high priest handed a book to Shaphan, saying,

I have found the Book of the Law in the house of the LORD. (2 Kings 22:8)

It cannot be determined with certainty what “book of the Law of the LORD” Hilkiah found. Was it the original document or was it a copy?

1 John 1:7: Is There Forgiveness Without Repentance?

forgiveness

A discussion of continual cleansing is certainly not a new thing, though it is a topic which I have never specifically addressed in print before. As with most topics that have been the subject of heated debate, it appears that there are misconceptions on both sides of the conversation as to what the other is saying. It’s sad that many disputes are the result of too much talking and not enough listening. Let us take a few moments here to consider what the Bible says about the forgiveness of sins, repentance, and the doctrine of continual cleansing.

A Reciple for Religious Division: Same Words, New Meanings

division
via Gemini

Prior to His arrest in the garden of Gethsemane, the Lord prayed for the unity of all believers (John 17:20-21). Paul echoes the same sentiment when he admonished the church at Corinth that we should all speak the same things and be of the same mind (1 Corinthians 1:10). With such an expectation, it is discouraging to see the division which exists in today’s religious world.

A number of things might explain the division which exists. A failure to rightly divide the Scriptures (2 Timothy 2:15); seeking to keep a law which is not ours to keep (Galatians 5:4), obeying the teaching of man rather than the teaching of God (Matthew 15:3, 9) – all of these have contributed to the lack of unity among believers in Jesus. In addition to these, or maybe part and parcel with these, is the fact that some have redefined some Bible terms, resulting in a number of false teachings and practices, and thus religious division.

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