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I wrote the below post on another thread about universalism, and didn't get any responses, so I thought I'd post it here. It is about Luke 13:23-28 and it clearly proves that not everyone will be saved.
Read the words of Jesus:
Luke 13:23-28 Someone asked him, "Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?"
He said to them, 24"Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. 25Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, 'Sir, open the door for us.'
"But he will answer, 'I don't know you or where you come from.' 26"Then you will say, 'We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.' 27"But he will reply, 'I don't know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!' 28"There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out.
Jesus specifically says that you must "Make every effort to enter through the narrow door" because "for many,I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able." So, straight out of mouth of Jesus Christ himself, NOT EVERYONE IS ABLE TO ENTER.
He says " 'I don't know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!' and it continues ""There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out."
It is plain to see that lines up with the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, where the rich man could see Abraham and Lazarus in the distance, but he had been cast out to the other side.
And in Matthew he says again "there are few who find it." Not many, but FEW. And definitely not ALL. These are the words of Jesus Christ.
You MUST enter through the narrow gate, "and there are few who find it".:
“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. “For many are called, but few are chosen.” Matthew 22:14
Again he repeats "“For many are called, but few are chosen.” .
Note the words "IF YOU ENTER" below. Either you enter or you don't. I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. John 10:9
The Bible makes clear that salvation is available to ALL, but Jesus says that "many will not find the door", and "many will not be able to enter", and to those who choose to reject Him, he says 'I don't know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!"
The Bible does not teach that all will be saved, and this is why universalism is a huge deception.
Hi Finn_Jarber, let this universalist answer for you.
Luk 13:23 Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said unto them,
Luk 13:24 Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.
Luk 13:25 When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are:
The verses don't refer to there being few EVER to be saved. It is showing that FEW will be of the first resurrection (which is when the Master shuts the door). After that all the others shall have to pay for their sins until they are PAID in FULL (Not any longer than that). Refer to the parable of the unforgiving servant and you will see that the unforgiving servant was only tormented until all was paid. The scriptures show that Sin is DEBT. So if it is debt then once the debt is paid for you no longer have sin.
If it really meant FEW would be saved then it would contradict so many verses that show that those saved will be as the sand of the seashore.
What is this? A universalist annual "bash a Christian day"?
I actually believe it to be true , as i said on another post a short while back , that fundamentalism is to love mercy,to do justly and walk humbly with your God and believing all the correct doctrines and being opposed to those who believe different to you is a poor counterfeit of fundamentalism.
By the way are you willing to answer the question with a yes or no answer on whether you found the narrow gate and proceeded to go through it all by yourself ? .
It says "Away from me, all you evildoers!' 28"There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out."
So I don't know how you woudl conclude that they are allowed in at some later time. If that was the case, then how come the Bible doesn't say that? Don't you think that would be an important enough message to include in the Bible?
Your quotes from Romans do not talk about people getting second chances after death.
I could answer that, but that is a somewhat different question than the original question in the OP which was about will few or many ever be saved. It was not about post-mortem salvation. So why should I move on to another question before resolving the first one?
Facts regarding the OP:
1. Jesus did not say few will ever be saved.
2. Jesus did say countless many will be saved.
So regarding the original question, which should I believe? Many or few?
This part shows that EVERYONE can be saved, but the requirement is to enter through the narrow gate. It is a choice everyone needs to make personally. That is Jesus' answer to the question "will only a few be saved". And he adds that many will not be able to enter. It is not complicated.
24"Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. 25Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, 'Sir, open the door for us.'
This part shows that EVERYONE can be saved, but the requirement is to enter through the narrow gate. It is a choice everyone needs to make personally. That is Jesus' answer to the question "will only a few be saved". And he adds that many will not be able to enter. It is not complicated.
24"Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. 25Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, 'Sir, open the door for us.'
And Isaiah boldly says, "I was found by those who did not seek me; I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me." Romans 10 verse 20
Fair play to Isaiah for not only declaring this but boldly doing so , for he must have known those who thought they found their own way to God through the narrow gate would have despised and hated him for declaring it.
but the requirement is to enter through the narrow gate.
Yes
Quote:
It is a choice everyone needs to make personally.
Yes, but it's not simply a choice, it's also a striving.
Quote:
That is Jesus' answer to the question "will only a few be saved".
Present tense.
Quote:
And he adds that many will not be able to enter. It is not complicated.
I already addressed this. Indeed many will strive and not be able. If you want to read into this that the many will never be able to enter, and that few will ever enter, that is your choice.
But the scriptures state that countless number will enter, as the sand of the sea, without measure.
[quote=Verna Perry;14301541]I guess the Word of God is applicable only if twisted to sooth your ears...because you question God's holy Word here...by stating...
...but then you "contort"...and say this...
Quote:
Originally Posted by Consent Withdrawn
Second, Jesus was referring the Kingdom of God which he believed was going to be ushered in on earth during his lifetime.[/quote]...you have got to be kidding...seriously...oh boy...dear LORD!
...anyway (I have to get AWAY from ^^ THAT, and QUICK!!!, THEN!...as if that wasn't enough!...you go on to say...
O.K!!!...and just what "fairy tale" are YOU the main character in...?whew!....way on out there.......!!!...!!!...WHATEVER!!!
I am conjecturing based on Mark which is the most historically accurate gospel. Conjecture is all we have when studying the “words” of Jesus because as we know, they were not his words. Now with Paul, we don’t have to conjecture as we have his actual words right there.
If you doubt even that, then there is not much to talk about.
Did I say something about myself? No, so why the personal attack?
See ya.....
You are right, that was personal and out of line. I am sorry. You are probably the exception to the rule, but in my experience, most people who believe in that abhorrent doctrine portray just the attitude that I falsely and unfairly ascribed to you. Peace
Second, Jesus was referring the Kingdom of God which he believed was going to be ushered in on earth during his lifetime. This is why he told his disciples to give up everything, even their families, and follow him. It is also why in the crucifixion narrative in Mark (the earliest and most historically accurate account) Jesus cries out in agony and dereliction. He did not see the Kingdom ushered in as he had expected and felt forsaken.
The gospel of Mark shows that Jesus expected to be crucified.
Mark 2:20 But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days.
Mark 9:9 And as they came down from the mountain, he charged them that they should tell no man what things they had seen, till the Son of man were risen from the dead.
Mark 9:12 And he answered and told them, Elias verily cometh first, and restoreth all things; and how it is written of the Son of man, that he must suffer many things, and be set at nought.
Mark 10:33 Saying, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be delivered unto the chief priests, and unto the scribes; and they shall condemn him to death, and shall deliver him to the Gentiles: 34 And they shall mock him, and shall scourge him, and shall spit upon him, and shall kill him: and the third day he shall rise again
Mark 14:27 And Jesus saith unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered.
Mark 14:28 But after that I am risen, I will go before you into Galilee
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