A reader of Brian McLaren’s blog asked him a question about Karl Barth and universal salvation and election. Here is the bottom paragraph of McLaren’s response. Please note the link on the bottom of the page for his full response. Second, Brian McLaren has a new book coming out and it seems like most every post he has lately points you to amazon.com to purchase the book. Brian McLaren wrote:

It’s hard for me to answer questions about universal salvation because I want to be sure we properly define salvation before we apply the word “universal” to it. For many people, salvation means being saved from a vengeful God who is planning to destroy or eternally torture us. For others, salvation means being saved by a compassionate God from sin and evil. Until we determine which kind of salvation we’re talking about, and which kind of God we’re talking about, it’s hard to even discuss the universality of salvation. This will be a major theme of my upcoming book, A New Kind of Christianity. If you’ve been reading Barth, you’ll find my book an easy read!

So what is salvation? Is a person in danger of the wrath of God? The Apostle John wrote:

John 3:17-18  For  God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.  (18)  He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of  God.

Seems pretty straightforward, if a person is not a born again believer in Jesus Christ they are condemned. In fact, each of us is born under condemnation because of the disobedience of Adam.

Romans 5:18-19  Therefore as by the offense of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.  (19)  For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

Because of Adam, judgment and condemnation came upon ALL men. Because of Adam’s disobedience, we became sinners. But because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, all can come to Him for salvation.

Romans 10:9-10  That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.  (10)  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Is the wrath of God going to happen to those that do not know Jesus Christ as their Saviour? Yes, it will. If you are standing on a railroad track and there is a train coming directly at you, at full steam, you are not going to make it go away by simply ignoring it or saying it is not there. That train will still hit you. Likewise, God’s wrath is coming, whether you believe it or not.

Colossians 3:6-7  For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:  (7)  In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.

Who are the children of disobedience? Those that have rejected Jesus Christ. Those that have not looked to Him for salvation. Can all people be saved? Yes, Jesus Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection was sufficient for all, but it is only efficient for those that have repented of their sin and trusted in Him. We are saved by a compassionate God from His wrath when we turn to Jesus Christ and turn away from the world. Sadly, not everyone will come to know Christ.

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Romans 12:1-5

The Christian life is one of continuous yielding. Consider the passage we just read: Rom. 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice The presentation of our bodies to God, is essentially yielding to His Service. And when we yield ourselves to Him as a living sacrifice, that is considered by God to be our reasonable service. In other words, it is service that God can reasonably expect us to perform.

The Christian life is one of continuous yielding. The question becomes for the believer in Jesus Christ, whom am I yielding to? Again, in Romans 12:1, Paul is beseeching us to yield to God as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God. Beseeching means to implore, to ask or pray with a great sense of urgency. Paul is beseeching, begging, asking with great immediacy, through Holy Spirit inspiration, that Christians yield themselves up to God. The Christian life is one of continuous yielding, but who are you yielding to? Look at verse two:   And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God – Paul is telling Christians to yield to God in verse one and here in verse two, Paul is telling the believer to not be conformed to the world. How does one conform to the world? By yielding to it, by allowing it to have sway in your life. Paul uses the word “beseech” about 22 times in his epistles and in each case it shows the urgency that Paul is trying to convey to the believers to yield to God. Look at 2 Corinthians 10:1-6:

2Corinthians 10:1-6 Now I Paul myself beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, who in presence am base among you, but being absent am bold toward you:  (2)  But I beseech you, that I may not be bold when I am present with that confidence, wherewith I think to be bold against some, which think of us as if we walked according to the flesh.  (3)  For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:  (4)  (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds;)  (5)  Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;  (6)  And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.

Note here that Paul uses the word “beseech” twice in the same sentence. Paul is telling the Corinthians that some of them have misread him. Unfortunately, the Corinthians were believing some false gospels that had been presented at that church after Paul had left. Some members of the church in Corinth were stating that Paul was only bold toward them when he wrote to them, and was base or timid toward them when in their presence. They then were accusing Paul of walking in the flesh and trying to gain favor with them. Paul is beseeching the Corinthians to realize that he was only walking in the meekness of Jesus Christ and was not timid toward them. Verse three: For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: we all walk in the flesh, we live in these fleshly bodies, but our war is not with the flesh first – that is only the second front in our war. Verses 4 through 6: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds;)  (5)  Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;  (6)  And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled. We are daily engaged in spiritual warfare. Where the spirit leads, the flesh will follow. Sins start in the mind, before they are acted out in the flesh. Verse 5 again: Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ, we are to throw away the imaginings of our mind that are sinful and focus on the things that are good. Remember what Paul wrote in Philippians 4:6-8 Php 4:6-8 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.  (7)  And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.  (8)  Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. The flesh follows what the mind thinks – when we think on things that are false, dishonest, unjust, impure, ugly, and gossipy, then our flesh will accordingly follow. But Paul tells us to think on whatsoever is true, honest, just, pure, lovely, and of good report. He said “think” rather than do, because again the mind leads the flesh.

Hosea 3:1-3

God tells Hosea to go get Gomer back! Prostitutes of that time would have sold themselves into slavery and Homer went after her and bought her back. Fifteen pieces of silver is half the replacement price of a slave (Ex. 21:32) which shows how low Gomer had fallen. Hosea went and redeemed Gomer, he paid the price necessary to bring her home. What do we see here? The love that God has for the world. Gomer was not really even worth the fifteen pieces of silver and we, as sinners, are not worth the price God paid for us.

Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

1Pe 1:18-19 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;  (19)  But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:

God gave up His only begotten Son to pay our redemption price. God’s wrath was inflicted upon His only begotten Son so that people today do not have to feel God’s wrath. Jesus Christ had to suffer and die on the cross so that people can be redeemed. Why? Because we were lost sinners, sold and in bondage to sin. That is why Christ gave up His life for the world, so that we can come to Him as sinners and repent and trust in Jesus Christ for salvation. What a wonderful picture we see here in the Old Testament book of Hosea about our Lord Jesus Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. A person that has not repented of their sins and fully trusted in Jesus Christ can come to Him no matter how awful or bad their sins are. Jesus Christ created all things and all people and everything belongs to Him. However, He will not force anyone to come to Him – they must choose to come and that is another aspect of God’s love. Before salvation, we were walking contrary to Him and were only focused on our wants and desires. Our love and affection was only directed to our favorite person: us! While the world was enjoying its sin and staying far away from God: Paul wrote:

Rom 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

And there is that phrase again, “but God.” Despite our unlovable condition, God still loved us and loved us so much that He gave His only begotten son. Again, God’s love is unconditional – He still loves us even when we are behaving at our lowest behavior. In Hosea 14:4, God declares: I will love them freely. Charles Spurgeon wrote: When God says, “I will love them freely,” He means that no prayers, no tears, no good works, no alms are an inducement to Him to love men. Not only nothing in themselves, but nothing anywhere else was the cause of His love to them, not even the blood of Christ. Not even the groans and tears of His beloved son. These are the fruits of His love, not the cause of it. He does not love because Christ died, but Christ died because the Father loved. Remember that this fountain of love has its spring in itself, not in you, nor in me, but only in the Father’s own gracious, infinite heart of goodness.

Just because one person does “more” for God than another, does not mean God loves that person more. That person may receive more rewards or crowns, but God does not love that person more. If He did, then His love would be conditional. Just as Hosea pleaded with Gomer to return to him, God pleads for His people to return to Him. The Israelites had been unfaithful to God and because of what Hosea went through with Gomer, he was able to walk through Israel tearfully telling them, “You have left God, please repent and come back to Him. I, Hosea, somewhat know how God feels because I feel the same way. You have broken the heart of God.” Now God could have cast Israel away. God could have destroyed His people, but God loves His people and he made a covenant with them and He kept it, even if they did not.