Over the last few weeks I've been reading a few books and one theme that has jumped out at me is Salvation.  There appears to be resurgence to some form of Universalism.  The basic idea of Universalism is that God's love and mercy covers everyone and that all people will be saved and spend eternity in Heaven.  The current form of Universalism that is making the rounds does allow for a Heaven and a Hell, but its more of a salvation of "we're all in" first rather then a "we're all out" and need to do something to be saved.

 

At first glance I think that would be great.  Now that would be "Good News" to share with the world.  What a huge example of God's goodness and love.  Everyone is so loved by God that God, will take everyone with Him to heaven and that only the people who refuse to come in will end up separated from God (hell).

 

Of course this flies in the face of what I was taught growing up in the church and the predominate theology of salvation for the last few hundred years.  And to be honest, just seemed a bit hard for me to swallow - but I have to admit I would like this everyone is already saved theology to be true.

 

Despite my conflict on Universalism, it did get me thinking about Salvation and what the Bible has to say about it.  It occurred to me that the Bible really doesn't lay out a complete theology of salvation.  We are given a lot of information (information I might add that also lends itself to a possibility that God will save all people) that we need to think through and put into a logical salvation theology.

 

I've come to the conclusion that we put way too much emphasis on salvation.  We seem to want to know beyond a shadow of a doubt about how to "get in" and who will not be there.  I think its a product of our Western Society where certainty is something that is a must.  I'm all in favour of having confidence in God, which how this certainty of salvation talks is most often couched in; but the emphasis seems to have moved from God to our theology.  If we have all this certainty, then where is the role of Faith?

 

I've often said that when it’s all over and done, I think all us will have gotten most of what God has been trying to teach us wrong.  And I think salvation is going to be one of the things that we get most wrong.

 

For myself, I really don't care what your salvation theology is, I trust God to make the right choice.  The God that I have fallen in love with is not precarious, temperamental, petty, or nit-picking.  A person is not going to heaven or hell on a technicality.  Whatever happens to a person after they die its going to be fair and just; and all people will agree that it was fair and just.  The reason I know this is because the Bible spends a whole lot more time and energy describing the character of God then it does the method of salvation.  And the character of the God I read about in the Bible and experience in my own life is one that is good, fair, just, and much more generous, kind, merciful, and loving that any person on earth deserves (be that person a Christian, a Buddhist, an atheist, or just an ordinary confused person trying to find their way through life).  As a result I can trust God; I can have faith in God.

 

My trust and faith in God means that I don't have to be particularly worried about salvation theology - I know that God will work it all out in the end properly.

 

I also know that living life trying to connect with God and follow His teachings and guidance creates a richer, fuller, more meaningful life then living without God.  Therefore I aspire to be a Christian in as far as that means I strive to have a relationship with God to the best of my abilities and encourage others to do likewise.