I don't know exactly why, although I have ideas of why. But, once I got rid of the idea that God was pouring his wrath out on Jesus a couple years ago and then started believing in universal reconciliation a month ago, any little pieces of sin that I struggled with has no longer been a struggle. It's as if I have gone deeper into having the mind of Christ. There is a purity there where the love of God swallows up the flesh instead of the threat of eternal damnation.
You have just revealed a paradox that Augustine, Calvin and many others did not understand. The goodness of God that leads us to repentance not threats of punishment.
Thanks Judy! Through this channel we have a zoom meetup group to encourage one another in our common passion for the Gospel - the Good News of Universal Reconciliation... If you'd be interested in joining us when you can - please reach out to me at: sovereignloveorg@gmail.com Blessing and Peace in Our Victorious Saviour, Jesus the Christ!
Thanks for your encouraging words - Yes! It really IS "Good News"! (no "small print" here listing all the exceptions and conditions 🤗) Blessings👍🏼 wayne
If God’s salvation is a gift & God is impartial, then who does that leave out? And if God is the one who justifies us by His grace then what is left to fear? What is left to toil? What is left to me? Peace, joy, freedom. Free to be loved. Free to love. No more fear. No more toil. No more hostility. “That they may be One as We are One.”
Yes! And does God cease to love HIS enemies? I cannot believe it, since He commands us to love OURS so that we might become more and more like our Father in Heaven ❤️ Thanks and Blessings! wayne
Thanks for your comment! Through this channel we have a zoom meetup group to encourage one another in our common passion for the Gospel - the Good News of Universal Reconciliation... If you'd be interested in joining us when you can - please reach out to me at: sovereignloveorg@gmail.com Blessing and Peace in Our Victorious Saviour, Jesus the Christ!
@@MrHwaynefair that does sound awesome! I’m a deacon at my church and had a meeting with him to inform him that I am an open theist and universalist. He was very gracious but I still feel so theologically lonely in the evangelical world, since everyone looks at me like I’m crazy when I explain what I believe.
Believe me - I know the feeling! 🤗 You would be most welcomed and encouraged in our growing group - please do reach out to me at the email I shared: sovereignloveorg@gmail.com - Blessings my friend!
I think it is fair to say that the "restoration/reconciliation of all things in Christ" makes the MOST sense of MORE of the NT than other atonement theories!
Just starting this interview. I love your question to John about why some people can’t seem to understand the good news. His answer about the “software update” struck a chord for me. Coming into college, my campus ministry was a beautiful revelation of God to me, the first time I’d been around people who legitimately pursued Christ and emulated his love. Over time, though, especially once I began deconstructing and digging deeper, that community couldn’t foster my new needs. I love those people dearly for the time and place that they served and taught me. I’m very grateful that I now also have a space within your community to embark upon the next chapter of my journey with others!
Well said!! And yet so rare these days. Nietzsche once argued they (the priests) should look like saviors if one is to believe in their God. Whilst I dont share his conclusions I do share this specific argument. Thank you!!🐒🥳
Paradigm shifts within Christianity. Interesting insight. Why so uncomfortable? Christianity has boundaries (which is a good thing), and people are fearful of stepping outside what's considered orthodox. And to add to this, there's no shortage of people encouraging that fear. In my mind, being a Nicene Christian defines our Faith. Within that there is room to explore and remain orthodox.
Through this channel we have a zoom meetup group to encourage one another in our common passion for the Gospel - the Good News of Universal Reconciliation... If you'd be interested in joining us when you can - please reach out to me at: sovereignloveorg@gmail.com Blessing and Peace in Our Victorious Saviour, Jesus the Christ!
What a great talk☀️.I really appreciate the tone and atmoshere of the discussion🎉. We Christians must concede. There is this moral inherent contradiction within Christianity. We cant deny. How can a loving God punish men for not believing in a God, that cant be proven, happened so many years ago with so many opaque and contradictious obscurities in the bible. Any sensitive person must feel this. Even more so when talking about ECT. I disagree, that people believing in ECT can be good people. Lets not get themvaway with it. I stopped listening to them a long time ago. I dislike them. They are harmful and dangerous. It's not jesuanic. Its appalling. John is right expressing his alienation with this kind of Christianity. Lets not forget. The early Christian communities were pacifistic, almost communistic. Very different from what we hear nowadays from almost all Christian Churches. The biggest hurdle of men is to finally overcome their ignorance and may I say their inbuilt sadism. Almost all hell phantasies recrute from sadism. Years ago I read Will Durant, persuing the question why and when religions are successful. One thing he mentioned (among many others) was, that men not only need rewards (sad enough), but also need the fact, that non believers have to be punished. Many heaven phantasies of the Church fathers and clergyman include these crazy phantasies of watching the non believers being tormented. Lets always call it for what it is. It's sick! Jesus wanted us to overcome our ignorance, fears and sadism. It's the only way to go!🍀✌️I love you John for what you said. You are so inspiring. We need more Saints! Less followers of the Church and a letter based believe🎉 H. Kueng, K. Rahner, K. Bart among others knew ecactly that😊
Thanks for your comment - I feel your passion (and share it!) - I do believe there are many who parrot what they have been taught at a facile level - never giving serious thought or reflection to what they say they believe - the most obvious contradiction of a God who IS love but who in certain (most?) cases does NOT Love - a "love" so called that DOES fail - and does NOT endure all things! As Saint George {MacDonald) once said: “Good souls many will one day be horrified at the things they now believe of God. If they have not thought about them, but given themselves to obedience, they may not have done them much harm as yet; but they can make little progress in the knowledge of God, while, if but passively, holding evil things true of him."
Well said!! And yet so rare these days. Nietzsche once argued they (the priests) should look like saviors if one is to believe in their God. Whilst I dont share his conclusions I do share this specific argument. Thank you!!🐒🥳
Does God have the ability to create world in which all souls eventually choose Light? Of course! Then why would we think He’d prefer to create a world where less than 100% ultimately choose Light?
Jonny - through this channel we have a zoom meetup group to encourage one another in our common passion for the Gospel - the Good News of Universal Reconciliation... If you'd be interested in joining us when you can - please reach out to me at: sovereignloveorg@gmail.com Blessing and Peace in Our Victorious Saviour, Jesus the Christ!
43:46 And punishment for sin is still a thing. While I believe the ‘eternal’ associated with damnation is hyperbolic, I think this rhetorical device is to place righteous fear in is. God doesn’t take the suffering we cause by sinning here on earth lightly. He hates for us to cause harm to ourselves or others as we disrupt his plans with our freedom of choice, which is why the punishment is so severe. We either suffer mildly for a short while here on earth and surrender to God or we die without surrendering and suffer severely for a really long time until God purges all of the wicked ways of this world out of us through the lake of fire. There are still severe consequences just not forever consequences.
@@mylilpc Thanks for your comment 👍 Yes - love can be very severe-because it isn’t in the least indifferent to what we are in the depths… and will remove from us all that is not of love’s kind, however long it takes ❤️
William - through this channel we have a zoom meetup group to encourage one another in our common passion for the Gospel - the Good News of Universal Reconciliation... This includes those just wanting to explore and have questions answered... If you'd be interested in joining us when you can - please reach out to me at: sovereignloveorg@gmail.com Blessing and Peace in Our Victorious Saviour, Jesus the Christ!
@@MrHwaynefairsince becoming a universalist I’ve been accused of the following: too loving, too kind, too generous, too forgiving, too gentle, too joyful, too peaceful, too merciful, too gracious, too much faith, too much hope, too much good news. “Against such things there is no law.”
What John says is correct, at least it's been correct in my personal experience. It is difficult to align with a group that believes what you do not believe. OK, there are some areas where differences are most likely fine. The early believers held to the idea of 'unity within diversity'...bearing in mind of course that that ancient body was also a vulnerable, persecuted one (it is surprising how differences dissolve in the midst of persecution!). But today we have the luxury of peaceful worship; nonetheless, some differences remain important. Do we worship a god, not unlike Manasseh's, who burns His own offspring (something Jeremiah referred to incidentally as an 'abomination' in the eyes of God), or do we come before One like Christ, Who sacrifices Himself for the creation "He so loves"? ALL of that creation! Then there is the need to be a true Berean, who were said in Acts to be of 'more noble character'...one who searches the Scriptures daily to see if these things be so. Any walk that aspires to seeking fact and truth will prove challenging at times, perhaps even most of the time. It will also embrace a degree of aloneness, for the majority shun the less travelled highway. Even Tozer conceded that (to some degree) "The Saint Must Walk Alone." Much of it boils down to individual character and personality. Most folk cannot cope with anything that takes them too far from the common thoroughfare...away from comfort and acceptance. But the true prophet or saint in Scripture was fearless in the face of such challenges. Any genuine Christian walk is a tough one, but 'the saint' who walks the Berean way of faith will find it acutely the case. Is it any wonder that we, who embrace Universal reconciliation (Col.1:20), are a minority that must, to some degree or another, walk alone? Great discussion by two real gentleman in Christ. Thank you!
Thanks for your kind and encouraging words! Yes - it is especially at times a lonely and most challenging "walk" - But God is faithful ❤️ Richest Blessings! wayne
I don't know exactly why, although I have ideas of why. But, once I got rid of the idea that God was pouring his wrath out on Jesus a couple years ago and then started believing in universal reconciliation a month ago, any little pieces of sin that I struggled with has no longer been a struggle. It's as if I have gone deeper into having the mind of Christ. There is a purity there where the love of God swallows up the flesh instead of the threat of eternal damnation.
@@JustinPrice86601 Amen! What a beautiful and wonderful testimony! Thanks so much for sharing ❤️
You have just revealed a paradox that Augustine, Calvin and many others did not understand. The goodness of God that leads us to repentance not threats of punishment.
@@ptt3975 Wow 😮- spot on 👍
Thanks for sharing!
If God could not restore all things He would not have done it. He doesn't do things half way. Nothing is more powerful than God. Amen
Thanks Judy!
Through this channel we have a zoom meetup group to encourage one another in our common passion for the Gospel - the Good News of Universal Reconciliation...
If you'd be interested in joining us when you can - please reach out to me at:
sovereignloveorg@gmail.com
Blessing and Peace in Our Victorious Saviour, Jesus the Christ!
Well said!
Thanks for this interview. It’s so healing to look into Christian Universalism and it reveals God’s love in a way that is simply astounding.
Thanks for your encouraging words -
Yes! It really IS "Good News"! (no "small print" here listing all the exceptions and conditions 🤗)
Blessings👍🏼
wayne
If God’s salvation is a gift & God is impartial, then who does that leave out? And if God is the one who justifies us by His grace then what is left to fear? What is left to toil? What is left to me? Peace, joy, freedom. Free to be loved. Free to love. No more fear. No more toil. No more hostility. “That they may be One as We are One.”
I am so blessed. Thank you thank you thank you. Jesus is LORD
John, it’s so nice to hear your full biography. Thanks for this interview. Such good information.
Saving it. 😊
This sure makes "love your enemies" make a lot more sense! I'm a Preterist also, which made a lot of the hellfire passages make more sense to me.
Yes! And does God cease to love HIS enemies? I cannot believe it, since He commands us to love OURS so that we might become more and more like our Father in Heaven ❤️
Thanks and Blessings!
wayne
It’s has been such a blessing to learn about UR. Everything makes so much more sense
Thanks for your comment!
Through this channel we have a zoom meetup group to encourage one another in our common passion for the Gospel - the Good News of Universal Reconciliation...
If you'd be interested in joining us when you can - please reach out to me at:
sovereignloveorg@gmail.com
Blessing and Peace in Our Victorious Saviour, Jesus the Christ!
@@MrHwaynefair that does sound awesome! I’m a deacon at my church and had a meeting with him to inform him that I am an open theist and universalist. He was very gracious but I still feel so theologically lonely in the evangelical world, since everyone looks at me like I’m crazy when I explain what I believe.
Believe me - I know the feeling! 🤗
You would be most welcomed and encouraged in our growing group -
please do reach out to me at the email I shared:
sovereignloveorg@gmail.com
- Blessings my friend!
I think it is fair to say that the "restoration/reconciliation of all things in Christ" makes the MOST sense of MORE of the NT than other atonement theories!
Just starting this interview. I love your question to John about why some people can’t seem to understand the good news. His answer about the “software update” struck a chord for me. Coming into college, my campus ministry was a beautiful revelation of God to me, the first time I’d been around people who legitimately pursued Christ and emulated his love. Over time, though, especially once I began deconstructing and digging deeper, that community couldn’t foster my new needs. I love those people dearly for the time and place that they served and taught me. I’m very grateful that I now also have a space within your community to embark upon the next chapter of my journey with others!
We're SO blessed you are "here"❤️🩹!
Well said!! And yet so rare these days. Nietzsche once argued they (the priests) should look like saviors if one is to believe in their God. Whilst I dont share his conclusions I do share this specific argument. Thank you!!🐒🥳
Thank you for sharing your story, Caleb!
It is great to see John on your channel. His videos and his essay on UR have been influential for me.
Thanks, Warren! It was a genuine pleasure- and we plan to do more 👍
Thank you, Warren! You are kind.
Paradigm shifts within Christianity.
Interesting insight.
Why so uncomfortable?
Christianity has boundaries (which is a good thing), and people are fearful of stepping outside what's considered orthodox.
And to add to this, there's no shortage of people encouraging that fear.
In my mind, being a Nicene Christian defines our Faith. Within that there is room to explore and remain orthodox.
Wow. Love this. Ego makes it I think that ppl can’t see this viewpoint
Through this channel we have a zoom meetup group to encourage one another in our common passion for the Gospel - the Good News of Universal Reconciliation...
If you'd be interested in joining us when you can - please reach out to me at:
sovereignloveorg@gmail.com
Blessing and Peace in Our Victorious Saviour, Jesus the Christ!
Ego and confirmation bias are giant hurdles in many aspects of life!
Did Mark Twain Say 'It's Easier to Fool People Than to Convince Them That They Have Been Fooled'?
What a great talk☀️.I really appreciate the tone and atmoshere of the discussion🎉. We Christians must concede. There is this moral inherent contradiction within Christianity. We cant deny. How can a loving God punish men for not believing in a God, that cant be proven, happened so many years ago with so many opaque and contradictious obscurities in the bible. Any sensitive person must feel this. Even more so when talking about ECT. I disagree, that people believing in ECT can be good people. Lets not get themvaway with it. I stopped listening to them a long time ago. I dislike them. They are harmful and dangerous. It's not jesuanic. Its appalling. John is right expressing his alienation with this kind of Christianity. Lets not forget. The early Christian communities were pacifistic, almost communistic. Very different from what we hear nowadays from almost all Christian Churches.
The biggest hurdle of men is to finally overcome their ignorance and may I say their inbuilt sadism. Almost all hell phantasies recrute from sadism. Years ago I read Will Durant, persuing the question why and when religions are successful. One thing he mentioned (among many others) was, that men not only need rewards (sad enough), but also need the fact, that non believers have to be punished. Many heaven phantasies of the Church fathers and clergyman include these crazy phantasies of watching the non believers being tormented. Lets always call it for what it is. It's sick! Jesus wanted us to overcome our ignorance, fears and sadism. It's the only way to go!🍀✌️I love you John for what you said. You are so inspiring. We need more Saints! Less followers of the Church and a letter based believe🎉 H. Kueng, K. Rahner, K. Bart among others knew ecactly that😊
Thanks for your comment - I feel your passion (and share it!) -
I do believe there are many who parrot what they have been taught at a facile level - never giving serious thought or reflection to what they say they believe - the most obvious contradiction of a God who IS love but who in certain (most?) cases does NOT Love - a "love" so called that DOES fail - and does NOT endure all things!
As Saint George {MacDonald) once said:
“Good souls many will one day be horrified at the things they now believe of God. If they have not thought about them, but given themselves to obedience, they may not have done them much harm as yet; but they can make little progress in the knowledge of God, while, if but passively, holding evil things true of him."
Well said!! And yet so rare these days. Nietzsche once argued they (the priests) should look like saviors if one is to believe in their God. Whilst I dont share his conclusions I do share this specific argument. Thank you!!🐒🥳
Thank you for your kindness, Randy!
Does God have the ability to create world in which all souls eventually choose Light? Of course! Then why would we think He’d prefer to create a world where less than 100% ultimately choose Light?
Jonny - through this channel we have a zoom meetup group to encourage one another in our common passion for the Gospel - the Good News of Universal Reconciliation...
If you'd be interested in joining us when you can - please reach out to me at:
sovereignloveorg@gmail.com
Blessing and Peace in Our Victorious Saviour, Jesus the Christ!
Have a lovely day!
26:00 huge
43:46 And punishment for sin is still a thing. While I believe the ‘eternal’ associated with damnation is hyperbolic, I think this rhetorical device is to place righteous fear in is. God doesn’t take the suffering we cause by sinning here on earth lightly. He hates for us to cause harm to ourselves or others as we disrupt his plans with our freedom of choice, which is why the punishment is so severe. We either suffer mildly for a short while here on earth and surrender to God or we die without surrendering and suffer severely for a really long time until God purges all of the wicked ways of this world out of us through the lake of fire. There are still severe consequences just not forever consequences.
@@mylilpc Thanks for your comment 👍
Yes - love can be very severe-because it isn’t in the least indifferent to what we are in the depths… and will remove from us all that is not of love’s kind, however long it takes ❤️
Its really hard to reprogram your mind when you just take the hell doctrine wothout question like im sure many of us did/do at some..point
William - through this channel we have a zoom meetup group to encourage one another in our common passion for the Gospel - the Good News of Universal Reconciliation...
This includes those just wanting to explore and have questions answered...
If you'd be interested in joining us when you can - please reach out to me at:
sovereignloveorg@gmail.com
Blessing and Peace in Our Victorious Saviour, Jesus the Christ!
It always take time/energy to "iOS update" how we think about anything! Have a great weekend!
@@MrHwaynefairsince becoming a universalist I’ve been accused of the following: too loving, too kind, too generous, too forgiving, too gentle, too joyful, too peaceful, too merciful, too gracious, too much faith, too much hope, too much good news.
“Against such things there is no law.”
@@BingoNamo-gb8pz What wonderful things to be "accused" of! Blessings my friend!
What John says is correct, at least it's been correct in my personal experience. It is difficult to align with a group that believes what you do not believe. OK, there are some areas where differences are most likely fine. The early believers held to the idea of 'unity within diversity'...bearing in mind of course that that ancient body was also a vulnerable, persecuted one (it is surprising how differences dissolve in the midst of persecution!). But today we have the luxury of peaceful worship; nonetheless, some differences remain important. Do we worship a god, not unlike Manasseh's, who burns His own offspring (something Jeremiah referred to incidentally as an 'abomination' in the eyes of God), or do we come before One like Christ, Who sacrifices Himself for the creation "He so loves"? ALL of that creation! Then there is the need to be a true Berean, who were said in Acts to be of 'more noble character'...one who searches the Scriptures daily to see if these things be so. Any walk that aspires to seeking fact and truth will prove challenging at times, perhaps even most of the time. It will also embrace a degree of aloneness, for the majority shun the less travelled highway. Even Tozer conceded that (to some degree) "The Saint Must Walk Alone." Much of it boils down to individual character and personality. Most folk cannot cope with anything that takes them too far from the common thoroughfare...away from comfort and acceptance. But the true prophet or saint in Scripture was fearless in the face of such challenges. Any genuine Christian walk is a tough one, but 'the saint' who walks the Berean way of faith will find it acutely the case. Is it any wonder that we, who embrace Universal reconciliation (Col.1:20), are a minority that must, to some degree or another, walk alone? Great discussion by two real gentleman in Christ. Thank you!
Thanks for your kind and encouraging words!
Yes - it is especially at times a lonely and most challenging "walk" - But God is faithful ❤️
Richest Blessings!
wayne
45:10 Bingo!