If you clicked on to this post, you may be thinking…. “Functional universalist….. what the heck is he talking about?!?”
Glad you asked!
1.) What do I mean by Functional?
The Gospel is to function in our lives. Meaning it is to be more than something we know. It is to be something that we live in the good of in all areas of life. This is the very reason I started this blog!
Read: Why this blog part 1 and
The gospel touches life, all of life! Including our evangelism.
The bible is clear: God saves us and then He sends us.
If you and I are saved, then we are called to go. If we are not going…. the gospel truths are not functioning in our lives as they ought. So far, so good?
2.) What do I mean by Universalist?
Universalism is the belief that, in the end, all men will be saved. This is NOT taught in God’s Word. Universalism is an invention by man, not God! All men are not saved, because all men do not repent and believe in Jesus for the forgiveness of sins.
Now let’s pull both these words together
3.) What do I mean by a Functional Universalist?
When we as Christians do not evangelize, the gospel is disconnected from life. We might say: “I believe in Jesus, and I believe the Bible when it says to go”, but I do not go. In essence my life’s actions are in conflict with what I say I believe.
My life’s actions say that I ACTUALLY believe, in the end, everyone is saved. (universalism). BUT I DONT BELIEVE THAT – I REALLY DONT. And yet, my life’s actions say differently. My life’s actions say I DO believe that. I don’t witness like I know I should. Why? I forget the gospel of grace. God’s grace came to me, God saved me, and because He did…. I get to share Jesus!
“…while some professing Christians have rejected universalism intellectually, practically they may end up leading universalistic lives. They claim Christ is necessary for salvation, yet they live their Christianity in silence, as if people around them in the world will indeed be okay in the end without Christ.”
David Platt Radical
Help me gather further thoughts on this post.
Does this post make sense to you? How or how not?
Where do you see the “functional universalist” in your life?
Yes it makea perfect sense. I’m reminded we are to be doers of the word not just hearers also if we believe in the doctrine of hell we would be running to everyones house calling them to faith in Christ. I myself am convicted of not speaking when I should. Great post.