“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” (Matthew 7:13-14 , ESV)

Jesus Himself Says Few Will Be Saved As All Roads Do Not Eventually Lead To Salvation

Earlier in the piece Apprising Ministries With A Peek At The Coming Soteriology Of Emergence Christianity I told you that it’s really pretty simple; the soteriology i.e. doctrine of salvation which will “soon” come emerging is known as Christian Universalism. As was pointed out in Doug Pagitt and Christian Universalism we are not talking here about a universalism teaching men will be saved regardless of their religious convictions.

Rather what we mean is a Christian Universalism (CU), which does see Jesus Christ as the only way that all men will eventually be saved. There are various views but this CU is based upon a universal atonement of Christ on the Cross that sounds a lot like the following from Rob Bell, who is a friend of Pagitt’s, and quite literally the Elvis of the Emerging Church rebellion against the authority of the Bible now morphing in to what they’re calling Emergence Christianity:

So this is reality, this forgiveness, this reconciliation, is true for everybody. Paul insisted that when Jesus died on the cross, he was reconciling “all things, in heaven and on earth, to God.” All things, everywhere.

This reality then isn’t something we make come true about ourselves by doing something. It is already true. Our choice is to live in this new reality or cling to a reality of our own making. (Velvet Elvis, 146, emphasis mine)

For the record I will clearly state again that I strongly disagree with Christian Universalism believing it to be another gospel; and therefore, it is really no gospel at all. That said, for those who wish to better understand the subject of univeralism, which in all likelihood forms at least some part of the teachings of leaders in the Emergent Church uprising against Sola Scriptura e.g. like Bell, Pagitt and Brian McLaren, I refer you to a short article by John M. Brentnall:

From time to time the question is asked as to how many shall be saved. Shall all, regardless of their creed, worship, character and life-style? Or is this glorious privilege reserved for only some? The current claim that God gathers up all creation into His loving purpose should make us reconsider the question. For it is argued that if God’s redeeming purpose is universal in scope, why should we any longer accept Christianity’s arrogant claim to be the one true religion?

Since there are many windows onto God’, why should we continue to support Christian evangelization of the nations? As we are all ‘going to heaven’, why may not each of us go there in his own way, and leave others to go there in theirs? Such universalistic claims voiced by religious pluralists call for a Reformed response. In general, we may identify four kinds of universalism. Three of them are false, while only the fourth is true… (Online source)

You can read the entire piece by Brentnall here.

HT: Monergism.com

See also:

ROB BELL AND CHRISTIAN UNIVERSALISM

PASTOR CHAD HOLTZ EXPLAINING CHRISTIAN UNIVERSALISM

CHRISTIAN UNIVERSALISM AFFIRMS SALVATION BY JESUS 

EVERYONE’S GOING TO BE SAVED EVENTUALLY…AREN’T THEY?

EVERYONE’S GOING TO BE SAVED EVENTUALLY…AREN’T THEY? (PART 2)

ROB BELL, PETER ROLLINS AND PHYLLIS TICKLE TOGETHER ADVANCING EMERGENCE CHRISTIANITY

THE EMERGENCE OF EVANGELICAL INCLUSIVE ORTHODOXY AND EMBRACE OF GLBTQ CHRISTIANS