The Evangelical Universalist Forum

SNIPPETS FROM MY HARD COPY UR LIBRARY

INSANITY

Does traditional Christianity cause insanity? Many seem to think so. This video is the story a pastor and his daughter of their journey from the traditional turn or burn gospel to the Victorious Gospel of Jesus Christ. Like it on Facebook and please send links to your family and friends.
Gary Amirault

youtube.com/watch?v=gDnZRms3XZE

Child Sacrifice in Christianity? Yep!! Watch:
Christian Molech Worship by Tentmaker Ministries:
youtube.com/watch?v=xKuhBdWbJXQ

IS GOD STRONG ENOUGH? – Kenneth Larson
“For which of you, wanting to build a tower, is not first seated to calculate the expense, to see if he has the wherewithal?- lest at some time, he laying a foundation and not being strong enough to finish up, all those beholding should begin to scoff at him, saying that 'This man begins building and is not strong enough to finish up!’” Lk. 14:28-30. God’s perfect foundation is Christ Jesus. 1 Cor. 3:11; Is. 28:16; Lk. 20:17; Heb. 5:7-9. What God is building on His foundation is a perfect, reconciled creation. Ro. 8:20, 21; Col. 1:15-20; 1 Cor. 15:20-28; Phil. 2:5-11.
God is strong enough to reconcile all, for He controls all hearts. Is. 26:12; 2 Chronicles 30:12; Rev. 17:17. God has a purpose- a will for creation. Eph. 1:9-11; 3:11. God “wills that all mankind be saved and come into a realization of the truth.” 1 Tim. 2:4. And “All that Yahweh delights He does, in the heavens and on earth, in the seas and every abyss” Ps. 135:6; see Is. 46:10 and John 1:29.

Christ will draw all to Himself. Jn. 12:32. Our stubbornness and unbelief are no match for Almighty God. Romans 11:32. “Not stronger than He are we!” 1 Cor. 10:22. God is a perfect Savior, and He is more than strong enough to save all. 1 Tim. 4:9-11; Is. 53; Matt. 19:25, 26.

ITCHING EARS

Sometimes believers in eternal torment and annihilation like to say that 2Tim. 4:3&4 about a time coming when people will have “itching ears” and will turn to believing myths or fables, refers to believers in universal salvation.
But I think it refers to believers in eternal torment and annihilation instead because most Christians closest to the time of Jesus believed in universal salvation.

ETers and ANers like to have their itching ears scratched by listening to sermons based on the myth or fable that only people who believe like they do before they die are going to avoid suffering forever in “hell” or be annihilated.

Universalism The Prevailing Doctrine Of The Christian Church During Its First Five Hundred Years
tentmaker.org/books/Prevailing.html
The author, J.W. Hanson wrote “The purpose of this book is to present the evidence of the prevalence in the early centuries of the Christian church, of the doctrine of the final holiness of all mankind. The author believes that the following pages show that Universal Restitution was the faith of the early Christians for at least the First Five Hundred Years of the Christian era. He has aimed to present irrefragable proofs that the doctrine of Universal Salvation was the prevalent sentiment of the primitive Christian church.

The salient statements and facts in all which will be found in these pages show that the most and ablest of the early fathers found the deliverance of all mankind from sin and sorrow specifically revealed in the Christian Scriptures.”

And they were reading the Bible in its original language!

MYTHS - Kenneth Larsen

“…they will be turning their hearing away from the truth, yet will be turned aside to myths." 2 Tim. 4:4

Scripture: “And if you are loving those loving you, what thanks [grace] is it to you? For sinners also are loving those loving them. And if you should be doing good to those doing good to you, what thanks [grace] is it to you? For sinners also are doing the same. And if you should ever be lending to those from whom you are expecting to get back, what thanks [grace] is it to you? For sinners also are lending to sinners, that they may get back the equivalent. Moreover, be loving your enemies, and be doing good, and be lending, expecting nothing from them, and your wages will be vast in the heavens, and you will be sons of the Most High, for He is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.” Luke 6:32-35.
Myth: “God expects something from us (to exercise our free will) before His grace will be of any benefit to us. God loves His enemies, and will give the most ungrateful and wicked among them the wages of sin (death) forever.”

Scripture: “For to vanity was the creation subjected, not voluntarily, but because of Him Who subjects it, in expectation that the creation itself, also, shall be freed from the slavery of corruption into the glorious freedom of the children of God.” Romans 8:20, 21.
Myth: “Satan and Adam subjected the creation to vanity. The creation will be freed from the slavery of corruption by the Almighty, by granting incorruptibility to a few, and annihilating the rest.”

Scripture: “…Not one is seeking out God. All avoid Him…” “Consequently, then, it is not of him who is willing, nor of him who is racing, but of God, the Merciful." Romans 3:11, 12; 9:16.
Myth: “Seek God and you’ll be saved. Your salvation depends on how you exercise your free will. If you’re lost, it will be your own fault.”

Scripture: “For God locks up all together in stubbornness, that He should be merciful to all.” Romans 11:32
Myth: “It was Lucifer’s doing, and Adam’s. God is merciful to all us humans because He gives us a chance to escape the consequences of their sins.”

Scripture: “and through Him to reconcile all to Him (making peace through the blood of His cross), through Him, whether those on the earth or those in the heavens. And you, being once estranged and enemies in comprehension, by wicked acts, yet now He reconciles" Colossians 1:20, 21.
Myth: “God wishes He could reconcile all the estranged on earth and in the heavens, but He has to have cooperation from those on earth; He can’t do it alone. As for those estranged in the heavens, they’re hopeless.”

J. Preston Eby

TESTIMONY OF RODGER TUTT
My wife Helen and I spent forty years of our lives distributing Christian literature. We are in our seventies now. The following testimony video by J. Preston Eby is an example of the power of literature. One critic thinks that Preston should have let the book burn up that his dad threw into the fire. But as a result of reading that book instead of letting it burn up, Preston later wrote the following expositional series based on his further studies of the Bible.
TESTIMONY VIDEO OF J. PRESTON EBY
youtube.com/watch?v=JEwcWR8kxUs&feature=sub

See the following great sixteen chapter introductory series to ultimate reconciliation. J. Preston Eby does a thorough job covering many aspects of the topic. Fundamental reading for any person interested in studying universal salvation from a solid biblical perspective.
Highly Recommended!
godfire.net/eby/saviour_of_the_world.html
or
tentmaker.org/articles/savior-of-the-world/

John 3:16
DEATH AND DESTRUCTION ARE NOT ETERNAL - Kenneth Larsen
"Jesus knew that John 3:16 was not the end of the story…that’s why He continued to John 3:17 and talked about the salvation of all mankind!!!
Jesus makes no attempt to use verse 16 to negate or qualify verse 17. He simply makes both statements side by side as if both are completely true. The reason He does this is that both ARE completely true.

We see this over and over in Scripture, especially in the writings of Paul – a statement about people who have faith now (maybe a warning or exhortation or encouragement about the benefits of taking part in the kingdom of God a.k.a. the next two ages of life on earth) right next to a statement about how Christ accomplished the justification of all men. See Romans 3:23-24 and 5:18 and their contexts for example. This is no big deal; none of these statements negate, qualify (change), or contradict each other, because both concepts are 100% true. Some will be saved from death early and take part in the kingdom of God, and everyone else will be saved from death later.

To attempt to use some statements (about those who get saved early) to negate the others statements (about the eventual salvation of all) is to butcher the common sense rules of language and communication. We would never do this to each other in everyday communication; the only reason people try to do it to Jesus and Paul is because they cannot bring themselves to believe the plain statements about the eventual salvation of all mankind.

If I said to my kids, “Those of you who help me clean the yard today will get to go to a movie with me tomorrow, and next week I will take the rest of you to a movie,” I have made it very clear that all the kids will eventually go to the movies. My two statements do not contradict each other or negate each other in any way. This is the exact same thing Jesus does in John 3:16 and 17 – He makes two equally true statements. Yet “hell mindset” Christians try to make one statement negate the other in order to fit their preconceived inherited ideas." (end quote)

“What About how the Bible says that those who do not believe will perish or be destroyed?”
tentmaker.org/FAQ/perish.htm

WHAT THESE VERSES MEAN

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
Shall not be in a state of being lost (apollumi), but shall have life during the ages which collectively come to an end. Heb. 9:26.

And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it.
They will lose it for the eons but will find it again when the eons collectively end Heb. 9:26

Therefore I say to you, any sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven people, but blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven. Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.
Instead of being forgiven, they will suffer the consequences. But the consequences are age-during, not eternal.

Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
God will restore all destroyed souls when death is abolished. 1 Cor. 15:20-28

Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.
Believers have life pertaining to the ages which collectively come to an end. Christ rejecters will receive kolasis aionios (age-during corrective chastisement) Matt 25:46.

Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment
Both in terms of duration and intensity God will administer just the right amount of kolasis aionios to everyone who needs it. Matt. 25:46.

JUDAS

Here is why the case of Judas does not disprove universal salvation.

Because of the betrayal of Judas, Jesus was introduced to the woe of extreme suffering. It would have been better for Jesus if Judas had not been born.

Greek scholar Louis Abbott wrote:

"Let us look carefully at the Greek text: kalon ên auto eiouk egennêthê ho anthropos ekeinos, “Ideal were it for Him if that man were not born” or “It were ideal for Him if that man was not born.” The question is asked, Who is the Him? The answer is in the preceding clause. There we have the pronoun autou, “Him,” and anthropo ekeino, “that man,” both referred to in such a way that we cannot mistake them. “The Son of Man indeed goeth as it is written of Him; but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed!” “Him” is the Son of Man, “that man” is Judas.

The Him cannot refer to Judas, therefore the text can be paraphrased as, “Ideal were it for Him (the Son of Man) if that man (Judas) were not born.”

That is the understanding that the syntax requires.

Therefore, Mark 14:21 does not contradict Col. 1:15-20; 1 Tim. 4:9-11; Rom. 5:18, 19; etc., all teaching the ultimate salvation of Judas."

MORE COMMENTARY ON JUDAS

“But what about Judas Iscariot? Doesn’t it say it would have been better if he’d never been born?
Matthew 26:24 “The Son of Mankind is indeed going away, according as it is written concerning Him, yet woe to that man through whom the Son of Mankind is being given up! Ideal were it for Him if that man were not born!” It would have been ideal (pleasing and peaceful) for Jesus (the Son of Mankind/Him) if Judas (that man) had not been born. It was nevertheless necessary for him to be born and commit his sin of betrayal in order for scripture to be fulfilled. See Genesis 6:6; John 18:11; Matt. 26:39

Concerning Judas’ title, “son of destruction”, John 17:12, the Greek word is apollumi, often translated, perish or lose. This word is used in the New Testament about 90 times. Many people, animals, and even things are described as being “lost”, “destroyed” or “perished”. It is unwise to assume the word describes “eternal damnation”. “For the Son of Mankind came to seek and to save the lost (apollumi).” Luke 19:10. The book All in All, by A. E. Knoch, is very informative on this and some other important topics, such as the eons, the 3 classes of vivification, “hell”, and “annihilation”.

“What About how the Bible says that those who do not believe will perish or be destroyed?”
tentmaker.org/FAQ/perish.htm

JOSEPH PRINCE

Response to Joseph Prince who claims to have “dismantled” universal salvation in sixty seconds.

saviourofall.org/Tracts/Allinadam.html

KINGDOM REIGN
The eons of the eons – Joseph E. Kirk - Gal.1:5; Phil.4:20; 1 Tim.1:17; 2Tim.4:18; Heb.13:21; 1 Pet.4:11; 5:11; Rev.1:6; 4:9,10; 5:13,14; 7:12; 10:6; 11:15; 14:11; 15:7; 19:3; 20:10; 22:5 (for ever and ever); Rev.1:18 (for evermore). A comparison of Rev.11:14,15 with 1 Cor.15:27,28 makes it clear that the expression “the eons of the eons” does not mean an endless succession of eons. Christ reigns for “the eons of the eons” after which He delivers up the Kingdom to the Father and Himself becomes subject that God may be all in all.

#41 - HOW TO KEEP 0N LIVING – DUSEAN BERKICH
“Christian tradition overlooks a key text that clearly quantifies the meaning of the eons of the eons which is mistranslated “forever and ever.”
In 1Corinthians 15:24, Paul tells us that Jesus will be giving up the kingdom to His God and Father. That’s not an eternal reign in any possible context. The clear statement that Christ ‘gives up’ the kingdom defines what the eons of the eons must mean. Jesus is God’s mediator with mankind Who reigns only until He gets the job done. That job is winning our conciliation with God.
Paul referred to Jesus as the eonian, not eternal God, and gave Jesus reign over specific time periods leading up to the conclusion of His reign. Clearly there is a progression of eons that have beginnings and endings. All eons end when Christ’s reign ends, after which what is eternal continues.”

#56 - EONIAN - EVERLASTING OR AGE-LASTING – GRACE H. TODD
“That the expression ‘the eons of the eons’ (forever and ever, KJV) cannot mean an endless successions of eons is clearly revealed by comparing Rev. 11:15 with 1Cor. 15:24-28. In Rev. 11:15 our Lord is said to reign ‘for the eons of the eons’ but in 1Cor. 15 His reign is said to end. He does not reign ‘for ever and ever’ though He does reign for the eons of the eons.”

#53 - SAVIOUR OF ALL MANKIND - JAMES CORAM
“The use of ‘forever and ever’ instead of the accurate rendering ‘for the eons of the eons,’ is a gross mistranslation. Most translators simply lacked the insight to see the point of many of the passages that speak of the eons. Since they were able, however, to make sense of these passages by translating by ‘everlasting’ or ‘eternal,’ they simply went ahead and did so, any resultant problems notwithstanding. Due to a lack of sensible thinking it was impossible for them to face the fact that the usual translations of this word are quite mistaken and extremely harmful!”
James Coram

#38 - THE UNIVERSAL RESTORATION – ELHANAN WINCHESTER
In the memoir of the author it is written, “He found no quietude, until, by a candid and prayerful examination of the Bible, he became fully satisfied that ‘God will have all men to be saved,’ and that ‘He doeth according to His will.’ His change of opinion was soon noised abroad, and produced a great disaffection in many of his former friends.

Here is a snippet from the book.
“The reason why I do not conceive that “forever and ever” doth intend endless duration is because I find the words as often used for times and periods that must have an end, as you find them used for the misery of the wicked. You bring three passages which are all that are to be found in the whole Bible where they are used in that sense; I shall now invalidate those evidences for endless damnation by bringing an equal number of texts where you will allow the words are used in a limited sense. Is. 30:8; Jer. 7:7; Jer. 25:5.
These passages are as many and as strongly expressed as those which you brought to prove endless misery; and yet nothing can be more evident than that they cannot intend endless duration. The words do not necessarily imply that the wicked shall never be delivered from their sins and consequent suffering.
Now if the words “forever and ever” signify without end, then there is a contradiction that cannot be reconciled, but only understand them as the ages of the ages, (as indeed they ought to be rendered), and the whole difficulty vanishes at once.”

“Forever and Ever”–A Poor Translation
tentmaker.org/books/asw/Chapter5.html
The smoke of their torment rises for a limited period of time. Here is the proof.
tentmaker.org/FAQ/forever_eternity.html

THE REAL GOSPEL (GOOD NEWS) – BERT BAUMAN

“Our popular English Bible carries the name of an earthly monarch and so bears mute testimony to the influence the English King had over the translators. His directive to ‘do nothing that will disturb the tranquility of the church’, appears to have been taken very seriously by the translators since they often chose to interpret certain Greek words to support then current church doctrine, rather than render a faithful and consistent translation of the original.

I must confess to the admiration I feel for the absolute brilliance of Satan’s cunning and strategy. He has effectively polluted the entire fountain of truth from which Christians drink by causing confusion in the meaning of the single word aion, and its adjective aionios. It does not seem that this single word could be so important as to produce calamitous results, but it is just here that we see the utter genius of our adversary. Perhaps no other word, erroneously translated, could cause such widespread confusion and distortion of the truth. Practically all Christian doctrine is affected: the purposes of God, the nature of God, judgment, man’s destiny, and salvation – to say nothing of its effect upon our concept of the very God we worship and the way we treat one another as Christians, and the world at large.”

EDITOR’S ADDITION
AIÓN – AIÓNIOS
tentmaker.org/books/Aion_lim.html

BERT BAUMAN continues, “The doctrine of eternal torment is not found in the Scripture but the teaching of judgment certainly is. But why judgment? Is it a matter of God’s vengeance only? The scriptures suggest that God’s judgments are desirable but not necessarily enjoyable. It is never pleasant to be judged, but the fruit of judgment is desirable. Correction produces righteousness which yields the fruit of the Spirit. Therefore, while the chastening is unpleasant, the results are a blessing. Out of love for His creatures, God chastens, and corrects. He judges His creatures for their own good.

Did not Jesus teach us to love and do good even to our enemies? And while He admonishes us to be perfect even as our heavenly Father, would our Father be less than we are expected to be? Can love pour out vengeance for its own gratification, or judge to satisfy its own sense of justice? The result of God’s judgments must ultimately be profitable and beneficial to the one being punished, ‘for the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them’ (Luke 9:56).”

Sooner or later everyone will be saved.
A COMMON ARGUMENT ADDRESSED

Until the time of Augustine most Christians believed in the salvation of everyone.

Dr. Edwin Abbott, headmaster of the City of London School, wrote in his Cambridge Sermons -
QUOTE: “An argument was introduced by Augustine, and since his day incessantly repeated, that if aionios kolasis does not mean “endless punishment,” then there is no security for the believer that aionios zoe means “endless life,” and that he will enjoy the promise of endless happiness. But Matt. 25:46 shows the “eonian chastisement” and “eonian life” are of the same duration-lasting during the eons, and when the eons end, as Scripture states they will (1 Cor. 10:11; Heb. 9:26), the time called “eonian” is past and the life called “eonian” is finished, but life continues beyond the eons, as Paul teaches at 1 Cor. 15:26: “The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.” (which must refer to the lake of fire which is the second death, for the first death cannot be the last enemy). That is, the last, the final one in order. How will it be destroyed? First Corinthians 15:22 gives the answer: “For as IN ADAM ALL are dying, even so IN CHRIST ALL shall be made alive. .” Death is destroyed when ALL have been made alive, IN CHRIST.”
– Dr. Edwin Abbott

Response to Joseph Prince who claims to have “dismantled” universal salvation in sixty seconds.

Note God’s wording
In Christ all shall be made alive
not
All who are in Christ shall be made alive
youtube.com/watch?v=fJkBMNlvmZ0

Also see saviourofall.org/Tracts/Allinadam.html

THE AGES COLLECTIVELY COME TO AN END WITH EVERYONE SAVED
Click on See More and open the link

GOD’S PLAN FOR THE AGES OF TIME
“During the present wicked eon (Gal.1:4), Sin reigns, Satan who is said to be “the god of this eon” (2 Cor.4:4) blinds and deceives mankind, and death swallows up the race (1 Cor.15:22). But notwithstanding, God is over all and is in supreme control. He is the eonian God. In due time He will deliver the entire creation and bring good out of all the suffering mankind is called upon to endure (Rom.8;18-23).”

GOD’S PLAN FOR THE AGES OF TIME
THE EONS OF THE BIBLE WITH CONCORDANCE
saviourofall.org/Tracts/Eons2.html

THE LAST CHAPTER OF THE BIBLE

RESTORATION: THROUGH THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES – CHARLES WELLER
“The feast of tabernacles means the feast of ingathering. It takes an eight day period to bring in the fullness of the ingathering. Eight is the number of new beginnings in scripture or FULL RESTORATION.

1Corinthians 15 is the last chapter in the Bible. The fifteenth chapter clearly shows how great the totality of the feast of tabernacles will be. ‘As in Adam all die (every preacher will agree that all people are in Adam but few believe that the word all mean all in the second part of the verse) so in Christ all shall be made alive.’ Jesus is going to gather all together in Himself. He will have everyone in His nature.

Everything that occurs, occurs in the plan and order of God. In 1Corinthians 15 God shows that there are different orders. The highest order is Jesus Christ. Everything will, in time, be brought into Jesus Christ. All shall be gathered into Him. When this is done then Jesus, the Son, will turn all over to the Father. It is then we find that time ends, for God becomes All in all (verse 28).

AT THE END OF THE AGES THE ABOLITION OF HELL – BOB EVELY
“The culmination of God’s Word is found in 1Corinthian 15 when God become All in all.
The book of Revelation does not take us quite this far. Corruption is eliminated and our bodies are now incorruptible. The worst enemy of all, death, has been abolished.

The salvation of all has not meant the ignoring of sin. The lake of fire, the second death has accomplished its work. All men now recognize the wondrous ways of God and His grace as expressed through the work of Christ. The salvation of all does not negate or minimize the work of the cross. The work of Christ upon the cross and the power of God as displayed through the resurrection, were both very necessary.

But now at the end of the ages we see the true scope of God’s work. Despite the sin and rebellion of humanity, God has found a way to bring every soul to the point of acceptance. The ages have ended. The purpose of the eons has now been fulfilled; to reconcile all to God. Wickedness and evil are gone. Death is no more. God is love, and He is All in all. Eternal life in perfection has begun.”

LEMMINGS

The lot of lemmings – Martin Zender

“Lemmings are rodents that supposedly run
off cliffs together, committing mass suicide.
This is what happens, metaphorically,
to members of religious sects. Because
they are continually surrounded by
each other, and mindlessly accept whatever
they are taught by institutionally
trained “experts,” they get the sense that
they are “all right.” And yet they are not.
They are simply all wrong at the same
time and in the same place.

One of the largest religious sects, Christianity,
is so deceived that it thinks its members
are the only ones who will be with
God for eternity. This sort of exclusivity
(the eternal variety) is a sure sign of
religious sectarianism.

The common lot of humanity is death.
But—thanks to Christ—the common lot of
humanity is also eternal life. The difference
between those who believe truth and
those who don’t is timing; it is a difference
of when each person emerges from death,
into life. Those who believe now emerge
early; they live—and some of them reign
with Christ—for two future eons. The rest
of humankind remain dead until the great
white throne judgment. After this judgment,
some go to the new earth as mortals,
some to the second death. When the second
death is abolished, however, all will
have eternal life.

For now, the mass of humanity—religious
and otherwise—is rushing over the cliff of
death. The only thing able to stop this tide
is the miracle of God-given faith. For now,
God gives faith to few. Later, He will give
it to all.

If you have escaped lemminghood, thank God.”

LESLIE WEATHERHEAD

THE CHRISTIAN AGNOSTIC – DR. LESLIE D. WEATHERHEAD

The following is my all-time favorite quote. I’ve had it memorized for many years and I quote it frequently. As a staunch universalist, Dr. Leslie Weatherhead meant it to include everyone without exception, after everyone who needs it experiences kolasis aionion, or age-during corrective chastisement.

“God’s purposes are so vast and glorious, beyond all guessing now, that when they are achieved and consummated, all our sufferings and sorrows of today, even the agonies that nearly break our faith, the disasters that well nigh overwhelm us, shall, seen from that fair country where God’s age long dreams come true, bulk as little as bulk now the pieces of a broken toy upon a nursery floor, over which, thinking that all our little world was in ruins, we cried ourselves to sleep.”
Dr. Leslie Weatherhead

A POEM BY WIILIAM WORDSWORTH (1770-1850)
One adequate support
For the calamities of mortal life
Exists, one only; - an assured belief
That the procession of our fate, howe’er
Sad or disturbed, is ordered by a being
Of infinite benevolence and power,
Whose everlasting purposes embrace
All accidents, converting them to good.

Alexander von Humboldt (1767-1835) wrote
“The conviction, arising from a firm confidence in Almighty goodness and justice – that death is only the termination of an imperfect state of being, whose purpose cannot be fully carried out here, and that it is the passage to a better and higher condition, should be so constantly present to us, that nothing should be able to obscure it, even for a moment; it is the groundwork of inner peace, and of the loftiest endeavors, and is an inexhaustible spring of comfort in affliction.”

LOVE WINS

Here is an analogy that I got from Ray Prinzing (my earthly hero and mentor)

A man courts a lady by continually expressing his love for her week after week, both verbally, and by bringing her gifts.

If he stops trying to persuade her to marry him, he loses everything.
But if he never stops trying to convince her until she says yes, then he goes to her place, gathers up all the gifts he gave her AND HER, and takes them back to his place for the rest of their lives.

Human love sometimes fails to elicit a loving response, but God’s divine love is not hampered by the limitations of human love.

Even if takes kolasis aionios (age-during corrective chastisement) which is a negative expression of His love, God will sooner or later elicit a loving response from everyone.

That is what I believe.
LOVE WINS
lovewins.us/388/an-analytical-study-of-words/

MARTIN LUTHER

I like what Martin Luther said: “God forbid that I should limit the time of acquiring faith to the present life.
In the depth of the Divine mercy there may be opportunity to win it in the future.”
(Martin Luther’s letter to Hans von Rechenberg, 1522.)

In the conclusion of THE BONDAGE OF THE WILL, Martin Luther wrote
““Even according to the testimony of reason herself there can be no “Free-will”—in man,—in angel,—or in any creature!”
truecovenanter.com/trueluthe … .html#conc

Here is a helpful article on the subject.
MAN IS NOT A FREE MORAL AGENT
godfire.net/eby/saviour_of_the_world.html

MISCELLANEOUS QUOTES

“Now in the same manner as God has converted so many to Himself
without destroying their liberty, He can undoubtedly convert whole
nations, or the whole world. And it is as easy to Him to convert a
world as one individual soul.” - John Wesley

“I frankly confess that, for myself, even if it could be, I should not
want free-will to be given me.…But now that God has taken my salvation
out of the control of my own will, and put it under the control of
His, and promised to save me, not according to my working or running,
but according to His own grace and mercy, I have the comfortable
certainty that He is faithful and will not lie to me, and that He is
also great and powerful, so that no devils or opposition can break Him
or pluck me from Him.” -Martin Luther

“for the power of “free-will” is nil, and it does no good, nor can do,
without grace. It follows, therefore, that “free-will” is obviously a
term applicable only to Divine Majesty; for only He can do, and does
(as the Psalmist sings) “whatever he wills in heaven and earth”
[Psalms 135:6]. If “free-will” is ascribed to men, it is ascribed with
no more propriety than divinity itself would be - and no blasphemy
could exceed that! So it befits theologians to refrain from using the
term when they want to speak of human ability, and to leave it to be
applied to God only.” –Martin Luther

“God forbid that I should limit the time of acquiring faith to the
present life. In the depth of the Divine mercy there may be
opportunity to win it in the future… For the opinion that God could
not have created man to be rejected and cast away into eternal torment
is held among us also…” -Martin Luther, letter to Hans von Rechenberg,
1522

“How ironic that those who believe God will not violate the ‘free’
will of man have no problem believing He will violate His own free
will—that all men should be saved!” - David Nuckols

“He does not save men by arbitrary force. He saves by their wills,
through moral influence. God has resources in his universe, the all
conquering agencies of love, to make the unwilling soul willing! He
has light enough to make the blind see, and love enough to melt the
hardened heart.” -Quillen Hamilton Shinn

"The healthy man does not torture others.” Carl Jung

“Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves.” Confucius

“In order for the light to shine so brightly, the darkness must be
present.” Sir Francis Bacon

“Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls. The most massive
characters are seared with scars.” Khalil Gibran

“There can be no good without evil.” Russian proverb

“It is a wise father that knows his own child.” William Shakespeare

“Man must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects
revenge, aggression and retaliation. The foundation of such a method
is love.” Martin Luther King, Jr.

“I have always found that mercy bears richer fruit than strict
justice.” Abraham Lincoln

“There is no lasting hope in violence, only temporary relief from
hopelessness.” Kingman Brewster, Jr.

“All humanity is one undivided and indivisible family. I cannot detach
myself from the wickedest soul.” Mahatma Ghandi

“Love feels no burden, thinks nothing of its trouble, attempts what is
above its strength, pleads no excuse for impossibility, for it thinks
all things are lawful for itself and all things are possible.” Thomas
A. Kempis

“No man chooses evil because it is evil; he only mistakes it for
happiness, the good he seeks.” Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley

“What really raises one’s indignation against suffering is not
suffering intrinsically, but the senselessness of suffering.”
Frederich Nietzsche

“Adversity is like a strong wind. It tears away from us all but the
things that cannot be torn, so that we see ourselves as we truly are.”
Arthur Golden

“I’m for truth no matter who tells it. I’m for justice no matter who
it’s for or against.” Malcolm X

MOTIVATION
Philippians 1:15-18
“Some preach Christ because of envy and strife, and some of good will.
One preaches Christ out of contention, not sincerely, the other out of love.
What then, notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is being preached.
And I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.”

ETers and ANers preach Christ out of the false motivation that if they don’t preach many
will suffer forever in “hell” or be annihilated.
But even so, like Paul, I rejoice and, yea, I will rejoice that Christ is being preached.

KNOWING THE REAL JESUS
godfire.net/eby/godislove.html