“ARE THERE FEW THAT BE SAVED?”
By C. F. B.
WHILE we hear less than we used to about universal salvation, the doctrine is rapidly gaining ground, even among those who would not answer to the name of Universalists. This change in sentiment is not due to a better understanding of the word of God, but to looser views of the requirements of the divine law. When the angels appeared to the shepherds on the plain of Bethlehem to announce the birth of the Saviour, the first strain of their song was, “Glory to God in the highest,” and the second, “On earth peace, and good-will to men;” but while the last part of that matchless anthem is magnified, the first part is almost entirely lost to view and forgotten; God’s honor is left out of the question, and only that which is supposed to speak of man’s good is considered. True it is that the Scriptures present God as a being of infinite mercy; but he is also represented as a being of infinite justice, one who cannot look upon sin with allowance. To compromise with sin would be to deny himself and to destroy his own attributes. He delights in mercy, but that mercy must be extended under conditions consistent with the nature of the divine being, namely, by putting away and destroying sin. It is not the purpose of this article to show how this is done. We will simply say that it is by atonement for past sins, and by a guarantee that in the future sins will not be committed. Christ has given himself a sacrifice for sin, and thus provides for the atonement, and has himself become surety for those who are saved through him. Understand that we do not mean that those who accept Christ can never afterward commit sin. We know by sad experience that such is not the case. What we mean is that Christ engages to bring those who accept him into perfect harmony with the divine law, so that in their salvation the law will be honored and its Author glorified; but this requires co-operation on the part of those who are saved. It requires submission; and it follows that they only who submit can be saved. God must be honored in the salvation of his creatures. This is the reasonable view of the matter, and by examining the testimony of Inspiration upon the subject, we shall find that it is also the scriptural view. The doctrine of Universalism could never obtain among men were it not for false views and erroneous ideas of the character of Deity. If we believe that God is an infallible being, and that as such he created all things, we must believe that he had a purpose and design in that creation. What his purpose was concerning this earth, we learn from Isa. 45:18: “For thus saith the Lord that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited.” The character of the beings which he designed should inhabit the earth would be inferred from the fact that “God made man upright.” But we are not left to inferences on this important point, for we find oft repeated in substance the declaration, “The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein forever” (Ps. 37:29); and, “Blessed are the meek; for they shall inherit the earth” (Matt. 5:5); while in perfect accord with these texts are the words of the apostle Peter, “Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.” 2 Peter 3:13. God certainly designed that this earth should be peopled with intelligent, loyal subjects; not with stocks nor with stones, nor even with beasts which have not understanding, but with beings endowed with volition, and capable of serving their Creator from choice, “not from constraint but willingly.” This purpose made probation a necessity and sin a possibility. It is useless to discuss the whys and wherefores of the case, for we are not ignorant of the sequel,—man sinned and fell; but “God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Observe, however, here as well as elsewhere in the sacred word, the promise of eternal life and salvation is conditioned on belief. And this Son so freely given by the Father himself, tells us that “he that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life; and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.” John 3:36. This text must forever stand against the theory of universal salvation. Another scripture which forbids the acceptance of the doctrine of the final restoration of all men to divine favor, is Eze. 18:26: “When a righteous man turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and dieth in them; for his iniquity that he hath done shall he die.” Here two deaths are clearly brought to view, namely, the death which is common to all mankind, and, following that, it is declared of the man who dieth in his iniquity, that “for his iniquity that he hath done shall he die.” This death is in Rev. 20:6 called the second death, and it is clearly the condition into which all pass who are not under the transient but under the abiding wrath of God.8One resurrection, or one return to life, is promised to all men, and only one. They who suffer the second death become “as though they had not been.” Obad. 16. They are brought into the condition described in Mal. 4:1: “For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble; and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.” Or, as the psalmist says, “Into smoke shall they consume away.” Ps. 37:20. And in the words of the Saviour, “They shall not see life.” But some may say, While this may be true of a very few, it certainly is not true of any considerable portion of the human family. God wills that all should come to repentance, and surely almost if not quite all will repent. Such reasoning requires no answer except the words of our Saviour when one asked him, saying, “Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said unto them, Strive to enter in at the strait gate; for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.” Space forbids further quotations or a more extended examination of this subject, but the reader will please turn to his Bible and read Luke 13:13–27. It contains much food for reflection for those who desire to believe that all will be saved, or that in the future state they will enjoy a more favorable opportunity of making their peace with God. “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” C. F. B.