1. Surely a God of love will save everyone in the end, won’t he?

2. Surely a God of love will save everyone in the end, won’t he?
1. Sensitivity
2. Humility
3. Infant children
4. Scratching the surface

3. The three creeds, the Nicene Creed, Athanasian Creed, and that known as the Apostles' Creed, ought to be wholeheartedly accepted and believed. This is because their contents may be proved by definite statements of Holy Scripture. Article 8

4. Whosoever will be saved, before all things it is necessary that he hold the catholic faith;
Which faith except every one do keep whole and undefiled, without doubt he shall perish everlastingly.
Athanasian Creed

5. UK STATE OF THEOLOGY SURVEY 2018

7. Jesus will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.’…Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.
Matt 25:41, 46

8. “All the language that strikes terror into our hearts - weeping and gnashing of teeth, outer darkness, the worm, the fire, gehenna, the great gulf fixed - this is all directly taken from our Lord’s teaching. It is from Jesus Christ that we learn the doctrine of eternal punishment.” J.I. Packer

9. Between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.
Luke 16.26

10. All this is evidence that God’s judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering.  God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels.

11. He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.  They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marvelled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you.
2 Thess

12. What grounds are there for believing God will save everyone?
Biblical Grounds
Theological Grounds

13. Biblical Grounds
Saving desire of God
Saving provision of God
Saving promise of God

14. 1. Saving Desire of God
God wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 1 Tim 2.4
For God has bound everyone over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on all. Romans 11.32

15. 2. Saving Provision of God
God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. 2 Corinthians 5.19
Just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification for and life for all. Romans 5.18

16. 3. Saving Promise of God
God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross 1 Col

17. 3. Saving Promise of God
With all wisdom and understanding,  he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfilment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ. Ephesians 1.8b-10

18. Responding to Biblical Grounds
1. Context
2. Interpretation e.g. ‘all’
3. No second chance texts

19. What grounds are there for believing God will save everyone?
Biblical Grounds
Theological Grounds

20. 2. Theological Grounds
God is love

21. Responding to Theological Grounds
Defining love
Distorting God

22. Responding to Theological Grounds
1. Defining Love
To foist attributes on God - particularly such an attribute as the peculiarly modern notion of a love incompatible with sternness or serious judgement - is neither safe nor wise.
NT Wright

23. Responding to Theological Grounds
2. Distorting God
God is love and holiness, righteousness, good, gracious, sovereign, true etc

24. Responding to Theological Grounds
2. Distorting God
God is love and holiness, righteousness, good, gracious, sovereign, true etc