Romans 5:18 NIV
Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people,
so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people.
I found that this man’s interpretation of Scripture justifies the Universalism that is promoted by yourself and others, but I don’t think he has the right interpretation because of the words he fails to emphasise.
The “ALL MEN” in the verses he quotes, doesn’t mean “ALL MEN” to include those who demonstrate no faith at all, or those who think “works” are somehow redundant, being almost a mockery of “the gift”.
It is true that no one can “earn” the gift...but that doesn’t mean that they don’t have to qualify for it.....and qualifying involves works, even as Jesus and his apostles encouraged works to prove that one is a genuine disciple of Christ....otherwise what was the point of the preaching work that he assigned to them? (Matt 10:11-14)
Discussion questions:
- Was the work of the Atonement a complete work?
Christ’s work was definitely completed in the atonement that he provided.....his sacrificed life fulfilled God’s law (a life for a life) and gave every human being on this planet a shot at salvation......but it was conditional.
Go back to Eden and see that life was also conditional for Adam. In order to keep living, he had to obey the commands of his Creator. Failure to do so resulted in death.
So the argument that nothing is required of us is bogus. Life was a gift, but obedience was required under penalty of death, in order to keep living.
- Who will benefit from that work?
All who take the necessary steps to bring their lives into harmony with God’s requirements. No human who fails to do this will be granted the gift because it is also conditional. Failure to meet the conditions will result in disappointment of the deepest kind according to Christ himself...
Matthew 7:21-23...
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven . Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; .’depart from me you who practice lawlessness.” (NASB)
This picture by no means indicates the salvation of “ALL MEN”....it doesn’t even indicate the salvation of all who identify as “Christians”....so what else is required in order to attain the “gift”? Certainly not the ability to do what these ones claim to be able to do.
Pilkington’s reference to Eph 2:8-9 is also missing the needed emphasis placed on one very important aspect pointed out again in verse 10, which he avoided....
“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” (NASB)
So not works about which we might boast....but “works” are required nonetheless. What are these “good works” that we should “walk in”, that identify us as the genuine article, as opposed to those who are performing all sorts of other “works” that seem to be redundant...or of no value in God’s eyes....? (James 2:18-26)
What were Jesus’ express instructions before his return to heaven?
Matt 28:18-20..
“And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (NASB)
Since this was Jesus’ instruction to be carried out till “the end of the age”, it wasn’t just instructions given to the apostles, it was instruction to all of Christ’s disciples to be preachers of the “good news of God’s Kingdom” in “the entire inhabited earth” (Matt 24:14)......but if you ask the church going population what “God’s Kingdom” is, and what is the “good news” about it....often all you will hear is...crickets.
If we are all under obligation to be preachers, then we better know what that message is, or it’s not going to be done as Jesus instructed.
Matt 10:11-14...
“And whatever city or village you enter, inquire who is worthy in it, and stay at his house until you leave . As you enter the house, give it your greeting. If the house is worthy, give it your peace. But if it is not worthy, take back your peace. Whoever does not receive you, nor heed your words, as you go out of that house or that city, shake the dust off your feet. Truly I say to you, it will be more tolerable for land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city.” (NASB)
Again what do you see in Jesus’ words that contradict what Pilkington has claimed?
There was necessity to accept the disciples and to allow them to teach those people how to be a Christian, and to show them what the Kingdom will mean for redeemed humanity. Failure to accept the message that Jesus is the Christ, and is King of that Kingdom, and to change your ways in order to qualify for the salvation he offers, puts one in company with the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah....not good company, wouldn’t you agree?
- Name the two individual acts referred to in Romans 5:18?
Again the next verse was omitted....
Rom 5:18-19....
“So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.” (NASB)
So the opportunity is open to “all”, but not all will accept it and have it applied to them, which will disqualify them from everlasting life. “Many” will be made righteous, but not “all”. Conditions have to be met.
- Did both acts apply to all humankind?
Yes, both acts applied to “all”.....but not “all” are “worthy” in God’s eyes...only in their own estimations. They see their own works as enough, (they even remind Jesus about what they have done) but they have not participated in the work that Christ commanded all of his disciples to engage in. Jesus trained his disciples to be preachers and teachers....(and most of them were uneducated fishermen.)
Is that what the churches do? Do we see them out and about engaged in this work assignment? Or is that someone else’s job?
What was the purpose of the preaching of the kingdom if everyone was to be saved regardless of what they did? If you think that is possible, then you don’t know your Bible at all.....nor do you know the Jesus who commanded that this work be done right to the end, to give as many as possible the opportunity that is held out to every one of them....we have responsibilities too, and failure to meet those responsibilities was highlighted by the prophet Ezekiel....
Ezekiel 3:17-19, 21)
“Son of man, I have appointed you a watchman to the house of Israel; whenever you hear a word from My mouth, warn them from Me. When I say to the wicked, ‘You will surely die,’ and you do not warn him or speak out to warn the wicked from his wicked way that he may live, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. Yet if you have warned the wicked and he does not turn from his wickedness or from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered yourself. . . . .However, if you have warned the righteous man that the righteous should not sin and he does not sin, he shall surely live because he took warning; and you have delivered yourself.” (NASB)
1 Corinthians 15:22
For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.
Now you know that “all” means something other than what Mr Pilkington is suggesting.....appealing as it may be to many who think God requires nothing of them, and that he may even save the devil and his rebel angels.....scripturally, there is not a chance of that happening.
