Unitarianism / Universalism
Unitarianism / Universalism
Universalism declares that Jesus is “a way,” maybe even “the best way,” but not “the only way” to the Father in heaven. So regardless of your belief system, we all get to the same destination; heaven. Unitarianism, in general, is the form of Christianity that denies the doctrine of the Trinity, believing that God exists only in one person.
While there were previous antitrinitarian movements in the early Christian Church, like Arianism and Monarchianism, modern Unitarianism originated in the period of the Protestant Reformation. Under Faustus Socinus a strong center of Unitarian belief developed in Poland. In Transylvania, Francis Dávid laid the foundation (c.1560) for the Unitarian Church there. In the 17th and 18th century.
Is Jesus the ONLY way to the Father in heaven?
| John 14:6 | Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. |
| Acts 4:11 | This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. |
| Acts 4:12 | Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. |
| John 10:1 | Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. |
| John 10:2 | But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. |
| John 10:3 | To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. |
| John 10:4 | And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. |
| John 10:5 | And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers. |
| John 10:6 | This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them. |
| John 10:7 | Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. |
| John 10:8 | All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. |
| John 10:9 | I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. |
| John 10:10 | The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. |
Jesus is the door, and Jesus is the judge.
Only God will render final judgment
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- Final Judgment (It was taught throughout the Old Testament that ONLY God will render judgment. The work that was ascribed to God in the Old Testament is ascribed to the son in the New Testament. If the Old Testament teaches that only God is responsible for final judgment, and the New Testament teaches that Jesus is responsible for final judgment, then Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
| Psalm 9:7 | But the LORD shall endure for ever: he hath prepared his throne for judgment. |
| Psalm 9:8 | And he shall judge the world in righteousness, he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness. |
| II Corinthians 5:10 | For we must ALL appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. |
Divine Claims of the Messiah (In light of these claims, a decision has to be made weather you believe that Jesus is the Word of God or not.)
- A. Jesus claimed to have the closest possible relationship to God.
- To know the Messiah is to know God.
| John 8:19 | Then said they unto him, Where is thy Father? Jesus answered, Ye neither know me, nor my Father: if ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also. |
| John 14:7 | If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. |
God told Moses that no one can see Him and live.
| Exodus 33:20 | And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live. |
| Exodus 33:21 | And the LORD said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock: |
| Exodus 33:22 | And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by: |
| Exodus 33:23 | And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen. |
Jesus appeared to Manoah and his wife.
| Judges 13:11 | And Manoah arose, and went after his wife, and came to the man, and said unto him, Art thou the man that spakest unto the woman? And he said, I am. |
| Judges 13:17 | And Manoah said unto the angel of the LORD, What is thy name, that when thy sayings come to pass we may do thee honour? |
| Judges 13:18 | And the angel of the LORD said unto him, Why askest thou thus after my name, seeing it is secret? |
1. wonderful, incomprehensible, extraordinary
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1. wonder, marvel a. wonder (extraordinary, hard to understand thing) b. wonder (of God’s acts of judgment and redemption)
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- Notice that the angel of the LORD did not say ‘a secret’; He said secret.
| Revelation 19:12 | His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. |
| Revelation 19:13 | And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. |
Because of this, Manoah thought that he was going to die when he saw the angel of the LORD.
| Judges 13:21 | But the angel of the LORD did no more appear to Manoah and to his wife. Then Manoah knew that he was an angel of the LORD. |
| Judges 13:22 | And Manoah said unto his wife, We shall surely die, because we have seen God. |
| Judges 13:23 | But his wife said unto him, If the LORD were pleased to kill us, he would not have received a burnt offering and a meat offering at our hands, neither would he have showed us all these things, nor would as at this time have told us such things as these. |
What Manoah and his wife saw was the express image of God. Jesus is the express image of God:
| Hebrews 1:1 | God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, |
| Hebrews 1:2 | Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; |
| Hebrews 1:3 | Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; |
| Hebrews 1:4 | Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. |
Jesus flesh was the veil.
| Hebrews 10:18 | Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin. |
| Hebrews 10:19 | Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, |
| Hebrews 10:20 | By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; |
| Hebrews 10:21 | And having an high priest over the house of God; |
| Hebrews 10:22 | Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. |
Pronunciation: \’vāl\
Function: noun
: a covering body part or membrane: as a : velum b : caul
veil: 2665
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| I John 4:12 | No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. |
To see God in his invisible form would mean certain death like God explained to Moses in Exodus 33. But to see Jesus is to see the brightness of His glory.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
A full discovery of the glory of God, would overwhelm even Moses himself. Man is mean, and unworthy of it; weak, and could not bear it; guilty, and could not but dread it. The merciful display which is made in Christ Jesus, alone can be borne by us. The Lord granted that which would abundantly satisfy. God’s goodness is his glory; and he will have us to know him by the glory of his mercy, more than by the glory of his majesty. Upon the rock there was a fit place for Moses to view the goodness and glory of God. The rock in Horeb was typical of Christ the Rock; the Rock of refuge, salvation, and strength. Happy are they who stand upon this Rock. The cleft may be an emblem of Christ, as smitten, crucified, wounded, and slain. What follows, denotes the imperfect knowledge of God in the present state, even as revealed in Christ; for this, when compared with the heavenly sight of him. is but like seeing a man that is gone by, whose back only is to be seen. God in Christ, as he is, even the fullest and brightest displays of his glory, grace, and goodness, are reserved to another state.
- To see the Messiah is to see God.
| John 12:44 | Jesus cried and said, He that believeth on me, believeth not on me, but on him that sent me. |
| John 12:45 | And he that seeth me seeth him that sent me. |
| John 14:9 | Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father? |
- To receive the Messiah is to receive God.
| Mark 9:36 | And he took a child, and set him in the midst of them: and when he had taken him in his arms, he said unto them, |
| Mark 9:37 | Whosoever shall receive one of such children in my name, receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me, receiveth not me, but him that sent me. |
- To honor the Messiah is to honor God.
| John 5:22 | For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: |
| John 5:23 | That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him. |
- To have a unique oneness with God.
| John 10:27 | My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: |
| John 10:28 | And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. |
| John 10:29 | My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. |
| John 10:30 | I and my Father are one. |
- B. Jesus claimed to be the object of saving faith.
| Matthew 11:28 | Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. |
- C. Jesus claimed to have absolute dominion over His followers.
| Matthew 10:37 | He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. |
| Matthew 10:38 | And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. |
| Matthew 10:39 | He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it. |
- D. To have sovereignty over the laws and institutions of God.
- He claimed lordship over the Temple.
| Matthew 12:6 | But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple. |
- He claimed lordship over the Sabbath.
| Matthew 12:8 | For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day. |
- He claimed lordship over the Kingdom of God.
| Matthew 16:19 | And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. |
- He claimed to be Lord over the covenant.
| Matthew 26:27 | And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; |
| Matthew 26:28 | For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. |
- He claimed absolute sovereignty over the laws and institutions of God.
| John 14:14 | If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it. |
| John 14:15 | If ye love me, keep my commandments. |
| John 15:7 | If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. |
| John 15:8 | Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. |
| John 15:9 | As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. |
| John 15:10 | If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love. |
Another thing I want to say to those who aren’t sure if Jesus is the ONLY way, is that confessing Christ is the only way to eternal life.
Confessing Christ is the only way to have eternal life:
- Confessing Christ is a test of being saints
I John 2:23; 4:2,3
| I John 2:23 | Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: (but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also. |
| I John 4:2 | Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: |
| I John 4:3 | And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. |
- Confessing Christ is an evidence of union with God
1 John 4:15
| I John 4:15 | Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. |
- Confessing Christ is necessary for salvation
Romans 10:9,10
| Romans 10:9 | That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. |
| Romans 10:10 | For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. |
- Confessing Christ ensures his confessing us
Matthew 10:32
| Matthew 10:32 | Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. |
- Consequences of not confessing Christ
Matthew 10:33
| Matthew 10:33 | But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven. |
| Matthew 10:34 | Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. |
- The fear of man prevented some from confessing Christ
John 7:13; 9:22; 12:42,43
| John 12:42 | Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue: |
| John 12:43 | For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God. |
- Persecution should not prevent us from confessing Christ
Mark 8:35-38; II Timothy 2:12; Revelation 2:8-11
| Mark 8:35 | For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it. |
| Mark 8:36 | For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? |
- Confessing Christ Must be connected with faith
Romans 10:9
| Romans 10:8 | But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; |
| Romans 10:9 | That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. |
- Influences of the Holy Spirit necessary to confess Christ
1 Corinthians 12:3; I John 4:2
| I Corinthians 12:3 | Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. |
Confessing Christ is the ONLY way to heaven. Jesus is come to save that which was lost.
| Matthew 18:11 | For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost. |
| II Peter 3:9 | The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. |
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