It is proper to ask questions. It is improper to seek answers from man. Man has no answers about eternity. Man is seeking as much as the questioner. Though our authorities, the prophetic and apostolic writings found in your Bible, look very much like "man", it is our faith that the words they have given us are God-breathed, straight from Heaven.

Therefore we ask questions from God through these writings. What questions they answer, they answer very clearly. What they don't seem to answer, we assume is not necessary for us to know.

For example, there is a legitimate question, I believe, regarding those who have never heard the Gospel. There are several ways to deal with this issue, but it does not seem that a definitive word has been given. Nevertheless, the command to us is to preach the Gospel to every member of creation. We need not worry about what does not happen, only what does. Commands from Father negate philosophical queries of sons.

Clues in the Scripture do point to nature as being a messenger of God. There is some indication that a person who sees nature and wants to know more about its Creator, and His demands, will be visited by God in some way.

However we understand how God will deal with the lost, there is the principle of depravity with which to deal. The tribes of Canaan's time were utterly evil, and all had to be destroyed, including what we like to call "innocent" children, for the seed of evil was only going to continue reproducing.

So it is on every continent. Utterly depraved sinful humanity labors under a curse. Some will be snatched out of the flames when we give them access. But no one will be allowed to confront God with a righteous claim to eternal life. All have sinned.

I speak of this Scriptural mystery, but offer it in contrast to the Universalist position, which goes so much farther than to "correct" the problem, as though one needed to improve on the justice of God. The problem of "What about those who have never heard?" is not solved by saying that every human who ever lived, whether he wants it or not, whether he is covered by Calvary or not, will one day see the grace of God that will allow him into the Heavenly City, world without end.

No. As we have seen in nearly every book of the New Testament, the record does not support this fantasy. Justice will prevail when grace is finally withdrawn. The eternal justice of the eternal God demands payment. Those who refuse the payment already offered must pay their own way. And what price can equal the blood of God Himself?

The tragedy of this doctrine is that "all will be saved" soon becomes "all are saved" which becomes "What's the difference?" which becomes the Universal religion. And that truly is coming, but it belongs to Satan.

And what does "saved" mean, anyway? Rescued. Delivered. From what? Sin. Why? Death is the payment for sin. Eternal death. When one is saved from this awful fate, he is in a position to praise God forever. Eternally deserved punishment was mine. Now it isn't.

But when the news is, "You are already saved, you were born saved, you will die saved, don't sweat it," every possible connection to the Christian culture is warped. Joy recedes. The Great Commission is not needed. Holiness is out. Separation is out. The whole salvation experience is out, along with the "narrow way", the call to suffer for Jesus, the entire meaning of being the "called out", the "elect."

Universalism fails every Biblical test, and needs to be avoided and condemned. Its followers need to be urged immediately to repudiate this doctrine so as not to poison further the wells of salvation that flow for unclean souls.

Which reminds me of why I started this study to begin with. One day on Facebook there was this old friend of mine...

But that's mine to deal with.