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Romans 5:18 states, "Therefore as by the offense of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life." The popular Calvinistic doctrine is that all men bear the sin of Adam and are condemned without Christ has caused those of the doctrine of universalism to say that all men are saved because Christ died on the cross of calvary. One of these doctrines is as plausible as the other. The truth is that all men are not condemned because Adam sinned but responsible men have sinned and are condemned. Likewise people must take advantage of the salvation Christ brought by obeying Him if they are to be saved. It is available to all but all do not have it. 1. Romans 5:19 states: "For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous." Notice that many are made sinners because Adam sinned. How were they made sinners? Because they were faced with the temptations of this world and fell to sin. Likewise by the obedience of Christ many are made righteous. How are they made righteous? Jesus said, "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved." (Mk. 16:16). Paul said, "ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness." (Rom. 6:17, 18). 2. The point is that people who become responsible have to fall to the temptations to sin to be lost. People have to accept the salvation the Lord offers by an obedient faith in order to be saved. There are many things in the Bible which show that all people are not going to heaven. 3. The Lord speaks of two ways to travel in Matthew 7:13, 14. "Enter ye in at the strait gate; for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." How could this statement of the Lord Jesus Christ be true if all people are going to heaven? Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6). The truth of Jesus is that there is a broad way that leads to destruction and many are going down that road in spite of the fact that he shed his blood to save all men. The point is the people who refuse Jesus and walk in the ways of the devil are headed to destruction. This is the majority of the people of this world and we need to be doing all we can to change them because the way they are living they are lost. 4. The judgment day scene of Matthew 25:31-46 pictures two groups standing before the Lord Jesus Christ. "Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels" (Mat. 25:41). Here the reason given was not having a benevolent spirit of helping those in need. Too many people have a spirit of helping themselves only and have no care for those less fortunate than they. This can cause people to spend eternity in everlasting fire. The point is all people are not going to heaven because Jesus died on the cross for the sins of the world. 5. In the judgment scene of Revelation 20:11-15 this statement is made, "And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." In Revelation 21 a beautiful description of the city of heaven is given and the Lord said, "And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life." (Rev. 21:27). We need our names in the book of life to go to heaven. Who are written there? "To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven" (Heb. 12:23). We must be in the Lord's church to be written in heaven. The saved are added to the Lord's church (Acts 2:47). "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved: but he that believeth not shall be damned." (Mk. 16:16) Do you not see the reason all are not going to heaven? Those who say that all will be saved usually deny the inspiration of the Bible except for a few favorite passages.They reason that God has too much love for people to let them be lost. People who believe the Bible know that God did not spare the angels who sinned, the people who died in the flood, nor wicked Sodom and Gomorrah. He also reserves the unjust to the day of judgment to be punished. (2 Pet. 2:4-9).
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