The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-02-08
THE MESSAGE OF THE GOSPEL,
BY REV. ELMER j. FELT.

We have been assured from time to
time, and had almost come to believe,
that the old interpretations of Scrip
ture which made the wrath of God
and an endless doom the occasion of
Christ's advent, had been supplanted,
in the very strongholds of the old
teaching, by more intelligent and
kindly doctrine. Certainly we have
been told again and again that min
listers no longer attempt to brighten
people into repentance and salvation
by holding up before them the alter
native of an endless heaven or an
endless hell.
1t is to be regretted that we can no
longer accept the assurance.
Solely in the interests of truer
and more Christianlike understanding
of the Gospel, The Waterman wishes
to say again, and challenges refuta-
ton, that there is no warrant in the
Old or New Testaments for the teach
ing of an endless unhappiness for a
single creature of Gods creation
That to the contrary, the whole trend
of Scripture and the direct teaching
of isolated passages, are conclusive
evidence, so far as the Scriptures are
concerned, that Gods love is univer-
sal and eternal, and will never aban-
don any soul to endless sin, nor end
less night. Christ is announced as
being sent to "save that which is
lost" The more completely a soul is
lost the more need has it of Saviour.
He says of himself that the Father
has given unto him all things in
heaven and in earth, and that of all
that the Father has given him he
shall lose not one. He declares that
he has overcome the world, which
certainly includes "the flesh and the
devil" and asks his followers TO
overcome evil with good" Does be
ask us to do more than God can do?
Are we to overcome evil with good,
when the infinite God, who holds ON
nipotent good, fails to overcome the
evil of his universes
The Gospel was proclaimed by
Jesus and his apostles to sin -strick-
en- age and nation, and yet it is only
here and there a place where Ian
guage is used that, even under SUI
perficial rendering, can be construed
to declare for the endless doom of any
one who should fail to repent and
accept Christ in this world. An out
cast from society, hereto and apos-
tate from the Christian communion
stained with one of the most vulgar
of sins, comes before the Master. She
stands before him speechless, await
ing his word of condemnation or in
struction. If an endless doom yawned
before that sinful soul why did not
the affectionate Jesus so inform her
and announce that the only way she
might be saved was to confess his
name and be baptizeds How signi
ficant his words, go, and sin no
more" showing that his salvation is
from sin, and sin only. The inherent
improbableness and divine limitless
capacity of the human soul are clear
ly stated in Jesus words "Be ye
therefore perfect, even as your Father
in Heaven is perfect" What seems
to mortal understanding an almost
impossible task, that sin, and pride,
and selfishness, and impurity, I'M
kindness, evil habits, shall be driven
at last out of every human soul, and
the Kingdom of Heaven ushered in,
is declared by Jesus to be possible
with God, "for with God all things
are possible" Self-will, which is the
hardest element of the problem of
salvation, seems hard to overcome,
and we give it up many times in the
cases of "the children of this world"
Does that imply that God shall also
some time give it upi Finally Jesus
asks US to consider God as our Faith
er, and without giving us any special
definition of the word father, leaves
us to understand its meaning from
our own earthly experience and I'M
derstanding. The idea of fatherhood
which maintains in every gentle hui
man heart is that of a tireless solicit
tude and endless endeavor to reclaim
the hayward child with limitless pa
thence. The father who lays up a
lasting grudge against his son wins
not the approval but the condemna-
ton of all right-minded men.
The message of the Gospel is one
of good news, never bad news. There
is never time, can never be time,
when the Gospel of Jesus Christ will
not be good news to the repentant
sinners heart. The aWfulness of sin