The One For All

The One For All

[Begin with a puzzle ball. Demonstrate how one piece holds it together.]

I have been asked to offer teaching and preaching on the question of whether or not the ELCA believes in universal salvation. The quick answer is yes. But, so that there is no confusion this belief in universal salvation is not the same as universalism. Universalism holds that all people will eventually be saved. Put another way; that all paths lead to God. This we do not hold to be true. There is only one path which leads to God, it is the path of Christ. There may be many twists and turns in this path, and we may encounter people who appear to be walking in the opposite direction as we are. Still, there is only one path. What we hold to be true is that God will judge us all. But, because of Jesus' death and resurrection, we believe that his judgment will be with grace and mercy, which is more powerful than his wrath. In the end, like the puzzle ball, we believe that this one single piece—the Good News of Jesus Christ—is what has the power to hold us all together in this world and in the next.

In today’s Gospel lesson, did you catch that one little moment in the text when God’s grace comes out? It’s very subtle, but its there. The disciples look at Jesus with Moses and Elijah, and they quickly want to build something. Then, God addresses them. “This is my Son. Listen to him!”

Since its beginning, based on New Testament texts, Christianity has made an exclusive claim: Jesus Christ is God’s only Son, sent to redeem the world. This claim has fueled, throughout history, innumerable mission endeavors aimed at proclaiming the Gospel message in order to "save" human beings who have not heard the story of salvation. In turn, these efforts have raised questions such as, "What about those who never heard, did not believe, weren’t reached, had no opportunity to hear the Gospel?" and "Will only Christians be saved?"
The traditional medieval Roman Catholic response was, "There is no salvation outside the Church." Protestants later rejected that claim and substituted their revised version of exclusiveness. Which was, "Apart from faith there is no salvation." Of course, this faith would come only from being baptized into the Christian faith upon hearing the claims of the preached Gospel. However, both Roman Catholics and Protestants provided various "loophole" theologies. There were second chances for those of "invincible ignorance" (Roman Catholic), or those "not accountable," e.g. infants, mentally retarded, etc. (Protestants). Others would assert that Jesus – the valid avenue for Christians – is only one of many ways that lead to the God of the universe, and that other religions possess equally valid paths to God.


Today, Lutheran theology asserts that all of these views are based on a defective understanding of the New Testament. Today, limiting God’s redemption by exclusivity or loopholes, or placing Christ in a pantheon of world saviors, demonstrates that, "Our thinking about Christ is too small." The ELCA acknowledges that, "In answer to John the Baptist’s question, 'Are you the one who is to come?' the Good News answer is 'yes, and we need not look for another.'" Nothing is more certain in the New Testament than its intention to picture Jesus in an utterly exclusive way, making this claim the heart of the Gospel, itself.


However, we understand the exclusivity of this claim in the way ELCA Lutherans approach all theological questions – by understanding God’s grace, God’s action in Christ.


The Christian hope for salvation, whether for the believing few or the unbelieving many, is grounded in the person and meaning of Christ alone, not in the potential of the world’s religions to save, nor in the moral seriousness of people of good will, not even in the good works of pious Christians and church people. ... There is a universalist thrust in the New Testament, particularly in Paul’s theology. How else can we read passages such as 'for as all die in Adam, so all will be made alive in Christ'.


ELCA Lutherans hold that, Salvation in the New Testament is what God has done to death in the resurrection of Jesus. Salvation is what God has in store for you and me and the whole world in spite of death, solely on account of the living risen Christ. ... The universal scope of salvation in Christ includes the destiny of our bodies together with the whole earth and the whole of creation. This cosmic hope is based on the promise of eternal life sealed by the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. Through raising Jesus from the dead, God put death to death, overcoming the deadliest enemy of life at loose in the world. This hope for the final salvation of humanity and the eternal universal redemption of all things in heaven and on earth ... is drawn from the unlimited promise of the Gospel and the magnitude of God’s grace made known to the world through Christ."


But what of faith? Isn’t faith necessary for salvation? ELCA Lutherans proclaim, "To say we are saved by faith alone means we let God-in-Christ do all the saving that needs to be done, apart from any works we can perform. ... If I confess that God has saved me, a lost and condemned sinner, whom else can he not save? Faith is precisely awareness that God’s accepting love reaches out to all sinners, even to me. Faith is the opening of heart and mind to the universal grace and goodness of God." Therefore, to answer the frequestly asked question, "Are you saved?" The Lutheran can faithfuly proclaim with boldness, "Yes! Because Jesus died for me!"


For ELCA Lutherans, The special quality of Jesus’ uniqueness is best grasped in terms of his universal meaning. This concrete person, Jesus of Nazareth, is unique because of his unequaled universal significance. The point of his uniqueness underlines his universality. If Jesus is the Lord and Savior, he is the universal Lord and Savior, not merely my personal Lord and Savior. Because Jesus is the unique and universal Savior, there is a large hope for salvation, not only for me and others with the proper credentials of believing and belonging to the church, but for all people whenever or wherever they might have lived and no matter how religious or irreligious they may have proved to be themselves. This grace of God, given freely is offered to all.


The New Testament is full of warnings about substituting right words and doctrines as religious screens against the living word and will of God. Still, these warnings are not God’s last word. The final word is that God came to the world in Christ in order to redeem the world, and that nothing can come between God’s creation and God’s all-encompassing love. That is precisely how ELCA Lutherans understand Jesus' claim that, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me." (John 14:6) What God has done in Christ is done for all; God’s act in Christ is the way that all come to God. This Good News we are compelled to joyously share with all people: "God has acted in Christ, and you are the recipient of this loving act."
To those who often passionately argue that "while God offers grace and salvation to all, humans must accept it with deep repentance and a change of life," the ELCA cautions against making salvation into a work that we accomplish by our response to God’s offer. Rather, in our telling the Good News we pray that those who hear "will present" themselves "to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and present their lives to God as instruments of righteousness".


Will, then, all people be saved in the end? We must say quite honestly, "We do not know the answer. That is stored up in the mystery of God’s own future. All God has let us know in advance is that he will judge the world according to the measure of his grace and love made known in Jesus Christ. What I can tell you with the assurance given to one of faith and trust in what God has done in Christ is that I am saved. My friends, you can claim this in faith as well. Furthermore, this invitation of the heart is given to all people because of what Christ has done. None of can know what God has in store for the other. But, we can and do know what God has in store for us.

Like the puzzle, there is One who was given for all. This One has the power to hold us all together. One who came to make known to all that God’s judgment is not of wrath and vengeance, but of grace, mercy and love. Therefore we can trust in him, and follow the path of his son, Jesus.

This message challenges us to live likewise in this pluralistic world; to judge not with wrath or vengeance, but with the same grace, mercy and love that God has already shown us by the death and resurrection of the One who is for all.

Amen