Saviour of All Fellowship
March 2005

Dear Friends in Faith,
     Our acceptance and defense of the truth that all will be reconciled through the blood of Christ’s cross (Col.1:20) is just one aspect of our acceptance of the evangel that Christ died for our sins (1 Cor.15:1-4). The core of our faith is God’s message to us that He spared not His own Son, but gave Him up for us all (Rom.8:32). Christ died for the sake of sinners (Rom.5:8). He came into the world to save sinners (1 Tim.1:15). We are justified gratuitously in God’s grace through the deliverance that is in Christ Jesus (Rom.3:24). This astounding act commends God’s love and reveals His righteousness.
     The poet, John Donne, wrote somewhere, “If God would not have all, why would He have me?” We rejoice that God has given His Son for us. But how could He do so, without doing so for all? And why would He do so for us, and not for all? It is most difficult to see anything of God’s love and righteousness if we insert limitations and restrictions in the evangel. In standing for the message that God is the Saviour of all mankind (1 Tim.4:10), we are coming to appreciate the evangel that Christ gave Himself a correspondent Ransom for all (1 Tim.2:6). We also are coming to appreciate more fully and truly that God is the Saviour in a special way of those who are believing.
     One who believes the truth of universal salvation as it is presented in the Scriptures, is an “evangelical” if that term refers to those whose faith is centered on the evangel. It seems to us that too often “universal salvation” is presented solely on the basis of God’s love and goodness, without much attention to the evangelical revelation that Christ died for sinners. Again, we find some teachers focusing on the reasonableness of this truth in a philosophical sort of way that often ignores its basis in the blood of Christ. Sometimes also, attention is given to the many patterns of God’s ways given in the Old Testament, which imply the ultimate reconciliation of all. But here also, it is surely necessary to relate these to the cross of Christ. That is the basis for the good end that God has designed for all mankind. It is what Christ has done in dying for sinners that is the basis for the revelation of God’s love and righteousness in the salvation of all. That is what insures an end result that harmonizes logically and reasonably with what the Scriptures say about God’s power and wisdom and righteousness and love. That is what gives harmony to the patterns of God’s ways laid down from Genesis forward in the Word of God. And we should not lose sight of that fact.

     We are saddened to hear that our dear sister in Christ, Charlotte McDivitt has passed away. She is the mother of T. M. Ted is a regular speaker at meetings we announce in these newsletters. Charlotte always graced our meetings with a cheerful demeanor. Our condolences go out to her husband, Bud, and family.

Upcoming Fellowship Schedule
April 1-3: Richmond, Virginia fellowship (for further information please contact James Huff at HUFFhappy@aol.com 804-745-1923)
June 10-12: Willard, Ohio

Yours in God’s grace and peace,
Dean Hough and Tony Nungesser

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