The Garden

I was "saved" (evangelical term) before I embraced UR. So, I feel the same way about those who have not been led to understand it yet. When I meet them, I think, that was me five years ago. I embrace them as fellow believers until they convince me otherwise. UR makes good frosting, but it's not the cake.

I try not to judge someone immediately on what they label themselves as. The most important things are if they a) believe in Jesus through faith alone to be saved and b) if they believe everyone will be saved.

a) and b) are ordered in terms of importance to believe in, with A being more important than B. But they both have a certain level of importance on them.

Of course, the most important thing is to have everyone believe in Jesus Christ to save them. That's the starting point. But with B, it completes it.

With God, the most important thing is starting the creation process itself. Afterwards, the second most important thing is finishing His creation. Both aspects are a part of His creation, with one being the start the other being the end, Alpha and Omega.

Having just a) is like creating a cup, but you don't fill it with water, you just leave it there. b) would be the water. It gives it a purpose, the purpose that God desires it to have, to be used to drink water. Without a purpose, it would just exist without reason, making it meaningless. But God, gives it meaning. So, they go hand in hand.

To use Steven's example. a) is the cake, b) is the icing. The most important thing is making a cake. But, with just a), all you have is essentially a big clump of wheat. There's no purpose to it. But with b), the icing, it gives it meaning.

For my own example, God is a gardener and wants to plant trees. The act of believing in Jesus Christ, being saved, a), is planting that seed. The seed's in the ground, no matter what it will grow. But, God's desire for that seed is to not just keep it at a seed, but to have it grow into a full tree. Understanding b), is essential for that growth process. Of course, if someone doesn't understand b), they can stay as that seed for as long as they want, they will always be saved, they will always be planted and nothing can uproot them because it's safe in God's garden. But it won't grow. And God wants it to grow.

As well, before I was saved, I spent time on Atheist forums, and the biggest complaint against Christianity is that they don't like God because of the false belief of ECT. But UR, shows God's beauty.

Let's say you want to plant a tree. For some people, they trust God with childlike faith, planting that seed in the ground and waiting for it to grow. For other people, they want to know what happens, how it grows, which is b. Some people will try false work-salvation, planting a shovel in the ground, a tire, maybe their old pencil. It's like those other man-made religions. Nothing's going to grow. And of course, it's pointless putting water, plant fertilizer on a big pile of dirt if there's not even a seed in it, a), where someone's an atheist and doesn't even believe in religion. Only the seed that is faith alone in Jesus Christ can be planted, thus saved, and then have the ability to grow, that is, learn UR.

So, for us Universalists, talking to people on the forum, we're like the gardener's helpers. We come, tenderize the ground, give the plants water (Bible verses proving UR), trying to help the plant to grow. Of course, we can't force the plant to grow. It's ultimately up to God when to make the plant grow or not. We don't expect any sort of special rewards or privileges for doing this sort of thing. We just do it because we enjoy helping God in His garden. And also because we understand the pain of being a seed, being trapped in the darkness that is dirt underground. You're scared, wondering if you're friends and families had themselves as seeds planted too. I was like that. Constantly worrying, scared, crying wondering if my own family would be saved or not (Because some of them still falsely believe in works salvation).

But, when you learn about Universal Salvation, you grow out of the dirt and see the light. You see dirt mounds laid row by row, each planted with a seed. You see God the gardener tell you that every seed will grow. He is the ultimate gardener, He will make sure not a single plant rots or wilts. God will save everyone. God will plant everyone's seed and make sure everyone becomes a beautiful tree.

Why did God create us? Why do gardeners plant in their garden when they already have enough food in their fridge. God created us because He desired it.

Just look at the Garden of Eden. God's desire has and always will be to have everyone be happy in His garden. He will never give up on us. Everyone will go to Heaven. God will save everyone.