For Unto Us…Not Them
There are a couple of scandals that make up Christianity. One of them is the sovereignty of God in salvation. He saved us (Tit 3:5); it was not of ourselves (Eph 2:8); not by our free will (Jn 1:13) or our doing (1 Cor 1:30). The second scandal is the exclusivity of salvation. Salvation is for God’s elect, redeemed, regenerate, believing people.
This morning, I am seeing Christmas greetings on Facebook, and Isaiah 9:6 seems to be the popular verse posted, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulders: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” As I repeatedly read this verse, the phrase, “to us,” became a focal point for my thoughts.
Those who hate the exclusivity of Christ Jesus (Jn 14:6), and His exclusive salvation, are Universalists. The Universalist teaches that God loves everyone; Christ died for everyone; and everyone is saved, whether they know it or not. The Universalist’s god would never send anyone to hell. Obviously, the Universalist hates the God of the Bible (Rom 1:30), and he is all too happy to twist biblical doctrine, to suit his preference.
The Universalist reads Isaiah 9:6, “For unto us…” He interprets “us” to be a universal pronoun, including everyone, everywhere, and at all times. Without much discernment, most people celebrating Christmas will do the same. Although the term, “Universalist” is rarely uttered in Christian circles, and easily dismissed as error when presented, the fact is that Universalism is a widely-invasive ideology polluting the church.
As secularism demands more and more inclusivity, exclusivity becomes foreign, even offensive. If secularism is forced to address anything Christian, they will support Universalism, for its all-inclusive position. God must love everyone, or He/She/It is unworthy. Christ must die for everybody, or He is a bigot. Everyone must be saved, or God is not fair.
The “us” written by the prophet Isaiah, some 700 years before Christ’s incarnation, was the Israel of God (Is 49:3, 6; Gal 6:16). Israel is the name given to God’s chosen people, typified in the Old Testament by the Hebrews, but inclusive of all the elect people of God from every nation, tribe, and tongue (Rev 5:9).
Throughout the Bible, from Cain and Abel (Gen 4), there are two diametrically opposed groups of people. These two groups are identified by two different, yet familiar, classifications. There are the righteous and the wicked, the wise and the foolish. Christ was not given to the wicked, nor born unto fools.
Jesus Himself spoke of this distinction with terms like: wheat and tares; sheep and goats; etc. The apostle John identified the children of the devil, in contrast with the children of God (1 Jn 3:10). Paul, the apostle, wrote of unbelievers, contrasted with those in the faith, that is, in Christ.
It is rare for Christians to speak of this clear delineation because of the delusional spirit of Universalism that has come upon much of the church. Just as the Israelites were led astray by demons, into idolatry, so many in the church are unregenerate, and they are easily persuaded into unsound doctrine and practice.
Who is he that ever speaks of the exclusivity of Christmas? The incarnation of the eternal Son of God (Jn 1:14), as a body prepared for substitutionary sacrifice (Heb 10:5), for the benefit of God’s elect people (Eph 1:4–5), is not on most peoples’ minds, today. Christians do celebrate Christmas, and the reprobate pretend to, with their happy holiday traditions. For unto them, a child was not born, nor was a son given.
Taking Universalism out of the pronoun “us,” in Isaiah 9:6, and a whole host of other Bible passages, may or may not happen on a larger scale than my three-plus readership, but with this article, my hope is to shed some light on the doctrinal/spiritual war being waged in the church, over an inclusivist Christmas. Those who read of the exclusivity of Christmas will probably not like it.
In asking you to consider the scope of a pronoun, I am also asking you to look at who God’s covenant of grace is to benefit. I am asking you to do a serious study of the two groups of people in the Bible. I am asking you to reconsider all areas where Universalism is embraced by you (e.g. love; election; redemption; etc.).
Do you believe God loves everyone? Read Psalm 5:5; 11:5; and Romans 9:13. Do you believe God elected everyone to salvation? Read Romans 9:22. Do you believe Christ died for everyone? Read Matthew 1:21; Luke 1:68; John 10:11, 15; Acts 20:28; Ephesians 5:23, 25.
Universalism is a false teaching of a false doctrine, meant to deceive professing Christians into believing inclusivism for the incarnation. The truth is that unto us…not them, a child was born and a son was given. We celebrate Jesus, His Person and work, including the incarnation. They celebrate something else.
David Norczyk
Spokane Valley, Washington
December 4, 2022
