Romans 4:14-16. We all know this theology of Paul. Salvation is by grace through faith. Those who remain under the law will not inherit anything except the wrath of God. How says the Universalist differently? Certainly Paul is not their ally!

We shall be saved by the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ, given to "us" who believe. The we and the us of Paul are the significant words here! Not all. Just us.

Follow that thought into chapter 5...

Romans 5. A battleground chapter. But really not so difficult if we go slowly and consistently.

First, the subject of the chapter is still we. We believers. We have peace. We are justified. We have access into grace. We glory in all our troubles. Christ died for us, while we were sinners. We will be saved from wrath. Which means there is a wrath from which to be saved.

He goes on. We were enemies. We have been reconciled.

Next, Paul has a discussion about origins that springs from all of this talk of our salvation. Let me break it down into as simple terms as possible:

• Adam sinned. Sin and Death came through him. "Many" died. In fact, all died.
• Jesus died. Now grace comes to "many." In fact, it comes to all. But not all receive it. That's why the term many can be used in both sentences and be appropriate. The word all would be confusing here, because the parallel would not be exact. All were condemned, but not all will be saved.
• For the many, abundance of grace will be received through Christ's righteousness. We established above that in this same extended discussion, "we" who believe are those people who receive such a gift. There are many of us. But we are not "all."
• Many is not all. Many is we. That doesn't sound grammatically correct, but theologically it's right on.

So where was the battle of this chapter, you ask? I mean, it's so obvious that Paul is talking about believers here. It's equally obvious that not all men have faith. Well, obvious to you and me, but the Universalist sees a free gift coming to all men without the responsibility for someone's faith being attached to it. The gift is given out whether we want it or like it or rejoice in it, or not. Imposed salvation. Imposed grace. Robotic servants.

No, this is not the truth of Scripture. The truth is, whosoever WILLS may come. Whoever WANTS TO be there shall be there.

Romans 6 continues the discussion, over and over using the word we to identify the recipients of God's grace. There is a we and there is a they. They are different as day and night, as saved and lost, as heaven and hell, as the next world and this world. They are not to be mixed into one pot. God doesn't. Universalists do, and herein is their grievous error.

Romans 8:14, 19, 33. Once more the division. There is a collection of people in the world called sons of God. They are the ones who have been filled with God's Spirit and are being led by that Spirit. All others are not the children of God. We call this first group the "invisible" church, the true church. Your denomination or group or movement is not the true church. Only this Sons of God Group.

God will never send any of His sons to eternal torment. God will not put His children in a Lake of Fire. There is no outer darkness for His sons. But not all are His sons. The rest of the world is in some way related to Lucifer. And ever shall be.

Meanwhile the world continues to wait for the revelation of these true sons. When Jesus comes, and they are revealed and placed in charge of the earth, the earth will be renewed and beautified and the government will be on His shoulder.

And one of the reasons all this will be possible is that the true Son Himself will have judged those unworthy of the dignity of being a family member, a dignity imputed to the family by Jesus' sacrifice and blood.

Universalism would destroy the boundary between true and false, would deny the entire doctrine of election and choosing and calling and church. How wrong can one doctrine be? This wrong.