Universalism is heresy — and what Judah Smith of Hillsong and pastor of City Church in Seattle says is awfully close, if not actual universalist heresy.
Previously, Judah Smith announced on Twitter that “Jesus is not your judge.”
Of course, anyone who’s ever read the Bible knows that Jesus is your judge — and he judges harshly and righteously. 2 Corinthians 5:10 says,
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.
Now, Smith is declaring that the reason God eats with sinners is that we are of “infinite value” to him and that he sees us all as “his children.”
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Scripture, however, objects to this inclusive universal gospel — God does not see all people as his children. The Bible says that we are at enmity with God because of our sin (James 4:4, 1 John 2:15, etc.) and that only when we come to Christ and are saved by faith are we then adopted by Him as His children (Galatians 3:26).
The implications of this false teaching are that God will “overlook” our sin because of our “value” rather than forgive our sin because it’s been dealt with at the cross. It’s a false gospel and Judah Smith is a false teacher.