In this ongoing series, we continue to strip away the veneer of faux spirituality to expose the rotting core of myths that have led many astray in their understanding of Christ and His teachings. These fabrications are not harmless misunderstandings—they are perverse distortions designed primarily to accommodate secular progressive ideologies.

Today, we confront another such mutation: the myth of Jesus as a Universalist. This distorted view has its roots deeply entwined with the blossoming of liberal theology in the 19th and 20th centuries, gaining considerable momentum in the age of moral relativism. Under the guise of grace and inclusion, this perversion of biblical doctrine claims a wide and growing influence, even within mainstream Evangelicalism. The stakes could not be higher. At risk is not just the clarity of Christian doctrine but the eternal destiny of souls.

The notion that Jesus is a universalist has metastasized from the fringes of religious thought to the central nervous system of Evangelicalism. Its corrosive influence can no longer be considered peripheral. Leaders of considerable weight in Christian circles, even Billy Graham, have fanned the flames of this deception, suggesting that reaching out to an unknown God or creator is all that is needed to secure eternal life, regardless of one’s religious affiliation or even explicit knowledge of the name of Jesus.

This sentiment is echoed by popular figures like Rob Bell, who have exchanged the robust, biblically-rooted doctrine of exclusive salvation for a popular, market-friendly form of spirituality. Such spiritual malpractice isn’t merely a deviation—it’s a theological train wreck that imperils souls and disgraces the name of Christ.

When it comes to the issue of salvation, the Bible is crystal clear: Jesus alone is the way, the truth, and the life. “No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). This isn’t mere poetry or metaphor, rather it is a spiritual axiom grounded in the very nature and character of God who declared himself as a “jealous God” who demands exclusive worship. In Acts 4:12, Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, declares before the religious leaders in the temple, “There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Rather than being a “suggestion” or one of “many options,” Peter’s words are an unequivocal statement of fact. In Revelation 20:15, we are severely warned that “anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.” Where is the universalism in that?

But let’s go further. Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount, delivers a piercing caveat that should demolish any notions of universal salvation. In Matthew 7:21-23, He warns that not everyone who calls Him ‘Lord’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only those who do the will of His Father. He concludes with the most terrifying words one could hear from the Savior: “I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.” In context, Jesus is making it abundantly clear that mere lip service, or some abstract notion of ‘knowing Christ,’ is wholly insufficient for salvation.

Therefore, the assertion that Jesus is a universalist is not just an affront to sound biblical exegesis—it is spiritual treason of the highest order. This myth gives false assurance to countless souls, directing them away from the vital urgency to repent and put their trust in Christ alone for salvation. And let’s be straightforward, the gospel of Jesus Christ is exclusive by nature. It is an “offense” to those who reject it (Galatians 5:11), but it is the “power of God for salvation to everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16).

To embrace this dilution of the gospel is not just a minor theological pratfall. It’s a calamitous blunder that bears eternal consequences. We must jettison this myth and be willing to make a defense of the true, biblical gospel, a gospel that saves, a gospel that transforms, and a gospel that leaves no room for theological compromise, even if it costs us everything. Anything less isn’t just bad doctrine—it’s a betrayal of the Christ we claim to serve.