Saviour of All Fellowship
December 1999
Dear Friends in Faith,
The winter 1999 issue of Grace and Truth magazine features the subject of “God’s Purpose of the Eons” with articles on “What is Man?” and “Will God Save all Mankind?” among others. Subscriptions and sample copies can be ordered in the U.S.A. from Phil Scranton. We have received a copy of the most recent printing of The Sovereignty of God and the Destiny of Man, by Stephen Jones and Micheal Wark. This 116 page book covers major issues relating to the truth of universal salvation. It is available from Restoration Bible Church, P.O. Box 325, Royal Oak MI 48068 (suggested price: $8.00). The little periodical, Faith Fellowship, (P.O. Box 3616, Kalamazoo MI 49003) has just completed its 50th year of publication. It was begun under the title, Young People’s Fellowship, in the farm house here in Almont where we have our office. Gertrude Venlet, Dean’s cousin, has continued to prepare and mail the paper throughout this half-century, upholding scriptural truth, including universal reconciliation, in a plain and simple manner. Free for the asking, it can be ordered through us or from the Kalamazoo address above. We have enjoyed the monthly Fellowships in Michigan, Ohio and Ontario during the past year. Because of age and infirmities there will be some changes in our schedule for 2000, but we are making plans to resume these meetings starting in February. “Christ came into the world to save sinners.” How could the heavenly messengers not break forth in wondrous song, rejoicing at what God was doing through His Son for all humanity? Could they rejoice if all of God’s actions were for the benefit of the few who had the strength and resources within themselves to be saved while the rest of humanity continue on everlastingly never bringing forth praise to Christ or thankfulness to God? One of the prerequisites to being saved is being a sinner. And the only way to be saved is to have the Saviour save us. Simple as this is, the message seems to be buried under all the tinsel of the season which is upon us. That God roused Christ from among the dead, being the Firstfruit of vivification, is our daily happiness. As one writer put it: God brought about “the death of death in the death of Christ.” And now we can rest assured that we too shall be vivified. But this is not so due to anything inherent in us. Paul assures us that “in Christ shall all be vivified.” A. J. Paterson wrote in The Latest Word on Universalism (1878) “A loathsome worm grovels in the dust beneath our feet. We see in it no present or prospective beauty. But within that vile form, God can see the butterfly, that is yet to flit on wings of purple and gold, from flower to flower, and sip the choicest nectar. ‘Who shall change our vile body, and fashion it like unto his own glorious body.’” Paul wrote “If there is a soulish body, there is a spiritual [body] also” (1 Corinthians 15:45). Currently all humanity has a soulish body which is one whose actions are derived from the soul. In the future, humanity will have a spiritual body whose actions and life are derived from the spirit. This is based upon God, Who is spirit, Who shall be “All in all” humans. Yours in God’s grace, Dean Hough and Tony Nungesser |