Good question, and one a lot of people would like to know the answer to. Unfortunately we don't have a lot of information on it, so it is hard to give a solid and clear answer one way or the other. However, I'll do some study on it and then will write a little more here. In the meantime, I'd like to hear what others say on the basis of what they have read in the Bible or in Mrs. White's writings.

Are you sure? Here's what I said:

When conviction comes that person then has the choice whether to reject God's gift or keep it.

"To keep it" means that they have already been "justified to life 'in Christ'"! It's already theirs! Someone needs to tell them.

But you can't bring someone under the umbrella unless he/she wants to....Babies can't reason, so they can't accept Christ. If you say that babies who die before they reach maturity are saved by the faith of their parents then "faith" becomes the Savior instead of Christ.

Yes, I am familiar with that idea. While I don't fully agree with how that is phrased, I do agree with the principle that the gospel informs people that Christ died for them so they can be saved eternally in God's Kingdom.

The problem is that the NT never records Paul or Peter's preaching that "you are already justified and saved. We are here to notify you of these things that have already happened. You have merely to acknowledge them."

No, the proclamation is, "Repent and believe the gospel and you will then be justified and saved."

Jesus already died and already made provision for their justification and salvation, but it is not presented as if the justification and salvation was in there possession before they put their faith in Christ.

I can imagine telling my atheist/agnostic friend, "You know, let me tell you some great news-- God has already forgiven you. You stand at this moment completely justified and as if you have never sinned. He does not see you as a sinner. God already has given you salvation. It is yours now. In fact, this justification and salvation has always been yours since you were born."

How do you suppose he would accept this message?

Likely he would say something such as the following: "OK, fine. Thanks for telling me that really great news. Now that that's taken care of, I'm going to go in the bathroom and brush my teeth and then... " and so on and so forth.

2. Final Restoration. As a boy of 11 years old, I was aware that many people in the church of my fathers discussed this issue. It filled my mind with wonder. On a trip to Indiana with my Uncle Glen Wagoner in 1971, I turned to him in the car and asked “Uncle Glen, do you believe in final restoration?” I honestly wanted to know his thoughts on the subject. After a brief pause, the question was followed by vigorous laughter and a hand on my knee “You’re too young to think about such things, Gerry.” Perhaps I was…perhaps not.

Final restoration insists that every soul created by God would sooner or later be saved and inherit everlasting happiness. It teaches the final destruction of sin and the reconciliation of all souls to God through Jesus Christ. It stressed the triumph of the divine plan for man and the victory of divine love. This was the belief among some of the Anabaptists, such as John Denk. Evidence also exists that that a majority of the Old German Baptist Brethren believed & taught this doctrine during their first 140 years. Over time, this belief would be gradually eroded by the eternal torment school, which virtually took possession of the field. Today, a smaller number of the German Baptist Brethren retain this belief. Elsewhere, the Unitarian Universalist Church is the largest voice for this doctrine.

• The appeal of Final Restoration lies in its description of mercy. If, after all, “Mercy triumphs over judgement,” then this God who was credited with eternal torture takes on a new face. Historically this doctrine was conceived in the minds of men who were long weary of the Greek idea of eternal torture and horrified at it’s implications. It was called Restorationism at first. This doctrine was first developed by Origen (c. 185–c. 254), who wrote in the early centuries of Christianity. Unfortunately, Origen also believed in a form of reincarnation.
• Final Restoration is to be credited for its recognition that the Scriptures do not teach eternal torture. In his book Universal Restoration, Elhanan Winchester rightly observes that the Greek word aionios frequently refers to events that have already ended, as does the Hebrew word for forever – owlam.
• The theory of Universal Restoration (Final Restoration) rests heavily upon a thematic passage found in Isaiah, Romans, and Philippians “For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.” In this statement of God, it is presumed that every knee bowing, and every tongue confessing is evidence of a universal repentance. Final restoration teaches that Hell is a purifying conflagration that consumes away everything impure, thus leaving all sinners in a state of repentant submission.
• Final Restoration is to be commended for its realization that the molten earth (referred to as the fire of Hell) must eventually die out, paving the way for re-creation of the Earth made new.

• Several Biblical issues must be addressed.

 “By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. “Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee. Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffic; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee (emphasis mine). All they that know thee among the people shall be astonished at thee: thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt thou be any more.” Ezekiel 28:16-19). Final Restoration neglects numerous Biblical accounts of destruction by Hellfire and fails to account for the many references to ashes as the only remainder of the wicked (Ezekiel 28:18, Malachi 4:1-3; 2 Peter 2:6).

 “Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you.” While Final Restoration seems to offer relief to the dilemma of being born on a rebellious planet, it creates a worse dilemma for the believer regarding the trustworthiness of God’s righteousness. Put simply, does He mean what He says in his warnings as well as His blessings? If one overlooks all the Scriptural passages that warn destruction of the wicked, it may well persuade him that God’s righteousness is of lesser weight than His mercy. But, both are met in Christ Jesus who died for all, but Who will return with “flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thess:1:5-9). Though our Father bore long with Lucifer, the day came when he was forcefully thrown out of heaven (Revelation 12:9), and the day is likewise coming when he will be burned up. Divine forbearance has a limit.

 The Lamb’s Book of life. The Bible carefully delineates between two classes of people and their relation to the Lamb’s Book of Life. Those with their names written therein are granted by grace, entrance into the New Jerusalem. Those whose names are not written therein are cast into the “second death” (“lake of fire”). These opposing rewards offer no discount in their finality (Revelation 21).

 No second Chance: God extends grace to the living and not to the dead. There is no second chance beyond the veil of this life. The devil would love to convince people that a second chance awaits them, their procrastination rewarded with doom. The Universalist school of thought has, on occasion, given birth to the presumption that life’s decisions are of little consequence in determining our destiny. “I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live” (Deut. 30:19). Admittedly, there are many sincere believers who believe Final Restoration honestly, and I would not suggest for a moment that each of them looks to the eternal future with indifference. That is not an accurate portrayal. However, it must be admitted that Universal Restoration shares an uncomfortable alliance with the New Age philosophy of ultimate bliss for everybody. Life’s choices are thus relegated to the background. The people in the days of Noah lived in their second chance for 120-years, while the door of His ark was open. The waters sealed their choices, whether in the boat or outside.


I wrote a paper on "Final Restoration" in August of 2001. This is lifted from it.


Go in peace,


ger

This excerpt gives a little bit of light into the subject

[quote = The sin of Licenciousness - Ellen G. White Pg 6 of 14]Why Condemned. God will not condemn any at the judgment because they honestly believed a lie, or conscientiously cherished error; but it will be because they neglected the opportunities of making themselves acquainted with truth. The infidel will be condemned, not because he was an infidel, but because he did not take advantage of the means God has placed within his reach to enable him to become a Christian.

So it will be found in the judgment. God's reproof has been plainly uttered against men and women who have sinned by corrupting their bodies and defiling their souls by licentiousness. They have the warnings to others placed in similar circumstances, who have been overcome by the tempter, and they know that the displeasure of God rested upon them. They have the example of Joseph and Daniel, who feared God.

Joseph, when tempted, looked up to heaven, and realized that God's eye was upon him, and he exclaimed, "How can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?" He also urged his duty to his master, who trusted him so fully, as a reason against it.[/quote]

Just to get this all cleared up then is it your opinion that there will be no person saved.....no one at all...who has not "accepted" Christ's sacrifice? Meaning that all saved will have been adults and in their right minds and Christians. Absoluttely no Moslems or Budhists or any such have a chance? No babies at all?...

Is this what you believe John 3:17? "for God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world but that the WORLD through Him might be SAVED"

mel

I really appreciated what you wrote here. You've summarized well some of the most important Bible evidence against universal salvation. While I sympathize and agree with the point which believers in universal salvation make about hell and eternal torment, I don't see how we can harmonize the Bible's clear statements about the destiny of the lost with the idea that everyone will eventually be saved. To do that one must either ignore those Bible passages or else conclude that the Bible says things that it doesn't really mean. I know there are various ways of doing that, such as saying the prophets themselves misunderstood what God was trying to reveal to them. I don't find that an acceptable or reasonable explanation, either. It seems to me to pose far more problems than it solves.

All those that have accepted Christ and His truth wil be saved. But this is what it says:

John 3:18 He who believes on Him is not condemned, but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only-begotten Son of God.
19 And this is the condemnation, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than the Light, because their deeds were evil.

John 14:6 Jesus said to him, I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father but by Me.

John 3: 16-- "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son in order that WHOSOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM should not perish but have everlasting life."

Also include verses 18-21.

There is much that we don't know. We can't really judge in all its details who is going to be saved. All we know is what the Bible says about it-- what God has revealed to us. And the Bible is very clear that belief in the gospel and in Christ is essential, not optional. That is clear from the gospel commission as it reads in Mark 16: 16. It is based on the entire book of Acts. "Neither is there salvation in any other; for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved" (Acts 4: 5).

Whether God chooses to save Muslims and Buddhists without their accepting Christ is up to God, of course. I am sure that he has not chosen to reveal everything to us, but what He has revealed is what we must go by. The Bible is very clear that we cannot assume people are saved apart from faith in Christ. "But the scripture has concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe" (Gal. 3:22).

The bottom line for me is that we must build our theologies of salvation and missions on the Word of God and not on conjecture, human-centered philosophy, and wishful thinking. As a church, our views on these vital subjects must come out of clear teachings of the Bible. We dare not adopt views regarding salvation that contradict the weight of Biblical evidence.

If we believe that Muslims and Buddhists and atheists and Taoists, etc., can be saved equally well through their various world-views or ideas, then what is the urgency of proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ to them?

By the way, I believe that Muslims and Buddhists and others will be saved by putting their faith in Jesus Christ. That is the whole purpose of sending people to proclaim the gospel. Many thousands of them are accepting Jesus Christ every day.

We know very little for certain about the salvation of babies-- the Bible doesn't say anything about it-- and so we must leave God to make those decisions. We do know for sure that we can completely trust Him.

Do I believe there will be some babies in heaven? Yes, I certainly do. They will grow up there. And I can't think of a more perfect place to grow up.