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God Does Not Foreclose: The Universal Promise of Salvation
David Lowes Watson wants to remove a major blockage in the church--the self-centered pursuit of spiritual amphetamines--by acknowledging the responsibilities of universal salvation and the demands placed upon faithful
How can Christians effectively hold the tension between the gospel and the seductions of the world?
How can we be committed to the church in a way that guards against thoughtless or self-centered discipleship?
How can we be committed to discipleship in a way that guards against theological procrastination?
David Lowes Watson demonstrates through careful biblical exegesis that all persons are the benefactors of divine grace, but that persons known as Christians are called to a disciplined discipleship. When identifying the role of the clergy and laity as facilitators of these disciplined leaders, Watson explains why no person has the right to declare who is inside or outside of God's universal love.
How can Christians effectively hold the tension between the gospel and the seductions of the world?
How can we be committed to the church in a way that guards against thoughtless or self-centered discipleship?
How can we be committed to discipleship in a way that guards against theological procrastination?
David Lowes Watson demonstrates through careful biblical exegesis that all persons are the benefactors of divine grace, but that persons known as Christians are called to a disciplined discipleship. When identifying the role of the clergy and laity as facilitators of these disciplined leaders, Watson explains why no person has the right to declare who is inside or outside of God's universal love.
160 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 1990
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February 25, 2026
SOME SUGGESTIONS FOR THE CHURCH, FROM A UNIVERSALIST
David Lowes Watson is Director of the Office of Pastoral Formation of the Nashville area of the United Methodist Church. He pastored inner-city and rural congregations, and taught at Southern Methodist University, Perkins School of Theology, and Wesley Theological Seminary.
He wrote in the Introduction to this 1990 book, “This book intends to make a … contribution toward the clearing of a major blockage in the North American church… [that] has been caused by an old error: the misappropriation of God’s grace as a particular benefit for Christians rather than a universal gift to be shared with the world. What in fact is the pouring out of God’s love through Jesus Christ on the whole of humankind has come to be viewed as the privileged possession of some. Instead of channels of grace, congregations have come to be viewed as Christic health spas, where needy, but sensible, people may come to soothe their earthly discomforts and heighten their spiritual well-being.” (Pg. 9)
He continues, “Enculturation … is when the church succumbs to the sociocultural environment, as it has today in the United States… Paul declared that the gospel could not be contained in the Jewish tradition… The grounds for suggesting that the North American church finds itself confronted with this same issue today are what might best be described as a middle-age crisis of confidence… the serious questioning of all that has hitherto [been believed]; and the persistent, nagging possibility that much of what we have done so far has been a terrible mistake.” (Pg. 10-12)
He states, “Christian discipleship… entailed countercultural beliefs and a countercultural life-style of active expectancy of the coming reign of God… It meant announcing with the power of the Holy Spirit that God’s righteousness would ultimately prevail, on earth as in heaven. And it meant accepting responsibility …. also for ensuring that the task was duly handed on to the next generation of faithful disciples.” (Pg. 55)
He observes, “More than anything else, it is the open future of the gospel message, looking to the fulfillment of Christ’s promises in his parousia, that ultimately governs the identity of our discipleship. It means for one thing that, as Christians, we do not have all the answers… In plain words, it means that God’s redemption of planet Earth is more, much more, than the salvation of individuals. It means that God’s salvation in Christ cannot and must not be reduced to piecemeal soteriological transactions. Any attempt on the part of individual Christians to announce that they are saved is altogether premature. Christians know they are going to be saved; they know they are being saved, and in one sense, a very limited sense, they have a foretaste of their salvation. But the fullness of God’s salvation, the culmination of God’s saving-righteousness, the new heavens and the new earth, all of these lie in the future. No one has the fullness; not yet.” (Pg. 64-65)
He states, “These scriptural concepts of universal grace demonstrate convincingly that our dilemma of discipleship in North America is in fact a crisis of identity. The mission to which Christians are called is that of proclaiming the universal acts of God, and the church must look beyond itself to the will of God for the world, avoiding the false identity of defining itself at the expense of the world. Christian self-understanding must be that of election to a particular relationship, with God FOR the world, not FROM it.” (Pg. 72)
He asserts, “the central truth of scripture [is] that God’s supreme nature is one of saving-righteousness; and that divine justice is supremely declared in God’s covenant to save the whole of God’s creation.” (Pg. 83)
He says, “At this juncture, there are those who will ask what is the purpose of evangelism, or even the point of being a Christian... Is human response to the gospel of any significance, if our salvation is in fact a birthright by virtue of our very humanity? The answer is a resounding Yes!… having won the pivotal battle against the forces of evil in the world, this Ruler is now primarily concerned with putting right what is wrong, healing what is diseased, and restoring planet Earth to its rightful place in the cosmos… The children of God must behave like children of God. Then, and only then, will Christ’s work be done.” (Pg. 93)
He explains, “We do not, therefore, invite people to be saved. That is a travesty of grace, which turns the cross into little more than the opportunity to negotiate an advantageous arrangement. Rather, we inform them of their salvation, and suggest that, since the new age of Jesus Christ is already here and imminently to be fulfilled, this is a reality they would be well advised to accept---right now. For in this new age of God’s basileia [kingdom], the retention of bad habits will cause a marked degree of discomfort.” (Pg. 107)
He proposes, “our churchly identity must be one of an inclusive, unconditional, open, gracious community. Congregations must be places where people find forgiveness and reconciliation in Christ through the infinitely varied and empathetic working of the Holy Spirit, irrespective of their response to the gospel or the depth of their commitment to Christian discipleship.” (Pg. 140)
He concludes, “mentors will be needed … to lead us in worship and devotion, in compassion and justice… They must be acknowledged, commissioned, respected, and affirmed in their disciplined commitment; not as those who are privileged, but as those who are responsible; not as those who are closer to Christ than the rest of us, but as those who are more seasoned in their obedience to Christ; not as those who, already saved, are showing the rest of us how to be saved, but as those who, treading the path ahead, are showing the rest of us how to work out our salvation.” (Pg. 146)
This book will interest some Christians open to the idea of universal salvation.
David Lowes Watson is Director of the Office of Pastoral Formation of the Nashville area of the United Methodist Church. He pastored inner-city and rural congregations, and taught at Southern Methodist University, Perkins School of Theology, and Wesley Theological Seminary.
He wrote in the Introduction to this 1990 book, “This book intends to make a … contribution toward the clearing of a major blockage in the North American church… [that] has been caused by an old error: the misappropriation of God’s grace as a particular benefit for Christians rather than a universal gift to be shared with the world. What in fact is the pouring out of God’s love through Jesus Christ on the whole of humankind has come to be viewed as the privileged possession of some. Instead of channels of grace, congregations have come to be viewed as Christic health spas, where needy, but sensible, people may come to soothe their earthly discomforts and heighten their spiritual well-being.” (Pg. 9)
He continues, “Enculturation … is when the church succumbs to the sociocultural environment, as it has today in the United States… Paul declared that the gospel could not be contained in the Jewish tradition… The grounds for suggesting that the North American church finds itself confronted with this same issue today are what might best be described as a middle-age crisis of confidence… the serious questioning of all that has hitherto [been believed]; and the persistent, nagging possibility that much of what we have done so far has been a terrible mistake.” (Pg. 10-12)
He states, “Christian discipleship… entailed countercultural beliefs and a countercultural life-style of active expectancy of the coming reign of God… It meant announcing with the power of the Holy Spirit that God’s righteousness would ultimately prevail, on earth as in heaven. And it meant accepting responsibility …. also for ensuring that the task was duly handed on to the next generation of faithful disciples.” (Pg. 55)
He observes, “More than anything else, it is the open future of the gospel message, looking to the fulfillment of Christ’s promises in his parousia, that ultimately governs the identity of our discipleship. It means for one thing that, as Christians, we do not have all the answers… In plain words, it means that God’s redemption of planet Earth is more, much more, than the salvation of individuals. It means that God’s salvation in Christ cannot and must not be reduced to piecemeal soteriological transactions. Any attempt on the part of individual Christians to announce that they are saved is altogether premature. Christians know they are going to be saved; they know they are being saved, and in one sense, a very limited sense, they have a foretaste of their salvation. But the fullness of God’s salvation, the culmination of God’s saving-righteousness, the new heavens and the new earth, all of these lie in the future. No one has the fullness; not yet.” (Pg. 64-65)
He states, “These scriptural concepts of universal grace demonstrate convincingly that our dilemma of discipleship in North America is in fact a crisis of identity. The mission to which Christians are called is that of proclaiming the universal acts of God, and the church must look beyond itself to the will of God for the world, avoiding the false identity of defining itself at the expense of the world. Christian self-understanding must be that of election to a particular relationship, with God FOR the world, not FROM it.” (Pg. 72)
He asserts, “the central truth of scripture [is] that God’s supreme nature is one of saving-righteousness; and that divine justice is supremely declared in God’s covenant to save the whole of God’s creation.” (Pg. 83)
He says, “At this juncture, there are those who will ask what is the purpose of evangelism, or even the point of being a Christian... Is human response to the gospel of any significance, if our salvation is in fact a birthright by virtue of our very humanity? The answer is a resounding Yes!… having won the pivotal battle against the forces of evil in the world, this Ruler is now primarily concerned with putting right what is wrong, healing what is diseased, and restoring planet Earth to its rightful place in the cosmos… The children of God must behave like children of God. Then, and only then, will Christ’s work be done.” (Pg. 93)
He explains, “We do not, therefore, invite people to be saved. That is a travesty of grace, which turns the cross into little more than the opportunity to negotiate an advantageous arrangement. Rather, we inform them of their salvation, and suggest that, since the new age of Jesus Christ is already here and imminently to be fulfilled, this is a reality they would be well advised to accept---right now. For in this new age of God’s basileia [kingdom], the retention of bad habits will cause a marked degree of discomfort.” (Pg. 107)
He proposes, “our churchly identity must be one of an inclusive, unconditional, open, gracious community. Congregations must be places where people find forgiveness and reconciliation in Christ through the infinitely varied and empathetic working of the Holy Spirit, irrespective of their response to the gospel or the depth of their commitment to Christian discipleship.” (Pg. 140)
He concludes, “mentors will be needed … to lead us in worship and devotion, in compassion and justice… They must be acknowledged, commissioned, respected, and affirmed in their disciplined commitment; not as those who are privileged, but as those who are responsible; not as those who are closer to Christ than the rest of us, but as those who are more seasoned in their obedience to Christ; not as those who, already saved, are showing the rest of us how to be saved, but as those who, treading the path ahead, are showing the rest of us how to work out our salvation.” (Pg. 146)
This book will interest some Christians open to the idea of universal salvation.
July 7, 2007
So, I loved this book. For those of you interested in universal salvation that crosses theological boundaries, I think this is it. Using an ecumenical understanding of Christian discipleship as a framework while infusing it with a Wesleyan understanding of grace, Lowes Watson describes God's gift of salvation to all persons as that which cannot be bought, sold, or obtained in any way other than birthright. You know, there is that issue of "losing your salvation" that Wesley firmly believed. Lowes Watson elaborates clearly that those of us who have experienced God's grace and have knowledge of God's gift thorugh Christ, need to be about the work of God. But don't worry God's love is gigantic enough to include all of us sinners.
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