Guest Post: Dragging All Humanity Into Christ by Lee O’Hare

NOTE: This post is shared here with permission of my friend, Lee O’Hare, who originally shared this in response to the question of universal reconciliation.

“And when I am lifted up from the earth I will draw all [men] to myself.” John 12:32

Did you know that the word translated here as “draw” is the Greek word HELKYSO which literally means “to drag along, to draw or pull, to persuade or induce”. In other places it is used to describe actually dragging a person off forcibly, often against their will. This is the same word used to describe how the disciples “drew” the net into the boat full of fish….and you know they were pulling with all their might and strength.

The word “all” as in “all [men]” (the word “men” is not in the original but was added by translators) is the Geek word PANTAS which literally means “the whole in its entirety”. The word carries the additional meaning of “the whole including each individual part, one piece at a time”.

When you put that all together you get an absolutely amazingly powerful word picture that when allowed to clearly speak for itself would make John the Beloved guilty of heresy according to most evangelical Christians:

“And when I am lifted up from the earth I will drag along and pull and persuade the whole of mankind, in its entirety, one individual at a time to Myself.”

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So, when we truly understand what is being said in John 12:32, we suddenly realize that Jesus intends to – literally – “drag along and persuade the whole of mankind, in its entirety” to himself, and that, boys and girls, is another way of suggesting that everyone will be redeemed, restored, forgiven, and transformed into the image of Christ; inevitably, inexorably, and universally.

In other words, all will be saved through Christ and no one will escape the ultimate reconciliation process that has already been placed in motion.

As the Apostle Paul affirmed: “God has consigned all to disobedience so that God can show mercy to everyone” [see Romans 11].

If you believe the Gospel of John is true, then you cannot escape the reality that God intends to “make all things new” and nothing in heaven or on earth will stop that from happening.

If you believe that Jesus was the Son of God, then you have to accept that he said these words: “I will drag all humanity into myself.”

If you call yourself a Christian, you cannot escape the reality that all will be saved, redeemed and restored.

There are 76 other verses scattered all throughout the Gospels, the epistles of Paul and other New Testament scriptures that affirm the ultimate restoration and reconciliation of all humanity.

You cannot call yourself a “Biblical Christian” who affirms the inerrancy and infallibility of Scripture and deny these verses.

All will be made new in Christ.

Christ is the one in whom we all live and move and have our being.

We are all filled with the fullness of Christ who fills everything, in every way.

Believe it.

Accept it.

Enjoy it.

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Keith Giles is the best-selling author of the Jesus Un series. He has appeared on CNN, USA Today, BuzzFeed, and John Fugelsang’s “Tell Me Everything.” His latest book, SOLA MYSTERIUM: Celebrating the Beautiful Uncertainty of Everything is available now on Amazon in paperback and on Kindle.