The Biblical Basis For No Hell by David Sanderson

When Larry asked me to write this article, I turned a little whiter.  How do I write an article fit for a blog trying to explain “Why I don't believe in Hell”?  The 'reasons' I don't believe any such thing (or any version of it, no matter how delicate) extend throughout Scripture itself and it simply isn't possible to quote the entire bible in a blog post.

About six and a half years ago, after 30+ years of sincere christianity followed by 20+ years of rank worldliness and sin, desiring mostly that whatever was left of the God of my youth just leave me the hell alone, I suddenly and unexpectedly came to believe in just a few minutes the Scriptural 'basics' which I will attempt to share here.

Just as it is impossible to quote the entire Bible in a blog post, it is impossible to relate a “testimony” or life story that prepared me to make such a leap.  I simply didn't go from sincere eight-year-old wanting to be like Jesus, to cynical 50-year-old wanting to be an atheist “overnight”.  I did, however, come to believe in the Salvation of all—quite literally--“overnight”, though it took (for me) every minute of what preceded that night to make that night possible.

In considering how to answer Larry's invitation, I've forced myself to narrow it down to three major Scriptural reasons or headings.  These are insufficient both in number and in content to answer such a question, but perhaps will pry open a little thought.  I first 'believed' with less information than this, but I know of others who needed more.  The “more” I needed came after I believed.

Let me begin with this.  I am probably not a theological "liberal".  I say "probably" not, because I don't really know what that means.  I believe the Scripture and that the words of Scripture are inspired of God.  I have no such 'faith' in biblical translations, however.
I also believe the words of Scripture that explain what Scripture is, and how it must be read and understood, and consequently, taught.  Here are a few:

1. God cannot lie.  (Titus 1:2)
2. His words are Spirit and they are life, and they must be spiritually discerned.
3. It cannot be 'broken' (that is, contradict or be contradicted).
I absolutely do NOT ascribe the same characteristics to the words of men—not even to myself.
One more, related to Jesus' words recorded in the Gospels:

Mat 13:34  All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them:
Mar 4:33, 34  And with many such parables spake he the word unto them, as they were able to hear it.  But without a parable spake he not unto them: and when they were alone, he expounded all things to his disciples.

It's also clear that He spoke to his disciples often with parables.
If I were a "theological liberal", I may could give you dozens of reasons from that perspective why I believe the christian hell does not exist.  Perhaps that is even what Larry expected when he asked me to contribute to his blog.  I've probably read most of them in the years since coming to believe in the ultimate salvation of all.  Some are based on human reasoning, and have a ring of truth about them, often supported by Scripture. They are enough to make a thinking (and feeling) man or woman 'think' (and 'feel'), but not enough to undo centuries of dogma based--let's face it--on the teaching of the bible.

Understandably, people steeped in those teachings, tend to 'think' in a different way―a Scripturally  unreasonable, and irrational way.
So...on with it.  Why don't you believe in Hell, Dave?
Firstly,  the Doctrine of Eternal Concious Punishment (embodied in the notion of a hell for those allegedly deserving of it) is unscriptural.
In other words, the common christian notion of “hell” is not in the Scripture.
There are 12 references translated hell in many bible translations (though not in all) from the Greek word "gehenna".  Gehenna was an actual place...a trash heap outside of Jerusalem where refuse was burned.  The 'place' is still there, of course, but the fires have gone out.  I'm not aware of any other biblical place-name being TRANSLATED into a word that does not even relate to the meaning of the name of the place!  Every other place-name is transliterated.

Here are a few such 'places' in the New Testament in Standard translations.

Mat 5:29 ...And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell (Gehenna).
Mat 10:28  ...And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell (Gehenna).
Jesus is speaking above to the multitudes.  This is from the famous Sermon on the Mount.  Never without a parable did He speak to them.
Jas 3:4-6  Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth.  Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!  And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell (Gehenna).
James is teaching what Jesus taught, with a parable, and with the same word.

Maybe the most telling 'translation' of a Greek word into 'hell' is from the word 'hades'.  Hades is the 'realm of the dead', or more properly, the state of being dead.  Ten times the translators rendered 'hades' to 'hell' and once to 'grave'.

“O death!  Where is thy victory.  O grave, where is thy sting?”
Paul is referencing the Old Testament here.
Hos 13:14  I will ransom them from the power of the grave (hebrew:sheol); I will redeem them from death: O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction: repentance shall be hid from mine eyes.
“Hades”, then, is associated with the Hebrew word “Sheol” and has the same meaning.  Did the Old Testament preach the vernacular christian hell?  No, it didn't.  
Would christians still believe in their many versions of hell if the translators had been 'consistent', instead of rendering the perfectly sound word “hades” two different ways  Probably, if it were preached that way.

Was the bible written in English?  Do "bible-words" not have meanings?  Paul instructs
us to use 'sound words'.
2Ti 1:13  Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.
(I believe that believing and using the 'sound words' leads to faith and love...that's my testimony).
Did the Inspired writers not use 'sound words'?
Must they be "theologically discerned"?  Paul again reminds us what Jesus said...they must be spiritually discerned. Why, then, do the translators fail to use sound language in translating?  And why do 'believers' fail to understand the Spirit of the words?  I believe I know why, but that is for another topic.

To be fair, at the time that the Scriptures were first being translated into European languages (including English) at least one dictionary definition of “hell” was a hole dug in order to store or preserve produce.  With THAT meaning, it is not quite such a terribly un-sound translation from 'hades' and “sheol” (though not for the other Greek words).  In the centuries since, however, the meaning of that word has been affected by the 'preaching' of men, by fiction, and by perverse imaginations.  Believe me, I know 'perverse imaginations'.
So then...if no hell, then surely eternal punishment of some kind, or eternal seperation?  No.
Even the word which is translated 'eternal' or 'eternity' in Greek is 'aionos' and it's derivitives, and means 'an age, eon'.  Its synonym is Hebrew is “Olam” and its derivitives.  It defies the logic of Inspired words to force a meaning of 'eternity' (meaning endless time) on a word which cannot mean endless time in all places it is used.  Indeed, it is rarely used in a sentence where it CAN possibly mean 'endless time'.

“Eternity” and “eternal” in scripture always refer to a period of time if the words from which they are translated (both the Hebrew and the Greek) do.  There are other terms and phrases in Scripture which denote that certain things do not end--here's one example:
Isa 9:7  Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end...
The sound words Inspired of God do not refer to endless time.  Every 'age' or 'eon', 'aionos' or 'olam' has both beginning and end.

Other more scholarly works on this subject are available.  This is a blog post.
There was no word in ANY language which meant 'endless time' until the 3rd Century.  Makes you wonder how that got into the dictionaries.  Remember, dictionaries do not CREATE definitions...they compile them.  Words are defined by their usage.  It was christian theologians who 'invented' the definition of “endless time”.
The majority of christians did NOT believe in “eternal punishment” before the Third Century.
Other 'places' where sound words are translated 'hell' speak of victory OVER it (the grave), and judgement THROUGH it (Gehenna).  The closest Paul came was his admonition to 'deliver such a one (a BROTHER) to satan for the destruction of his flesh, to the end that His soul be saved.

The destruction of one's flesh is a GOOD thing, in the overall plan of God.  Jesus 'recommended' the destruction of our flesh.
Mat 5:29  `But, if thy right eye doth cause thee to stumble, pluck it out and cast from thee, for it is good to thee that one of thy members may perish, and not thy whole body be cast to gehenna.
Mat 5:30  `And, if thy right hand doth cause thee to stumble, cut it off, and cast from thee, for it is good to thee that one of thy members may perish, and not thy whole body be cast to Gehenna.

Christians understand THIS spiritual principle when it relates to THEM—that's why you don't see too many one-handed, one-eyed christians--but not when it relates to others.  No, others must be completely destroyed in Judgment.
Secondly, the Doctrine of Hell negates the purpose of Death and Judgment.
So then, if no such thing as hell, and no such thing as a period of endless time, then perhaps everybody ends just as we are?
Death and Judgment...two more words that most Christians do not understand, though the simplest child can―assuming he or she has not been exposed to theologians and their dictionaries.

Christians typically believe and teach that there are two distinct 'destinations' for mankind―heaven or hell.  Scripture consistently and repeatedly teaches there is ONE destination for all mankind―death.  The good news is that the dead will live again AND that there will be judgment.

In Job 14:14, the question is asked, “If a man die, shall he live again?”  Jesus demonstrated the answer and the Apostles promised it to everybody.
Act 24:15-16  And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust.  And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men.

Christians typically, however, believe this question (as well as its answer) is inconsequential.  And they typically turn this 'good news' into BAD NEWS for anybody daring to (or unable to) believe.  Faith is a GIFT, after all, and not of ourselves.  Why do christians blame someone for not having been given a gift that they cannot give themselves?  Well, some do and others dither and dicker.
Christians typically believe 'death' is not death at all, but being 'alive' in a different state or location.  Scripture teaches that death is the 'undoing' of life (Ecc. 12:7) and a state without knowledge .  (Ecc. 9:5)   Even DEATH is good news to believers of the New Covenant, and FOR all mankind whether they believe or not--because, though dying may be hard and experiencing the dying and death of another may be hard, death itself is a cakewalk.  We know nothing of it, and will know nothing IN it.  We go from a knowledge of THIS life directly into a knowledge of life in resurrection.  I don't fear being dead, and I have no fear of 'death' for anybody else.

Dying?  That's another matter.  But a fear of being dead?  No.  Even if I am dead for 6 billion years, from MY perspective, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye I shall be changed.
1Co 15:51-52  Behold, I speak a mystery to you: we shall not all fall asleep, but we shall all be changed.  In a moment, in a glance of an eye, at the last trumpet; for a trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall all be changed. (YLT)
So then, christians are raised, and the “unjust” just stay dead?  No.
Act 24:15-16  ...there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust....
Setting aside the foolish notion that all christians are JUST, all those not chosen in Him are raised to Judgment.  To most christians, this means “hell”.  
Christians typically believe that judgment is either the 'sentence' or the 'punishment' for unbelievers and/or the wicked.  Scripture teaches that judgment is the means by which God makes all things right.  (Isaiah 26:9)  Judgment is on both GOOD and BAD (II Cor. 5:10) , and upon all men.

Judgment, according to Scripture, is the means by which God 'teaches righteousness', for when His judgments are on the earth, the whole world will learn righteousness.  He teaches—we learn. Judgment is corrective, and for a purpose.  Of what purpose is it to burn in hell or eternally destroy the very ones being judged?!
Even GRACE ITSELF 'teaches'.

Christians typically believe that Jesus' primary mission was to save us from hell.  Scripture says no such thing.  Theological assumptions do.  He came to save us from many things―sin and death being at the top of the list―and scripture tells me so.
Joh 1:29  The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
Joh 9:41  Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth.
Rom 4:8  Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.
Rom 6:18  Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
1Co 15:26  The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.

So thoroughly infested it is with this belief in a hell of some description. that common christian theology applies this 'doctrine' to every temporary negative word in the whole of scripture (by 'negative', I of course mean anything that pits itself against our pleasure or plans in this life as grass).  The pit is hell, the wrath of God is hell, suffering is hell, fire is hell, the grave is hell, death is hell, judgment is hell.  In truth, NOTHING is this “Hell”.

Resurrection and judgment are sure.  I won't pretend to understand how these things occur or will occur and what the 'setting' will be like.  All we have in Scripture are 'descriptions', many of them in highly symbolic language.  But I ask this question frequently:  What 'judgment' has done me and others the most good?  The most consistent answer I know is that somebody loved us.  For if nobody had—no matter how imperfect that love may have been—then none of us would have survived our first few days.
Then, somebody (out of love) taught us.  For if nobody had, no matter how imperfect that teaching may have been, we would still be behaving as grasping infants or selfish toddlers even more-so than we are.

Matt 3:11  I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance. but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with Holy Spirit, and with fire.
Luke 3:16  John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with Holy Spirit and with fire.
Deu 4:24  For Jehovah your God is a consuming fire; He is a jealous God.
Let him who has eyes see.

Resurrection is my only hope for life beyond this one.  Right Judgment (heavy with Love and all the other attributes of God expressed in the fruit of His Spirit) is the only way to bring all manner of men and women (and you don't want to know what manner of man I am) to what we were created to be.  I don't even want to go to the christian heaven (having made at least two public professions of faith in Him) if it means I go “just as I am”.
Some are being judged now, and have been since Jesus left us His Spirit.  Such are also judging themseves.  Such are being made fit to judge the world later.  Jesus preached the gospel of the Kingdom of heaven.  He preached neither the christian hell, nor the christian heaven.

What?  No 'heaven' either?  Well, certainly not endless vacation of unending “praise songs” we can sneak out of to play golf on fairways of gold with dear old Uncle Boney who passed too soon.  “Eye has not seen, neither has ear heard, neither has it entered the MIND OF MAN  what glories await.'  Not even an UN-perverse imagination can fathom this future.
No, what Jesus and the Apostles 'preached' was the Gospel of the Kingdom.  Jesus taught it in parables, and gave 'explanation' for them all as “many are called, few are chosen”.  Every parable of Jesus refers to this in some part or in some manner, for “how shall you know all parables if you do not know one?”
Is every “christian” truly “Christian”?  Scripture says 'no'.  I, for one, certainly HOPE not.  But I don't trust 'christians' to make this distinction—at least not in every case.  The Lord knows who are His, and they are and have been in every generation those who have spiritually experienced His life, death and His Righteous judgment in preparation for judging the world (seen and unseen) later.

Our 'destination' is death, resurrection, and judgment.  For most of the world, in the course of their lives, these things have been (and for any reading this, ARE) 'future'.  For a few, however, these things have 'happened' in a deep, spiritual (and by 'spiritual', I of course mean REAL) sense during the course of their lives.  Paul wrote most of what we know concerning this.  With “Reckon yourselves dead...”, “For I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live...”, “...baptized with Him into His death...” and many other passages, he explained the “way” in which we can 'die', 'be raised' and experience God's corrective, fruit-producing judgement while we yet 'live'.
So then, if no “hell” and “eternity” and no 'ending up as we are', then surely annihilation for some?  No.  And that brings me to the last of these points...and ultimately the most important.

Lastly, the Doctrine of Hell negates the work of the Cross and the Gospel.
Acts 3:20-21  He shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.
1 John 4:8  He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

1 Cor 13:8  Love never fails.

1 Tim 2:3-4  For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

Isa 46:10  Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure

Num 23:19  God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?

1 John 4:14  we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world

...My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure

John 4:34  Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work

2 Pet 3:9  The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

1 Cor 15:22  For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive

Isa 26:9  With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness

Ecc 3:17  I said in mine heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked: for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.

Acts 17:31  Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead

Luke 3:6  all flesh shall see the salvation of God

Isa 45:23  I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.

Rom 14:11  For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.

Isa 55:11  So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it

Phil 2:10-11  That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father

Isa 52:10  The LORD hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.

Mic 7:18-19  Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy. He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.

Ps 22:27-28  All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the LORD: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee. For the kingdom is the LORD's: and he is the governor among the nations.


Jer 31:34  they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more

Matt 18:11  For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost

Luke 19:10  For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was destroyed.

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.

John 12:32  if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me

1 John 4:10  Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

1 John 2:2  He is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

Rom 11:15  For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?

2 Cor 5:18-19  all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

Col 1:20  having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.

Isa 25:8  He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it.

Gen 28:14  thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed

Ezek 16:53-55  When I shall bring again their captivity, the captivity of Sodom and her daughters, and the captivity of Samaria and her daughters, then will I bring again the captivity of thy captives in the midst of them:

That thou mayest bear thine own shame, and mayest be confounded in all that thou hast done, in that thou art a comfort unto them. When thy sisters, Sodom and her daughters, shall return to their former estate, and Samaria and her daughters shall return to their former estate, then thou and thy daughters shall return to your former estate.

Gen 26:4  I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed


Hos 13:14  I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death: O death, I will be thy plagues; O hell, I will be thy destruction: repentance shall be hid from mine eyes.

Rom 5:18  Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.

Rom 8:20-22  For the creation was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, Because the creation itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now

Rev 20:13-14  the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death

1 Cor 3:13-15  Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

1 Cor 6:2  Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge  the smallest matters?

Rev 21:4  God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

Matt 19:25-26  his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved? But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.

Mark 10:26-27  they were astonished out of measure, saying among themselves, Who then can be saved? And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.

John 1:29  The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

Luke 18:26-27  they that heard it said, Who then can be saved? And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.

Isa 2:4  He shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more

Isa 11:9  They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.

Hab 2:14  For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea

Isa 11:5-10  And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.  The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.  And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.  And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den.  They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.  And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious.

Rom 11:36  For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen

Let him that has eyes see, and him who has ears hear.

“No Hell” is certainly good news for any who have feared or hated the idea.  But if you and I had been raised to believe that sea-monsters will devour us if we sail too far, to learn differently would be good news as well.  Both are equally false.  But neither is the “Gospel” in and of itself.  There is so much more, and even this false doctrine has a part to play in our 'judgment' as something to be overcome.

Our God is an Optimistic God, knowing the END from the Beginning.  He's no Pollyanna and sees things more clearly than we do, knowing what must come to pass before His workmanship is complete.  It's not easy on any of us, any more than giving birth is easy on mother or child.  We who know Him must become more like Him until we are just like Him in spirit.  THAT is His purpose and desire and will for us, revealed from the beginnings of the Book.

I've stopped now and re-read such as I wrote.  In text, this may appear dry and “preachy”, in an amatuerish sort of way.  But, trust me, my faith in God's ultimate purpose is not dry nor chin-strokingly scholarly--nor is it amatuerish, except that I do love it and I 'preach' it for free.

Like any good messenger, I too rejoice when a sinner is converted.  I expect my joy to be FULL.  I expect my tears to be wiped away when I see all I have loved and admired, and all I have despised and feared brought together, being filled with, and ultimately full of the Fruit of His Spirit―and most especially LOVE―and not by some magic christian tear-removal ointment.  And they will feel the same towards me, chief of sinners.
I realize that this understanding of the Scripture is foreign to many.  It was foreign to me until about six and a half years ago.  I willingly went along with the doctrines I had been raised on--including a sort-of “light” version of hell--even though I've had reservations about them all since I first read the New Testament on my own as a teenager, without preachers and theologians loosely interpretting (sucking the very life out of) every word and 'adding to' or 'taking away' with theological assumptions.  I 'agreed' with them even though the very thought of hell to a young sinner unable to repent and seemingly left-out of this supposedly wonderful experience of the “christian life” brought me nothing of the love, joy, peace I had been promised as a christian.  It only brought about depression and despair, loss of faith and lovelessness.  And all this in a believer!!
I'm still recovering.  But salvation means healing above any other meaning, and I've seen a good share of that as well, since coming to believe Him over old wives-tales and perverted traditions.

I see scarce little resemblance to common christian theology and the Scripture.  On what they do 'teach' that is in accord with Scripture, when pressed, they do not actually believe.  They teach as if Scripture contradicts itself on MAJOR points (is anything more MAJOR for a human being than the meaning of life, death, the prospect of living again, and being created in His image?) yet fret when others claim it contradicts on MINOR points.  Ye strain out a gnat, and swallow a camel.

I'm not worried, however, because this is just how my Lord and the Apostles said it would be.  Perhaps disappointing, but not therefor, because of the prophecy, unexpected.
Read the New Testament (and the Old in light of the New) without the spectre of everlasting punishment, and contradictions begin to melt, love and fellowship begin to grow and extend, faith and love and joy and all the fruit of His Spirit is not forced or 'feigned', and the words of Jesus and the Apostles 'return' to the good news for all mankind that the angels proclaimed at His birth.

Gal 5:22,23  ...the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
I understand that many think I (and others who have taught me, and learned with me―both known and unknown to me) am 'taking things out of context'.  I would far rather be accused of 'taking a TRUE STATEMENT out of context' than hurling scriptures at others as if the Scriptures themselves disagree with one another and war with each other.  The sum of God's Word is truth.

...stedfast is the word, and of all acceptation worthy; for for this we both labour and are reproached, because we hope on the living God, who is Saviour of all men--especially of those believing. Charge these things, and teach...(1Ti 4:9-11)
I hope on the Living God, and believe He is the savior of all men, women, and children.  And this is what I am “teaching” here.  Among His many salvations is the salvation from the notion that He will NOT save all men, and this makes His salvation even more special to me.

For all of this, I thank my God―especially that He didn't do what I desired during the depth of my crisis of faith, but does do what He desires.  I hope you think His ultimate desires and the purpose for which He sent His Son are what He Himself expressed.
If you think He will ultimately fail―even with a few--perhaps you should ask Him in your prayer time what HE thinks about His “chances” of success.  I'm just going to believe Him.