Why Bother?

After (and while) reading Love Wins so many things were running through my head about just how off base this book and this bit of "theology" is. I will delve into my thoughts in this post.

In my eyes, Universal Reconciliation basically says to the Christian "why bother?" Why bother to follow Jesus' command in Mark 16:15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
Why bother to follow commandments, live a pure life, share the gospel with your friends and family?
Why bother to rejoice when someone decides to follow Jesus?
Why bother to repent and change your life?
Why bother to read the Bible?
Why bother to teach your kids about Jesus and how he died for their sins?

Why bother when Universal Reconciliation says everyone will be given a chance to follow Christ once they reach eternity.  It could take them 100s of years but in the end because the Bible implies in a couple places including Philippians 2:10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth,"

How do we that everyone is happy about it! Or that "every" isn't just a generic term for a lot of people.

If everyone ends up saved in the end and no one who has rejected Jesus in life is separated from him in death then....
There is no need for personal responsibility for your actions and choices - now.
There is no need to being open to the Holy Spirit to lead you into a lifetime and eternity with Christ.
I can live it up now and not have to worry about a Judgement Day.
There is no real free will to choose God or not.
No need to hope for 11th hour commitments to Christ.
Really why bother praying that people's hearts would turn to Jesus.
Why spend the money to send missionaries into all the world.

However, the Judgment Day is mentioned quite a bit and Jesus was pretty serious about people choosing to follow him - he died to prove his point. He also told us we need to follow him to reach God the Father.

And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. ⁴ And where I go you know, and the way you know.”
⁵ Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?”⁶ Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. John 14

In actuality, now when I am reading the Bible I am reading it with the fresh perspective of just how off kilter the idea is that God who hates sin would suddenly disregard his own laws and give people a free pass after their time was up. Just because it doesn't sit well with some of us.

The best way I can liken it to real life is with the issue of immigration. We have people that go through a lengthy frustrating process to become U.S. Citizen, but they do it because it is important to them to do it the right way. Then, you have people who break the law and come into the U.S. illegally and soak up benefits with no regard for the rule of law. Universal Reconciliation says to those illegally entered people. "That's ok you didn't follow the rules but you can be a citizen anyway." What a slap in the face of all the people that made a choice to do it the right way, the lawful way.

If God is not a god of his own Word - which is the rule of law- what's the use in following him because he becomes a hypocrite and a farce. I want a God that sticks to his Word, who gives people a choice and lets them abide by that choice.

These are just some of the things that just don't make logical or Biblical sense to me in regards to universal reconciliation / salvation.
I am sticking to what I have always known and what is strongly supported in the Bible. We have one life to live we need to make good choices - chose Jesus and live forever with him. I don't know what that will look like but I am guessing it will be pretty good. As for the rest of the people, like those who never heard the gospel of Jesus, God knows their hearts I trust Him to judge wisely when the Day comes.