S. GOD WILL HAVE ALL TO BE SAVED
GOD WILL HAVE ALL TO BE SAVED By Pastor John C. O’Hair
1 Timothy 2:4 Our God is the Judge of all the earth. Hear His own question: “Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?” Genesis 18:25. Surely He will. But did He do right when He permitted His holy, obedient, sinless, innocent Son to die for guilty, condemned, sinful men? God is sovereign. He had the perfect right to vindicate His holiness and righteousness and to satisfy His justice by permitting Christ to suffer for sins once, the Just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God. 1 Peter 3:18.
Because God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them, because Christ was both God and man, and the sins of men were imputed to Him, God has been reconciled to the world. 2 Corinthians 5:16-21.
Because Christ, the God-man, was obedient unto death, and then abolished death, God can be just and the justifier of every one who believes in Jesus. Romans 3:24-28. The question is so frequently asked, “if Christ so completely satisfied God, by taking the sinner’s place in judgment, and declared that His death was the judgment of the world (John 12:31), and if God works all things after the counsel of His own will (Ephesians 1:11), and if God is not willing that any should perish (1 Peter 3:9), will not all men be saved? “God our Saviour, Who will have all men to be saved.” 1 Timothy 2:4. In what sense does the Bible teach “universal reconciliation?” Christ is the propitiation for the sins of the whole world. 1 John 2:1. Christ gave Himself a ransom for all. 1 Timothy 2:6. The Lord Jesus, by the grace of God, “tasted death for every man.” Hebrews 2:9. In the shadow of the cross the Saviour said, “And I, if I be lifted up, will draw all unto ME.” John 12:32. And the risen Christ gave this message to Paul: “And 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. And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind, by wicked works, yet now hath He reconciled.” When our appeal is to human reasoning, rather than to Divine revelation, we may be led to the conclusion that, as man is not responsible for his predicament under the universal law of sin and death, he is not under obligation to take any step to get himself out of his predicament; for God’s Word declares that death is reigning in and upon all men by Adam’s offence: that by the offence of Adam judgment came upon all unto condemnation. Romans 5:17-18.
If universal sin, judgment and death came by Adam, why not universal righteousness, salvation and eternal life by Christ, especially since God will have all men to be saved?
What saith the Scriptures? “He that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.” John 3:36. Christ said “And ye will not come to Me that ye might have life.” John 5:40.
Reconciliation becomes mutual when the sinner, by faith in Christ Jesus, responds to 2 Corinthians 5:20 : “We pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.”
There are several Greek words translated “will”. They mean desire, resolve, determine, etc.” Let us remember that “the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared toward all men.” That universal salvation or reconciliation provided is not universal salvation accepted and appropriated. The way of salvation is belief of the truth. 2 Thessalonians 2:13. “But he that believeth not shall be damned.” Mark 16:16.
Let us be faithful ambassadors, get busy and keep busy, beseeching sinners to be reconciled to God.
“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. NOW THEN WE ARE AMBASSADORS FOR CHRIST, AS THOUGH GOD DID BESEECH YOU BY US: WE PRAY YOU IN CHRIST’S STEAD, BE YE RECONCILED TO GOD. FOR HE HATH MADE HIM TO BE SIN FOR US, WHO KNEW NO SIN; THAT WE MIGHT BE MADE THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD IN HIM.” 2 Corinthians 5:18-21