The Apostle Paul in his first letter to Timothy said, “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” (1 Tim. 2:3, 4).
Another verse known by many is John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
These two passages show us that God’s desire is that man will obey God’s word and be saved. However, they cannot be looked at as the only passages of Holy Writ. If they were then all would be saved, but there are other passages that tell us that not everyone will go to heaven.
“Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity” (Matt. 7:21 – 23).
These words were spoken by Jesus and plainly show that some will be lost. There has to be a reason.
We must understand that God created man as a free moral agent. It is not the case that we have no choice to make as to how we will live our lives.
God gave us life, He has given us all that we need for life and godliness: “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue” (2 Peter 1:3).
It can be seen from an Old Testament example that we have the power to choose what we will do about following God. The mighty leader Joshua near the time of his death addressed the people of God about this very matter.
He said, “Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the Lord. And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:14, 15).
God has never made man follow Him; He left it up to man. God’s desire is for man to love Him and follow His teachings. Going back further into history to the time of Noah we can see that God let man decide what he was going to do, either follow God or man’s own will.
It is a sad commentary on man when we read in Genesis chapter six, “And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.”
Man had refused to follow God, but thankfully there was one man who did follow God, the man Noah. Next week we will continue our thoughts about “Why will everyone not be saved.”
Another verse known by many is John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
These two passages show us that God’s desire is that man will obey God’s word and be saved. However, they cannot be looked at as the only passages of Holy Writ. If they were then all would be saved, but there are other passages that tell us that not everyone will go to heaven.
“Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity” (Matt. 7:21 – 23).
These words were spoken by Jesus and plainly show that some will be lost. There has to be a reason.
We must understand that God created man as a free moral agent. It is not the case that we have no choice to make as to how we will live our lives.
God gave us life, He has given us all that we need for life and godliness: “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue” (2 Peter 1:3).
It can be seen from an Old Testament example that we have the power to choose what we will do about following God. The mighty leader Joshua near the time of his death addressed the people of God about this very matter.
He said, “Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the Lord. And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:14, 15).
God has never made man follow Him; He left it up to man. God’s desire is for man to love Him and follow His teachings. Going back further into history to the time of Noah we can see that God let man decide what he was going to do, either follow God or man’s own will.
It is a sad commentary on man when we read in Genesis chapter six, “And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.”
Man had refused to follow God, but thankfully there was one man who did follow God, the man Noah. Next week we will continue our thoughts about “Why will everyone not be saved.”