What a good question, but one that’s easy to answer. It will however require a longer study, so this will be in 4 parts. Let’s start with 1 Tim 2:1-4.
1 I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. 2 Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity.
See how verse 1 says pray for all people? Then verse 2 says pray for kings and all who are in authority? It doesn’t make allowance to leave anyone out. So, does that include the President? Do I have to pray for him? Well, verse 3 says that it is good and pleases God our Savior when we do. So, you decide.
Just look at verse 4. God WANTS everyone to be saved and to understand the truth, but will everyone be saved and come to know the truth? Of course not. Jesus said in Matt 7:14 “But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it”. This is said right after what I like to call God’s 7-11. Matt 7:11 basically says “shopping spree, all is free”. Come and get it. Everything is good that God gives.
3 This is good and pleases God our Savior, 4 who WANTS everyone to be saved and to understand the truth.
Why do we need to know about this anyway? Why study about who will or won’t be saved? Because others will bring this up and we need to know how to respond to their questions. Look at these verses.
Titus 1:9 says – Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.
Here Paul is talking directly to Titus, but he is giving him instruction that will be profitable to all the people who hear him. Paul is saying teach these things and admonish where necessary. By so doing, the people will be instructed well on how to present the truth and everyone will benefit.
1 Pet 3:15 – But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:
Col 4:6 – Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.
Not only is it sound doctrine that is utilized, but it is the Lord God in your heart that responds with meekness and fear to let every man know the reason for our hope. Finally, it’s given with speech that is always full of grace, seasoned with salt or truth and preservation, so that we may know how we should answer each and every question or challenge presented to us. Believe me, when you preach, present, or teach the almost-too-good-to-be true, ridiculous, radical, inexhaustible grace of God, you will have challenges.
Frankly, when you talk about a subject like this you will eventually get around to focusing on sin and what it can do to you. Actually, I would rather talk about the love & grace of God and what it has already done for you.
Philippians 4:4-9
4 Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice. 5 Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. 6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds, HOW??, through Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. 9 Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and SEEN IN ME, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.
So it stands to reason, just taking verse 9, if you don’t do those things which you have learned, received and heard and seen in him, the God of peace won’t be with you. Ya but, what if those things that I’ve learned, received and heard are wrong teachings? Ahhh, but you didn’t continue on through the verse and STUDY it. Look at the part in all CAPS. Jesus is perfect theology, so if the things you’ve learned, received and heard cannot be seen in Him and what He did, then forget them.
Then look. It says those things you’ve learned, received and heard and seen in Him, DO. Jesus said the things I do you shall do also. Quit wasting your time doing the things man says you have to do, or the church says you have to do, or some self appointed body of authority says you have to do. Just do what Jesus did. You’ve seen the letters WWJD for What Would Jesus Do. I never was comfortable with that. Quit asking what He would do and just do what He did. If you’re into acronyms then use (DWJD). He said you would do the things He did and even greater things.
You see, God wants to bless his children not beat them to death. God said to change that and say he wants to bless his obedient children. Who are the obedient children. Those who do the things that they’ve learned, received, heard, and have seen in Jesus. So, with that established, let’s move on to something you may encounter when trying to preach and teach this simple gospel of grace. If you release this truth properly, someone will come up to you and say, “well you’re just giving people an excuse to live like hell”. How should you respond to that?
Well, first off by saying to them, “if you think you can live like hell after you’ve been saved, you’ll find yourself in hell. Besides, you’re not supposed to live like anything after you’re saved. You’re supposed to die to yourself, take up your cross and follow him. That means stop with the old man, the old nature, the old ways and put on Christ. Let him live in and through you”.
Then study with them through this set of scriptures. They are in the book of Galatians, because the Galatia people who were saved had fallen back into bondage. The legalists of their time told them it’s okay to believe in God’s grace, but then you have to do something. You have to mix some rules and laws in there, because it just doesn’t make sense for it to be so easy. You have to perform. But that’s not what scripture tells us. Look how the Apostle Paul put it under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
Gal 5:1 – Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
Who made us free? Christ. Why would you spit in His face and throw this free gift back at Him?
Gal 5:4 – Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.
“Well, you grace people think God will put up with anything. Just wait and see. His grace will run dry. He’ll get tired of your antics.” REALLY!!! They need to see my lesson “Is There Enough Grace”. Besides, I’ve got scriptural Truth and proof that says God will never remove His Grace, but that I can fall from it. Not by sin or poor performance, but by trying to be justified by the law. That’s what it says.
Gal 5:16-18
16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. 18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.
Gal 5:25 – If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
Gal 6:1-2
1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. 2 Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.
Do you get the idea that living in the Spirit is the key? What does that mean? It means put aside your own earthly, worldly opinions and live in the truth of God’s Spirit. It’s on earth as it is in heaven. Rather than living under the circumstances, live above them. When someone answers your question about how they’re doing with “not too bad UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES”. Ask them what they’re doing under the circumstances and tell them they are entitled to live above the circumstances. That’s living by kingdom perspective, divine perspective, Holy Spirit inspired perspective.
There's so much more to come. This is just 1/4 of what will be presented on this subject "Will Everyone Be Saved". Grace and Peace.
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