Part 16 Christian Universalism is the Answer YES Part 3
Scripture support for Universalism
Coming back now to the will of God:
1 Timothy 2:3-4 for this is ideal and welcome in the sight of our Saviour, God, Who wills that all mankind be saved and come into a realization of the truth. {CLV}
As was covered earlier, God is God of every single person, and His will as Saviour is that all mankind be saved, that is every single person be saved and come to “a realization of the truth.” There are those that teach that the freewill of man is stronger than the will of God, or prevents the will of God from saving everybody. As was covered in the Freewill section, no one has freewill, therefore no one can prevent or stop God from saving everybody. God does His will in the heavens and on earth as was covered in the section “God’s Will.” Thus His will is to have all mankind saved, that is every single person who every existed, and to that end God will accomplish His will, because He is God. No one can stop him, or say to Him “I don’t want to be saved, I have freewill.”
Notice God will have ALL Mankind be saved, not just some or a few. Not just the elect or the saints. God is the Saviour of all mankind (including women), this is Good, it is the Good News, and they will come to the knowledge of the truth. God is not the potential saviour of all mankind, He is the Savior of all Mankind. People can not choice God, God draws them. We have already stated that God will do his will, which is to save all Mankind, no one can stop Him, and He worketh all things to achieve this end.
1 Timothy 4:10-11 that we rely on the living God, Who is the Saviour of all mankind, especially of believers. These things be charging and teaching. {CLV}
Notice it does not say exclusive (only) believers, it says especially. Someone could say “I like all my friends, especially my Girlfriend.” It is not saying He is only the Savior of believers. What it does say is “Saviour of all mankind.” Those who believe especially, but all the rest of Mankind as well. We believers are to be teaching this Good News that God “is the Saviour of all mankind, especially of believers.”
There is the argument that God is the Saviour of All Mankind even if He does not save every body.
1 Timothy 4:10...”God is the saviour of all mankind, especially of believers”.
Was Paul here declaring that every single person would be saved, or was he stating just that there is only one God who is the Saviour of all the world. Not that all of humanity would have salvation, but that there is one God who is the Saviour, and this being the only way through Christ for Salvation. For the evangel {gospel} is for all those who receive it.
Is then God the saviour of every believer? Yes God is the Saviour of every single believer. Thus God is the saviour of all believers. That being the case God therefore is the saviour of all mankind, every single person.
John 12:32 And I, if I should be exalted out of the earth, shall be drawing all to Myself." {CLV}
Jesus here was referring to the time that was still to come back then, when after His resurrection from the dead, He would be exalted out of the earth to Heaven. If that should occur, then He would draw all to Himself. I believe this did occur and therefore He will draw all to Himself. Note in other translations the word “men” or “people’ is added.
If you look at the following you see the two groups again:
Romans 3:22-23 yet a righteousness of God through Jesus Christ's faith, for all, and on all who are believing, for there is no distinction, for all sinned and are wanting of the glory of God. {CLV}
Notice all sinned, but there is a righteousness for all….there are two groups mentioned here…the first group contains everyone, the second group has believers only, but there is no distinction between those who believe and everyone else, all sinned, and all will receive righteousness. If it was just believers then it would just say “for all who are believing.”
Romans 5:12 Therefore, even as through one man sin entered into the world, and through sin death, and thus death passed through into all mankind, on which all sinned -" {CLV}
The one man is Adam, through him sin entered the world. This sin brought death for all mankind. There is not one person that has not got the death sentence, no one is immortal. The all mankind here is every single person, for all are dying, are in a frail human body.
Romans 5:18-19 Consequently, then, as it was through one offense for all mankind for condemnation, thus also it is through one just award for all mankind for life's justifying." For even as, through the disobedience of the one man, the many were constituted sinners, thus also, through the obedience of the One, the many shall be constituted just." {CLV}
Here Paul the writer has not suddenly switched to just talk about believers, this is again all of mankind, every single person. It is not like Adam just condemned believers when he sinned. Everyone was condemned, and through one just award, that is through Jesus Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, all mankind, everyone, every body will be justified.
The many here is all mankind, and the disobedience of the one man, is the disobedience of Adam. Through Adam’s disobedience the many, all mankind were constituted sinners. There is not one that was not constituted a sinner. It is through Christ’s obedience that the many, still all mankind, will be constituted just.
Notice “many where made sinners and it is the same many that will be made righteous. It does not say “a few” or “some” will be made righteous, as the many Christian teachers would have you believe. And who’s obedience are we looking at?, the obedience of Christ. It is even more clear in the next verses we will look at.
1 Corinthians 15:22-24 For even as, in Adam, all are dying, thus also, in Christ, shall all be vivified." Yet each in his own class: the Firstfruit, Christ; thereupon those who are Christ's in His presence;" thereafter the consummation, whenever He may be giving up the kingdom to His God and Father, whenever He should be nullifying all sovereignty and all authority and power." {CLV}
Notice all are dying in Adam, and the all shall be vivified. Other translations it is “made alive.” It is not saying some, or a few, it is all. We know that everyone is dying, and everyone will be vivified, made alive. A number of other translations have it “in Adam all die.” However we know that not everyone will die in Adam, for there will be those believers who are alive when Christ returns who will not die, but be transformed. I will not be getting into that here.
That’s right all will be made alive, but there is an order, Christ was the first, then those who are Christ's in His presence, and then everyone else will also be made alive in their order.
John 12:47 And if ever anyone should be hearing My declarations and not be maintaining them, I am not judging him, for I came not that I should be judging the world, but that I should be saving the world." {CLV}
He came to save the world, not just to save those who believe. It is here that people try to limit the extent of what is meant. For world here could just mean the Roman empire for instance. People at the time would not have necessarily taken Jesus to mean the whole world. Just because they may not have understood, that does not limit the meaning. It is what Jesus meant when He said “world,” not someone’s understanding of what He meant that is important here.
1 John 4:14 And we have gazed upon Him, and are testifying that the Father has dispatched the Son, the Saviour of the world." {CLV}
Notice the Son is the Saviour of the world, not just the saints or the elect, or believers. The Father sent the Son who is the Saviour of the world. If you limit the meaning here, then you have Him as saviour of just that part of the whole world, and we know, or should know that is not the case. Therefore it is the whole world that is meant here.
John 1:29 On the morrow he is observing Jesus coming toward him, and is saying, "Lo! the Lamb of God Which is taking away the sin of the world!" {CLV}
Notice what sin he takes away, the sin of the world, not just the sin of the saints, or the elect, he takes away the sin of the world. He died for everyone, not just the elect, and he paid the price for everyone’s sins, not just some small group of the elect, or only those who believe.
1 John 2:2 And He is the propitiatory shelter concerned with our sins, yet not concerned with ours only, but concerned with the whole world also. {CLV}
Here Jesus is the propitiatory shelter for the sins of the believes, but not believers only, but also for everyone’s sins.
John 10:14-16
14 I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. 15 As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. 16 And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd.
I have already covered this, this is what I said: “My sheep are the elect, and are saved while they are alive, they have been chosen and are given the free gift. But Jesus the good shepherd has other sheep, the large body of unbelievers. And what does it say of them, it says they will hear his voice. It says the two kinds will become one flock, unbelievers will be saved…….they will here his voice and become believers, there will be one flock…”.
Isaiah 49:6. And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.
It was a light thing to raise up the tribes of Jacob and restore Israel. Much heavier was the task of being a light to the nations and for Him, Jesus to be God’s salvation to the end of the earth, a salvation for the nations. It is not a salvation of only those that believe, He is not a light for them only.
“Luke 19:10 Jesus said "For the Son of Man is come to seek and TO SAVE that which was lost." (And since everyone has no choice but to be born a sinner, then everyone is included in the term "lost" !) And Jesus said He came to SAVE them, NOT just to "offer" salvation to them -- but TO SAVE them!!!”
From http://www.goodnewsaboutgod.com/studies/judgment2.htm
Paul
1Timothy 1:15-16 Faithful is the saying, and worthy of all welcome, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, foremost of whom am I." But therefore was I shown mercy, that in me, the foremost, Jesus Christ should be displaying all His patience, for a pattern of those who are about to be believing on Him for life eonian."{CLV}
Here is Paul talking about Jesus. Jesus came to save sinners, Paul says. But notice Paul calls himself chief sinner.
Jesus Christ displayed all his patience, and it was for a pattern. It was an example showing that even the worst can be saved. It is about how God will show mercy to you, no matter what you have done. God shown him mercy while he was an unbeliever.
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