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31 January 2014
By Mark Farquharson
I In 1 Timothy 2:3-6, his will is that all mankind be saved and come into a realization of the truth. You say that because people sin they go against the will of God. However what does the bible tell us about the will of God?
Can you go against the will of God?
By those who believe and teach that all will not be saved, it is claimed that you can. Those Christians who believe this fall into two main groups, those who believe in eternal torment and those who believe in annihilation. It is there way around the problematic verses of 1 Timothy 2:3-6. You see it is in theses that God’s will is revealed.
1 Timothy 2:3-6 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. For there is one God, and one Mediator of God and mankind, a Man, Christ Jesus, Who is giving Himself a correspondent Ransom for all (the testimony in its own eras), {CLV}
He we read that God’s will is that “all mankind be saved and come into a realization of the truth.” Thus if God could operate his will, then all mankind, that is every living person, past and future would be saved. Of course if this was true, then both eternal torment and annihilation would be wrong.
Thus they solve the problem, by claiming that you can go against the will of God. Thus while God desires to save everyone he can not, because you can go against his will. One of the examples that is used is sin. It is claimed that when we sin, we go against his will, therefore you can go against his will for your salvation.
However what do the structures say about the will of God, can you act against his will?
Daniel 4:35 “and all who are dwelling on the earth as nothing are reckoned, and according to his will He is doing among the forces of the heavens and those dwelling on the earth, and there is none that doth clap with his hand, and saith to Him, What hast Thou done?” {YLT}
This tell us that God is doing “according to his will” “among the forces of the heavens and those dwelling on the earth.” Thus if he is doing according to his will, then how is it that we can go against what he is doing? For if we go against it, then he is not doing according to his will.
For instance when God want to judge Israel he sent an army. Could have this army gone against his will. Would they have know that God sent them, and said that they would not go? Of course not. God is doing and carrying out his will. Where does it say that we can resist his will or stop him doing his will?
How could God bring about things in our future that are prophesised if people knew what he was doing and could go against that? Does he step in and ask us if we would like to do this or that?
In fact in the case of Jonah going to Nineveh, God told him to go. But Jonah seeks to flee and gets on a ship. God knows what he is going to do, hence he has a great fish ready. There is a purpose to the great fish, thus Jonah prays. Then God tells him again to go to Nineveh and he goes. Can you really flee from what God wants you to do?
In fact we do not ask him “What hast Thou done?” Can we get him to reverse a judgement?
In fact in Romans 9:15-24, it shows us how God accomplishes what he wants.
Romans 9:17 For the scripture is saying to Pharaoh that "For this selfsame thing I rouse you up, so that I should be displaying in you My power, and so that My name should be published in the entire earth."
Thus God rouse up Pharaoh, so that God could display his power. Thus it was God’s intention to show this power and he did this by rouse up Pharaoh.
Romans 9:18 Consequently, then, to whom He will, He is merciful, yet whom He will, He is hardening.
Thus God is merciful to some yet to others he is hardening. This is shown in what he did to Pharaoh.
Exodus 7:3-4 `And I harden the heart of Pharaoh, and have multiplied My signs and My wonders in the land of Egypt, and Pharaoh doth not hearken, {YLT}
God harden the heart of Pharaoh, this was so that Pharaoh would not let the people go. This was done so that God could do all the signs in the land of Egypt.
Romans 9:19 You will be protesting to me, then, "Why, then, is He still blaming? for who has withstood His intention?"
Who his withstood the intention of God? Who has withstood the objective of God?
Romans 9:20 O man! who are you, to be sure, who are answering again to God? That which is molded will not protest to the molder, "Why do you make me thus?"
21 Or has not the potter the right over the clay, out of the same kneading to make one vessel, indeed, for honor, yet one for dishonor?
God is the potter, and he has the right over the clay, that is the person, that he is moulding. He is the one that moulds a person for honor or a person for dishonor. How then can a person go against the moulder?
How can he make the one for dishonor, if that person goes against his make up and acts in honor? No the person made for dishonor can only be dishonourable.
Now it does say that the vessels of indignation, are adapted for destruction, {Romans 9:22}. However we have to view this in the light of the fact that God is doing according to his will, he was the one who made the vessels of indignation and adapt them for destruction. This destruction must be view in the light of his overall will, the salvation of all mankind.
Similarly:
Proverbs 16:4 Everything, hath Yahweh made for its own purpose, yea, even the lawless one, for the day of calamity. REB
Thus everything, even the lawless one, has been made for its own purpose. Thus everything has a purpose in which it is made for. It is Yahweh that made the lawless one, for the day of calamity.
He does according to his will, that means to me that he will accomplish his will of salvation for all mankind. For he does according to his will, which is the salvation of all mankind.
For he is the one who put the tree in the garden, he is the one that created Satan. He is the one that not only allow entry for Satan, but made sure Satan would carry out his will. Thus his will was that Adam and Eve would sin in the garden. This meant that a saviour was needed which was his plan all along. Yes this saviour was sent to Israel, however the New Testament shows that his death was not just for them. If it was then no one of the nations would be saved. Thus the New Testament reveals the full scope, and this was revealed over time, not all at once. For first was the evangel to go to Israel, but then to the nations. This saviour accomplished God’s will with his death and resurrection. That is the main reason, for that is how we are freed from the burden of sin. Which was not just for Israel, but for the nations as well. Thus sin is part of his plan, but his plan also includes salvation, the freed from corruption and immortal, so that in the end we sin no more.
Thus God will accomplish his will for he moulds us so that we will accomplish what he wills, which is the salvation of all mankind. Thus all the scriptures then that state this salvation of all mankind should be view in this light. Any verses that point to the destruction of those who are not sons of God, must be view in the light of him accomplishing his will. Thus one should then view the lake of fire in this light.
That is since God will save all mankind, then the lake of fire in Revelation, can not be eternal torment for that would not achieve this outcome. Neither can it destroy the person as in annihilation. Viewed in this way we can see the fire as not destroying the person. Thus the fire should be view as a spiritual fire that achieves the end goal of salvation for the person, that is one of purification.
It is the sons God, that have been chosen, even predestine, for that is what the scriptures tell us, Romans 8:28-30, Ephesians 1:11-12.
2Timothy 1:9 …. God, Who saves us and calls us with a holy calling, not in accord with our acts, but in accord with His own purpose and the grace which is given to us in Christ Jesus before times eonian, {CLV}
He is the one that calls and he does this not for our purpose, but for his own. For no one can come to Christ unless they are drawn by the Father {John 6:44}. Why are we called only, because we are the ones to dispense the evangel. And I believe that we have a role in the future in the saving of the dishonourable.
Copyright © Mark J Farquharson 2014
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