Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world

Will God Save All or Only Some?

"Faithful is the saying and worthy of all acceptation. For to this end we labor and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, Who is the Savior of all men, specially of them that believe. These things command and teach"(1 Tim. 4:9-11, R.V.)

Think of it -- the living God IS THE SAVIOR OF ALL MEN! Not the "preserver" of all, as some would have us believe. The Greek work used here is SOTER. It occurs twenty-four times in the New Testament and is correctly translated "Savior" every time.

See Luke 1:47; 2:11; John 4:42; Acts 5:31; 13:23; Eph. 5:23; Phil. 3:20; 1 Tim 1:1; 2:3; 4:10; 2 Tim. 1:10; Titus 1:3, 4; 2:10, 13; 3:4, 6; 2 Pet. 1:1, 11; 2:20; 3:2, 18; 1 John 4:14; Jude 25.

Nor does the text say, God is the "provider" of salvation for all. This would not make Him the Savior of all. He is only the Savior of those He actually saves. In order to be the Savior of all, He will save all. THE LIVING GOD IS THE SAVIOR OF ALL MEN . Such a fact should fill the hardest heart with joy and cause continual thanksgiving to God for His power, wisdom, love, grace and righteousness.

Knowing how difficult it would be for man to believe this plain statement, God offers man encouragement by assuring him that it is a FAITHFUL SAYING, and WORTHY OF ALL ACCEPTATION. It is faithful to God, faithful to His Son, faithful to His Work, and faithful to the desire of all who have had the love of God poured into their hearts by the Holy Spirit. It is hard to understand why so many should condemn it as unfaithful and worthy of all rejection, when God has so plainly declared it to be a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation.
Man's need for salvation is desperate. He is sinful, dying and helpless to save himself (Rom. 1:18-3:25). To save man and make out of him a creature unto His own praise will indeed glorify God and His son, Jesus Christ.

I. HOW WILL GOD SAVE ALL MANKIND?

Both the means and the manner whereby this Salvation is accomplished are clearly revealed in the Scriptures. "This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man CHRIST JESUS; WHO GAVE HIMSELF A RANSOM FOR ALL, to be testified in due time" (1 Tim. 2:3-6). "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we MUST be saved" (Acts 4:12).

There is no salvation for anyone at any time except through Jesus Christ and His saving work. It is only through His death, burial, and resurrection life that all will be saved. There will be no failure here. He was manifested to put away sin and to destroy the works of the Devil (Heb. 9:26; 1 John 3:8). He will not stop until He has accomplished these ends.

In the light of the facts set forth in the Scriptures, how foolish the statement that if all are to be saved Jesus Christ need never have died. If He had not died for the sins of the world, no one could be saved. But since He has died and now lives again ALL WILL BE SAVED.

II. WHEN WILL GOD SAVE ALL?

The Scriptures make it very plain that all are not saved at the same time. "Who gave Himself a ransom for all; THE TESTIMONY IN ITS OWN TIMES" (1 Tim. 2:6, R.V.). "As in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. BUT EVERY MAN IN HIS OWN ORDER" (1 Cor. 15:22-24).

At the present time God is saving only those He has chosen and called unto the special salvation of the ages (1 Cor. 1:26-30; 1 Tim. 6:12). He will use these in various ways in bringing about the salvation of the rest (Eph. 3:8-12; 2:6-10). Note, please, the text says, "God is the Savior of all men SPECIALLY (not, EXCLUSIVELY) of them that believe." Because of this the Apostle Paul wrote, "Therefore I endure all things for the ELECT'S sake, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory" (literally, 'eonian' or 'age-lasting' glory, 2 Tim. 2:10). And again he wrote, "But we preach Christ crucified, unto Jews a stumbling-block, and unto Gentiles foolishness; but unto them that ARE CALLED, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God" (1 Cor. 1:23, 24).

Election and predestination become most precious portions of God's truth once it is seen that the reason some are elected to a special salvation is that through them the rest may be reached. There is a special salvation for some and a general salvation f or the rest later on. Those who believe now will be made like Christ when He returns and will live and reign with Him during the coming eons or ages. They will be delivered from the Second Death.

The non-elect will be saved at the end of the ages solely as the result of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ in their behalf. Does this mean a second chance? By no means! Salvation is not a matter of chance, first or second. Had it bee n left to chance no one would have been saved, now or later (Rom. 3:10-12; 1:28-32). Salvation is of God! He assures us that He will save all.

Let no one think for a moment that there will not be judgment and condemnation. "The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all the ungodliness and unrighteousness of men" (Rom. 1:18). Those who are hard and impenitent of heart treasure up for themselves wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God Who will render to every man ACCORDING TO HIS WORKS. To them that are factious and obey not the truth but obey unrighteousness shall be wrath indignation, tribulation and anguish. See Rom. 2:1-16; Rev. 2:11-15; etc. All that the Scriptures ACTUALLY teach about the wrath of God will surely come to pass. The wrath of God is an awful thing and it is not our purpose to minimize it in the least. However too much condemnation and punishment is just as unrighteous as too little.

III. WHAT DOES THIS SALVATION INCLUDE?

The Justification and Making Righteous of All.

"So then as through one trespass the judgment came unto all men to condemnation; even so through one act of righteousness the free gift came unto all men to justification of life. For as through the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One shall the many be made righteous" (Rom. 5:18-19).

The Reconciliation of All to God.

"For it was the good pleasure of the Father that in Him should all the fulness dwell; and through him to reconcile all things unto Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things upon the earth, or things in the heavens" (Col. 1:19-20). Reconciliation means the removal of all alienation and enmity, thus making peace.

The Vivification of All.

"For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be MADE ALIVE. But each in his own ORDER; Christ the firstfruits; then they that are Christ's at his coming; then the end [ORDER]. The last enemy that shall be abolished is death" (See 1 Cor. 15:20-26).
The making alive in this passage is more than resurrection alone. It is a making alive beyond the power and reach of death as will be seen from the experience of Christ the FIRSTFRUITS, and those who are Christ's at His coming. Resurrection was only to mortality as in the case of Lazarus, Jaius' daughter, etc. Making alive here is unto incorruption and immortality (1 Tim. 6:13-16; 1 Cor. 15:50-57).

The Subjection of All to God the Father.

"For, He put all things in subjection under His feet. But when He saith, all things are put in subjection, it is evident that He is excepted [none others] Who did subject all things unto Him. And when all things have been subjected unto Him, then shall THE SON ALSO HIMSELF BE SUBJECTED to Him that did subject all things unto Him, that GOD MAY BE ALL IN ALL" (1 Cor. 15:27-28; Phil. 2:9-11; Eph. 1:9-11, 19-23).

But someone protests, Will not believing that God is the Savior of all do away with evangelistic fervor and zeal? It did not affect the Apostle Paul in this manner. On the contrary it increased his fervor and zeal. "For to this end we labor and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, Who is the Savior of all men" (1 Tim. 4:10; see also 2 Cor. 5:13-21). We must ever distinguish between the fact of the salvation of all and the manner in which God brings it to pass. He condescends to work through human instrumentality (Rom 10:11-15; 1 Cor. 1:21). Genuine believers will live and work unto this end continually. It is invigorating to know that complete success is assured ultimately.

Again someone may say, Yes, it does seen to be true but it is a dangerous doctrine and should not be taught. God says, "THESE THINGS COMMAND AND TEACH." Shall we obey God or man? Shall we seek God's pleasure or man's? Those who seek to please man are not slaves of Jesus Christ (Gal. 1:10). Shall we who know Him and have had our eyes opened to the glorious triumph of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ sit idly by and let reproach be heaped upon His name without protesting? Think how the teaching of end less punishment slanders God and Jesus Christ, for we know Christ died for all. Does God lack the goodness, the power, the love, the grace to save all? Every attribute of God is slandered by the unscriptural teaching of eternal punishment. God says punishment is age-lasting, man says everlasting. Let us believe God and not man.

--Joseph E. Kirk

As In Adam All Die

Will All Who Die In Adam Be Made Alive In Christ?

Man was made for life, but death swallows up the race. Is death always to be the abject, heartbreaking end of life, or will death some day be vanquished and its victims freed? The right answer to this question reveals a triumphant Savior, strengthens faith in God, gives true comfort, and inspires worship, thanksgiving and joy. The right answer is God's answer. It is direct and clear. Note it carefully.

AS in Adam ALL die

SO ALSO in Christ shall ALL be made alive.

BUT each in his own order:
Christ the Firstfruit;
Then they that are Christ's at His coming;
Then cometh the end [order], WHEN He shall deliver up the kingdom to God, even the Father; WHEN He shall have abolished ALL rule and ALL authority and power. For He must reign, TILL He hath put all His enemies under His feet. THE LAST ENEMY THAT SHALL BE ABOLISHED IS DEATH (1 Cor. 15:22-26, R.V.)

This is an unexplored portion of God's Word to many. Its challenging statements should strengthen our determination to understand and believe the truth God has revealed in it. Let us consider some of its outstanding points:

AS IN ADAM ALL DIE. Death is the heritage of all who are related to Adam, none escape it. Even those who believe in Jesus Christ as their Savior, succumb to the sleep of death and are referred to as "the dead in Christ" (1 Thess. 4:13-18); and as "the dead" that "shall be raised incorruptible" (1 Cor. 15:51-52). The fact that "those who are Christ's" need to be "made alive at His coming" shows that they too are included in the ALL who die in Adam.

Satan's success in binding men to the nature and extent of death is the cause of much error. That this would be a master stroke of deception is evidenced by the fact that Satan's first lie was "You shall not surely die" (Gen. 3:4). This deception is still believed by many in spite of the fact that all die. Truth is sometimes rejected because it is unpleasant. The apparent finality of death appalls man. His aversion to death causes him to welcome any philosophy that explains it away. To reject the truth concerning death is to lose the comfort contained in God's way of dealing with it. Death is indeed a grim and relentless enemy but there is One Who is "THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE" (John 11:25). He has "the keys of death and of Hades" (Rev. 1:17-18). He it is who will conquer death and set its victims free. Hear the thrilling words:

SO ALSO IN CHRIST SHALL ALL BE MADE ALIVE. Think of it -- ALL who die in Adam will be MADE ALIVE IN CHRIST! Made alive beyond the reach of death. Made alive unto immortality as was Christ "the Firstfruit" when He was raised from the dead (1 Tim 6:16). Made alive as "those who are Christ's" will be made alive at His coming -- the dead raised "incorruptible" and the living "changed" from mortal to immortal (1 Cor 15:51-55).

Marvel of marvels, "INCORRUPTIBLE " and "IMMORTAL" -- incapable of being corrupted and incapable of dying. This is the "victory" that will "swallow up" all death in due time. What rejoicing there will be then! What glory to God and to His Son!

BUT EACH IN HIS OWN ORDER. Not a "but" of exception, rather a "but" of order. ALL are to be made alive but at different times. "Each in his own order." THREE ORDERS are enumerated and located in relation to other events:

Christ the Firstfruit -- Three days after His death.
Then those who are Christ's -- At His coming.
Then the end [order] -- WHEN He shall deliver up the kingdom.

It is the third or "end" order that many overlook. A thoughtful reading of this passage will enable most believers to see clearly that the words "then cometh the end" refer to this end order to be made alive. The subject the apostle is elucidating is: The order in which all who die in Adam will be made alive in Christ (vs. 22-24). Christ the firstfruit (order one) and those who are Christ's at His coming (order two) comprise only a small part of the ALL who die in Adam. A third order is necessary to make ALL alive. To refer the "end" to anything else is to ignore the context and to introduce something foreign to the subject. It cannot possibly refer to an end of the kingdom, for though the kingdom will be "delivered up" to the Father (1 Cor. 15:24) , it will never end (Luke 1:33).

Four statements in this passage indicate that the words "then cometh the end" refer to the making alive of an end order.

"as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in this own order" (vs. 22-23).

"The last enemy that shall be abolished is death" (vs. 26). It is the making alive of ALL that will abolish death. As long as any remain dead, death has not been abolished.

"When all things have been subjected unto the Son" (vs. 27-28). The dead must ALL be made alive if all are to be subjected unto the Son. The only exception in this subjection is God the Father.

"That God may be all in all" (vs. 28). This requires that all be made alive. As long as any remain dead God cannot be ALL IN ALL, for He is not the God of the dead (Luke 10:37-38).

But the question arises, May not the making alive of this end order refer to "the resurrection unto judgment" at the time of the "Great White Throne" (John 5:29; Rev. 20:11-15)?

This cannot be the case for three reasons:

In the resurrection unto judgment the dead are not made alive unto immortality as is the case in the end order. Were they raised "incorruptible: and "immortal" to be judged, they could not afterward die the second death. God's Word makes it clear that "if any are not found written in the book of life" they will suffer the second death (Rev. 20:13-15).

The making alive of the end order will abolish death. The resurrection unto judgment does not do this for it is followed by the second death. As long as the second death exists, death has not been abolished.

The making alive of this end order takes place long after the resurrection unto judgment at the Great White Throne -- more than a whole age later. The end order is made alive "WHEN He shall deliver up the kingdom to God even the Father." When does He do this? WHEN He shall have abolished ALL RULE and ALL AUTHORITY and POWER. For He must reign TILL he hath put all His enemies under His feet. THE LAST ENEMY THAT SHALL BE ABOLISHED IS DEATH" (1 Cor. 15:24-26, R.V.).

The Son does not deliver up the kingdom to God the Father until he has abolished ALL rule, authority, power, and death. Since death is the last enemy to be abolished, as long as rule, authority, and power remain, the end order has not been made alive. With these facts in mind let us glace at the outstanding events of the future which bear on this subject.

AN OUTLINE OF FUTURE EVENTS

When Christ returns He will set up a kingdom upon earth (Rev. 11:15; Dan. 2:44). Together with His saints He will then reign for 1,000 years (Rev. 19:11-20:6). When the 1,000 years are finished there will be a Satan led revolt which ends in disaster for the revolters (Rev. 20:7-10). This will be followed by the resurrection unto judgment (Rev. 20:5-6 and 11-15). The present heavens and earth will then be dissolved (2 Pet. 3:7-13). Then will come the New Heavens and the New Earth upon which the New Jerusalem descends (Rev. 21:1-22:5).

Will rule, authority, and power still be present on the New Earth? If so, death has not yet been abolished. Let us see: "The Throne of God and of the Lamb shall be therein" (Rev. 22:3). "And his servants shall serve him" and "they shall REIGN for the ages of the ages" (Rev. 22:3-5).

"The KINGS of the earth bring their glory into the New Jerusalem" (Rev. 21:23-24). Yes, rule, authority, and power are still present on the New Earth. The Lord Jesus is still reigning, the saints are still reigning, and there are still kings on the earth. The end order has not yet been made alive. Since there will be no death on the New Earth (Rev. 21:1-4), the only dead ones to be made alive in the end order are those who have suffered the second death. When these have been made alive, then in deed and in truth, death will have been abolished.

The question arises, When will these who are made alive in the end order come to believe in Jesus Christ as their Savior? Another question answers this one. How can unbelievers EXPERIENCE the resurrecting power of Jesus Christ in saving them out of the first death, be brought into His presence at the Great White Throne, and not believe? The Judge is none other than the Savior (Rom. 2:16). "All judgment has been given unto the Son that all may HONOR the Son even as they honor the Father" (John 5:22-23) .

But the objection arises, if they come to know Jesus Christ as their Savior then, why should they suffer the second death? Again we would answer by asking another question. Why do those who believe during this life suffer the first death? We should not forget that the first death is the condemnation of God against SIN (Rom. 5:12-19). Deliverance out of it for anyone is on the basis of the saving work of Jesus Christ (John 1:29). Unbelievers will be saved OUT OF the first death in the "resurrection unto judgment" (John 5:28-29). They will then be judged and dealt with according to their DEEDS (Rom. 2:5-6; Rev. 20:11-15) after which they will suffer the second death. The second death is because of the SINS of the individual, and deliverance OUT OF it will be on the basis of the saving work of Jesus Christ (1 John 2:2; Rom. 5:18-19; 1 Cor 15:20-26).

The teaching of endless punishment slanders the character of God and dishonors His Son. Failure to distinguish between the elective salvation of the ages (2 Tim. 2:10), and the general salvation beyond (1 Tim. 4:9-11; 2:3-6), has caused many to malign the God they seek to glorify. This distinction is clearly revealed in the types of the Old Testament. There was redemption for SOME prior to Jubilee, and a deliverance for ALL at Jubilee (Lev. 25:1-55).

There is to be a grand Jubilee of Salvation. All are to receive "justification of life" and "be made righteous" (Rom. 5:18-19). Jesus Christ is indeed a triumphant Savior! "The pleasure of the Lord SHALL PROSPER in His hand, He shall see the travail of His soul and SHALL BE SATISFIED" (Isa. 53:10-11).

-- Joseph E. Kirk

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