03.05 Mercy Upon All
3 - God Will Have All Men Be Saved; Section 5
MERCY UPON ALL
"This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation. For therefore we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of ALL MEN, specially of those that believe. THESE THINGS COMMAND AND TEACH" (1 Timothy 4:9-11). I have suffered reproach because I have trusted in the Living God as "the Saviour of ALL MEN, specially (in a special way, measure) those that believe." I have been exhorted by unthinking brethren to stop teaching it, or to at least minimize it. To do so would be a violation of the Word of God, and rebellion against the clear command of God. "These things COMMAND AND TEACH." This Gospel I am commanded to teach.
Some time ago a letter came in the mail wherein the statement was made, "It hurts me to the uttermost to have people - unsaved especially - read this or know it - as by your standing they will be all saved someday, somehow, somewhere. So, in other words, there is no need for them to give their life to the Lord now. They can continue their fun in this sinful world, as they will all be saved" - end quote. It is beyond my comprehension how it could hurt anyone to hear the lost being told that THEY WILL BE SAVED. That is exactly what we are sent to tell them, the Gospel, the GOOD NEWS, to pray them in Christ’s stead to be reconciled to God. I therefore teach you today, as the apostle Paul has taught, and has exhorted us to teach, that "God is the Saviour of all men." Of course we don’t tell the sinner to go out and live it up because in the end he is going to be alright!
"And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now COMMANDS ALL MEN EVERYWHERE TO REPENT" (Acts 17:30). God commands all men everywhere to repent and as God’s messenger I command all men everywhere to repent. And thank God, they shall! The One who commands men to repent is the almighty Christ of God. Have you prayed for your loved ones and friends, and then despaired lest God should fail to reach them? Why, my dear friend, are you so sad? All power is given unto our Lord and Saviour in heaven and in earth. At His Word rainwater and dew become the grape-juice; tiny handfuls of grain fill autumn barns; storms die away into calm; fish are led through the path of the sea; rills are sent among the mountains; and stars are maintained in their courses, so that "not one fails." What God commands shall be carried out. Do you believe it?
Think of all the wrong and evil that was done to the Son of God during His trial and crucifixion. Things that many Churches would have us believe would separate men from God for all eternity. There was railing, ridicule, false accusations, mocking and blasphemies. There was defiant and utter rejection of Jesus as the Christ of God, as King and Redeemer. ALL MANKIND was gathered there to reject and refuse the Saviour of the world. ALL MANKIND killed the Prince of Life. "The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against His Christ. For of a truth against Your holy child Jesus, whom You have anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles (nations), and the people of Israel, were gathered together" (Acts 4:26-27). But what happened? In the midst of all the railing and ranting and cruelty, nine wonderful words are heard coming from the Christ. He said, "Father, forgive them. They know not what they do." Here was forgiveness to the uttermost! Here was forgiveness covering EVERYONE AND EVERYTHING! Here was the healing of the nations. Here was the uniting of the Father and all His creation. Here was the end of the struggle and peace was completely established between God and mankind.
Why should He die? He had loved men. His life had been stainless and beautiful. Why should He die? Why should He suffer for the lies of false priests, and the malignity of petty politicians, and a drunken, voluptuous king and a beastly, brutal procurator, a heathen, who had a good wife that warned him not to do what he did. Why should He die? Twelve legions of angels would have come in a moment at His command. Why should He die? He must die. It was necessary. The High Priest was right when he said, "You know nothing at all, nor do you take account that it is expedient for you that One Man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not." It was necessary that the Lamb of God, slain from the foundation of the world, should appear and by the sacrifice of Himself tear down every wall of partition and unite humanity; establish His Kingdom; call out His Church from that Kingdom; put down all rule and all authority and all power; bring unity out of diversity, light out of darkness, life out of death, health out of disease, a new world wherein dwells righteousness out of an old world wherein dwelt Satan and sin and disease and death and hell. It was necessary. AND IT IS NECESSARY STILL FOR THIS WORK TO GO ON UNTIL ALL MEN AND ALL CREATION HAS BEEN BROUGHT BACK TO GOD.
There is one verse in Paul’s letter to the Romans, that seems to express all this in about as few words as can be found anywhere in God’s Word. I want to quote it and give two or three translations of it. "For God has CONCLUDED them ALL in UNBELIEF, that He might have MERCY upon ALL" (Romans 11:32). The Diaglott reads, "For God SHUT UP together ALL for DISOBEDIENCE, that He might have MERCY on ALL." Young’s Literal says, "For God did SHUT UP together the WHOLE to UNBELIEF, that to the WHOLE He might do KINDNESS." Then one more, the Amplified Bible renders, "For God has CONSIGNED (penned up) ALL MEN to disobedience, only that He may have MERCY on them ALL alike."