Author Thomas Talbot describes three propositions most Christians hold to be true:
(1) It is God’s desire to reconcile all sinners back to Him.
I Timothy 2:4 - God desires everyone to be saved and to come to knowledge of the truth.
II Peter 3:9 - God is not wanting that any should perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
Romans 8:38- Neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us, from the love of God.
(2) It is within God’s power to do as He pleases, including redeem all of the world back to Him.
Job 42:2: I know that you can do all things and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.
Isaiah 46:10: My (God’s) purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.
Ephesians 1:11: God accomplishes all things according to his counsel and will.
(3) Yet, some will never be reconciled to God, and enter a place of eternal separation from God.
II Thessalonians 1:9: These will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction.
Matthew 25:46: Then they will go away into eternal punishment.
Matthew 13:42: They will throw them into the fiery furnace where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
It seems there is Biblical support for all three propositions? God desires all to be saved, it is within God's power to insure that all are saved, but some are seemingly lost. How can God be all-loving, all-powerful, and a God of justice at the same time? Is it consistent to hold on to all three positions?
1 comment:
I'm just intrigued by to find the Blogspot of a distant relative (with the same last name as mine) who has the same mission - to share the love of Christ with the world. God bless you. :)
Brian, Kalispell, MT
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