Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
God wills all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth, and this will is good and acceptable in His sight as God our Saviour. He decrees no one's destruction and destroys no one, but as a tender, pitying Friend He bears long with transgressors and follows each soul with appeals and opportunities until further help would be wholly useless. Ample provision for this universal salvation has been made through the Son who paid humanity's ransom, with the Spirit freely given to enable every person to take hold of it. Yet He does not force obedience, so those who perish do so because they wilfully refuse adoption through Christ and refuse the gift of life, while salvation comes only through grace received by faith in Christ and not by human merit. Because He wills all to be saved, supplications, prayers and thanksgiving are to be made for all people, and every believer is pledged to join in giving the invitation until the work encircles the world.
God Wills All Saved
The will revealed here is that all people be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth, and this willing is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour. This universal purpose grounds prayer for everyone and gives every believer a part in inviting thirsty souls to the water of life. It is shown in long-suffering and abundant mercy toward transgressors of the law, in bearing long with them while still entreating them to turn from evil ways so they will not die. He causes His sun to shine upon the evil and upon the good, upon those blinded to deny Him and upon those striving earnestly to do His will, and He gives richly all things to enjoy even when men do not acknowledge Him as worthy of praise or service.
He decrees no one's destruction, confirms no one in impenitence, and destroys no one. He never finally leaves or abandons a soul while salvation remains possible and while there is still hope. He continues to follow each person with appeals, warnings, compassion, opportunities, privileges, and assurances until further help would be wholly useless. If a person is lost the blame rests on the sinner himself, for each refusal prepares the way for further resistance until growing indifference makes light ineffective and the person no longer responds.
Ample provision for universal salvation has been made through the Son, who was given to pay humanity's ransom. The Spirit is freely given to enable every person to take hold of the means of salvation, so salvation is offered to everyone rather than fixed by an unchangeable decree about character or ability to obey. He is a tender, pitying Friend who loves His creatures and desires sinners to be saved in His kingdom, not a tyrant who delights in their suffering. He does not want anyone to be lost or to perish, but does not force obedience; each person is free to accept or refuse His offer of mercy, while the gift of Jesus opens the way to receive pardon and eternal riches.
This desire for every person to attain eternal life and to reach the haven of eternal bliss runs through Scripture. It is seen in its urgent appeals to come to Christ, to turn from soul-corrupting appetites and passions, and to accept a life of self-denial and sacrifice.
Offered Salvation Requires Choice
Salvation is offered to everyone rather than fixed by an unchangeable decree about each person's character or ability to obey. His law is not meant to prevent their salvation, and the Spirit is freely given to enable every person to take hold of the means of salvation. People miss salvation and are lost through their own willful refusal of the gift of life. Those who perish do so because they refuse adoption as God's children through Christ, and pride can keep them from accepting it.
He does not force obedience, but each person is free to accept or refuse His offer of mercy. Christ's death for the human race and the gift of Jesus open the plain way for sinners to repent, receive pardon by receiving Christ, and receive eternal riches. Salvation and acceptance with God come through Christ's grace received by faith in Christ as substitute and surety, not through human merit, works, or feelings, and God's elect are chosen through Christ. Coming to the knowledge of the truth is conversion and salvation, and God teaches people toward it by His Word and Spirit.
Guilt is measured by the light given and rejected, with each person judged according to the knowledge available and whether it is used faithfully, so greater light brings greater responsibility. By using given light and opportunities people may overcome sin and walk in the light to gain further knowledge of the way to eternal life. By stifling conviction, turning from evidence, and resisting the Spirit, each refusal prepares the way for further resistance and hardens the heart step by step from indifference to indifference until light no longer impresses and the person no longer responds.
Pray and Invite Everyone
Because God wills all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth, and this will is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks are to be made for all people. This universal purpose gives every believer a part in inviting people to salvation, so that those who thirst are led to the water of life. Prayer in times of crisis seeks His help in bringing souls to that knowledge of the truth. Every believer is pledged to join in giving the invitation to come, with no idlers in the vineyard. God's servants are to use every resource to enlarge His kingdom, to do whole-hearted work, to constantly enlarge the circle of effort and widen the work until it encircles the world.
In connection with the one God and the one mediator Christ Jesus, every church member is to study the Scriptures personally rather than look to human agents to stand between them and God. Those who believe the truth are to love the souls around them for whom Christ died and labor to convince rather than condemn them. They are to uplift Christ before those in error with long-suffering, patience, forbearance, and doctrine. They are to do all they can to bring souls to the truth rather than merely asking God to convert them while neglecting the work.
The press controlled by sanctified people is a powerful means to bring people to the knowledge of the truth because it can reach and influence the public mind as no other means can, for good or evil. Therefore publications carrying truth should be printed in different languages and sent to every civilized country at any cost, since the value of souls far outweighs the value of money. Desiring everyone's conversion means going out into the highways and hedges to reach the higher classes as well as the lower classes. This means entering the homes of the rich and the poor to sing easily understood gospel songs and to offer prayer for God's keeping, and such singing visitation is genuine missionary work that God will bless and through which workers will see His salvation. Knowing God is eternal life, and learning this truth through humble obedience and daily cross-bearing equips people for this life and the life to come.
God wills all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth, and this will is good and acceptable in His sight as God our Saviour. He decrees no one's destruction and destroys no one, but as a tender, pitying Friend He bears long with transgressors and follows each soul with appeals and opportunities until further help would be wholly useless. Ample provision for this universal salvation has been made through the Son who paid humanity's ransom, with the Spirit freely given to enable every person to take hold of it. Yet He does not force obedience, so those who perish do so because they wilfully refuse adoption through Christ and refuse the gift of life, while salvation comes only through grace received by faith in Christ and not by human merit. Because He wills all to be saved, supplications, prayers and thanksgiving are to be made for all people, and every believer is pledged to join in giving the invitation until the work encircles the world.
God Wills All Saved
The will revealed here is that all people be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth, and this willing is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour. This universal purpose grounds prayer for everyone and gives every believer a part in inviting thirsty souls to the water of life. It is shown in long-suffering and abundant mercy toward transgressors of the law, in bearing long with them while still entreating them to turn from evil ways so they will not die. He causes His sun to shine upon the evil and upon the good, upon those blinded to deny Him and upon those striving earnestly to do His will, and He gives richly all things to enjoy even when men do not acknowledge Him as worthy of praise or service.
He decrees no one's destruction, confirms no one in impenitence, and destroys no one. He never finally leaves or abandons a soul while salvation remains possible and while there is still hope. He continues to follow each person with appeals, warnings, compassion, opportunities, privileges, and assurances until further help would be wholly useless. If a person is lost the blame rests on the sinner himself, for each refusal prepares the way for further resistance until growing indifference makes light ineffective and the person no longer responds.
Ample provision for universal salvation has been made through the Son, who was given to pay humanity's ransom. The Spirit is freely given to enable every person to take hold of the means of salvation, so salvation is offered to everyone rather than fixed by an unchangeable decree about character or ability to obey. He is a tender, pitying Friend who loves His creatures and desires sinners to be saved in His kingdom, not a tyrant who delights in their suffering. He does not want anyone to be lost or to perish, but does not force obedience; each person is free to accept or refuse His offer of mercy, while the gift of Jesus opens the way to receive pardon and eternal riches.
This desire for every person to attain eternal life and to reach the haven of eternal bliss runs through Scripture. It is seen in its urgent appeals to come to Christ, to turn from soul-corrupting appetites and passions, and to accept a life of self-denial and sacrifice.
Offered Salvation Requires Choice
Salvation is offered to everyone rather than fixed by an unchangeable decree about each person's character or ability to obey. His law is not meant to prevent their salvation, and the Spirit is freely given to enable every person to take hold of the means of salvation. People miss salvation and are lost through their own willful refusal of the gift of life. Those who perish do so because they refuse adoption as God's children through Christ, and pride can keep them from accepting it.
He does not force obedience, but each person is free to accept or refuse His offer of mercy. Christ's death for the human race and the gift of Jesus open the plain way for sinners to repent, receive pardon by receiving Christ, and receive eternal riches. Salvation and acceptance with God come through Christ's grace received by faith in Christ as substitute and surety, not through human merit, works, or feelings, and God's elect are chosen through Christ. Coming to the knowledge of the truth is conversion and salvation, and God teaches people toward it by His Word and Spirit.
Guilt is measured by the light given and rejected, with each person judged according to the knowledge available and whether it is used faithfully, so greater light brings greater responsibility. By using given light and opportunities people may overcome sin and walk in the light to gain further knowledge of the way to eternal life. By stifling conviction, turning from evidence, and resisting the Spirit, each refusal prepares the way for further resistance and hardens the heart step by step from indifference to indifference until light no longer impresses and the person no longer responds.
Pray and Invite Everyone
Because God wills all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth, and this will is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks are to be made for all people. This universal purpose gives every believer a part in inviting people to salvation, so that those who thirst are led to the water of life. Prayer in times of crisis seeks His help in bringing souls to that knowledge of the truth. Every believer is pledged to join in giving the invitation to come, with no idlers in the vineyard. God's servants are to use every resource to enlarge His kingdom, to do whole-hearted work, to constantly enlarge the circle of effort and widen the work until it encircles the world.
In connection with the one God and the one mediator Christ Jesus, every church member is to study the Scriptures personally rather than look to human agents to stand between them and God. Those who believe the truth are to love the souls around them for whom Christ died and labor to convince rather than condemn them. They are to uplift Christ before those in error with long-suffering, patience, forbearance, and doctrine. They are to do all they can to bring souls to the truth rather than merely asking God to convert them while neglecting the work.
The press controlled by sanctified people is a powerful means to bring people to the knowledge of the truth because it can reach and influence the public mind as no other means can, for good or evil. Therefore publications carrying truth should be printed in different languages and sent to every civilized country at any cost, since the value of souls far outweighs the value of money. Desiring everyone's conversion means going out into the highways and hedges to reach the higher classes as well as the lower classes. This means entering the homes of the rich and the poor to sing easily understood gospel songs and to offer prayer for God's keeping, and such singing visitation is genuine missionary work that God will bless and through which workers will see His salvation. Knowing God is eternal life, and learning this truth through humble obedience and daily cross-bearing equips people for this life and the life to come.