Everyone Everywhere!

Everyone Everywhere!

Everyone everywhere. Could it possibly be? That’s pretty wide open. It doesn’t get any more inclusive than that. Could there have been a misunderstanding somewhere along the way? After all, there must be some exceptions.

Have you ever wondered about the work of Christ on the Cross and its scope? Did He die for all or for just some? Was His precious blood shed for only those who would believe or did He die on behalf of all? Does God only deal with certain individuals and leave others to perish?

Be careful what you listen to and what you read. There are books written by evangelicals that have some excellent content but woven throughout their message is a black thread of wrong teaching.

Perhaps someone has tried to convince you that the only one’s who can be saved are the ones for whom Christ died. In fact, some Christians even say that in their prayers. “Lord, please save those for whom Christ died.” That’s a rather strange prayer, wouldn’t you say? It implies that Christ only died for a mysterious few and we must keep guessing who those few might be.

The Apostle Paul spoke emphatically and unequivocally to the people of Athens when he said:

God “now commands all people everywhere to repent.”
Acts 17:30

Repentance and salvation go hand in hand. God does not command only a select few to repent. He enjoins everyone everywhere to repent, because He knew that except they repent they will all perish. (Luke 13:5) The Spirit of God deals with everyone everywhere to bring them to repentance. But in this life not all will surrender or repent.

Jesus commanded His disciples to go into all the world and preach the good news, the glad tidings to every person on the planet, without exception. Every person? Wouldn’t it be a cruel and taunting message if we were to preach it to everyone but only some of them were chosen by God to enter into the benefits of the glad tidings! Would God really stoop to such trickery and play mind games as a form of despotic pleasure to tempt people with good news and then slam the door shut on them?

When you read John 3:16, do you think there is some small print that God hopes sinners won’t read? Do you think there is a footnote to the ‘whosoever’ in the middle of the verse that limits God’s invite to a select few?

What does 1 John 2:2 mean if it doesn’t mean that Christ death satisfied God not only for our sins but for the sins of everyone everywhere in the world? Could the verse be any clearer – Christ was the satisfying sacrifice for the sins of the entire world and anyone anywhere who puts their confidence in Christ will come into the good of Calvary’s provision.

The Word of God makes it clear that God our Saviour wants all people to be saved. That's the desire of His heart. (1Timothy 2:4). When Christ died He gave Himself a substitutionary ransom on behalf of every single person of the human race – without exception. He paid the price in full for all. (1Timothy 2:6) He tasted death for every person. (Hebrews 2:9)

Christ didn’t die for a select few nor does the Spirit of God call a select number to be saved. The invitation is to all and God now commands everyone everywhere to repent. God is not the author of Calvinism – John Calvin and his followers evolved the teaching. Stick to the Word of God and praise Him for the full and free provision of Christ for everyone everywhere.

Walk carefully and closely with the Lord today.

Warmly in Christ

Peter Ramsay