Now , upon what evidence is there that God wills the salvation of all men ?
There are some verses that are undeniable in their proof of the universal availability of salvation.
Ezekiel 33:11
Say to them, 'As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, O house of Israel?'
This being true, God would never make salvation available only to some. He makes it available to all and entreats all to turn and receive it.
Luke 4:18-19
The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.
Jesus came to preach good news to those who are poor and in need. He proclaimed freedom for those imprisoned to sin, recovery of sight for those who are spiritually blind, and release for the oppressed. Poor, imprisoned, blind, and oppressed are descriptions of all fallen mankind. Good news, freedom, recovery of sight, and release are available for all of fallen mankind through Christ. The year of the Lord’s favor refers to the year of Jubilee where every fifty years there was no sowing or reaping (Leviticus 25:11-12), all slaves were set free (Leviticus 25:39-54), the land went back to the original owner (Leviticus 27:16-24), and all debts were cancelled.
Matthew 9:11-13
When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and 'sinners'?" 12 On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 13 But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."
Luke 5:31-32
“It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”
Jesus came to call all sinners to repentance. This does in fact mean that He calls all sinners without distinction or exception. The call is for each and every sinner, which consists of everyone, to repent. The sick, which is all of mankind, need a doctor and He’s made a house call. The Calvinist would say that Jesus means that He calls all “elect” sinners to repentance, because only the elect receive the gift of repentance, but this is not in keeping with the context and would have to be read into the verse.
Matthew 9:35-38
Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field."
Jesus had compassion on the crowds. Theoretically, many in the crowds were not elect and were simply reaping the results of being the non-elect. In keeping with a Calvinistic mindset Jesus should not have had compassion on the non-elect unregenerate of the crowd for neither He nor the Father loved them. But instead, as the text indicates, Jesus had compassion upon all within the crowds, so what is His solution? He tells His disciples to pray to the Father, the Lord of the harvest, to regenerate the elect of the lost populace. No. He wants the disciples to pray to the Father to send obedient workers into the field. The answer to Jesus’ compassion upon all the people is that the gospel be sent to all the people.
Romans 5:18
Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men.
Here, Paul presents a very easily understood parallel. Adam’s sin resulted in condemnation for all men, and Jesus’ work of obedience on the cross brought justification and life for all men. Condemnation for all men is understood as all men without exception. Life for all men should be understood the same way. In order to receive the condemnation of Adam, you must be born of Adam. In order to receive the life of Jesus, you must be born again of the Spirit by faith. This new life has been provided for all men by Jesus’ one act of righteousness.
Romans 8:3
God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man,
2 Corinthians 5:18-21
All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Who is sinful man? It is all of mankind. There is no denying this. Jesus became a sin offering to condemn sin. What sin? All sin, which is in all sinful men, which is in every man born of Adam. This cannot refer to only the sin of the elect. He became sin and came in the likeness of all mankind, sinful mankind.
1 Timothy 1:15
Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners-of whom I am the worst.
He came to call sinners and to save sinners. Who are these sinners? All are sinners. This means that if you are a sinner, He came to save you. In the same context, Paul continues to write:
1 Timothy 2:3-6
This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all men-the testimony given in its proper time.
2 Peter 3:9
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
1 Timothy 2:4 and 2 Peter 3:9 compliment the Ezekiel 33 passage presented earlier in this section, which shows God’s heart in wanting each and every person to be saved. He does not want anyone to perish. Jesus is the God-man mediator bridging the sin gap between all mankind and God. He was the ransom for all men without distinction or exception.
2 Peter 2:1
But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them-bringing swift destruction on themselves.
If Calvinists are correct about limited atonement, Christ could not have died for those who will enter destruction. This verse shows that Jesus paid the price even for false teachers who will be destroyed. Jesus’ work on the cross was for all men without distinction or exception. Salvation is available for all men.
1 John 2:2
He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.
John shows that Jesus’ atoning sacrifice was provided for particular sins, those who have received His forgiveness by faith, but also for sins in general, the sins of the whole world.
Matthew 11:28-29
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
Should it be believed that only the elect are weary and burdened? No, of course not. All humanity needs rest for their souls and is invited to come to Jesus.
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