Will ALL be saved?
W.W., Manchester. — You must not allow the caviling of the universalist to hinder you in the proclamation of the glad tidings; indeed, the very passages quoted by him should give you a great incentive to go on with your work.
Take the first: “God our Savior, who will have all men to be saved” (1 Tim. 2:3, 43For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; 4Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. (1 Timothy 2:3‑4)). The gospel is for all, and is sent to every sinner on earth: this you can freely make known. Moreover a righteous basis for the blessing of all is found in that “Christ Jesus... gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time” (verse 6). This must be made known world-wide.
But salvation which God is willing to bestow upon all, is linked with coming “to the knowledge of the truth,” and here the will of man comes in and he refuses it; and in this is his condemnation, for men love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil (John 3:1919And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. (John 3:19)). But God is dealing with men in grace, it is the day of salvation, and He is “not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Pet. 3:99The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9)). If; however, in self-will a man refuses repentance and the gospel, his doom is clearly foretold in the Word of God:
“The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels.
And all such will be without excuse.
The word “will” in verse 4 is not the will of purpose, it is the will of desire, embracing all men both in the thought of His heart and in the bearing of the one all-availing ransom. But the will of purpose is not thus general: it is definitive of some “chosen” in the inscrutable sovereignty of grace (see Eph. 1:4, 54According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: 5Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, (Ephesians 1:4‑5)).
The passage in 1 Corinthians 15:2222For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. (1 Corinthians 15:22): “For as in Adam all die so in Christ shall all be made alive,” certainly does not prove that all men will be saved. It is a simple statement of the fact that on the one hand all that are in Adam die, and that on the other hand all who are in Christ shall be made alive. But all men are not “in Christ.” Hence all will not be made alive, that is, not made alive in the sense in which this verse speaks of being made alive or quickened.
It is interesting to note that the word quickening applied in verse 45 to Christ, “the last Adam a quickening Spirit,” is cognate to the verb used in this verse. Hence there is contrast between the two Adams. Each is head of a race. Death prevails in one line, life in the other. In Adam all die, in Christ, the last Adam, all are made alive.
Though verse 22 does not pass beyond those in Christ, yet we may remark that more is involved (though not developed) in verse 24 where the destruction of the last enemy, death, is spoken of. Death is here viewed as an enemy which has invaded God’s creation: that enemy must be destroyed and this involves the resurrection even of the wicked — not their being “made alive” in the sense of verse 22, but the bringing together of the component parts of man — body, soul and spirit by the destruction of that which had separated them. Thus is God vindicated in respect of that which had brought disintegration into His creation: and of this the resurrection of Christ is the pledge. But the resurrection of the lost is in view not of life, but of judgment, hence it is spoken of in John 5:2929And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation. (John 5:29) as the resurrection of damnation (or judgment) and is contrasted there with the resurrection of life, and in Revelation 20:4-64And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 5But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 6Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. (Revelation 20:4‑6) with the first resurrection, from which it is separated by an interval of a thousand years.
“As by the offense of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation: even so by the righteousness of one (or by one righteousness’ margin) the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.”
The words “judgment came” and also the words “the free gift came” are in italics in the A.V., as indicating that they are not in the original. Omitting these words the simple meaning of the Scripture is evident: as the offense of one had its bearing towards all men to condemnation so the bearing of the one righteousness is towards (literal translation) all men unto justification of life. That does not mean that all men receive the blessing which flows from that one accomplished righteousness, but it does mean that it is towards all alike in view of justification of life. We have a somewhat similar statement in the third chapter, where we read (verse 22) of “the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all”: that is to say it is towards all men, but, mark, it does not say “upon all men” but goes on, “and upon all them that believe.”
You ask again as to 1St Tim. 4, 10:
“For therefore we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, specially of those that believe.”
Here the word “Savior” should be translated “Preserver.” God is the Preserver of all men. His rain descends upon the just and upon the unjust. He sustains all in life. But His beneficent care in this way is specially marked towards those that believe, and hence the apostle’s confidence in the midst of suffering and reproach.
One passage from the Old Testament and one from the New will serve in few words to prove the falsity of the universalist’s reasoning. “And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting, life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt” (Dan. 12:22And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. (Daniel 12:2)). “Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming in the which all that are in the graves shall hear His voice, and shall come forth: they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation” (John 5:28, 2928Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, 29And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation. (John 5:28‑29)).
The Father’s House, and the Judgment Seat of Christ
H.H. — We know of no definite passage of Scripture to guide us in replying to your inquiry as to whether believers will pass before the judgment seat of Christ prior to entrance into the Father’s house, or whether that will be subsequent to our entrance there. For this reason we can only state our thought as to this in the way of suggestion.
There are two things that must ever be distinguished, namely, grace and responsibility. The Father’s house is on the former line, and the judgment seat upon the latter. Infinite love has chosen us as children, we have been given by the Father to the Son, our Lord Jesus (John 17 to); and the time is speedily coming when He will receive us to Himself in His Father’s house (John 14:1-31Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 2In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. (John 14:1‑3)). This is all grace, and all that is needed for that place is the “body of glory” (Phil. 3:2121Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself. (Philippians 3:21)). This wondrous change will take place at the coming of the Lord (1 Thess. 4.) in the twinkling of an eye (1 Cor. 15:5252In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. (1 Corinthians 15:52)), and we believe that we shall at once enter the Father’s house.
The judgment seat (2 Cor. 5:2020Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. (2 Corinthians 5:20)) has to say to the things done in the body, and of course is on the line of our responsibility. There we shall behold everything in the light of the Lord. We shall there receive His judgment (not in the sense of condemnation) as to our whole course on earth; and being no longer cramped and limited by our mortal flesh, but being clothed upon with our house which is from heaven (2 Cor. 5:1, 21For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: (2 Corinthians 5:1‑2)), we shall have the capacity without hindrance of fully appreciating the matchless grace of God, and also the degradation and hatefulness of that from which that grace has saved us.
The hour in which all will thus be manifested is evidently connected in Scripture with “the day” of the Lord, and rewards are linked with it (1 Cor. 3:13-1513Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. 14If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. 15If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. (1 Corinthians 3:13‑15)). From Matthew 25:14-3014For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. 15And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey. 16Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents. 17And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two. 18But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money. 19After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them. 20And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more. 21His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. 22He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them. 23His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. 24Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: 25And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine. 26His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed: 27Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. 28Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. 29For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. 30And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Matthew 25:14‑30), we gather that these rewards determine the respective places of saints individually in their sharing in the glorious millennial reign of Christ over the earth. We incline to the conclusion, therefore, that the judgment seat of Christ, as it applies to believers in this dispensation, will immediately precede our return to earth with the Lord to reign with Him over it.
But the judgment seat in no wise determines our place in the Father’s house: infinite love has already done this, and we have nothing to fear, for we shall there be in perfect and eternal accord with the One who for the fullness of our blessing and joy will rightly appraise for us all that has passed in our life below, and fuller and deeper will be the praise that we shall then render to Him.