"ETERNAL TORMENT"

FACT OR FIGMENTATION?

"Come now let us reason together, saith the Lord."

Isa.1:18

Why is it that so many Christian leader resist and wrestle with solid scriptural evidences and truths of the ultimate salvation and reconciliation of ALL THINGS.? Is it because only a minority of theologians now support this view? Does not history show that a majority of them did hold this view for the first four centuries after Christ? Do they resist out of the fear of man and certain reprisal from his religious establishment? Is it fear because of glaring error in counterfeits of this glorious truth? Is it a case of blind leading the blind in teaching and tradition? Is it simple lack of faith? Is it the inability for whatever -reason, to see much beyond the letter of the word--beyond translation inconsistencies? Maybe? But beyond this, is there not a simple yet profound basic answer?

Has not Satan been totally defeated by Christ at Calvary? Has not his relegated chain of sinful power over all of god’s earthly creation been broken? Does not the devil know this and therefore is now propagating a deceptive lie that he himself still has, and always will have, tormenting power over men’s souls, even to hold them captive to his will forever more? Is he not fighting a losing battle, fighting hard to blind even dedicated Christians from seeing that the stronghold of his deceptive power over mankind is broken? Is he not, [but yet only in God’s purposeful omniscient and providential allowance], still pridefully through man, seeking to exalt his consigned power and will above the Almighty’s, knowing his time is short? Does the holy word not show he is ordained to prevail for a season only? Is not the Holy Spirit, line upon line, beginning to expose this lie by bringing forth a greater light of truth, and shall not the truth prevail to the uttermost in God’s timing to set all the captives free?

How can we read that--of Him, and through Him, and to Him, are ALL THINGS and then in our restricting doctrine believe and teach only SOME THINGS? Why do sincere men continue to believe contrary to God’s word, that He is the Saviour of only SOME men, who will have only SOME men to be save and come to the knowledge of the truth? Why do so many find their hearts so slow to believe God at His word but quick to believe the flesh and the devil?

Was the potential knowledge of evil placed in the very midst of Eden by God or by Satan? Was the curse of the original fall placed there by God or by Satan? If God Almighty and no other primarily has the authority to allow the devil the limited freedom of first roaming the garden of Eden and then the earth seemingly as he will, [and he has the same extent of freedom in the mind of man], is God Himself then not the one ultimately responsible to somehow negate all the negative effect? Has He not promised He would? Is He not now in the merciful process of carrying this out through the unconditional gift of grace by faith from the Lord Jesus Christ?

Is not the purpose of evil ever working in a divinely controlled order toward an ultimate goal of good? Are not all things working together for the good of those who love the Lord? Is God in any way able to be limited or hindered? does not our sovereign and omnipotent creator merely use opposition to His revealed will to mysteriously work out His blessed hidden intentions? Were we not created and purposed to experience and taste of evil spirit so we could of ourselves come to know and truthfully appreciate by experience---that opposite holy Spirit which is righteous and godly? Could we truly appreciate holiness or even attain to it, without despising profanity?

If the purpose and existence of evil was eternal, never ending, would that not defeat the ultimate purpose of its own creation and existence allowed and permitted of the creator? Would it not also defeat for the most part, the very purpose of Christ’s existence? Were the creation ever damned to the evils of eternal torment or punishment, would not God because of His eternal nature of mercy and love, suffer Himself in eternal grief for the creatures in the world that he so much loved? Or does He stop loving them when they live their lives without ever accepting Him---turning them over to eternal grief? If God created an eternal hell, was it included the works which He pronounced "very good?"

If God is the efficient cause of all that is...then did He not somehow play a part in the authoring of evil and sin? And if He is, how can it be morally right for Him to condemn man to an endless hell or annihilation for doing what He directly or indirectly, caused him to do? Does not His own permissive will allow God to permit whatever He thinks fit to permit or to hinder or totally restrain? In whatever He permits, does He also not regulate, and sooner or later use it to bring about glorious and wise purposes and results of His own choosing.

If God was truly manifest in Christ to destroy the works of the devil, and yet most souls are to be held captive in the power of sin and death forever or be annihilated as even the world suggests, will not Satan have succeeded in ultimately destroying or rendering futile most of the works and goals of God Almighty? How could God be all in all if any less than all remained outside of Him and apart from Him in death? How could death in any form remain if the life and love of God were in all, and all were in life? Does not the scripture say that the last enemy even death will be swallowed up and destroyed? Is not the devils power present in all sin and death that holds humanity captive to his will? Will not the devil and all his works be totally destroyed leaving God to be all in all?

If God Almighty truly is all powerful, and unregenerate man has no power of himself to save himself except God draw him and convince him of his need for a Saviour, how is it their loving Creator will apparently not exercise His power in, and for them all? Where are His bowels of mercy and compassion when He sees all of His helpless creation in need of His gift of love? Can God truly love and not apply this, His own nature, in truth and also in deed? Is His love in word only and not in power of action or deed? Does love omit? Will it come to be forever frustrated? Or shall every man be given life in God’s own divine order? How else shall the grace that brings salvation appear to every man? How else shall he see the travail of His soul and be satisfied? Does not the scripture say that God opens His hand to satisfy the desires of every living thing?

Who is, and always shall be supreme, in or over all things? God, Satan, or man? Is the strength and power of God to be limited or nullified by either man or Satan’s will power, apart from the will of God? Can God’s hand be shortened that He is unable to save or that He will not save? Can man frustrate God? If he doesn’t save all would not God be eternally frustrated? If we had sufficient power would we not deliver all men from their sin?

Is it in God’s creative and redemptive plan, His final will and purpose, His intents, or the ultimate scope of His decrees, that any should be lost for eternity? How can the will of God prevail in His all encompassing and positive decrees if physical death fixes the eternal condition of all men? How could ALL Israel be saved if this be so? How could ALL men be drawn unto Christ? How could all the creation, the created universe, be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God? How could every knee bow and every knee willingly confess to God’s glorious liberation? Does the Holy Ghost use unnecessary force?

Does God require any carnal assistance from man to fulfill His final redemptive and restorative purposes? Shall not the progressive, ever increasing accumulative process of His determined will, bring about according to the immutability of His written and spoken word, the ultimate fulfilled goals of all His purposes? Do you really think anything is too hard for God? Is our eternal God not righteous? Does the scripture not say that the desire of the righteous shall be granted?

What is God’s ultimate purpose in love, in righteousness, in justice? Is it to punish men forever? Or perhaps merely to negate man’s existence, hence His own creation in planned oblivion? Shall God forever allow the rebellion and resistance of man to nullify His glorious all-encompassing objectives? What real total victory would Christ’s death accomplish if He was not also going to personally give His life to all the individuals for whom He died. Why die for all foreknowing only a few would find life? Does God suffer for lack of foresight? If man has any influence in His own destiny, why did Jesus die? Is eternal torment and misery or ultimate annihilation to be the good tidings of great joy that the scripture says shall be to all people? Does the belief of eternal punishment cause the believer to rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory? Can a belief that is any thing short of universal salvation, fill the soul with peace and joy?

Since Christ died and rose again for all becoming a propitiation for the sins of the whole world, and as it be in the fullness of truth that no one can really resist His saving power, what is to prevent all from receiving salvation thus fulfilling His determined and decreed will of salvation for all? Shall not God perform the ultimate intents of His heart? Who can forever resist or change His will? Who are we that we can effectively argue against God? If God declares the end from the beginning, can the ultimate destiny of mankind be contrary to His will? If the PROVISION of the atonement is UNLIMITED, will not its APPLICATION and APPROPRIATION be also? If Christ died for the sins of all men and has paid the penalty for all their sin, how is it that men will continue to be punished for their sins forever and ever?

Does salvation rest in man’s abilities or power, or in God’s? Shall not He draw all men to Himself or is it that men do draw Him to themselves? Is God a man that He is ever limited in any way to His mighty acts? Is God responsible only for the resurrection, and man responsible to put it into effect? Did God only go half way to rescue man? Wouldn’t that ensure failure of much of His will?

Is salvation based on our acts or on God’s acts? Our works or his works? Our ways or His ways? Our choosing or His choosing? Is it based on human desire or divine desire? Our will or His will? On Human faith or a gift of faith that must come from the faithfulness of Christ and the Father Himself? Is it based on our thoughts or His thoughts? Our, life or the life Christ lived for us?

Is man’s salvation predestined or self-destined? Is it predetermined and decided by God or is self determined and decided by man? Is it self ordained or is it God ordained? Is it self willed or God willed? Are we chosen and accepted of God or do we choose and accept of ourselves? Does the clay form the potter or the Potter the clay? Is God dependent upon man, or is man dependent upon God? Is grace dependent on man’s actions or man’s action dependent of God’s grace? Who can resist His will? Who can know it until He reveal it? Who is like unto our God?

If God’s choice of mankind in salvation is determined by mankind’s choice of Him, then wouldn’t we be the initiator and He the responder? Would not this contradict scripture and be inconsistent both with the sovereignty of God and with the naure of grace? Is not the response which men are required to express the RESULT of God’s saving work, and not the CAUSE of it?

If God is dependent upon man in any way, then would this not negate and deny the right of God to choose as he will? Does not the type of free will teaching that leads to an eternal hell conclusion, deny this basic right of God to chose as He will? Do you really think man has the power to deny the right of God to choose as He wills and pleases? And do we really think that man always has the power to choose as he really wills? Is man really any freer to carry out his own will than is Satan? Is Satan not totally subservient to God? If even the devil’s will power is stronger and more influential than man’s how much more powerful and directive is the working will of God in authoritative sovereignty over both man and Satan? Can our perfect God have a fallible corruptible or will or faulty will which is in anyway way subject to failure? If under any circumstances, God wills or even directs mans soul to an eternal hell, how does he really differ from Satan?

If God wills all men to be saved and is rendered impotent to carry out to perfect completion the desire of His will; and if man prevails in his rebellious will desiring not to be saved, is this not giving omnipotence and sovereignty to man rather than to the Almighty? Is it not actually deification of man and dethronement of God forever? God would hardly be considered mighty, much less Almighty, would He not? Is not a doctrine that renders the Lord as being less than totally fruitful and short of total success and perfection in all that He wills, a doctrine that is nigh unto blasphemy?

If personal salvation were left up to man to decide or accept and this was determined solely according to the choosing of his own free will, would it not be hypothetically possible for none to accept? Is there even one iota of that which man calls chance in the power of grace? If the choice of salvation or rejection of it, was left to man himself, would this not then in fact be salvation by chance? Do we serve a God of chance? Do men discover and accept their personal salvation by chance or by grace? Which is most scriptural? Would God leave his decreed will and promises up to chance? Would He leave such an essential thing in His plan as salvation up to mere chance?

If salvation is totally by grace without man’s works, why do men continue to believe and teach that it is ultimately left up to us to accept or reject Christ; that He gives us a chance? Is salvation really dependent or conditional upon the chancery working of man’s will power? Is it God’s will to only give man a chance to be saved? Can the Almighty’s unlimited loving and determining will be negated in any way by man’s limited, alienated human will? Man can change His own will and God can change man’s will but can man change God’s will, for who can hinder it? If God wills all men to be saved, can we correctly and safely infer that most will be damned? If the scripture said that God will have all men to be damned, could we safely infer that most will be saved?

If salvation is totally by grace and if as some believe, God only elected and foreknew some men, and God predestined that same some to be saved and serve Him and the rest of mankind to perish, then why did He bother dying and making provision for all of mankind? Would it not for the most part have been in vain? Did He create anyone or anything in vain? What about the millions apart from Israel in Old Test. and even New Test. times that were never presented the true plan of salvation or even heard the true gospel? Must these suffer forever in hell because of their apparent unfortunate circumstance? Can Jesus be the Saviour of all and the Saviour of the world if all the world is not ultimately to be saved by Him? Are not the tender mercies of the eternal Lord over all His works. Does this attribute change or cease?

Would our all seeing, all knowing God in His marvelous foreknowledge, create mankind in vain, knowing full well he would ultimately have to punish them or destroy them, either in eternal hellfire or in fruitless annihilation? Why would He bother creating individuals in the first place if He foresaw that their end was to be worse...or at least no better than before their creation? Does not God punish us for our profit that we might be partakers of His holiness? Would endless punishment be for anyone’s profit? Is it God’s plan that mankind as a whole continue in regression, or is His plan that the creation be set free from the regressive bondage of corruption into the glorious and mature liberty of His life that will have developed in God’s firstfruit sons?

If it is God’s perfect will that all be saved, why would He only predestinate a comparative few to salvation and the rest to an eternal hell or a total destruction in oblivion? Would not God Himself then be working eternally against His own determined will and purpose? Would not many of His holy attributes including His omnipotence, be compromised? Could He who is perfect in all His ways and works, settle for anything less than fulfillment and perfection in His own works? Is the work of the holy spirit not geared to saving all men? Can the perfect One’s perfect work somehow fail in its objectives? Will God prove to be a failure? Will His works be found wanting and unfulfilled? Can Love fail? Will the Lord cast off forever?

If God’s perfect will is that all men be saved, why would He created all men with a free will so powerful that it could resist His own will forever? Can the Almighty ever, in any way or at any time, be a victim to the will of His own creation? Is He to be a victim to the will and the workings of the curse which he Himself instituted and purposely upholds for the time being? Is the ever present power of God’s will in salvation limited in its action to the realm of mere hoping or wishing? Is God limited to just wishing or hoping men will accept him? Is His rescue operation contingent in waiting upon man to call for a lifeboat? Who is it the Bible teaches is helpless? Is it God or is it man? If God would save all men, but cannot, does not this negate His infinite power? If God desires to save them, but will not, does this not negate His infinite goodness?

Would God require us to pray in faith for all men unless He actually intends to save them all? Does not God’s word say..that when we ask Him anything according to His will, He will grant the petition desired? Is it not His will to save all men? When we pray that he will do just that according to His will, should we not believe Him? Are we not to pray in faith and not to doubt? Do you really think God won’t do it, can’t do it or wills not to do it? Maybe some don’t believe Him, can’t believe Him or think He is a liar? If you believe endless torment to be true, why should you desire and even pray that it may prove false?

If God’s word is true that He wills all to be saved and that he will sooner or later grant the petitions of our desire.....why is it then that when we ask sincerely in prayer for Him to save our loved ones...or any or even all men for that matter...why do we often see our loved ones and most all other men dying still as unconverted sinners? Is carnal man’s limited knowledge of grace and death to make the promises of god’s word of none effect? Is God slack concerning His promises? Is He unreliable or untrustworthy? Would He lie about such an important thing? Would He ever be found as a liar? Why do men believe so strongly that the mere death of the physical body hinders forever the salvation of an unregenerated soul? Does not God begin in saving the spiritual makeup of man rather than the physical body? What’s to prevent Him from beginning a work in the spirit after death? Does he only have power over all flesh and not over all soul and spirit? Is there anything to hard or to late for Him to accomplish?

Can man hinder God in any way in subduing all things unto Himself? Why do so many insist that He is only going to subdue some things and that even some of these will not be subdued unto Himself? Is He unwilling or even unable to subdue all things? Can things come into a divine subjection unto Himself, unto love, apart from a remedial change? Who initiates that change, man or God? Who carries it out, man or God? Shall not every knee bow and

every tongue confess that He is Lord? Shall this be attributed to the glory of God or to the glory of man? Who can confess that He is Lord, except they confess by the Holy Ghost? If this was to be a forced confession, how would that give God glory; how would it be to the glory of God the Father? Would the vast majority of mankind writhing in hell forever bring glory to God?

Why does God command us to love our enemies, if it is His own purpose to punish and torture His enemies in eternity, whether they have heard the gospel or not? Is God a hypocrite? Shall not all His enemies eventually submit themselves unto Him through the greatness of His power of love and salvation? Is not the carnal mind of all men the enemy of God? Has He not a sure fire plan to rectify this? Or does He leave it up to the unregenerate carnal mind to remedy it as if it could? If we are commanded to overcome evil with good, may we not expect God to do same? Is the idea of eternal punishment compatible with this? If the goodness of God leads to repentance, why do we teach eternal torment to sinners? If there are those who shall be tormented forever with fire and brimstone in the presence of the Lamb and His holy angels, does this mean that the Lamb and his angels are in their hell also?

If the Father gave Christ to die for all men and it is the Father’s will that He lose none? Why do men insist that He will lose most? Though He chooses to lose none, would not the view of everlasting torment mean--that at the end or consummation of the working of God’s sovereign purpose for good by His age abiding Spirit, the vast majority of His creation will then be further from perfection than at the beginning of man’s creation before the fall? Is God not trustworthy to complete all the work He began? Did not Jesus promise that He would draw all men unto Himself? Is God any better than the sinner if His love is granted only to those who love Him? And if he does good to only those that do good to him, do not even sinners do that? Are not all men sinners? Is the wisdom that comes from above based in wisdom that is full of mercy and good fruits without partiality, or with partiality?

Is the power of natural life or death really any more in the power of men’s hands than is the sure power of spiritual life or death? Is man personally responsible, or has he any control or say in the condemnation that comes upon all men in conception and natural birth? If not, then how can he be held responsible to bring the free gift of life upon himself in spiritual rebirth? Can men ask or order the spirit when to come or where to go concerning initial rebirth? Does he have any more control over it than he does the wind?

If the Lord originally appointed all men to spiritually die, would He not be less than just and righteous--and even obligated, if He did not eventually appoint and grant them all personal impartation of the Spirit of life? If you think that it was all the woman’s fault, why should the rest of humanity be eternally doomed for someone else’s mistake? stating He made provision for all to live means nothing, because do not most agree that we can do nothing of ourselves to effect our salvation--except the Holy spirit personally invites each individual and reveals Christ’s gift unto them?

Where can we find any form of true love, long-suffering or justice if mankind is going to suffer billions of ages of torment for every act of sin and every evil word or thought expressed during his mere twenty, forty or eighty odd years on earth, Where are these things even though man himself made no choice to come into this evil world, nor can he flee his captivity of temptation and passions unless he be called and chosen of God out of this death? Does He deserve eternal torment for not accepting a God whom He cannot see, nor hear nor touch and consequently cannot believe. Does this vindicate God’s justice, His equity, His mercy, His compassion, His love, His holiness. His righteousness, His repentance etc.?

Is not the doctrine and spirit of eternal damnation, a condemnation? Whereas, on the other hand, is not the nature and purpose of Christ to take men out of whatever hell they may be in rather than to cast them in or leave them in that state for evermore? If he can deliver even the most wicked souls from the lowest hell on earth, is it any more difficult for Him to deliver souls from death and hell under the earth? Does he have any pleasure in the death of the wicked?

Is death to continue eternally as in eternal hellfire? Is life to cease eternally as in annihilation? Or is death the very last enemy that is to be destroyed as in reconciliation? If the actual power of sin and death is destroyed and done away with, what is left to separate man from God? Is not the Old Test. law a perfect type and shadow? Is death stronger than divine life? Is lust stronger than love? Is sin stronger than the righteousness of grace? What other thing than life could be left after death, if it ends in a resurrection at the end of the millennium and thereafter a second death begins? Is fire necessarily punitive or evil in all applications?

Does God indeed lock up all men in the stubbornness of death that He might damn them forever? Or does he lock them up that he should be merciful unto them all? Can not He who locked as He willed also unlock as the wills? He who hardens, does He not also soften? Is it not God alone that can initiate and then accomplish a change in these locked up rebellious hearts? Or can they do it apart from His divine convicting and cleansing action of grace?

If it is God’s will for man to forgive seventy times seven, how is it that God would forever hold unforgiveness from mankind? Did not even Jesus Himself pray in the Father’s will--Father, forgive them for they know not what they do---

in refusing to accept Him as their Saviour Messiah, or in crucifying Him? Does not God obey His own edicts? Is He not bound to the fulfilling of His word?

If vindictiveness, retaliation, vengeance and punishing sentence of judgment lie in the heart of God forever, or even at all, why is it He has purposed to purge and burn all such things out of the hearts of His own creation? If God loves the sinner but hates the sin, does it not make more sense that His plan would be to ultimately judge and destroy the sin rather than the sinner? Would He punish them more than would be necessary for their own good? Are not all men the object of His love and not His wrath? Is it not always the purpose of God’s fire to cause judgment upon sin and to burn up that which causes it? Or is it God’s loving purpose to destroy the unfortunate vessel that is empowered and overpowered by the overwhelming unseen forces of sin and evil that are inherently at work in him? Is man to be judged forever because of imputed unrighteousness which God himself put upon him in Adam’s transgression? If the Creator knew man could resist His love forever, why did He even create man with His capacity to love? Does that initial form of God’s saving love begin with an act of God’s will or an act of man’s will? In other words, does it originate from God or does it originate from man himself?

Who determines the fulfillment and the timing of all prophecy as recorded in scripture? God or men? Who determines the final outcome of ALL things? God or men? In whose hands is the ultimate destiny of the soul of every living creature? God’s or men’s? Is love, or is torment, the fulfillment of the law? Can they fulfill the law of love who are rendered eternally miserable?

In whose words and ideas have you been trusting? God’s or men’s? Are not the correct answers to the foregoing questions to be found in the overall revelation of the holy Bible.? Surely, "the heart of the righteous studieth to answer."Prv.15:28.

Sensible, reconcilable answers to these questions can not be found in the traditional church belief of eternal hell, nor are they to be found in the belief of a determined annihilation. But, they can be answered satisfactorily in the glorious God honouring truths of Christian universalism and ultimate universal reconciliation.

ALL or SOME?

Why is it that although we find the words "ALL" and "EVERY" in many unqualified passages of scripture, man in his carnal reasoning and ungodly doubts, continues to try to limit and qualify God’s beautiful truths contained in the outline for the total plan of creation, redemption and restoration by His amazing grace? We hear and read a lot of "ifs" and "buts" in secular writings, which God did not add. These are but vain attempts trying to limit, restrict, restrain, or modify plain statements and principles in the Bible that do not in their pure, unqualified and unadulterated forms, fit the preconceived ideas, molds and traditions of men.

We list here for a comparative study, some scripture often presented in a qualified and confined sense--to show how far from the fullness of truth and how completely out of harmony to the total of God’s written word...is the belief of "eternal torment." We sincerely ask the proponents of this belief to consider the following questions. Even though the scriptures clearly say otherwise, WHY DO MEN DOGMATICALLY BELIEVE AND INSIST IT TO BE TRUE THAT....

"God worketh [only SOME, not] ALL things after...His own will"?Eph.1:11; Isa.46:10,11.

"of Him, and through Him, and to Him are [only SOME, not] ALL things"? Ro.11:36.

"God should taste death for [only SOME, not] EVERY man. For it became Him for whom are [only SOME, not] ALL things, and by whom are [only SOME, not] ALL things"? Heb.2:10.

"[only SOME, not ] ALL things are of God"? 2Cor.5:18; 1Cor.8:6.

"He might fill [only SOME, not] ALL things"? Eph.4:10.

"He is the Lord of [only SOME, not] ALL"? Ac.10:38.

"It is the same God which worketh [only some, not] ALL in [only SOME, not] ALL"? 1Cor.12:6; Eph.1:23.

"[only SOME, not] "ALL things were created ...FOR HIM...that in [only SOME, not] ALL things He might have the preeminence.....and having made peace through the blood of His cross, by Him to reconcile [only SOME, not] ALL things unto Himself...things in earth or things in heaven"? Col.1:16-20.

"In the dispensation of the fullness of times, he might gather together in one [only SOME, not] ALL things in Christ...in heaven...on earth"? Eph.1:10.

"And [only SOME,not] EVERY creature which is in heaven, and on the earth and under the earth...and all that are in them, heard I saying, blessing and honor...be unto Him"? Rev.5:13.

"Thou hast created [only SOME, not] ALL things...FOR THY PLEASURE"? Rev.4:11.

"It is written, as I live saith the Lord, [only SOME, not] EVERY knee shall bow to me, and [only SOME, not] EVERY tongue shall confess to God. So then [only SOME, not] EVERY one of us shall give account of himself to God." Ro.14:11,12; Isa.45:23.

"At the name of Jesus [only some, not] EVERY knee should bow of things in heaven and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that [only SOME, not] EVERY tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of the Father."? Phil.2:11.

"God in [only SOME, not] ALL things may be glorified."? 1Ptr.4:11.

"The glory of the Lord should be revealed and [only some, not] ALL flesh shall see it together."? Isa.40:5.

"As in Adam ALL die, even so in Christ shall [only SOME, not] ALL be made alive. But [only SOME, not] EVERY man....He must reign till He hath put [only SOME, not] ALL enemies under His feet...And when [only SOME, not] ALL things shall be subdued unto Him, then shall the Son...be subject unto Him that put [only SOME, not] ALL things under Him, that God may be ALL in [only SOME, not] ALL"? 1Cor.15:22-28.

"God hath concluded them [only SOME, not] ALL in unbelief that He might have mercy upon [only SOME, not] ALL"? Ro.11:32; 5:18,19.

"By the offense of one, judgment came upon [only SOME, not] ALL men unto condemnation; even so by the righteousness of One, the fee gift comes upon [only SOME, not] ALL men unto justification of life.? Ro.5:18,19.

"I, if I be lifted up...will draw [only SOME, not] ALL men unto me"?Jn.12:32.

"Unto thee shall [only SOME, not] ALL flesh come"? Psa.65:2.

"God quickeneth {only SOME, not] ALL things" (1Tim.6:13) and he will have

[only SOME, not ] ALL men to be saved and come unto...the truth?"1Tim.2:4.

[only SOME, not] "ALL Israel shall be saved (Ro.11:26) and that He is "the living God, who is the Saviour of [only SOME, not] ALL men, specially of those that believe"?1Tim.4:10.

[only SOME, not] "ALL men through Him might believe" (Jn.1:7) for He is "the

true light which lighteth [only SOME, not] EVERY man that cometh into the world?" Jn.1:9.

"They may [only SOME, not] ALL call upon the name of the Lord.?"Zep.3:9.

[only SOME, not] "ALL men should come to repentance" (Ac.17:30; 2Ptr.3:9) even though "He gave Himself a ransom for ALL to be testified in due time"? 1Tim.2:6.

"They shall [only SOME, not] ALL know me from the least to the greatest of them?" Jer.31:34; Heb.8:11.

"If we let Him thus alone, [only SOME, not] ALL men will believe on Him"?Jn.11:48.

[only SOME, not] "ALL that are in the graves shall hear His voice, and come forth"? Jn.5:28,29.

[only SOME, not] "ALL His works shall praise Him"? (Psa.145:9,10). [only SOME, not] ALL the people"? Psa.67:3,5; 86:9.

[only SOME,not] "ALL dominions shall serve and obey Him" (Dan.7:27) and "that [only SOME, not] ALL people, nations and languages, should serve Him"? Dan.7:14; Rev.15:4.

"In thy seed shall [only SOME, not] ALL the kindreds of the earth be blessed"? Ac.3:25; Gen.12:3.

[only SOME, not] "EVERY valley shall be filled, and [only SOME, not] EVERY mountain shall be brought low...and [only SOME,not] ALL flesh shall see the salvation of God."? Lk.3:6; Isa.25:6-8.

"Great joy...shall be to [only SOME, not] ALL people"? Lk.2:10

"The lord hath made [only some, not] ALL things for Himself" (Prv.16:4) and He will "make [only SOME, not] ALL things new"? Rev.21:5.

"He shall send Jesus...whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of [only SOME, not] ALL THINGS"? Ac.3:21.

"He setteth an end to darkness and searcheth out [only SOME, not] ALL perfection"? Jb.28:3.

"He is able to subdue [only SOME, not] ALL things unto Himself"? Phil.3:21.

[only SOME, not] "ALL promises of God...are yea...and amen."? 2Cor.1:20; Psa.111:7.

"In this mountain shall the Lord of hosts make unto [only SOME, not] ALL people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees...well refined. And He will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over [only SOME, not] ALL the people, and the veil that is spread over [only SOME, not] ALL nations. HE WILL SWALLOW UP DEATH IN VICTORY; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off [only SOME, not] ALL faces; and the rebuke of His people shall He take away from off [only SOME, not] all the earth: for the Lord hath spoken it" Isa.25:6-8.

"AND THIS IS IN HARMONY WITH GOD’S MERCIFUL PURPOSE FOR THE GOVERNMENT OF THE WORLD WHEN THE TIMES ARE RIPE FOR IT. THE PURPOSE WHICH HE HAS CHERISHED IN HIS OWN MIND OF RESTORING THE WHOLE CREATION TO FIND ITS ONE HEAD IN CHRIST: YES, THINGS IN HEAVEN AND THINGS ON EARTH, TO FIND THEIR ONE HEAD IN HIM." Eph.1:9,10 [Weymouth]. Ro.8:19

"But now we see NOT YET ALL THINGS PUT UNDER HIM"? Heb.2:8.A

Divine Omnipotent Will

"There are two major doctrinal hinderances in the Bible which prevent a lot of Christians from seeing and believing the true doctrine of universal salvation and the restitution of all things through Jesus Christ. One is the doctrine of "eternal hellfire" or "everlasting punishment" which comes about mainly from mistranslating and misinterpreting several original Hebrew and Greek key words into English as well as other languages. The other is the misconception that "the will of man" is an absolute will unto itself. It is this latter aspect that we will touch on here. Sadly, we find prominent today, many man made doctrines of salvation’s grace, implying in essence, that much of God’s redemptive, creative, and directive activities in the national and personal affairs of men, is to be perpetually restricted, limited and nullified by something which is claimed can remain entirely independent and forever resist Him. The something we speak of is the relegated power of man’s self will.

It is often taught that man has the sovereign capability in his own freedom of choice...of remaining forever opposed to the Creator’s desired will and purpose in man’s ultimate destiny. If this be true, then God is rendered a helpless, sovereignless, and powerless being...a hapless victim of His own creation of self-willed creatures. One would have to conclude the Creator lacked something "upstairs", so to speak, in creating beings that would of their own power be able to destroy His ultimate purposes for them. Either that, or He somehow lacked knowledge and foresight of things to come. Human salvation would be relegated to human choice and thus to mere chance. But truthfully and thankfully, the scriptures do not contain a hint of any such things.

It is clearly evident that our Almighty God, not by accident, left ample provision as well as certain conditions in His divine designation of man’s "free will" and environme....conditions which, in their divinely created and controlled circumstances, led to the misuse of man’s God given natural will...thereby introducing sin, suffering and all other forms of evil and lack of perfection into the world. Looking at it from the Creator’s point of view, such was the necessary and foreknown price, primarily ordained of God to carry out His progressive plans and purposes in the creation, redemption and restoration of all things, thus divinely fulfilling the counsel of His own absolute sovereign will. In accordance with the Creator’s nature, this course of action would both necessitate and involve the manifesting of His providential omnipotence, omniscience, and omnipresence in love and in reconciliatory judgment towards all men. Salvation in general, can be seen as a form of divine apololgy, sovereignly being executed as an essential part of the Lord’s plan of the ages.

God does not compel mankind into submission to His will by any kind of physical, non-moral use of force. In actuality, choices men make in exercising their own will, are really brought about by the strongest influences, inwardly or outwardly present in their lives. In His own timing and in His own way the Holy Spirit does sovereignly initiate, allow, limit, over-rule and control all forms

of good and evil in the earth. The scriptures are full of such examples. The Holy Spirit brings to bear on man’s natural reasoning and conscience, circumstances, considerations and sanction all designed to lead man to a seemingly self-determined change of mind or attitude or direction. Thus it is, that man, unknown to himself, man is willingly and ever increasingly brought into a closer more desired co-operation with his God. This is all part of God’s method for the overcoming and eventual removal of sin and evil from the world. In all of this process, there can be only one irresistible sovereign will which rules overall and has its unhindered way in the universe. That will does not belong to man! Otherwise it would not be sovereign. The Bible makes it abundantly clear that man is really no more than clay in the hands of a Potter.

In all of this, we cannot help but stand in awe as He sovereignly gives us to discover the greatness of His omnipotent love and power...a power of love and holy will which He has determined to share with all of His creation. He alone, is the Almighty in the sense of universal governing and controlling, able in His glorious majesty to oversee and over-rule all in order to accomplish all that He has ever willed, spoken and purposed to do. He is the "only Potentate"...the source of absolute power. There is no power but of God. He is absolutely omnipotent in all His works, including those involving human salvation. This theme is found throughout the scriptures. He is well able to do far more abundantly than we ask or think toward the full realization of both His immediate and His ultimate redemptive and restorative purposes.

Like unto creation itself, the entire future of the universe and its consummation depends not on man at all, but on God alone. Universal salvation depends on the power and reliability of God to carry out His work. He who is the author and finisher of all salvation, shall also be the omega of all that He in His own determined counsel began. His death and His resurrection grace is not only sufficient for all but shall be effected for all as well. Who are we to attempt to restrict or limit the power in the blood shed for us all at Calvary? Who are we to limit the words and purposes of the absolute unlimited One? Who are we that we think we can hinder and even prevent His working of all things after the counsel of His own infallible will?

God’s presence has ever been omnipresent in creation. He was in the beginning, He is in the now, and he forever will be in the future. He dwells simultaneously both in time and eternity. The presence of His power is everywhere so that no distance nor circumstantial barrier can separate us entirely from Himself. No one suffers alone. Nothing can disconnect us from the power of God acting according to His own hidden counsel on our behalf. Fear not. No place, circumstance nor condition can find us or our loved ones forever outside the reach of the Almighty’s power of mercy and love. His loving arms forever embrace the universe. He is ever aware of our helplessness, our lacks and our greatest needs and is well able to meet them. It is simply a matter of time which is as the blink of an eye in the realm of eternity. His great love and charity, cannot fail to accomplish every jot and tittle of its grand universal purpose for who can hinder Him from fulfilling it?

We find also in the scriptures, a revelation of His divine omniscience of which a major characteristic is His foreknowledge. This knowledge includes foreseeing every decision of human will and choice. It is reasonable that this attribute is compatible with human freedom, in that the results or consequences of any human choice and action may still be always conditioned or controlled by the unseen sovereign activities of God...for the eventual accomplishment of His own determined purposes. A part of that determined purpose is of course, to save and deliver all men from the condemnation of sin and death through the eternal life that is found centered in Christ and the cross.

From the beginning, even before the fall of mankind, God determined the work of His grace centered in the cross of Christ to be the basis of ultimate salvation for all mankind. This grace, wrapped in the atonement, is found throughout the ages in a supernatural impartation and in an ordained human acceptance and retention of the unsolicited, undefiled, transcendent love and faith of God. It is this divine love for all of mankind that finds its expression in the grace of God bringing with it the gift of salvation. This salvation has already appeared and shall continue to shine more and more unto that perfect day in His redemptive works toward all mankind. The scriptures are clear that man has no working part in originating, initiating, contributing, or apprehending this salvation for himself. There is absolutely no aspect of His divine salvation in which man may truthfully boast, for every aspect of it originates with God.

Now, in reference to man’s free will and to the omniscience of God, we must ask this important question. Would our omniscient all-wise God, plan, initiate, or create any kind of potential force or power such as that of an absolute human free will which would ultimately result in His own eternal failure to carry out to His fullest pleasure--His own desired will in every determined purpose? In other words, has God the potential or the capacity to make mistakes? Is there anything in His perfect nature or perfect work that can err or can fail? Has He Himself eternally hindered, inadvertently or unintentionally relegated to defeat, His own plan for the perfection of mankind? Did He unwisely in the beginning, give man an absolute power of free selfwill which He in His very nature of omniscience, would have know would forever nullify and make void the fulfillment of His own will? Could an omniscient God be so unwise?

If any of this be so, then we are left with a God of weakness, a God of negligence, remissness and even dereliction who lacks perfection, not only in foresight but also in works. Consequently, the law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus would be found far from perfect in its inability and its failure to convert man’s soul. But, thanks be to the Lord, this is not the case. We are not left in the dark about this nor are we left alone to the blackness of an eternal death.

There is a basic way found revealed in the scriptures, by which God exercises His sovereignty in relation to free will, moral evil and sin. His sovereign will is fundamentally exercised through divine judgment or just condemnation. If the wrong course of action [in the opinion of God] is persisted in, it can be made to reveal or betray itself in its own hurtful and unfruitful consequence to which it leads. Divine intervention makes a show of it openly in all its vain meanings and results. Thus, evil leads to its own judgment and eventual destruction, not only by God but also at the bar of man’s own reason and conscience. In all of this, man’s freedom of will in the limited measure for which it was granted, does not at all destroy the sovereignty of the Almighty’s absolute freedom of will. There are literally hundreds of scriptures in the Bible attesting to this.

In God’s omnipotence, He oft times reveals to the self sufficient that aspects of their lives are really not subject to their own control. In His omniscience, he often shows men the true value of earthly possessions. Because he is holy, He is able to reveal that man’s good intentions are corrupted by pride. And because He is truth, he is well able to expose man’s trust in false foundations.

In the light of all this, human will is thus correctly seen as a confined and limited power in its carnal operations, oft times operating negatively under a permissible yet divine revelatory influence--which influence contains both visible and invisible, positive and negative aspects, yet ever working towards the eventual good of all the creation. Human selfwill, in all its inability’s, limitations and weaknesses, actually operates in harmony and compatibility, well within the vast scope of the omnipresent, omniscient and omnipotent power of God’s own sovereign will. The lower nature of our own unwise and destructive will is predestined to fail because the infinitely higher nature of His determined reconciliatory will is predetermined in love to ultimately prevail. Oh how wonderful and marvelous are the works and ways of the Lord Almighty!

"That...Determined Shall Be Done"

Beloved, let us stand in awe of the Almighty’s power, believing that whatever has been determined of the Lord shall be done. "Known unto God are ALL HIS WORKS from the beginning of the world." Ac.15:18. They are all known unto Him even to the very end of the ages-Isa.46:9,10. All things that are in existence originate directly or indirectly from Him, and He is upholding all things by the word of His power that they might also be consummated IN HIM-Ro.11:36; Jn.1:1,2; Col.1:16-20; Heb.1:2,3. Even negatives and opposites are but divine agents essential in His plan to fulfill all righteousness. All powers that exist "are ordained of God." Ro.13:1

And "God saw EVERYTHING that He had made, and behold, it was very good." Gen.31:25. In God’s great wisdom, the large part that the workings of evil were to play in the planned order of His creation, was no exception. The ultimate questionable purposes of God in evil shall eventually be revealed in His light. Paradoxically, this fulfillment is destined to be found in none other place that the ultimate purpose of God in good! Gen.50:20. Let us look first at a few of the divine purposes in evil which God has allowed us to understand according to the revelation of His written word. Then we will look at the ULTIMATE END of all theodicial purposes towards which the whole creation is being drawn through God--unto a glorious designated fulfillment-Gen.1:26-28.

It must be understood, that though all sin is evil, it is not so that all evil is sin. God cannot sin. Therefore, it is not hard to understand how that God apart from sin, creates evil (Isa.45:7) in various forms and aspects of operation. With the permission of evil and consequently sin, He also justly provides for redemption and reconciliation. God alone, allows, upholds, and sovereignly directs by His providence, the operations of its powers for His own creative purposes. He uses them in many ways to teach mankind useful lessons-Jer.18:11; 46:28. "By reason of Him" (Ro.8:20), all forms of "wasters", "destroyers" and "spoilers" came into being. These opposites or opposer’s of the Lord’s own nature are actually useful and needful instruments of the Lord’s ongoing works-Isa.54:16; Jer.51:53; 22:7 etc. So, we can see how that "the deceived and the deceiver" are His to use in whatsoever capacities or purposes He has determined-Jb.12:16; Dan.9:14. "ALL are thy servants" (Psa.119:91), both good and evil (Prv.16:4), whether they be "vessels of mercy" and honour or "vessels of wrath" and dishonour-Ro.9:21-23. God has clearly chosen in His preordained purposes to use the dimensions of evil as well as good in fulfilling every jot and tittle of His will and His word-Psa.148:8; 2Chr.10:15; Rev.17:17. Who can legitimately question His ways? Ro.9:19,20?

In its primary sense, evil is a condition or characteristic not a all isolated nor autonomous from the power of God who is preparing to bring forth true love and virtue in all mankind. Much like the destructive power of electricity or fire it can also be utilized for man’s benefit. In truth, evil has all the capacities and ingredients to bring about forgiveness, repentance, mercy compassion, patience and all the holy qualities found in true love. It is this working of the "mystery of iniquity" (2Ths.2:7) which is seen through the Spirit to be divinely working in its ordained manner even in the very midst of the "mystery of Godliness"1Tim.3:16. For now, God does lead mankind through this great and terrible wilderness of the earth, wherein are fiery serpents and scorpions and drought. A primary purpose in this, is that "He might humble thee, and that he might prove thee, TO DO THEE GOOD AT THE LATTER END." Deut.8:15,16.

Does it not give us confidence and inspire humility when we experience and realize the complete sovereignty of God in all things? But whether we accept it or not, all evil that happens is ultimately working together for the good of both the Creator and the created-Ro.8:20; Lk.9:25; Eccl.3:1:13; Psa.39:6; Jer.2:19. Also, that we all might eventually turn only to Him (Jer.31:18,19), having learned obedience through the things we have suffered-Heb.5:8; Isa.26:9. Have you every considered that God might suffer from men’s sins as much or more than the sinner? Gen.6:5-7.

Man has become subject under the divine plan "to know [by experience] good and evil" (Gen.3:22) in order to mature in love, wisdom and humility--to become more like Christ in nature. His senses must be "exercised to discern both good and evil" Heb.5:14. During the processing of the ages, it is being given unto man to learn through both the flesh and the Holy Spirit "the difference between the holy and the profane...and discern between the clean and the unclean." Ezk.44:23. Even as God is now teaching, we will one day together in unity with Him, learn how "to overcome evil with good." Ro.12:21; Isa.7:15. Our Creator is in the sure process of creating His sovereign work of conforming man and his independent will into the completed likeness and mature image of His own most holy and perfect will. The gates of hell shall not prevail against Him. Spiritual death, hell and the lake of fire are actually no more than intermediate remedial stages in the total redemptive and restorative plans and purposes of God to burn up all evil works in the all consuming, purifying fire of His holy Spirit of love-Heb.12:29; Jer.23:29; 1Jn.3:8. Once understood, the lake of fire can be seen to actually picture hell’s final destruction rather than its unending presence. It is there in the presence of God’s cleansing fire that every form of death and hell shall utterly destroyed.

Now, let us take a brief look at some of the positively glorious, immutable and ultimate purposes of God in good, wherein He alone shall be worthy to receive all "glory and honour and power" from ALL His creation-Rev.4:11; 5:13. His ultimate satisfaction and pleasure, as well as ours, shall be found only in the absolute consummation and total fulfillment of His ultimate will which he has clearly revealed in His word-Isa.55:11.

Exactly what is this portion of God’s will that we have constantly proclaimed? The following is a scriptural list of ultimate purposes and decrees, which upon their completion and fulfillment through the workings of evil and good, God shall truly be magnified and made totally manifest in all His attributes of power and great glory-Psa.138:2. Strong states: "by the DECREES of God we mean...that eternal plan by which GOD HAS RENDERED CERTAIN ALL THE EVENTS OF THE UNIVERSE, past, present and future" Habk.2:3. Following, is the Lord’s desire and will in a nutshell. That which the Lord has decreed and purposed, He will not, and cannot fail to do! Isa.46:11; Dan.11:36.

OUR ALMIGHTY GOD PURPOSES AND DECREES. . . . . . .

..."to deliver THE CREATION from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God." Ro.8:19. Shall he not do it?

...that He FILL "ALL IN ALL." Eph.1:23. Shall he not fill them?

...that God might be "ALL IN ALL." 1Cor.15:28. Will he fall short of this?

..."that he might FILL ALL THINGS" WITH HIMSELF-Eph.4:10. Will He fail?

..."to subdue [make willingly subject] ALL THINGS UNTO HIMSELF"-Phil.3:21

Shall he fail to do this?

..."that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE shall bow...and EVERY TONGUE should confess...Jesus...is Lord." Phil.2:10,ll; Ro.14:11; Isa.45:23. Shall it fail to come to pass?

...to "present EVERY MAN PERFECT in Christ Jesus." Col.1:28. Will He fail?

..."that ALL MEN should honour the Son." Jn.5:23. Will He fail to receive all glory and honour and power?

...to have "ALL MEN TO BE SAVED and to come unto the knowledge of the truth." 1Tim.2:4. Will He fail to do this?

...to "draw ALL MEN" unto Himself- Jn.12:32. Is His promise to be broken?

..."to seek and SAVE THOSE THAT ARE LOST."Lk.19:10; Matt.18:ll. Will He fail in His work or in His eternal plan and purpose?

..."that ALL MEN through Him might believe."Jn.1:7. Will he fall short of this?

...to enlighten "EVERY MAN that cometh into the world." Jn.1:9. Wiill he fail?

..."to save THE WORLD." Jn.12:47. Will He come up short?

...to "take away the sin of THE WORLD." Jn.1:29. Will He not do this?

..."to be a propitiation...for the sins of THE WHOLE WORLD." 1Jn.2:2. Will he "miss the mark" and thus become a sinner also?

..."that THE WORLD through Him might be saved."Jn.3:17. Will it not be?

... to be "the Saviour of ALL MEN, specially [manifest now] of those that believe." 1Tim.4:10. Will He end up being he Saviour of some men only?

... to be "a ransom FOR ALL, to be testified [made evident] in due time."

1Tim.2:6. Will He not bring this to pass?

...to command "ALL MEN EVERYWHERE to repent." Ac.17:30. Will they not?

..."that the wicked should turn from his ways and live." Ezk.18:23. Will he leave them in death?

..."that ALL MEN should come to repentance." 2Ptr.3:9. Will He not ensure it?

..."that by the obedience of one, shall [the] MANY [ALL excluding Christ] be made righteous." Ro.5:19. Will he fail to do this?

...to save "ALL THE ENDS of the earth." Isa.45:22. Shall He fail in His scope?

...to restore "ALL THINGS which God hath spoken of by the mouth of His holy

prophets." Ac.3:21. Shall He fail to keep His word?

..."to reconcile ALL THINGS unto Himself." Col.1:20 Will he fail to fulfill this?

...that "ALL ISRAEL shall be saved." Ro.11:26. Shall He fail to save them all?

...to bless "ALL THE KINDREDS of the earth." Ac.3:25. Will He fail in this?

...that "ALL families" (Gen.12:3), "ALL kindreds" (Psa.22:27), "ALL nations"

(Rev.15:4), "ALL PEOPLE" should worship God-Da.7:14. Shall only some?

...that "ALL HIS WORKS should praise Him." Psa.145:10. Will only some praise Him?

...to "see of the travail of His soul and be satisfied." Isa.53:11. Will he be satisfied in saving only the minority?

..."to put away sin" (Heb.9:26) and "slay the dragon." Isa.27:1. Will God fail?

..."that He might destroy the works of the devil." 1Jn.3:8. Will He fail to do so?

..."that death is swallowed up in victory." 1Cor.15:54. Will Christ be the victor?

...to set "an END TO DARKNESS" and search "out ALL PERFECTION." Jb.28:3. Will he fail to do this?

..."to ABOLISH DEATH " (2Tim.1:10) to "make ALL THINGS new." Rev.21:5. Will His plan be thwarted?

..."that of ALL WHICH HE HATH GIVEN ME, I should lose nothing." Jn.6:39. Will He fail in losing many?

... that mankind "be conformed to the image of His Son." Ro.8:29.

All these things and more are in the progressive revelation of God’s inspired word. IF THE LORD’S WILL IN EVEN ONE OF THESE DECREES AND PURPOSES REMAINS UNFULFILLED, HE SHALL HAVE MISERABLY FAILED AND THE GATES OF HELL TRIUMPHANTLY PREVAILED!

Oh ye brethren of little faith. Who hath beguiled you? Does not victory belong unto the Lord? 1Chr.29:11. Why have you continued to disbelieve ALL OF GOD’S DECREES that the prophets have spoken? Is it possible that ANY ONE of these determined, expressed counsels, promises, intentions and purposes of our Almighty’s will can fail? The word declares it is impossible. Who can really frustrate that which He has planned and purposed? Isa.14:27. The workings of God’s perfect love can never fail (1Cor.3:8) because really, there is actually no wisdom, nor understanding, nor counsel, working against the Lord (Prv.21:3)...not even man’s refusal to believe His infallible word. "Rulest not thou over all the kingdoms of the heathen? and in thy hand is there not power and might, so that NONE IS ABLE TO WITHSTAND THEE?" 2Chr.20:6; 1Chr.29:12. There are none that are not subject to Him-Heb.2:8.

Evil is working WITH HIM AND FOR HIM, as we have briefly shown. Hence, "ALL THINGS ARE OF GOD." 2Cor.5:18. In truth and reality, "THERE IS NO POWER BUT OF GOD." Ro.13:1. He is continuously working "ALL THINGS [good and evil] AFTER THE COUNSEL OF HIS OWN WILL."Eph.1:11; Dan.4:35. WHO CAN HINDER? Isa.43:13; 14:24. WHO CAN RESIST HIS WILL? Ro.9:19; Psa.33:10,11. "NO PLAN OF GOD CAN BE THWARTED." Jb.42:2 [Amplified; N.A.S.]. He performs what He purposes and speaks-Jer.51:12; Ezk.12:25.

God has no pleasure in any eternal death of the wicked-Ezk.33:11. Let us cast down our carnal doubt and have faith and confidence in His promises that

whatsoever pleases the Lord, that He shall do-Psa.135:6; Jb.23:13; Isa.5310b. His counsel is absolutely immutable-Heb.6:17,18; Isa.46:10. His word assures those who dare believe, "that THAT IS DETERMINED SHALL BE DONE." Dan.11:36; Num.23:19. God has determined in His heart to do all that we have mentioned. Not one word of His clearly expressed will shall remain void or unfulfilled in its determined and decreed purposes-Lk.1:20. His promises are "ordered in ALL THINGS AND SURE." 2Sam.23:5. He is ever watching over all His word to perform it (Jer.1:12; 31:28) and His corrective wrath shall continually go forth, not returning unto mercy "UNTIL HE HAS DONE IT; AND UNTIL HE HAS PERFORMED THE INTENTS OF HIS HEART." Jer.30:23.

"Will the Lord cast off forever? and will he be favorable no more? Is His mercy clean gone forever? doth His promise fail for evermore?" Psa.77:7,8; Lam.3:31. According to the doctrine of eternal torment the answer is yes. According to the decrees of His own divine counsel and word, the answer is a resounding no. Which do you prefer to believe? Who do you prefer to believe?

I wonder how many sincere Christians pray for the Lord’s will to be done on earth as it is in heaven, yet have no idea of all that this will actually encompasses? It is reasonably asked, "How can all this will and intention of God be fulfilled if spiritual and physical death fixes the eternal condition of all men...since ninety percent plus have evidently died apart from an intended salvation which is the will of Christ? The simplest answer is found in the fact that it is not any salvation of the physical body that "saves" us, but rather the salvation of the spiritual body (spirit, soul), where THE LAST ENEMY THAT SEPARATES MANKIND FROM GOD SHALL BE DESTROYED." 1Cor.15:26; 54b; Isa.25:7,8; 27:1; Heb.2:14; Rev.20:14; 21:4,5.

"Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we MUST be [not merely "can be" or "might be"] saved." Acts 4:12

"I exhort therefore, that first of all, prayers, intercession,...be made for ALL MEN...

for this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour

["the Saviour of ALL MEN"1Tim.4:10]; WHO WILL HAVE [not

merely desires to have] ALL MEN TO BE SAVED and come

to the knowledge of the truth." 1Tim.2:1-6

"Through the greatness of Thy power shall thine enemies

submit themselves unto thee. ALL the earth shall worship

Thee and sing unto thee; they shall sing to Thy name."

Psa.66:3,4

"ALL THY WORKS SHALL PRAISE THEE, O LORD"

Psa.145:10

"PRAISE the Lord! Praise God in His sanctuary; praise Him in

the heavens of His power!

Praise Him for His mighty acts; praise Him according to the

abundance of His greatness!"

Psa.145:5,6; Deut.3:24

"LET EVERYTHING THAT HATH BREATH AND EVERY BREATH

OF LIFE praise the Lord! Praise you the Lord!-Hallelujah!"

Psa.150:1,2,6

"Give to the Lord, O kindreds of the peoples,

give to the Lord glory and strength.

Give to the Lord the glory due His name."

1Chr.16:28,29

"FOR OF HIM [as the primary cause and source] and THROUGH HIM

[His oft unseen intermediate works] and TO HIM [ending in the glory of

whatever degree He determines] ARE ALL THINGS:

to whom be glory forever. Amen." Ro.11:36; Heb.2:10a 

K. Ross McKay

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