A ransom for all?
Reading through I Timothy, and I hit this spot in chapter 2:
"This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time." (ESV)
I believe in the Doctrines of Grace, which are:
1) the total depravity of mankind (Romans 3:10-12)
2) God's unconditional election (Ephesians 1:4-5)
3) God's particular redemption (John 10:26-28)
4) God's irresistable grace (Romans 9:16-19)
4) the preservation of His saints (Romans 8:38-39)
I struggle with God desiring all people to be saved. It would seem that if God desires something to happen, that it will happen. In thinking through this, though, I also realize that God's desire is that I live for Him 100%, and yet He grants me the freedom to exhibit my obedience (and disobedience) in various situations within the Christian life.
I desire to move to a new home, but cannot fulfill those desires due to the economic environment and my financial situation. God would seem to have no limits, other than those He would choose to impose upon Himself. Does God wish He would have elected everyone? Seems doubtful. Does God have love for the non-elect? Perhaps. He shows infinite amounts of patience with sin.
Christ came as a "ransom for all." The word "ransom" means: "a consideration paid or demanded for the release of someone or something from captivity." The Bible is clear that not all will be saved. The doctrine of particular redemption is clear to me - Christ's ransom was sufficient such that all could be saved, but only efficient (effective) for those whom He has chosen (elected, predestined). I am thinking that the ransom for all is in relation to the sufficiency of his ransom.
Without God's election and his irresistible grace, we would all choose against God (total depravity). I could offer each person in the world $1000 dollars, and I believe that many reject my offer - some out of pride, some out of fear of any "strings attached" to receiving it. It isn't a perfect analogy, but it fits somewhat.
I don't think I have this clearly defined in my mind yet - and I fear that the points above may not truly reflect an accurate biblical position... that is part of leaning on the Spirit to correct my distortions.
The beloved pastor John Piper has a good article on this that I will mull over today. (Link)
"This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time." (ESV)
I believe in the Doctrines of Grace, which are:
1) the total depravity of mankind (Romans 3:10-12)
2) God's unconditional election (Ephesians 1:4-5)
3) God's particular redemption (John 10:26-28)
4) God's irresistable grace (Romans 9:16-19)
4) the preservation of His saints (Romans 8:38-39)
I struggle with God desiring all people to be saved. It would seem that if God desires something to happen, that it will happen. In thinking through this, though, I also realize that God's desire is that I live for Him 100%, and yet He grants me the freedom to exhibit my obedience (and disobedience) in various situations within the Christian life.
I desire to move to a new home, but cannot fulfill those desires due to the economic environment and my financial situation. God would seem to have no limits, other than those He would choose to impose upon Himself. Does God wish He would have elected everyone? Seems doubtful. Does God have love for the non-elect? Perhaps. He shows infinite amounts of patience with sin.
Christ came as a "ransom for all." The word "ransom" means: "a consideration paid or demanded for the release of someone or something from captivity." The Bible is clear that not all will be saved. The doctrine of particular redemption is clear to me - Christ's ransom was sufficient such that all could be saved, but only efficient (effective) for those whom He has chosen (elected, predestined). I am thinking that the ransom for all is in relation to the sufficiency of his ransom.
Without God's election and his irresistible grace, we would all choose against God (total depravity). I could offer each person in the world $1000 dollars, and I believe that many reject my offer - some out of pride, some out of fear of any "strings attached" to receiving it. It isn't a perfect analogy, but it fits somewhat.
I don't think I have this clearly defined in my mind yet - and I fear that the points above may not truly reflect an accurate biblical position... that is part of leaning on the Spirit to correct my distortions.
The beloved pastor John Piper has a good article on this that I will mull over today. (Link)
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