Is salvation for all mankind?

[Sower]

What you believe about salvation colors your attitude to others. Those who believe that salvation is for all mankind do everything within their power to send the Gospel to the uttermost parts of the world. They will pray, they will give, and they will go with the Gospel.

Those who believe that salvation is not for all mankind will spend more time arguing about why it is only for "the elect" than actually taking the Gospel to "every creature".  And the "gospel" they will preach will indeed be "another gospel".

So what does the Bible teach about the extent of God's grace?  What does the Bible teach about the atoning work of Christ for the sins of the world? What does the Bible teach about God's postponement of His judgments so that none should perish, but that ALL should come to repentance?

Unless we have a proper understanding about the vastness of God's grace, we can have no understanding about the true meaning of "election" and "predestination".

Those who focus on election and misapply these truths, do not understand that they are essentially limiting (1) the love of God (2) the grace of God (3) the power of the blood of Christ and (4) the offer of eternal life to all mankind. Those who limit God or falsify the true Gospel will have to give a serious accounting at the Judgment Seat of Christ.

[Reba]

What you believe about salvation colors your attitude to others. Those who believe that salvation is for all mankind do everything within their power to send the Gospel to the uttermost parts of the world. They will pray, they will give, and they will go with the Gospel.

Those who believe that salvation is not for all mankind will spend more time arguing about why it is only for "the elect" than actually taking the Gospel to "every creature".  And the "gospel" they will preach will indeed be "another gospel".

So what does the Bible teach about the extent of God's grace?  What does the Bible teach about the atoning work of Christ for the sins of the world? What does the Bible teach about God's postponement of His judgments so that none should perish, but that ALL should come to repentance?

Unless we have a proper understanding about the vastness of God's grace, we can have no understanding about the true meaning of "election" and "predestination".

Those who focus on election and misapply these truths, do not understand that they are essentially limiting (1) the love of God (2) the grace of God (3) the power of the blood of Christ and (4) the offer of eternal life to all mankind. Those who limit God or falsify the true Gospel will have to give a serious accounting at the Judgment Seat of Christ.

From my personal understanding......  i have been triing to say this but  as usal dont have the words
so here goes..... you got it backwards!  I have told more folks about salvation via Christ now then before...

Man can not limit the love, the grace or the power of God. I do not know who are the elect of God  HE said GO so i do... years ago my christian goal was to get folks to church.  For me your logic is backwards... I do agree i have seen many who call themsefls 'elect', on the net, who do not show the love of Jesus to anyone.


you say...
"What you believe about salvation colors your attitude to others."

I say...because of the change in me... What you believe about salvation colors your attitude to power of God.

[nChrist]

Oklahoma Howdy to Brother Sower & Sister Reba,

I really think that you both said the same thing.

Jesus Christ died on the cross for all of us. God's Love and Grace is more than sufficient for all of us. This should give every Christian a burning desire to share the GOOD NEWS of the Gospel of God's Grace.

Sister Reba, we don't need degrees in Theology and big words to tell people about Jesus. I think the point that Brother Sower was making is that we all need to be telling the lost about Jesus. In fact, there is an urgency to tell the lost about Jesus.

Love In Christ,
Tom

[Reba]

Well Sower looks like the Bepster must have been a great cop on the street. What a deplomat!  

 Try as ya might Bepster  Sower and i are on opposite ends.  Not that  i am a Paul or Peter but they did not totally agree.... The gospels are not EXACTLY the same, and yet they are the Word of God...

[dustcry]

Those who believe that salvation is for all mankind do everything within their power to send the Gospel to the uttermost parts of the world. They will pray, they will give, and they will go with the Gospel.

I believe that salvation is for all mankind, but I do none of that.

Salvation is an open hand with food for the pigeon.
If it is desired, it can be had.
Those not saved are not cattle to be steered by a dog into a selected location.
We are to provide the opertunity and sources for those who might want to come.  If they choose not to, we can only smile with a glint in our eye.

[nChrist]

Well Sower looks like the Bepster must have been a great cop on the street. What a deplomat!  

 Try as ya might Bepster  Sower and i are on opposite ends.  Not that  i am a Paul or Peter but they did not totally agree.... The gospels are not EXACTLY the same, and yet they are the Word of God...

Oklahoma Howdy to Sister Reba,

   Quite a few folks in prison don't think that I'm much of a diplomat.

   I don't get it. Both of you are saying give the Gospel to the lost, bring them to church, or otherwise point them to Christ. So, I'll be quiet and try to see the disagreement.

Love In Christ,
Tom

[Reba]

Bepster..... Let me ask you a trick question?  


Has Jesus Christ ever failed?

[nChrist]

Bepster..... Let me ask you a trick question?  


Has Jesus Christ ever failed?

Oklahoma Howdy to Reba,

Sister, I'll bite. Jesus Christ never has and never will fail.

Love In Christ,
Tom

[JudgeNot]

Reba's 'trick' question reminds me of another old 'trick' question:

"What is greater than God, More evil than the devil, the poor have it, the rich need it, and if you eat it, you'll die?"

(Supposedly 80% of kindergarten kids got the answer, compared to 17% of Stanford University seniors.)

The answer:






"Nothing"

[Reba]

His  Blood was not shed in vain?




  Mr. Judge  

[JudgeNot]

Sorry Reba, dear - I don't understand the  

Of course His blood was not shed in vain.  

 

Is salvation for all mankind?

Near as a martian could tell from reading through all the posts on C-Unite, salvation is only meant for Brother Love.
 
Ha-ha!  I kill me!  (That is if Reba doesn't beat me to it!)

Okay - with a little more seriousness - salvation is available to all man (and woman) kind.  But, it is up to each individual to willingly receive it.

So what does the Bible teach about the extent of God's grace?

Volumes - about 66 if my count is correct (which I always considered a rather ironic number).

What does the Bible teach about the atoning work of Christ for the sins of the world?

In a nutshell?: He died for the sins of the world and was raised from the grave to defeat death (and our sins).

What does the Bible teach about God's postponement of His judgments so that none should perish, but that ALL should come to repentance?

All will never come to repentance.  Sad but true.  Only those who are ready - for he comes "as a thief in the night".

Unless we have a proper understanding about the vastness of God's grace...

The vastness of God's grace will never be fathomed by mankind - we can't count that high...

[Reba]

Mr. Judge the   was for  teasign about my  trick question   now i wil read the rest of yoru post  

[Reba]

His blood was not shed in vain . It was shed for all . Then all MUST be saved.

[Sower]

Salvation is an open hand with food for the pigeon.
If it is desired, it can be had.

Dustcry:

Perhaps if you'll look a little closer, you'll find that what God has done far exceeds the provision of an ordinary meal to be picked up as the pigeons do.  In fact, salvation is likened to a Marriage Feast (Mt. 22:1-14; Lk. 14:16-24) to which the "king" makes a marriage for "his son" and SENDS FORTH HIS SERVANTS to invite the wedding guests.

It turns out that those who are initially invited make light of the invitation, and make excuses for not being present. So the king again commands his servants to go into the streets and lanes of the city and invite THE POOR, THE MAIMED, THE HALT AND THE BLIND.

Since there is room at the feast even after these have come in, the king then sends his servants into the highways "AND AS MANY AS YE SHALL FIND, BID TO THE MARRIAGE -- THAT MY HOUSE MAY BE FILLED".

However, there is a condition, and that is for each guest to be wearing "the wedding garment". One of the guests is found without this garment, and pays dearly for it.

What I want you and others to note is that the king is not satisfied to sit still while the Wedding Feast is laid out. He makes every effort to bring in the guests.  That is what Christ meant when He said "The Son of man is come TO SEEK AND TO SAVE that which was lost". God in His grace and mercy actively seeks out every sinner, since God will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

[dustcry]

Sower, you miss the point.
The pigeon was used as an example so to point out that it is up to each individual to accept it.  You can't very well force the pigeon to eat the bread in your hand.  If you do try, they will only fly away.  Man is no different.
Offer and he may or may not accept depending on the person.
But force anything upon man and he will revolt.

That was the point.