This is Good and Acceptable In The Sight of God
“God is love…Love never fails” (1 John 4:8; 1 Corinthians 13:8)
That God is love is a characterization of his essence. When we talk about God being Just, or God being Omnipotent, or God being Omniscient we are talking about his attributes. But His essence is love and it is absolute. And it dictates that He must save the sinner and He must justify the unjust…because He has the power and wisdom to do so.
His love, operating through His attributes of justice, power and wisdom, is directing the outcome of His creation to a place where every knee will bow VOLUNTARILY to God, because they have experienced his Love in the undeniable truth that they are alive, though they had been literally dead. They cannot deny the obvious truth that He has at that time resurrected both the just and the unjust...by the grace of God alone.
“…there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust...For by Grace are you saved...Look unto me and be saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, that unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear. Surely, shall one say, in the LORD have I righteousness and strength: even to him shall men come; and all that are incensed against him shall be ashamed. In the LORD shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory.” (Acts 24:15; Ephesians 2:8; Isaiah 45:22-25)
This is our hope, the good news that otherwise sinful people, who all die, will be saved by the only One who wants to do so, and has the power to do so.
“For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time…As in Adam ALL die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.” (1 Timothy 2:3-6; 1 Corinthians 15:22)
Then, and only then will God be loved by all His creation, even as He loves each of us now.
That God is love is a characterization of his essence. When we talk about God being Just, or God being Omnipotent, or God being Omniscient we are talking about his attributes. But His essence is love and it is absolute. And it dictates that He must save the sinner and He must justify the unjust…because He has the power and wisdom to do so.
His love, operating through His attributes of justice, power and wisdom, is directing the outcome of His creation to a place where every knee will bow VOLUNTARILY to God, because they have experienced his Love in the undeniable truth that they are alive, though they had been literally dead. They cannot deny the obvious truth that He has at that time resurrected both the just and the unjust...by the grace of God alone.
“…there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust...For by Grace are you saved...Look unto me and be saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, that unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear. Surely, shall one say, in the LORD have I righteousness and strength: even to him shall men come; and all that are incensed against him shall be ashamed. In the LORD shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory.” (Acts 24:15; Ephesians 2:8; Isaiah 45:22-25)
This is our hope, the good news that otherwise sinful people, who all die, will be saved by the only One who wants to do so, and has the power to do so.
“For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time…As in Adam ALL die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.” (1 Timothy 2:3-6; 1 Corinthians 15:22)
Then, and only then will God be loved by all His creation, even as He loves each of us now.