The Salvation of Unbelievers
“...for this we are toiling and being reproached, that we rely on the living God, who is the Savior of all mankind, and especially of believers. This things be charging and teaching.” (1 Timothy 4:10-11 CLNT)
I am unaware of any institutional Christian church group that is "teaching" what the above verse clearly says - that GOD is the "Savior of all mankind". But it is clear that "all mankind" have been "ransomed" by Christ Jesus.
"For there is one God, and one mediator of God and mankind, a Man, Christ Jesus, Who is giving Himself a correspondent Ransom for all." (1 Timothy 2:5-6)
The Bible addresses two types of people in various eras. Those who BELIEVE God, and those who do not - the UNBELIEVERS. Believers come to a knowledge of their salvation in this age. Unbelievers will come to that knowledge at the close of the ages. Below is a summary of what the bible teaches with regard to the Salvation of All.
BELIEVERS become aware of their salvation in this Age: The Bible tells of two groups of Believers in this age with separate destinies in the following ages. One group of believers are those among the nation of Israel, and the other is believers among the Gentile nations.
Those who hear the good news and believe it in this life do so by the Grace of God through faith. Faith is the channel by which one becomes aware of their salvation.
1. Those who Believe in this Age were chosen to do so in Christ before the foundation of the world.
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who blesses us with every spiritual blessing among the celestials, in Christ, according as He chooses us in Him before the disruption of the world, we to be holy and flawless in His sight, in love designating us beforehand for the place of a son for Him through Christ Jesus; in accord with the delight of His will, for the laud of the glory of His grace." (Ephesians 1:3-6)
2. God gifts to them faith to believe. That "faith" is an “approach present” or gift from God.
“For in grace, through faith, are you saved—and this is not out of you, it is God's approach present (gift), not of works, lest anyone should be boasting…" (Ephesians 2:8-9 CLNT)
3. God places them among the body of believers when they hear and believe what God says. No joining anything, they are "placed" there by God. They are also referred to as the "ecclesia" (Church).
"Yet now God placed the members, each one of them, in the body according as He wills....this secret is great: yet I am saying this as to Christ and as to the ecclesia..." (1 Corinthians 12:18; Ephesians 5:32 CLNT)
4. Believers are to tell the world about their ransom and salvation and explain that it is all a result of the sacrifice of Christ Jesus.
"Christ also, for our sakes, once died concerning sins, the just for the sake of the unjust, that He may be leading us to God; being put to death, indeed, in flesh, yet vivified in spirit...God was in Christ conciliating the world to Himself, not reckoning their offenses to them and placing in us the word of conciliation." (1 Peter 3:18; 2 Corinthians 5:19 CLNT)
UNBELIEVERS become aware of their salvation in the ages to come:
They will become aware of their salvation through judgment after their resurrection. But after suitable judgment, they will be become believers. This judgement is the channel by which the UNBELIEVERS in this Age are made aware of their Savior. Consider the following:
1. All unbelievers will be resurrected from the dead and appear before Jesus at the great white throne. They are the subjects of the most astounding miracle ever done. Billions of dead people, all unbelievers, raised to life.
2. The old heaven and earth have fled away so there is nowhere to hide and nothing to distract them.
3. They are in the presence of Christ Jesus in all his glory, sitting upon that great white throne.
4. All their secrets are revealed and they must give account for all their works. They have no excuses, all their works are revealed as either good or bad.
"And I perceived a great white throne, and Him Who is sitting upon it, from Whose face earth and heaven fled, and no place was found for them. And I perceived the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne." (Revelation 22:11-12)
5. And then, in my opinion, they will hear Jesus say to God - “Father forgive them - my blood has atoned for their sin.
6. And in time, they will all bow before him, confessing with their mouth “Jesus Christ is Lord”.
"Wherefore, also, God highly exalts Him, and graces Him with the name that is above every name, that in the name of Jesus every knee should be bowing, celestial and terrestrial and subterranean, and every tongue should be acclaiming that Jesus Christ is Lord, for the glory of God, the Father." (Philippians 2:9-11 CLNT)
Of course I have left out a lot of details that I will address another time. But I hope you see what I have seen in the Scripture. Works of righteousness will not remove the believer's sin. Faith will not remove the believer’s sin. And the evidence at the great white throne judgment will not remove the unbeliever’s sin. Neither do confession, repentance and asking God for forgiveness. That removal of sin was done wholly and solely through the "blood" of Christ shed on the cross to become the "Savior of the world".
“And we have gazed upon Him, and are testifying that the Father has dispatched His Son, the Savior of the world...In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace.” (1 John 4:14; Ephesians 1:7)
I am unaware of any institutional Christian church group that is "teaching" what the above verse clearly says - that GOD is the "Savior of all mankind". But it is clear that "all mankind" have been "ransomed" by Christ Jesus.
"For there is one God, and one mediator of God and mankind, a Man, Christ Jesus, Who is giving Himself a correspondent Ransom for all." (1 Timothy 2:5-6)
The Bible addresses two types of people in various eras. Those who BELIEVE God, and those who do not - the UNBELIEVERS. Believers come to a knowledge of their salvation in this age. Unbelievers will come to that knowledge at the close of the ages. Below is a summary of what the bible teaches with regard to the Salvation of All.
BELIEVERS become aware of their salvation in this Age: The Bible tells of two groups of Believers in this age with separate destinies in the following ages. One group of believers are those among the nation of Israel, and the other is believers among the Gentile nations.
Those who hear the good news and believe it in this life do so by the Grace of God through faith. Faith is the channel by which one becomes aware of their salvation.
1. Those who Believe in this Age were chosen to do so in Christ before the foundation of the world.
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who blesses us with every spiritual blessing among the celestials, in Christ, according as He chooses us in Him before the disruption of the world, we to be holy and flawless in His sight, in love designating us beforehand for the place of a son for Him through Christ Jesus; in accord with the delight of His will, for the laud of the glory of His grace." (Ephesians 1:3-6)
2. God gifts to them faith to believe. That "faith" is an “approach present” or gift from God.
“For in grace, through faith, are you saved—and this is not out of you, it is God's approach present (gift), not of works, lest anyone should be boasting…" (Ephesians 2:8-9 CLNT)
3. God places them among the body of believers when they hear and believe what God says. No joining anything, they are "placed" there by God. They are also referred to as the "ecclesia" (Church).
"Yet now God placed the members, each one of them, in the body according as He wills....this secret is great: yet I am saying this as to Christ and as to the ecclesia..." (1 Corinthians 12:18; Ephesians 5:32 CLNT)
4. Believers are to tell the world about their ransom and salvation and explain that it is all a result of the sacrifice of Christ Jesus.
"Christ also, for our sakes, once died concerning sins, the just for the sake of the unjust, that He may be leading us to God; being put to death, indeed, in flesh, yet vivified in spirit...God was in Christ conciliating the world to Himself, not reckoning their offenses to them and placing in us the word of conciliation." (1 Peter 3:18; 2 Corinthians 5:19 CLNT)
UNBELIEVERS become aware of their salvation in the ages to come:
They will become aware of their salvation through judgment after their resurrection. But after suitable judgment, they will be become believers. This judgement is the channel by which the UNBELIEVERS in this Age are made aware of their Savior. Consider the following:
1. All unbelievers will be resurrected from the dead and appear before Jesus at the great white throne. They are the subjects of the most astounding miracle ever done. Billions of dead people, all unbelievers, raised to life.
2. The old heaven and earth have fled away so there is nowhere to hide and nothing to distract them.
3. They are in the presence of Christ Jesus in all his glory, sitting upon that great white throne.
4. All their secrets are revealed and they must give account for all their works. They have no excuses, all their works are revealed as either good or bad.
"And I perceived a great white throne, and Him Who is sitting upon it, from Whose face earth and heaven fled, and no place was found for them. And I perceived the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne." (Revelation 22:11-12)
5. And then, in my opinion, they will hear Jesus say to God - “Father forgive them - my blood has atoned for their sin.
6. And in time, they will all bow before him, confessing with their mouth “Jesus Christ is Lord”.
"Wherefore, also, God highly exalts Him, and graces Him with the name that is above every name, that in the name of Jesus every knee should be bowing, celestial and terrestrial and subterranean, and every tongue should be acclaiming that Jesus Christ is Lord, for the glory of God, the Father." (Philippians 2:9-11 CLNT)
Of course I have left out a lot of details that I will address another time. But I hope you see what I have seen in the Scripture. Works of righteousness will not remove the believer's sin. Faith will not remove the believer’s sin. And the evidence at the great white throne judgment will not remove the unbeliever’s sin. Neither do confession, repentance and asking God for forgiveness. That removal of sin was done wholly and solely through the "blood" of Christ shed on the cross to become the "Savior of the world".
“And we have gazed upon Him, and are testifying that the Father has dispatched His Son, the Savior of the world...In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace.” (1 John 4:14; Ephesians 1:7)