The Worst Sinners Saved

“…Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance, Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the worst…” (1 Timothy 1:15)

How did Jesus get the worst sinner to believe in him?

“About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me. I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, ‘Saul! Saul!” (Acts 1:6)

OK, that would do it - and Paul believed. Sooo, how is God going to get the rest of the really bad sinners to believe?

“Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened…” (Revelation 20:11-12)

That should do it! It is at the great white throne when all the worst sinners "confess" that Jesus is Lord and "believe" that God did indeed raise him from the dead - and are "saved".

"If you confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved..." (Romans 10:9-10)

To summarize:  Those who die unbelievers in this age will be "saved" before the "great white throne"- where the worst sinners of this age will "confess that Jesus Christ is Lord"...how do I know? The bible tells me so...

"...every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2:9-11)

Paul eventually died after his experience and is sleeping until the return of Jesus to resurrect him from the dead.

"...we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable." (1 Corinthians 15:51-52). 

If the unbelievers die the SECOND death after confessing before the great white throne it will be a swift death, by means of the Lake of Fire, and they will remain asleep in this second death until being "made alive" when death is finally "abolished" so that "God may be all in all".

"As in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive...The last enemy that will be abolished is death...so that God may be all in all." (1 Corinthians 15:22, 26, 28)

It is amazing what you can learn from studying Scripture rather than the opinions of religious men.

"It is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance...we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers." (1 Timothy 4:9-10)

Everlasting Mercy

“Now Thomas, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said to him, we have seen the Lord. So he said to them…I will not believe." (John 20:24-25)

Thomas is called "doubting Thomas" because he refused to believe until he saw Jesus himself. Actually, that was true of all of the disciples. None of them believed until they saw him after his resurrection. Such is the case for the majority of people who live in this world. They will not believe until they see him.

"And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came… and said be not be unbelieving, but believing. And Thomas answered…My Lord and my God!" (John 20:26-28)

When Jesus returns to raise the dead, all will see him and all will confess him as Lord, just as Thomas did...

"...every knee shall bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2:9-11)

Those who believe in this life are "blessed" with the hope of their salvation. They are the few who are given faith to believe in Jesus in this life even though we have not seen him.

"Jesus said to him, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.” (John 20:29)

People are saved by the grace of God.  They are blessed when they believe. But all will "confess" him, "give thanks", and be "blessed" when they see Jesus and enter the Kingdom, not punished forever in the hell of religions.

"For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all....O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever." (Romans 11:32; Psalm 136:1)

God is love and although He has determined that all are to be disobedient in one way or another in this life, He does so to demonstrate His "mercy", which will endure "forever".

I Will Not Believe...Until

“But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples were saying to him, We have seen the Lord! But he said to them, Unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe." (John 20:24-25)

Such is the condition of most of humanity, maybe all, including those of us who call ourselves Christians and piously claim salvation as our exclusive possession, condemning everyone else. If we are honest, we would admit that not until we see the resurrected Jesus will our hope become sight, and only then will we, like Thomas, without any doubt whatsoever….believe!

“After eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors having been shut, and stood in their midst and said, Peace be with you. Then he said to Thomas, Reach here with your finger, and see my hands; and reach here your hand and put it into my side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing. Thomas answered and said to Him, My Lord and my God! Jesus said to him, Because you have seen me, have you believed.” (John 20:26-29)

The truth is, that none of the disciples of Jesus believed in him before they saw that Jesus had been resurrected. They had all abandoned him when he was arrested...

“Then all the disciples left Him and fled.” (Matthew 26:56)

Later, Peter, the leader of the disciples…

“…began to curse and swear, I do not know the man” (Matthew 26:74)

So what is my point? 

Well simply that Christianity is in great error when they assume that God will not save all mankind due to unbelief.  All mankind, just like Thomas, Peter and the other disciples, will encounter the risen Christ Jesus face to face, and will bow and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord…

“For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that EVERY TONGUE WILL CONFESS that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:9-11)

That is the gospel, that is what we are to share, and any institution that does not teach that does not comprehend the love of God and is simply following the tradition of men and are wrong...

"It is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance. For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers. Prescribe and teach these things."  (1 Timothy 4:9-11)

One can join every church in town, be baptized in the Jordan River, tithe, witness, teach, preach, and visit every orphan in the world...but all will have some doubt...until they see Jesus in person, risen from the dead, just like the Jewish desciples and our apostle Paul...

"For I delivered to you, as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Peter, then to the twelve....and last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared to me also..." (1 Corinthians 15:3-8)

Savior of ALL

"We trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those that believe" (I Timothy 4:10).

It has been argued to me that if God is the Savior of all, then there is no difference between the believer and unbeliever. Of course there is a difference, one believes him, and one does not. One trusts that he has been saved, the other does not. They are both saved because God through Christ Jesus has saved the whole world – all men, yet only the believer can enjoy the knowledge of that Salvation. It is their trust in their salvation that is “special”.

“Many more believed because of His word; and they were saying to the woman, It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves and know that this one (Jesus) is indeed the Savior of the world." (John 4:42)

It has been my experience that many Christians believe what they have been told, and have not yet experienced for themselves that Christ Jesus is indeed the Savior of the world of sinners.

“There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith … he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not ours only, but for the sins of the whole world…the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ the Lord” (Romans 3:22-25; 1 John 2:2; Romans 6:23)

For the life of me, I cannot figure out how one can be a believing Christian and NOT believe what God says above…but the vast majority of Christians apparently do not …at least not yet.

“And now apart from law hath the righteousness of God been manifested, testified to by the law and the prophets, and the righteousness of God is through THE FAITH OF JESUS CHRIST to all and upon all those believing, -- for there is no difference, for all did sin, and are come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:21-23 Young's Literal Translation)

It is a wonder anyone comes to know the truth with the poor translations of the Bible we have today.  They result in poor teaching.  Above is one of the few correct translations of these verses.  Note the phrase in all caps, and then check out your version.  If it says anything else it is the fabrication of men - not what the oldest Greek manuscripts read.

The righteousness of God is freely given “to all” as a result of THE FAITH OF JESUS CHRIST.  Not OUR faith in Christ Jesus.  Big, BIG difference.  In fact, it is the good news. Paul in the first three chapters of Romans has clearly shown that there is “none righteous” - neither Jew, Gentile, Christian, nor heathen.  Neither Adam, Abraham, Peter, Paul, Billy Graham, nor the Pope. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God. They have NO righteousness on their own merit or free will choice.

But because of the faith of Jesus Christ in his Father…the righteousness of God is graciously and freely given "TO ALL" and it is applied “UPON ALL” when they actually have faith in God like Jesus did.

“…being declared righteous FREELY BY HIS GRACE through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God did set forth a mercy seat, through the faith in his blood, for the showing forth of His righteousness, because of the passing over of the bygone sins in the forbearance of God -- for the showing forth of His righteousness in the present time, for His being righteous, and declaring him righteous who is of the faith OF Jesus.” (Romans 3:24-26 YLT)

We get faith like Jesus had only when God gives it to us.  A few folks in this life, and ALL in the next. People become AWARE of their salvation and righteousness when God, by His GRACE, gives them the faith to believe. For most, this faith will not occur until after the resurrection.  At that time the righteousness of God will be “upon ALL” because ALL will then believe....and ALL will then be reconciled to God…. and God will be "All in All".

“For by grace ye are having been saved, through faith, and this not of you -- of God the gift, not of works, that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9 YLT)