Why Did Jesus Come?

This question was in a Facebook post I read the other day. I was glad that I knew the answer. The post went on to quote the following words of Jesus to Zaccheus…

“Today salvation has come to this house, because he, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” (Luke 19:9-10)

The Hebrew word for “salvation” is “yeshua” which means "the LORD's salvation"  or "God delivers", and is translated JESUS when used as a noun that designates a person.  That is really cool - Jesus is Salvation.

Jesus is salvation, and as such he came to do what his name represented - “to seek and to save that which was lost”.  Zaccheus, the sinner and publican, was included...and so are all other sinners.  It seems to me that anyone who reasons otherwise is saying Jesus has failed to do what he was sent to do.

In my opinion it is not the role of the church to seek and to save the lost. JESUS came to do that and he will succeed when the last enemy – death – has been abolished, and God is All in all. (1 Corinthians 15:22-28).  The Church’s job is to tell people what JESUS has DONE and will DO to save the world, not what people must do to be saved.

Long ago the organized churches took over the role of seeking and saving, and in the process has denied mankind the Gospel, making salvation a choice of men rather than the finished work of Jesus our Savior...

“The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world…We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world…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.” (John 1:29; 1 John 4:14; 1 Timothy 4:9-11)

He did not ask your permission.  He doesn't care whether you like it or not.  He cares not whether you join the group.  He does want you to know and share the truth that HE WILL SAVE MANKIND.

You can believe it now and give him the glory and enjoy the peace it brings - or you can wait until your resurrection to give him glory. That is the only choice we have in the matter..

"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...and no one can say Jesus is Lord except by he Holy Spirit...the Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God..." (Philippians 2:10-11; 1 Corinthians 12:3; Romans 8:16)

Those in Heaven, those on earth, and those under the earth...exactly who is not included in those three places?

The Blessing of Abraham

“…the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.” (Galatians 3:14)

What is the “blessing of Abraham”? It was the promise to him that “...all peoples on earth will be blessed" (Genesis 12:3)

And what is the “promise of the spirit” that "all peoples" "might receive" and "be blessed"?

“…the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit...There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Ephesians 1:13; Galatians 3:28)

When people hear and believe they “receive" and are “sealed” with the "Holy Spirit". And as I said yesterday, the Bible teaches me that ALL peoples of the earth will eventually hear and believe…

“For it is written, as I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall give praise to God….of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. " (Romans 14:11; Philippians 2:10-11)

This occurs, in my view, when all of the dead are gathered "before the throne" after the resurrection...

“Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away….and I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne…" (Revelation 20:11-12)

There "every knee shall bow" and "every tongue give praise to God" and all "will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord”. And to do so they will have had to be "marked with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit" for…

“…no one can say, Jesus is Lord, except by the Holy Spirit.” (1 Corinthians 12:3)

Don't Be Judged By Religious Ritual

“For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect…” (Hebrews 10:1)

This was directed at the Messianic Jews who had believed and followed Jesus as their Messiah.  They were considering returning to the Law and its rituals as the way to righteousness.  The writer was reminding them that the Law nor the rituals surrounding the obedience to it could make them perfect. 

Gentiles who had believed in Jesus were being encouraged by some of the Messianic Jews to observe the rituals of the Law. So Paul tells them that they should not allow these Jews to judge them by religious rituals...

“Therefore let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or Sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.” (Colossians 2:16-17)

Sometimes we Christians need to remind ourselves that we will not be judged, nor rewarded, concerning our attendance at Church, envolvement in its ministries, nor its associated rituals.  We will be judged by whether we believe "the word" of  Christ Jesus that he is the SAVIOR of the world.  Jesus said…

“If anyone hears my sayings and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. He who rejects me and does not receive my sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day.…” (John 12:47-48)

And what is the “word” which Jesus spoke which will “judge him” who rejects it?

His word that he has come “to save the world”.  And he will SAVE it and all those who have been part of it because that is what he came to do.  He says he did not come to judge and condemn the world.

“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”  (John 3:17)

Those who do not believe that Jesus is the Savior of the world will be “judged” WRONG and be ashamed when in fact Jesus returns and saves the world of sinners by resurrecting them from the dead. At that time all will give account "before the judgment seat of God" as to why they did not believe that Jesus is the Savior (among other things) and then ALL WILL CONFESS AND BELIEVE which brings "glory o God"…

“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 every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father… For to this end Christ died and lived again, that He might be Lord both of the dead and of the living. But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God” (Philippians 2:9-11; Romans 14:8-12)

Mighty To Save

“The LORD your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing....Today salvation has come to this house, because he, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost." (Zephaniah 3:17; Luke 19:9-10)

While reading the above I was reminded of one of my favorite childhoods heros, who would come on the scene of a difficult situation with these words...

“Here I come to save the day...” - Anyone else remember this mighty cartoon character?

Mankind has a God who is a “Mighty Warrior who Saves” and He is definitely not a cartoon character although many Atheists and Philisophers think so. I think they are mostly rejecting Christianity's portrayal of Him than anything else. And who could blame them – most Christian evangelicals over the years have projected a view of a god who is mad at the world of sinners and is “Mighty to eternally condemn them to Hell”.

Nevertheless, the Bible teaches that “the world” is the object of God's love and although “all have sinned”, He is “the Mighty Warrior who saves”. Listen as the Bible makes this clear...

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him..For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord..” (John 3:16-17; Romans 6:23)

I know, I know ”whoever believes in him shall not perish”. I undertand that and believe what it says, but it DOES NOT say “whoever does not believe in him during this life will be cast into hell to be tortured for all eternity” as Christianity has taught. Ask yourself, when a person is raised to life from death and is standing before the Judge, our Lord Jesus Christ, will they not all then “believe” that "Jesus Christ is Lord"? Believe what God says in the Bible, not what institutions teach that God says...

“For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. For it is written, “AS I LIVE, SAYS THE LORD, EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW TO ME, AND EVERY TONGUE SHALL GIVE PRAISE TO GOD.” So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God...For this reason also, God highly exalted Him (Jesus), 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..”. (Romans 14:10-12; Philippians 2:9-11)

AND when will this occur?...

“(when) the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men's hearts; and then (after every knee bows and every tongue confesses) each man's praise will come to him from God.” (1 Corinthians 4:5)

The Work Of God

"Then they said to Him, what shall we do, that we may work the works of God? Jesus answered and said to them, this is the work of God that you believe in Him whom He sent.” (John 6:28-29)

They asked the wrong question, but Jesus gave the right answer. It is not about any "works" we must do, but the "work of God". The “work of God” is to bring all mankind to faith in His Son Jesus, the Savior of the world. God’s work will not be complete until “every knee” bows and “every tongue” confesses that Jesus is Lord.

Will God fail in His work? - NOT A CHANCE!

“…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 2:10-11)

What does God use to convince people to believe Him?

"…Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven…and with great power the apostles gave witness to the RESURRECTION of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all" (Acts 1:11; 4:33).

The Apostles to Israel understood their witness to be one thing…the RESURRECTION of Jesus. They had seen it first hand, and their great JOY revolved around his resurrection and promised return.

The Apostle to the Gentiles (Paul) understood his witness to be the resurrection of all, and it was this message that motivated him in the face of all his suffering.

“I stand this day testifying both to small and great, stating nothing but what the Prophets and Moses said was going to take place; that the Christ was to suffer, and that by reason of His RESURRECTION from the dead He would be the first to proclaim LIGHT both to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles." (Acts 26:22-23)

And what is this “light” to be proclaimed to both Jews and Gentles? 

The "work of God" - THE RESURRECTION of ALL.

“Christ has been raised from the dead, the FIRST FRUITS of those who are asleep. For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ ALL WILL BE MADE ALIVE.” (1 Corinthians 15:20-22)

All Humbled And Saved

"God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble…and whoever exalts himself will be abased, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” (1 Peter 5:5 and Matthew 23:12)

Even Gentile King Nebuchadnezzar…

"Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for a royal dwelling by my mighty power and for the honor of my majesty?" (Daniel 4:30). 

God opposed this self-exaltation by driving the king out into the fields to eat grass like an animal and became humble... 

"Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven…and those who walk in pride He is able to abase" (Daniel 4:37).

All Gentiles who are not humbled in this life, will be in the next, after they are raised to stand before the Great White Throne and give account…

“I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it…I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne” (Revelation 22:11-12)

Is there any doubt at that moment all will be humbled by the event and the revelation of all their evil acts?

But all will be exalted and bring God glory when…

“…at the name of Jesus EVERY knee WILL bow…EVERY tongue WILL confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father…if you declare with your mouth, Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Philippians 2:11; Romans 10:9)

All Redeemed By Christ

“The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, ALL THE NATIONS WILL BE BLESSED IN YOU. So then those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer…Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us…in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.” (Galatians 3:8-14)

Christ Jesus not only redeemed Israel from the curse of the Law, but the Gentiles as well (everyone else). And in Christ Jesus the unconditional promises made to Abraham rests on ALL because one day ALL will believe.

“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…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” (1 Timothy 4:9-11; Philippians 2:10).

Therefore, if the Bible is true, ALL will be saved and confess that Christ Jesus is Lord. We can chose not to believe that, but if you believe that the Bible is actually God’s Word, then eventually all will be saved.

Saints - Part Two

“Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, to the saints who are at Ephesus who are faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Ephesians 1:1-2)

Yesterday I was thinking about who the saints are and want to continue my thoughts. Religious dogma has altered the meaning of “saint” to restrict it to a few people whom their particular sect considers to be more righteous than other folks…even praying to them on occasion. It appears to me, however, that to God all mankind are holy to Him and set apart…therefore Saints….despite the fact that He also clearly says, “there is none righteous, no not one”, and “all have sinned”. God created mankind to be made into His image. At least that is how I read the Scripture. But only a few of these saints have been “faithful” since their creation.

Paul was chosen to reveal the glorious future of all mankind to those who God has predetermined to hear and believe in this present evil age…and it has been my experience that those who hear and believe the good news of the eventual reconciliation and salvation of all rejoice. They are at peace with God, giving Him praise and thanksgiving for this promise. Some of them are driven to tell others about it...like Paul who said…

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He PREDESTINED us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of HIS WILL, to the praise of the glory of His GRACE, which He FREELY bestowed on us in the Beloved.” (Ephesians 1:2-7)

But whether the faithful saints are destined to tell anyone or not, one future day, after the final resurrection of both the just and unjust, and after death has been abolished, ALL people will be completed by God into His righteous spiritual image…and ALL will believe and rejoice in their Salvation…God’s plan will be complete and He will be "ALL in ALL".

“For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive….The last enemy that will be abolished is death….so that God may be ALL in ALL.” (1 Corinthians 15:20-28)

I get the impression sometimes that we Christians do not think it fair that God would save everyone. But we should have the same kind of attitude about it as Christ Jesus had…

“Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus… He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” (Philippians 2:5-7)

And why did he have this attitude? Paul again tells us it was to demonstrate the LOVE of God for mankind (Saints) and that He would deliver mankind from His wrath (death)….

“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him…for the wages of sin is death but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 5:8-9; 6:23)

Sorry Christians, but we do not have the franchise of God’s love as a result of any wise decision we make in this life…God loves everyone the same and Jesus died for ALL and as a result of his faithfulness God has highly exalted HIM and every knee will eventually bow and confess him as the Lord of their Salvation…

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 2:5-11)

This makes a “faithful” saint happy.

“Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also.” (1 John 2:22-23)

Those who DENY that Jesus is he Messiah are of the "antichrist". It says that ALL who deny that Jesus is the Christ are "liars" and not only do NOT have the Son, but do NOT have the Father either…at least in this present evil age.

This includes the NATION OF ISRAEL which at this time does not believe Jesus is the Christ, so be careful who you line up with in this world in the name of Christ. This also includes all other gentile nations of the world.

No problem being patriotic or lining up with other Nations for political or national security reasons, but defending ISRAEL or the USA because they are God’s people has only one test…EITHER they all BELIEVE Jesus is the Christ or they do not. So for me, I do not assume that failure to support modern day Israel (which I do politically and for national security reasons) will bring the curse of God on the USA.

Eventually, ALL, both Jew and Gentile, will know and confess Jesus is the Christ. God has “highly exalted HIM”, not ISRAEL, whose unbelieving citizens must wait like all other unbelievers to be delivered by Christ Jesus because God has….

“…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)

“Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they Abraham’s descendants? So am I. Are they servants of Christ? ...I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again...” (2 Corinthians 11:22-27)

Who are the “they” Paul is talking about? It was the Jewish “servants of Christ” who kept insisting that Gentiles cannot be saved without joining their group by becoming Proselytes to the Law of Moses.

“…woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut off the kingdom of heaven from people; for you do not enter in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.” (Matthew 23:12-13)

Nothing much has changed it seems to me over the past 2000 years. We are still told by our leaders that people must join the church or they will be eternally excluded from the Kingdom of God. But the message from God through Paul says….

“…as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive...” (1 Corinthians 15:22)

Again, the salvation of sinners is not an offer to be accepted or an organization to be joined….but good news to be believed. Some are chosen by God and gifted with faith to believe in this life, ALL will believe after the resurrection when…

“EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and EVERY TONGUE WILL CONFESS that Jesus Christ is Lord, TO THE GLORY OF GOD the Father.” (Philippians 2:8-11)

King Solomon said of God…

”Surely He scorns the scorners: but He gives grace to the humble.” (Proverbs 3:34)

The Apostle Peter said it this way…

"God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." (1 Peter 5:5)

Proud people scorn humble people…they think of them as weak. However, I am not concerned about what proud men think anymore. I prefer to rely on the grace of God rather than the proud accomplishments of men. In his wisdom writer of Ecclesiastes figured this out and said in his old age…

“I, the Preacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem. And I set my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under heaven; this burdensome task God has given to the sons of man, by which they may be exercised. I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and indeed, ALL IS VANITY AND A GRASPING FOR THE WIND. What is crooked cannot be made straight, and what is lacking cannot be numbered. I communed with my heart, saying, Look, I have attained greatness, and have gained more wisdom than all who were before me in Jerusalem. My heart has understood great wisdom and knowledge. And I set my heart to know wisdom and to know madness and folly. I perceived that THIS ALSO is grasping for the wind.” (Ecclesiastes 1:12-17)

Humble people are familiar with the GRACE of God in this life. Proud men will have to wait until the Great White Throne where before God...

“…EVERY KNEE WILL BOW; by Me every tongue will swear. They will say of Me, In the Lord alone are deliverance and strength…” (Isaiah 45:23-24)

“In his distress he sought the favor of the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his ancestors. And when he prayed to him, the Lord was moved by his entreaty and listened to his plea; so he brought him back to Jerusalem and to his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord is God.” (2 Chronicles 33:12-13)

The only way mankind will finally KNOW that the LORD is GOD is when the situation is such that they humble themselves before God and realize they are in trouble. Not many do so in this life. But there is coming an event when ALL mankind, collectively, will humble themselves before the LORD their GOD and wonder…are we in trouble?

“Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it…And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne…the sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and the graves gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done.” (Revelation 20:11-13)

Imagine if you can such an event. All of the dead throughout history raised from the dead and are standing before the resurrected Jesus to account for what they have done…whether good or bad. Can you imagine even one person NOT being humbled by such an event and distressed? I can’t.

So what happens? Isaiah put it this way…

“By Myself I have sworn, My mouth has uttered in all integrity, a word that will not be revoked: Before Me EVERY KNEE WILL BOW; by Me every tongue will swear. They will say of Me, In the Lord alone are deliverance and strength…” (Isaiah 45:23-24)

And Paul added some additional information concerning the role of Jesus in the deliverance of mankind…

“Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 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 2:8-11)

Every man humbled, every man bowing, every man confessing Christ Jesus is Lord. Some say it is too late but that is NOT what the Bible says. That is religious men wanting God to treat them better than everyone else. However God says…

“Call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you…” (Psalm 50:15)

“In a beginning God…” (Genesis 1:1)

When we become sufficiently deficient and competently incompetent in our experiences in this life…THEN people acknowledge God our Creator. For many that moment will only come after death at the resurrection of the dead.

I read where well known physicist Stephen Hawking announced “how grateful” he was to have discovered a scientific theory which explained in his mind the creation of the universe without the need for God. To whom is he grateful? 

There is deeply seeded in all mankind an awareness of God it seems to me, even a man whose IQ is off the charts.

“As surely as I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow before me; every tongue will acknowledge God.” (Romans 14:11)

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you" (1 Peter 1:3).

Above is a clear statement of the good news from Peter. As a result of God’s MERCY, mankind will be “begotten again”. This living hope is instilled in us when we both hear and believe…

"Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears my word and believes in Him who sent me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life" (John 5:24).

Those of us who have heard and believed in this life have the joy of the HOPE of everlasting life. However, most of mankind die before they hear and believe, so they die without the HOPE of everlasting life. But just as all mankind die as a result of Adam’s sin, so shall all mankind be freely given everlasting life as the result of the one righteous act of Christ Jesus, the second Adam.

"Therefore, as through one man's offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man's righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life" (Romans 5:18).

So tell someone the good news, and leave out the “ifs”, “buts” and “unlesses” added to the good news by religious theologians. Even they will eventually see 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)

All Blessed and Saved

"In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice...Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed...that is, Christ..."(Genesis 22:18; Galatians 3:16)

Because Abraham and Christ Jesus believed God He has promised them that “all nations of the earth shall be blessed”. It is because of Abraham's obedience,  not ours, that blessing comes to ALL! Further, it is because of "Jesus Christ's faith" that the blessing is "given".  Again, blessing is a done deal because of Abraham's obedience and Jesus Christ's faith.

However, we do not become aware that they we are "blessed" until, in the GRACE of God, we “believe”.

“For by Grace are you saved through FAITH and that not of yourselves, it is the GIFT of God...the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise, by the faith of Jesus Christ, might be GIVEN to them that believe. But now that faith has come...you are all sons of God (as opposed to children) through faith in Christ Jesus...heirs according to promise...to all who received him, to them gave he power to become the Sons of God,even to them who believed on his name” (Ephesians 2:8; Galatians 3:23-29)

There is coming a time when ALL will be given this faith to believe God for...

“Every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God...As in Adam all die, even so in Christ, ALL shall be made alive, but each in their own order...that God may be ALL in ALL” (Philippians 2:10; 1 Corinthians 15:22-28)

ALL will be made alive in Christ Jesus just as ALL die in Adam. For a few this truth is given and understood in this life when we hear and believe the gospel of our salvation. Most people will not bow and confess until their resurrection and appearing before Christ Jesus at the great white throne. Then all will believe and "shall be saved".

"Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved, and thy house." (Acts 16:31)

"And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day" (John 6:40)

Two things we should meditate on in this verse. The first is whether there will be a time when everyone “sees the Son and believes in Him”. The second is what is meant by “last day”. Here are my conclusions after considering all of the Scripture.

First: The Scripture clearly says that there will come a time when everyone will see the Son and believe in Him.

“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)

Second: I have concluded that the “last day” is the day in which God’s Plan for the ages is realized. The ages include “time” as we know it and God created for it with a purpose. But there will also be an era in which “time will be no more”… eternity…the goal of God’s purpose in the ages.

“In all wisdom and insight He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him…the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth.” (Ephesians 1:8-10)

At the close of the ages ("at the last day") God will have “summed up all things in heaven and earth” in Christ. All will then be saved, justified, reconciled and glorified…and God will be ALL in ALL.

“As in Adam ALL die, even so in Christ shall ALL be made alive…that God may be ALL in ALL” (1 Corinthians 15:22-28)

This is Good News, and will happen, in my opinion, whether the Christian institutional church, or the various other religions of the world believe it now or not….THEY WILL then…and be glad!