Nothing defeats His purpose!

[FineLinen]

The power of God is almighty; nothing can resist his will; nothing can defeat his purpose; nothing can prevent the fulfillment of his promise.

What he had promised he was able to perform. (Rom. 4:21) If God were not almighty, then the world might not be saved; but he is almighty; none can stay his hand, or say unto him, what do You do and therefore, in Gods own time (and that is the best time), and by his own means, the whole world shall be saved.  God not only wills the salvation of all men; not only has purposed to save them all; not only has promised it; and has confirmed that promise by an oath); but also has provided the means, in the death of Christ, for the salvation of all men. Jesus died for all. He gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time. (1 Tim. 2:6)

But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor; that he, by the grace of God, should taste death for every man. (Heb. 2:9) And he is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. (1 John 2:2)

Here are three expressions: 1st, ALL; 2nd, EVERYMAN; 3d, THE WHOLE WORLD.

The sacred writers took the utmost care to guard against being misunderstood in this important particular. Some would have us believe that these expressions are to be understood only in a general sense, in opposition to the contracted opinions of the Jews, who confined the blessings of God to their own nation only; and that the words are intended to declare, that Jesus died for Gentiles as well as Jews. We cannot so restrict the sense. Look at the connection in which these passages are found, and it will be seen that the terms used, apply to all men, in the widest sense of these terms. Paul instructs Timothy to pray for all men; not for Jews and Gentiles in the general sense, but for kings and all in authority; for this is good and acceptable in the sight of God, who will have all men to be saved. So John says, if any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father. (1 Epistle John 1:1)

Is not the language here designed to apply to all men: Who can dispute it? -Thomas Whittemore-

[FineLinen]

I base my hope on the Word of God speaking in the best heart and conscience of the race -the Word heard in the best poems and songs, the best prayers and hopes of humanity.

The ages have been darkest when this hope was lowest. It cannot be successfully controverted that out of the six theological schools of the Early Church four taught the doctrines of Universalism, one annihilation of the wicked, and one their endless punishment.

To-day no preacher in his fiercest sermons approximates to such utterances as those of Jonathan Edwards. If he did he would not be tolerated a year. The Christian pulpit is silent on the doctrine of endless punishment, or else denies it, as Farrar, Beecher, Swing, and Thomas, and a great multitude of greatest minds have done.

I wish to contrast two utterances, and leave the reader to judge which is the noblest. One is this utterance of Mr. Talmage at Chautauqua. He said: - Nearly all the heterodox people I know of believe all are coming out at the same destiny without regard to faith and character: Nero and Wesley, Guiteau and Garfield. I turn away from such a debauched heaven. Against that cauldron of beastliness I place the two destinies of the Bible forever and forever apart.

This is the surviving remnant of the idea once so vividly preached that the saints in heaven need the sight of hell to complete their joys.

The other utterance I contrast to the above, is Hawthorne's in " Glimpses of English Poverty." He says of the wretched London poor: - How difficult to believe that anything so precious as a germ of immortal growth can have been plunged into this cesspool of vice! Oh, what a mystery! Slowly, slowly, as after groping at the bottom of a deep, noisome pool, my hope struggles upward to the surface, bearing the half-drowned body of a child and bearing it aloft for its own life, and my own life, and all our lives. Unless these slime-clogged nostrils can be made capable of inhaling celestial air, I know not how the purest and most intellectual of us can reasonably expect ever to taste a breath of it. The whole question of eternity is staked there.

If a single one of those helpless little ones be lost, the world is lost. Which of these two sentiments is most like Christ Jesus? ~P.T. Barnum

[FineLinen]

There is a nice symmetry in this: Death initially came by a man, and resurrection from death came by a Man. Everybody dies in Adam; everybody comes alive in Christ.

But we have to wait our turn: Christ is first, then those with Him at his Coming, the grand consummation when, after crushing the opposition, He hands over his kingdom to God the Father.

He won't let up until the last enemy is down and the very last enemy is death! As the psalmist said, "He laid them low, one and all; he walked all over them." When Scripture says that He walked all over them, it's obvious that he couldn't at the same time be walked on.

When everything and everyone is finally under God's rule, the Son will step down, taking His place with everyone else, showing that God's rule is absolutely comprehensive, a perfect ending! -MSG

[Andrew]

Hi Fine Linen

I was just thinking about this yesterday about what you are referring to; it's like the way a writer would write a movie script: The story has to come full circle. Everything was perfect in the beginning; therefore everything will be perfect in the ending - all of the fallen world that came through Adam will all be gathered together in Jesus, returning everyone back to the Father - and this would truly make it the greatest story ever told.   

[darryl]

When everything and everyone is finally under God's rule, the Son will step down, taking His place with everyone else, showing that God's rule is absolutely comprehensive, a perfect ending! -MSG

I respectfully disagree...Jesus IS God the Son...I don't believe He will be  taking His place with everyone else....He's infinitely above everyone else.

[FineLinen]

Hi Fine Linen

I was just thinking about this yesterday about what you are referring to; it's like the way a writer would write a movie script: The story has to come full circle. Everything was perfect in the beginning; therefore everything will be perfect in the ending - all of the fallen world that came through Adam will all be gathered together in Jesus, returning everyone back to the Father - and this would truly make it the greatest story ever told.

Hi there Andrew: In this mad mad world there is total rest in knowing the full circle abides in the One who is the Source, Guide & Goal of all things. He is the Beginning, He is the Ending, the Author & Perfecter of the all. It is indeed the greatest story ever told.

EVER!

[FineLinen]

When everything and everyone is finally under God's rule, the Son will step down, taking His place with everyone else, showing that God's rule is absolutely comprehensive, a perfect ending! -MSG

I respectfully disagree...Jesus IS God the Son...I don't believe He will be  taking His place with everyone else....He's infinitely above everyone else.

Darryl: there are vast , vast dimensions of our God we have never begun to contemplate. He is exceedingly abundantly beyond all we can imagine. He dwells within mystery, and it is out of mystery He comes to draw us into Himself.

The Prince-Leader of our salvation indeed holds a unique place. The first Adam failed, the Last Adam has prevailed. But make no mistake, when He has brought every last atom of sin and disobedience into total subjection to His glorious Being, His final act is presenting the all back to the Father, that the Father may be all in all.

https://biblehub.com/1_corinthians/15-28.htm