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“For for this we both labor and are reproached, because
we hope on the living God,
who is Savior of all men--especially of those believing.”
- 1 Timothy 4:10, YLT
You and I have a special salvation. It is peculiar and quite uncommon.
It is extraordinary and wonderful and yet all will one day know
and enjoy the same. It is a salvation in which we have been granted by
God’s grace the faith to believe that he truly is the Savior of all men
before all men see and rejoice that it is so.
This salvation, this deliverance if you will, that God has gifted us
with through no effort or merit of our own is the capacity to see with
the eyes of our hearts the magnificence, the glory, and the
all-encompassing extent of the cross of Jesus Christ for all mankind. It
is a special salvation in the sense that it is something that we have
the privilege of enjoying here and now in our lifetimes.
"The scriptures make
it very plain that all are not saved at the same time. ‘Who
gave Himself a ransom for all; the testimony in its
own times’ --1 Tim. 2:6 R.V. ‘As
in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
But every man in his own order’ --I Cor. 15:22,23. At
the present time God is saving only those He has chosen and called unto
the special salvation of the ages (1 Cor. 1:26-30; 1 Tim. 6:12).”
- Larry Hodges,
The Significance of Christ
This salvation does not make us better than anyone else or more loved by
God than anyone else, rather it is special because He has given us a
sneak preview of the end of the movie. We see, to some degree, the
salvation of all and the truth that all of redemption is found
exclusively in Christ in advance of those to whom He has kept it hidden.
“It is often remarked
by those who oppose the doctrine of universal salvation, that if God is
the Savior of all men, then there is no difference between the saint and
the sinner, the believer and unbeliever. Those who make this remark,
seem to forget, that while God is declared to be the Savior of all men,
he is also said to be ESPECIALLY the Savior of the believer.
Though it is true, that God is the Savior of all, yet a little more
attention would teach you, that all along, in Scripture, there is a
salvation held forth as the SPECIAL PROPERTY of the believer, in
which the unbeliever can have no part or lot. Though all shall be saved
with an everlasting salvation, yet the believer ALONE can enjoy
this special salvation.”
- Rev. I. D.
Williamson, 1840, The Nature of Salvation
By His grace, our souls rejoice in the special salvation and the
remarkable revelation that there is nothing any man can do to make
himself righteous with God. Do you realize how unique that understanding
is in today’s religious world? Those who believe the gospel of the grace
of God have been rescued from the lies of religion. They have been saved
from the fear and anxiety of religion’s performance-based treadmills and
delivered from the doubts that clouded their view of God’s love and
acceptance. Believers know that the power of the cross reaches out to
effect all mankind and that Jesus succeeded in what the Father sent Him
to do (1 John 4:14).
“There is
no salvation for anyone at any time except through Jesus Christ and
His saving work. It is only through His death, burial, and
resurrection life that all will be saved. There will be no failure
here. He was manifested to put away sin and to destroy the works of
the Devil (Heb.9:26; 1 Jn.3:8). He will not stop until He has
accomplished these ends.”
- Joseph Kirk,
Will God Save All or Only Some?
There is no reason for God’s graciousness toward us in this matter. He
chooses whom He wishes to believe and he blinds those for a season whom
He wishes not to see. All is for His glory. All done by God is merciful
and just and righteous. Men cannot comprehend the love of God for they
have not known anything that comes close to its perfection. But all will
soon know and praise the graciousness and love of our Lord. No man is
better than another because he believes though he may be better off for
the peace of mind.
From our vantage point, we see and believe that God is the Savior of all
men, not just some. The fact that He “especially” saves those who
believe does not mean He excludes all others. All men will one day bow
the knee and joyfully acknowledge that Jesus is Lord. Nevertheless,
there is a special salvation that God imparts to those whom He wills to
know and believe the “good news” today. God rescues us from the fear of
not only our own fate, but of those in times past and those in the ages
to come. This special salvation brings joy, peace, and thanksgiving to
our souls.
Friend, it is by grace
and through the gift of faith that we catch a glimpse of God’s
overarching plan for mankind. We get the thrill of knowing now that one
day in the future God will be All in all. He saves us from the horror of
thinking that the majority of God’s creation will be tormented endlessly
in the religion’s “hell”. We marvel each day in the revelation that
Jesus really is the Savior of the World. And because of this special
salvation we have been given, we are compelled to share with as many who
will hear that their reconciliation to God is complete and secure
through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Grace and peace to you always!
John |
