“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” – 2 Peter 3:9

Recently, I spoke with 2 different people, each distraught over the recent deaths of people close to them. Their lives had ministered to these people about the love of Jesus but the individuals never prayed to receive Christ as their Savior. I was asked, basically, What hope do we have for them?

Obviously, there was regret on their part that they never seized the opportunity to clearly share that Gospel to those they ministered to. It is a wake up call to come face to face with the reality of 2 Corinthians 6:2 that, “now is the day of salvation.”

Of course, our hope is in our good and righteous and true God (Ephesians 5:9) who is perfectly loving and just in every way. Christ is our living hope (1 Peter 1:3). But how might that hope play out for all people?

Salvation

As a Christian, I was always taught that sin is like a disease. Our stain of imperfection separates us from a perfect God. He will not ruin His perfection by, in essence, condoning or accepting our sinful state. However, He, Himself provided the payment for the penalty of our sin through Jesus’ death on the cross. Those who embrace Jesus and accept this gift of salvation gain eternal life. Those who don’t continue in eternal death.

The Bible is clear that there are 2 places to spend eternity – what is known as Heaven with God, or what is called Hell separated from God. The Biblical choice for eternity is either an eternity spent in glory with God, or in torment apart from God.

Wait a minute. What About . . .?

If salvation is all about putting our faith/belief in and following the God/Man Jesus, then what about those who have died before Jesus’ death on the cross or who will die before ever hearing about Jesus? Where does that leave them? Destined to Hell? That doesn’t seem just or fair.

The primary source of spreading the Gospel is by those who have embraced the free gift of salvation who then are given the charge to share this gift with the rest of the world. The great Commission is our charge to bring salvation to the world. Even while this world grows darker and we see Godless atheism and the brutality of hateful religions spread, the outpouring of God’s love through Jesus is igniting fires around the globe. Yet, many have died and will die without hearing of and coming to know Jesus. How will God deal with them?

Those Who Died Before Jesus’ Life, Death and Resurrection:

I believe that a commonly accepted principle for those who died before Jesus is that they are justified by their faith. Just as we are justified by our faith in Jesus Christ, those before Jesus, were justified by their faith based on the level of their knowledge of the living God who promised to save them. In essence, putting their faith in the vision of the Savior who was to come. There is an interesting exchange Jesus had with a crowd of Jews in the Gospel of John, chapter 8. Jesus said, “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad. Then the Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?” Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.”

We humans are limited by time, space and matter. God is not. How faith in God and trusting in a Savior prior to Jesus’ death on the cross is measured and quantified, God only knows.

What of Those Who Have Died Since Who Have Never Heard?

I do not believe the concept of Universal Salvation (Jesus’ Death on the Cross paid for all sin and casts a blanket of salvation over everyone) is Biblical. Salvation is reserved for those who embrace the free gift of grace by faith in Christ. Yet, based upon several scriptures, I place my hope in God’s righteous, perfect love and justice. God has made a way for all to have the opportunity to choose eternity with God or without.

• In Titus 2:11 Paul writes, “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men”
• In 2 Peter 3:9 Peter writes, “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.“
• And in 1 Timothy 2:4 Paul writes that God, “desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

When Peter writes that God is “Not Willing,” the Greek word for “Willing” is Boulomenos, meaning to will, intend, desire, or wish. In 1 Timothy the Greek word for “Desire” is Thelei. It could also be translated as God’s Wish, Intention, Design or even His Will. Both words reflect God’s desire/wish/intent/will that none should perish. Any of these translations makes a powerful statement about where God stands with regards to the offer of salvation. If it is truly God’s Desire, then He would have to provide everyone with a clear opportunity to know of salvation through Jesus.

But, Again, What of Those Who Have Never Heard and May Never Hear?

What of those who have never heard the Gospel? Or, those who are incapable of hearing or understanding? What if I’m giving someone their one chance to hear the Gospel and I botch it? (which I have).

For all of these people we rely on God’s perfect love, justice, mercy and grace. God promises that ALL will have at least one opportunity to embrace Jesus. How might that work? Some believers believe it may happen through what is known as the Second Resurrection.

The Second Resurrection

The Bible refers to all people given a real chance for salvation through the doctrine of the “resurrection of the dead” and God’s judgment referred to in Hebrews 6:2.

It is clear that God will resurrect the saints at Christ’s return (1 Thessalonians 4:16; 1 Corinthians 15:52), but there is Christ’s teachings about a second resurrection. He spoke of people from different ages coming face-to-face in “the day of judgment” (Matthew 11:20-24, Matthew 12:41-42; Luke 10:12-15).

A Second Resurrection May Allow for A First Chance at Salvation

As seen in Hebrews 6:4-6 and Hebrews 10:26-29, all people have at least one chance at salvation. However, a second chance at life is not the same as a second chance at salvation. Coming to life again will enable those brought to life in the second resurrection to have their chance for salvation.

A second resurrection is implied in Romans 11:26-27, and the book of Revelation speaks of it as specifically as Christ did (Revelation 20:5, Revelation 20:11-12). These references are not about the resurrection of the saints spoken of in 1 Corinthians 15:52, for the people in the above references are called enemies (Romans 11:28) and are contrasted with the saints (referred to as “the rest of the dead” in Revelation 20:5).

In Revelation 20:5 it says, “But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years are finished”. This speaks of dead who will not live again until the thousand-year reign is over. This part of the verse seems to be speaking of those who died without a chance at salvation.

Of those to be brought to life in the second resurrection, Jesus said it would be “more tolerable” (better) for some than for others (Matthew 10:15). If God resurrects these people only to sentence them to death, Christ’s comments wouldn’t make any sense. If all were to die, judgment would not be “more tolerable” for one than for another. But clearly, their judgment is incomplete, and hence, God brings them back to physical life.

Paul writes of this in Romans 2:12 & 16, “For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without law, and as many as have sinned in the law will be judged by the law . . . in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel.” In other words, we all have God’s morality imprinted on our hearts. There is no excuse that we may have never actually seen it written down. All fail to live up to God’s standard (Romans 3:23). It’s only the Good News of Jesus paying the penalty for our sin that brings salvation. At some point all will be offered the free gift, but not all will recieve it.

Ezekiel 37:1-14 speaks of an entire nation that died without hope of life and without the knowledge of God that could lead to their salvation. God promises them two things—to resurrect them to physical life and to give them spiritual understanding (Ezekiel 37:10, Ezekiel 37:14).

Most people who have died over history did not know the name of Jesus – the only name by which salvation is possible (Acts 4:12). Some Christians may not agree with this interpretation of the Second Resurrection. But, without some plan like the Second Resurrection, the majority of people down through history would suffer unfair condemnation to death without ever having a chance at conversion. However, based upon a God who “Desires (Wishes, Intends, Designs, Wills) all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth,” as stated in 1 Timothy 2:4, He must provide a way. Once again, we are left trusting in the goodness, righteousness and truth of our God – our living hope.

I am not an expert on end-times chronology of events, but from the God who operates outside of time, space and matter, John was given a vision of heaven. He describes this in Revelation 7:9-10, “After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” In other words, there will be a tremendous, incalculable number of souls in heaven – some of whom may surprise us.

• My understanding of those people who are sent off to be eternally separated from God is that they are those who hate God, have chosen to be their own God in this life, and desire to do so for all eternity. As an example of who could possibly consider eternity seperated from God, here is a disturbing post from the chat site Quara.
  • “If there is a deity out there who condemns me to eternal torture just because I refuse to have faith in the existence of such a creature in the absence of any shred of objectively verifiable evidence then I hereby declare that I willfully and without fear choose eternal torture over worshiping such an arrogant, vile. . . ”
    • Very sad. No shred of evidence? Seek and you shall find.

If This Doctrine Is True, What Does That Mean for Us Christians?

If you believe that God will provide a way for everyone to clearly hear the Gospel and make a decision for Christ, then the way I see it, that overwhelming burden I often feel of my need to rescue the world from eternal torment comes off my shoulders. Then the question is, why would I risk offering the Gospel to others who may reject their one chance at salvation? Why bother?

Why Bother To Share the Good News?

As a primary element of God’s plan, He charges His followers – those who have experienced the love and, grace and fullness of God with spreading the Good News. God chooses to work through us. We know that God works in wondrous ways beyond our capabilities. As an example, there is currently an amazing global phenomenon where thousands of Muslims, who certainly know of Jesus as a prophet, are having dreams and awakening to Jesus as their Savior. God does not need us but gives us the privilege to be the primary source of spreading this Good News to the world.

What Is The “Charge” From the Great Commission?

Matthew 28:18-20 – “Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”“

So, I wonder: Is not the work of eternal salvation, God’s work and our charge is to bring others to the knowledge and commitment to follow Jesus? We are yoked together with Jesus in this work but ultimately, Jesus saves.

What is our Charge from the Great Commission? It is to make “Disciples of all Nations”. To make pupils/students/followers of Jesus Christ. I certainly wouldn’t want to diminish the tremendous value of escaping eternal torment. But, perhaps our greater motivation is to offer to a weary, confused and hopeless world what we know to be true – the fullness of the abundant life in Christ in this world. Even as this world spins out of control, we bring hope, peace, joy, purpose, and power to overcome.

Pastor Dan Mohler preached a similar message, saying, “God made man with intention. God made man with a purpose. This isn’t about dying and going to heaven. I know we sell that all over the world, dying and going to heaven. No, it is about getting back to the Father and getting the Father back to you. It’s about becoming something, not going somewhere.”

I, for one, have felt the terrible burden to rescue the world from Hell’s fire. Are we relying on God’s power to act on His very own desire (will/ wish/ intention/design) that all will have a fair opportunity to gain eternal life?

Paul wrote the perfect description of our role in preaching the Gospel in Romans 10:15, “And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!””

The glad tidings and good things are described by Jesus in John 10:10 as the “Abundant Life” – being saved from the attack of the enemy in this life. Obviously, complete salvation extends to eternal life and with that, we have escaped the eternal torment as described by Jesus and the New Testament writers.

The Wonderful Gospel

If you haven’t ever heard God’s Good News before, here it is: It is that we can not only know now about eternity, but experience God starting now. Though we were separated from a perfect God by our sin, God sent His Son, Jesus, to live a perfect life, die on the cross to pay the penalty for our sin, rise from the dead to prove it all true and then ascend back to heaven to take his rightful place on the throne. All that is required is that we turn away from our selfish desires and believe/embrace Jesus. He is the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father but through Him. It’s God’s perfect plan of salvation.

Just a reminder to my fellow Christ-followers: We, by the power of the Holy Spirit, lead people to Jesus – Jesus Saves! (Romans 6:23)

For those who don’t know Jesus: Today is the day of salvation! Commit to following Jesus today. You will be eternally grateful.