Who Is Saved?

The Meaning of All

If it’s not about Jesus, it’s not about anything.

SPS:  To explore the use of language; to examine who is saved.

Unbelievers say that the bible is unreliable because it contradicts itself.   
Jesus is God.  Jesus is man.  There was light” on the 1^st day.  But the sun, moon and the stars came on the 3^rd day.  These are not contradictions.  They are paradoxes.  The Bible calls these mysteries.  That means additional information is or shall be available.  

Contradiction – an impossibility:  Here are some examples.  1) The following statement is false.  The previous statement is true.  2) My younger brother is an only child.  3) I love cookies.  I hate cookies.      

   

Paradox - a seeming impossibility.  It appears to be false but upon further reading 1) contains an element of truth, 2) is used for emphasis.  For example a report stated that the river flowed backward.  Further information changes our understanding.  A series of massive earthquakes on December 16, 1811 near New Madrid, Mississippi caused the Mighty Mississippi to flow backward, or upriver.  In the 1960s the folk rock group the Byrds sang, “I was so much older then, I’m younger than that now.”  Great paradoxes like this are found in the New Testament; such as the race is not to the swift, or he who loses his life will gain it.    

Bible Examples

John 12:32:  “When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all men to myself.”  Does Jesus exclude women and children?  No!  He means all humanity.  All men has a wider meaning than just all males. 

1 Tim. 4:10:  “Jesus who is the Savior of all men, and especially of those who believe.”  It is inescapable that he is also savior especially of those who believe not.  That includes everybody.

Daniel 12:2:  “Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake:  some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt.”

Matthew 7:13-14:  “Enter through the narrow gate.  For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.  But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” 

There you have it.  All are saved and all are reconciled and some are lost to everlasting contempt.  The problem is really with language and words and not with theology.  Be assured, these are not contradictions.  These are paradoxes.

More with language and words.

Is the glass ½ empty or ½ full?  This question is used to distinguish a pessimist from optimist.  The focus of the question is on the observer and his reaction.  What happens when we focus upon the glass and not upon the observer?  What it is?  Is it ½ full?  Yes.  Is it ½ empty?  Yes.  As you can clearly see it exists in two states simultaneously.   

Likewise, all people are saved and many people are destroyed.  This proposition is not a contradiction.  The bible does not contradict itself, John 10:35 (“Scripture cannot be broken).  The mistaken focus is on the verb in the proposition, the results.  What about a focus on the subject, the people? 

We view the state of the people in these propositions as collective and individual existing together; as general and particular, as universal and personal as existing together.  Let me explain further.

Collective Grace

The grace of salvation is broadly given to all people, collectively and universally.  Jesus was slain from the foundation of the world.  What that means is that when Jesus on the cross was lifted up in 33 A.D. He drew all people from Adam onward to Himself universally.   

Those in Rome did not know this, those dead from Adam to Malachi did not know this.  Those unborn from then until today did not know this.  Those born tomorrow don’t know this.  Yet, universally, they are all included through the cross.

Individual Grace

The Son of God is omnipresent.  He can be alone with each of us at the same time.  This is a mystery and a paradox.  With that in mind let’s view the grace of salvation as given individually to one person at a time.  This occurs when Jesus, through the Holy Spirit bring you into a personal encounter with Him.  You are alone with Jesus.  Jesus is specifically talking to you.  You are the center of His attention.  His eye contact is with your eyes.  The Holy Spirit tells you all about Jesus and grace and salvation.  Reverend Todd Crouch has taught that we respond one of four ways to the Holy Spirit.  1.  We are ignorant of what the Spirit is saying.  2.  We are indifferent to what the Spirit is saying.  3.  We reject what the spirit is saying.  4.  We accept what the Spirit is saying. 

More on Grace

Recapitulation – a change of headship:  Adam answered for all mankind as our universal representative once and led us all collectively into destruction.  Jesus answered for all mankind as our universal representative once and forever and led us all collectively into salvation.   

Therefore all people, you and me included, under Adam’s headship fall into destruction.  “The heart is deceitful above all things and is desperately wicked,” Jer. 17:9.  This is our nature.  This is our legacy from Adam.  It is true of all men.  It is true of me and it is true of you.  It will be true until we are dead and resurrected into our new nature. 

But here I show you a mystery, a paradox.  At the same time all people, you included, under Jesus’ headship fall under the grace of His salvation.  See many verses such as Romans 5:8, “But God demonstrates His love to us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.  This is God’s unilateral transaction at the universal level, some say the Federal level.    This is God’s unchanging free will for us.  This is grace.

But what about me as a person?  Does all this grace make me just another nameless sheep in the salvation flock?  Am I a just an insignificant lamb in God’s cosmic plan?  What about the individual? Is the individual important?  Yes!

Remember that Adam, individually as a person, sinned alone.  Jesus, individually as a person died alone.  The ramifications of their individual actions had universal import.  The individual is supremely important.

Think of it this way.  You, specifically you and you alone and no one else are the one specific lost sheep.  You are not the 99 in the universal flock.  You are the one that Jesus sought after and found.  He did not send David or a hired man.  He came into the wilderness for you. 

 Tonight look at your street.  Look at you mail box and look at

your front door and realize that Jesus is visiting your house, you directly.  Rev. 3:20, “Behold I stand at the door and knock.  If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come into him (individually not universally) and dine with him (individually not universally), and he with me.”  He is at your door.  What’s your name?   Yes, he is at that door, your door.

I tell you, today, plainly.  Let him who has an ear hear it.  When Jesus was on the cross, drawing all men to himself (universally) he looked down focused his eyes on you.  What’s your name?  And he said, I love you (specifically).  Yes you, the individual.

 

 

WORD PLAY

Notice I said to you that Jesus called your name.  In addressing the congregation a speaker uses the word you universally to refer to all the members of this congregation.  But, you as a part of the congregation heard the word you as referring particularly to yourself…what’s your name?  I say you universally to address the group.  The group does not hear it that way.  You, a member of the group, hear you specifically and apply it to yourself.  The same word you is taken in universal and specific application at the same time.  The essence of the word has two widely different meanings at the same time. 

Let’s repeat a part of this sermon again.

The universal grace of salvation that belongs to all people is specifically given to people one at a time.  This occurs when Jesus, through the Holy Spirit bring you into a personal encounter with Himself.  Jesus is specifically talking to you.  You are the center of His attention.  The world is outside and you are inside alone with Him.  The Holy Spirit tells you all about Jesus and grace and salvation.  You do one of four things.  1.  You are ignorant of what the Spirit is saying.  2.  You are indifferent to what the Spirit is saying.  3.  You reject what the spirit is saying.  4.  You accept what the Spirit is saying.  You believe.

The four choices show that all of humanity is included in the ministry of the Holy Spirit.  Salvation is in that ministry.  Therefore you have a shared salvation just because you are a part of humanity and God does not exclude the message of salvation from anybody.  But this is not universal salvation.  Jesus died on the cross.  This is just plain fact.  His death brought salvation and salvation cannot be separated from His death, therefore it cannot be separated from the Spirit’s message.  In fact, salvation must accompany His death.  

 If salvation is separated from His death, even though we participate in His death, we are the most pitiful of people, for we die in our sins without salvation and therefore have no part in His Resurrection.  My ignorance, acceptance or rejection does not alter the fact that Christ died and brought salvation to all.  Therefore salvation is already there in the Spirit’s message to us. 

In light of the ubiquitousness of salvation, it is the individual who must decline and deny salvation because Jesus does not deny it to anybody, Jesus does not separate salvation from the Spirit’s message.  C.S. Lewis aptly put it this way, “There are only two kinds of people in the end; those who say to God, ‘Thy will be done,’ and those to whom God says, in the end, ‘Thy will be done.’  All that are in hell choose it.”

It helps me to see it this way.  Salvation is not conditional for the unbelievers to accept or reject.  It is there for them (remember 1 Tim. 4:10), but the fruit of salvation is never realized because of their eternal choice. They choose not to believe; not to follow Christ.  I view the final judgment not as Jesus, the Judge (John 5:22) executing a legal sentence to hell based on the evidence of their evil works, but that of the Judge confirming their free judgment to choose hell.  Everyone in heaven is a saved sinner.  Everyone in hell is a saved sinner.   

This is not a contradiction.  Since they have salvation why do they choose hell?  I don’t know.  This is a mystery.  Nonetheless, read Col. 1:21.  This is the simple yet unfathomable fact, “Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior.”  Enemies in your minds!  Some will never believe in their minds, never surrender never repent. 

An infant is ignorant of the laws of gravity.  An adult accepts them.  Brethren, notice that neither ignorance, acceptance nor denial of gravity effects the reality of gravity or of its effects upon us.  With that in mind in regard to choice number 4, when you accept what the Spirit is saying, you have a specific realized salvation because you individually are being filled with the Holy Spirit.  And it is the same salvation whereby we have an understanding of our position before God universally as part of mankind, and individually in Christ.  Our acceptance of Christ, our free choice, does not cause, create or initiate our salvation or our position in Christ.  That is because salvation exists independently of our free choice.  Our belief only confirms the reality of what already is.  The saving work of Christ is a reality apart from our existence.     

We are all in Christ through the Incarnation.  Being made one with and in Christ allows our will to be 100% free, yet 100% subsumed under Christ’s sovereignty.  Our free will cannot threaten, diminish or nullify God’s sovereignty.  In fact, our free will glorifies God’s sovereignty far more than do the laws governing the operation of the Universe.  The Holy Spirit’s ministry upon us becomes His ministry within us.  He then transforms us from the inside – we grow in grace and truth.  We need Jesus.

Matt. 7:21-23.  “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.  Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’  Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you.’”   

That statement is a paradox used for effect.  Jesus is omniscient.  Jesus knows these people.  What remains, therefore, is that He did not see Himself in them.  They exercise the gifts of the spirit without the infilling, the fruit, of the spirit in their lives.  Much like the Spirit descending upon Saul in 1 Samuel, but not entering into him.  Again I say we need Jesus.

In reference to choice # 1, those ignorant of God:  Many are uncomfortable about God’s seeming arbitrary judgment of condemnation of the “innocent ignorant.”  However, that is a topic for another sermon.  It again involves God’s sovereignty and free will, both God’s and ours.  Brethren, in closing, be assured that all are included in the ministry of the Holy Spirit.  God, in His freedom to be the Great I Am has made salvation a reality to every creature through Jesus the Christ.  Let’s finish today with these questions.  Why else would The Lord says in Ezekiel 18:23 “I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, rather that he turn from his ways and live” unless all had a free choice to make.   

Death is displeasing to God.  It is unpleasant to Him by His own admission.  Why then would He create eternal unpleasantness upon Himself by intentionally predestinating untold numbers to death, the same death which Jesus came to conquer and vanquish (1 Cor. 15:55)?  

Grace Communion International and the Fountain of Life Church hold to Trinitarian theology.  It is a Christocentric theology.  It is a theology of inclusion.  It is not universal salvation in which every soul is rewarded with heaven.  It is not universalism which teaches that there are many ways, rites or rituals to God; that there are many truths to God .For an introduction to Trinitarian Theology you can request Grace Communion's Free booklet , The God Revealed in Jesus, by clicking on the following link. 
http://www.gci.org/participate/free-lit

Inclusion refers to relationship.  It refers directly to God and to People.  It means that salvation is not conditional or future; it exists right now in Christ.  It means that Christ has saved all at the cross.  Jesus is the only mediator and He is God, therefore God places nothing between people and Himself.  As Rev. Crouch says, “Jesus removes all excuses from coming to God.”  And in His providence not even ignorance is a final barrier.  Again I say, we need Jesus.  It is all about Him.

May the grace and peace of God our Father and the Lord Jesus be with you.

May the Holy Spirit enable your light (Put your name here!) to shine this week.

Rev. George Relic, Assistant Pastor,

Fountain of Life Church

2021 Old National Pike, Washington, Pa 15301

A congregation of Grace Communion International