Quote:
Originally Posted by Dave
Luke 3:6 And ALL mankind will see God’s salvation.
John 12:32 when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw ALL men to myself.
John 12:47 “As for the person who hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge him. For I did not come to judge the WORLD, but to SAVE IT.
John 17:2 For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to ALL those you have given him.
John 3:17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save THE WORLD through him.
Romans 5:18 Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for ALL men.
Romans 8:32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us ALL—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?
Romans 8:38-39 nor ANYTHING else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 11:32 For God has bound all men over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them ALL.
1 Corinthians 15:22 For as in Adam all die, so in Christ ALL will be made alive.
2 Corinthians 5:18-19 God was reconciling THE WORLD to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them.
Ephesians 1:9-10 to bring ALL things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.
Philippians 2:9-10 at the name of Jesus EVERY knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and EVERY tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Colossians 1:19-20 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself ALL things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
1 John 2:2 He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the WHOLE WORLD.
1 Timothy 2:3-4 who gave himself as a ransom for ALL men
1 Timothy 4:9-10 who is the Savior of ALL men
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I believe these verses are set in the context of the new heavens and the new earth, the world that God considers to be the real one. Because the current world we live in is passing away and temporary (1 John 2:17), God does not consider it real, as only the things that are eternal are real to him (2 Cor 4:18).
1 John 2:17 ESV
And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.
2 Cor 4:18 NIV
So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
Hence "All" here in this context are those whom God considers to be "All" men not in the old creation which is passing away but in this new creation in Christ which is everlasting.
In the old creation, God created the heavens and the earth first and then populated it with men. In the new creation God is doing the reverse, he is creating its inhabitants first who are spiritually born again in Christ and then creating the new home for them afterwards. If the old creation was formed in a seven day division, perhaps the new creation will have a similar seven day division for formation. It is interesting that the Jews worship during the Sabbath, the last of the seven days of the week but Christians who are under the new covenant worship on the first day of the week when Jesus rose. Perhaps this is to signify that the seven days of the new creation starts with us who are redeemed in Christ on the first day!
Revelation 21:1
And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
Continuing on to the next point, Jesus talked about two kinds of deaths. The first one is physical and not all that important, but the second one, spiritual death is eternal and was the one he was trying to warn people about (John 8:24).
For example Lazarus "died", but Jesus conveyed that this wasn't a big deal and said that Lazarus wasn't dead but "sleeping" (John 11:11-14). Here he was referring to someone being spiritually alive but physically dead.
However Jesus does the vice versa when he refers to people who are "alive" as "dead" in verses like "Let the dead bury the dead.." (Luke 9:60). Here he is talking about people who are physically alive but spiritually dead.
Why was Jesus nonchalant about physical death yet so serious about spiritual death? Because those who die spiritually, die eternally. This is the second death mentioned in Revelation 21:8
“The cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars – their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur.
This is the second death."
When people die in this world, their existence ceases to be a part of this world. In the same way, those who die spiritually have no share and existence in the new creation that God has planned. Our God is God of the living, not the dead (Mark 12:27).
Revelation 21:4
He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
John 11:25
Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life.
The one who believes in me will live, even though they die;