Three Indefinite Words

 

Three Indefinite Words

 

John 3:16

 

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

 

For God so loved the world. The world has been understood to mean every son and daughter of Adam. From this it has been inferred that God loves all members of the human family. This is to infer that which is not implied nor is it absolutely stated in the holy scriptures. Certain indefinite terms such as all, every, and the world, have been taken to mean all people in the world without exception. However, all may be understood to mean all of some sort. Consider the following: “Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time” (I Timothy 2:6). Christ Jesus gave His life a ransom for many, as He said: “Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28) and again He said “For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (Matthew 26:28). The many for whom our Lord Jesus shed His blood of the New Testament, and ransomed the many for whom he died, is the blood of the everlasting covenant of grace (Hebrews 13:20) which covenant is made with Christ Jesus concerning the election of grace. Christ Jesus ransomed all the elect with His own blood of the New Testament, at mount Calvary. Christ Jesus ransomed all of some sort, and what sort is that? It is that sort, (1.) that were chosen in the covenant of grace from all eternity, (2.) they are the many for whom Christ Jesus gave His life a ransom, (3.) they are the many for whom He shed His blood of the New Testament. It would be in great error to declare that the Holy Spirit has intended to testify that Christ Jesus gave His life a ransom for all mankind, and at the same time to declare that Christ Jesus testified that He gave His life not for all but for many. There is no error when we declare that our Lord Jesus gave His life for all the elect, who are the many which the Father gave the Son in eternity past in the everlasting covenant of grace.

 

In the eternal decree of election, God chose His children in Christ Jesus and ordained them to eternal life (Acts 13:48). These are given the Holy Spirit who indwells them and teaches them of their standing in Christ through the preaching of the gospel. As it is written: “Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost” (I Corinthians 12:3). Our Lord Jesus speaking to Peter said: “Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 16:17). Knowledge of the Person of Jesus Christ the Son of God unto salvation is a secret, hidden from the natural man by his own sinful unbelief and hardness of his heart; but revealed to the children of the covenant in time by the Holy Spirit, whom the world of the ungodly cannot receive because “it seeth him not, neither knoweth him” (John 14:17). This is a world that is not so loved of God. This world is given up to itself, and given over to a reprobate mind. Consider the following: “ Reprobate silver shall men call them, because the LORD hath rejected them” (Jeremiah 6:30), “And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient” (Romans 1:28) also “Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith” (II Timothy 3:8) and finally “They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate” (Titus 1:16). Reader is this the world that God so loved?

 

Every is another word that has been used to justify the false doctrine of universalism. In this regard Colossians 1:28 merits our close attention: “Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus”. Hebrews 2:9 and the verses following are no less worthy of careful study: “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man”. The word man is not in the original text in the epistle to the Hebrews, (See Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance). In the original the verse reads: “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”. Every what? From verse ten we find it is every son who Christ Jesus is to bring to glory, from verse eleven and twelve we know it is every one who is sanctified, and every one of His brethren, from verse thirteen we find it is all the children that God had given him, form verse sixteen we find it is every one of the spiritual seed of Abraham. And it may be observed, the Apostle Paul did warn everyone of the brethren of Christ to whom he ministered, and he did teach every one of them in all wisdom of the doctrine of Christ, and everyone of those who Paul warned, and taught, as the instrument of God in the hand of the Holy Ghost will be presented perfect in Christ Jesus in a day to come.

 

Furthermore, there are verses of scripture that plainly deny that God loves all men. In the Psalms: “The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity” (Psalm 5:5). It is acceptable to many today to say that God loves all men, but that He hates their sin. But God is unchangeable and that which was true of God in the day of writing of the Psalms still holds true today. It is all workers of iniquity that God hates, of course God hates their iniquity, but He hates those who do the works of iniquity.

 

Men who preach a false gospel in the name of Jesus Christ, are the murderers of the souls of men, and workers of iniquity for our Lord Jesus said: “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? (preached in thy name: writer) and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity” (Matthew 7:21-23). God does not love all murderers, rapists, homosexuals, lesbians, and every evil man like Adolf Hitler, and many others. Such a thought is blasphemous. In another Psalm it is written: “There were they in great fear, where no fear was: for God hath scattered the bones of him that encampeth against thee: thou hast put them to shame, because God hath despised them” (Psalm 53:5). Many in this day want to say and do say that God loves everyone but that teaching does not come not from the book of God. (Romans 9:11-13).

 

The scriptures give testimony that God has divided the population of earth into two groups: “And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness” ( I John 5:19). The beloved Apostle John said “and we know that we are of God”, those who are of God are the children of God, that is believers are the children of God, and unbelievers, the whole world of them, lieth in wickedness. There is the whole world that is deceived: “And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him” (Revelation 12:9). Believers know the truth and those who know the truth are not deceived. Remember that our Lord Jesus said: “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32).

 

God condemns the friendship of the world. The Apostle James wrote: “Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God” (James 4:4). If God has loved this world, He would not object that His children should be friends with this world, but the friendship of the world is enmity against God. In the scriptures believers are instructed: “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever” (I John 2:15-17).

 

Priests pray for those for whom they are priests just as Aaron bore the names of the tribes of the children of Israel on his breast when he entered the inner sanctuary on the great day of atonement. The names of the Gentile nations were not prayed for by Israel’s high Priest. Aaron could not officiate for those for whom he was not the God appointed high priest. In like manner our Lord Jesus refused to pray for the world: “I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word. Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee. For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me. I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine” (John 17:6-9). The reason that our Lord Jesus, the Great High Priest of the everlasting covenant of grace, would not pray for the world is because He is not the Great High Priest for the “world on the ungodly” (II Peter 2:5) He is not priest for those who are not of His sheep (John 10:26).

 

In the past, God has demonstrated His regard for the world of the ungodly including the angels that sinned, and the residents Sodom and Gomorrha. Peter wrote in his second epistle: “For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; and spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overflow, making them an ensample to those that after should live ungodly” (II Peter 2:4-6). Reader, do these verses imply in any way that God loves all men, the godly and the ungodly alike?

 

Comparison should be made of the following scriptures. The Apostle Paul in his first letter to Timothy said: “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; (2:2) For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. (2:3) For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour (2:4) Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. (2:5) For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; (2:6) Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time” (I Timothy 2:1-6). And to the church at Ephesus the same Apostle wrote: “I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,  (4:2) With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; (4:3) Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. (4:4) There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling (4:5) One Lord, one faith, one baptism, (4:6) One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. (4:7) But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ”.

 

Our Lord Jesus said: “..The scripture cannot be broken” (John10:35). The word of God is true whether men rightly divide it or stumble in it, and introduce error in their understanding and teaching of it. In the above epistle to Timothy the Apostle calls for prayer for all men, for kings and all that are in authority. That does not mean that we should not pray for the poor and needy. But that we should pray for all men, in all sorts of circumstances, all different social stratum, taken from among all sorts of men; even as our Lord Jesus redeemed His elect “from among men” that is, from among all sorts of men (Revelation 14:4). And, even as our Lord redeemed His elect out of every nation, kindred, and tongue, (Revelation 5:9). As Christ Jesus redeemed His elect from all sorts of men, we are urged to pray for all sorts of men of all classes in this world. And God will have some of all sorts, all circumstances, all stations, all levels of authority in all social strata of men to be saved, and come to the knowledge of the truth, that is all the elect and redeemed children of God (I Timothy 2:4; I Corinthians 1:26-29), for there one God and one Mediator, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for all that are chosen out of every circumstance, to be testified in due season. Christ Jesus is testified in due season in the preaching of the gospel (Romans 10:10-15; I Corinthians 1:21) that is the preaching of the doctrine of Christ (II John 1: 9-11). The preaching of the doctrine of Christ is the preaching of the scriptures of the Old, and New Testaments, with the Holy Spirit enabling the speaker with power and authority from on high as our Lord Jesus said: “And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high” (Luke 24:49).

 

In the Ephesian epistle it is written there is: “One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all” (Ephesians 4:6). God the Father is the God and Father of all who are chosen in Jesus Christ and predestinated to the adoption of children (Ephesians 1:4-5; John 20:17). God the Father is not the Father of those who are not of the sheep of Christ, as it is written: “And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them” (John17:10). Our Lord said to the Pharisees: “But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep” (John 10:26). The Pharisees were not Christ’s sheep, and He said “all mine are thine and thine are mine” therefore the Pharisees being not the sheep of Christ could not be the Father’s sheep or children of the covenant.  

 

God the Father is not and cannot be, the father of all those who are of their father the Devil, as our Lord Jesus told the Pharisees: “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it” (John 8:44). Our God, is the God and Father of all and every one of the chosen and redeemed children of the covenant. Some of the children of God are not yet aware of their standing in Christ, for they have not yet experienced the gift of righteousness and of the Holy Ghost (Romans 5:17; Acts 10:47). But in the Father’s time their regeneration that will infallibly come to pass for God has sworn by His Holiness to the terms of the everlasting covenant and sealed it by the precious blood of His only begotten Son (Matthew 26:28; Hebrews 13:20). “Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men” (I Corinthians 14:20).

 

May God grant to all who read these lines that for which the Apostle prayed: “That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints” (Ephesians 1:17-18).

 

AJ Ison

 

See the writers blog at www.hebrews915.blogspot.com hear the true gospel preached at www.13thstbaptist.org webcasting live at listed service times. Live services will be on the Middle Fork Baptist Church page on Facebook via live streaming Sundays at 11:00 AM until the corona virus pandemic is over and regular services resume.