“…God our Savior, who DESIRES ALL MEN TO BE SAVED and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is ONE GOD and one 1MEDIATOR between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all…” (1 Tim. 2:3-6) 1mesitēs: one who arranges a solution for a problem Jesus shed His blood for our forgiveness, for “…without shedding of blood there is no 2remission.” (Heb. 9:22) 2aphesis: forgiveness of sin.
It is the DESIRE of the Lord God Almighty for EVERYONE to be saved. Then why are we not all saved???
Because, “…if our gospel is hidden, it is hidden to those who are lost, in whom the god of this world (Satan) has blinded the minds of THE UNBELIEVING ONES, so that the light of the glorious gospel of Christ (who is the image of God) SHOULD NOT shine on them.” (2 Corin. 4:3-4) Satan tries to take away the Word of God when it is preached. “The seed (from the Word preached) that fell among the thorns represents others who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things, so NO FRUIT IS PRODUCED.” (Mark 4:18-19)
So we must learn to, “…NOT LOVE THE WORLD or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is NOT IN HIM. For all that is in the world—the lust [longing for what is forbidden] of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.” (1 John 2:15-16)
-Bill Stockham