This inquiry begins appropriately, acknowledging that there is nothing beyond God’s ability to handle. He’s capable of anything. In an instant, He could compel everyone on the planet to serve Him. The natural question that follows is, “Why doesn’t He do so?”
Free will
The simple response is that God endowed us with free will. People wouldn’t have free will or have any value in their love if He forced them to adore Him. God desires human love, not the love of machines. But it’s too simple an answer.
The gift of God for everybody?
As the Bible states, “For by grace you have been saved through faith,” we can only have confidence in Jesus Christ if God Himself grants it to us. And this is a gift from God; it is not something you did on your own (Ephesians 2:8). The question still stands, though: Why doesn’t He give that gift to everyone?
This is not because He is against everyone being saved. God “desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth,” as stated in 1 Timothy 2:4. Therefore, he does. But we are aware that this isn’t taking place. God must thus have another, greater desire that is incompatible with the salvation of everyone.
God is righteous
What is it that God values so highly that it surpasses the salvation of all people? I’m confident that with our limited human comprehension, we are unable to provide a comprehensive response. However, the Bible provides at least two incomplete solutions.
The first response is that God desires complete disclosure of who He is. In addition to displaying His wrath against sin and His ability to vanquish His adversaries, He also wishes to reveal the abundance of His glory (Romans 9:23–23).
The second response is that God desires for everyone who finds salvation to [humbly express gratitude] for God’s favor. God’s children have no desire to take pride when everything that opposes God is destroyed. “But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God,” the passage makes it clear that salvation is a gift from God, not from ourselves. Corinthians 1:17–29.
Important truths
There are undoubtedly other facets to this response that God has decided not to share with us. Here are some crucial realities that we must understand:
- Both God’s mercy and His righteousness in punishing sin are magnificent.
- God has given us the gift of faith; rather of boasting, we should kneel before Him and worship Him.
- It is God’s stated will for everyone to be saved. Thus, let us spread the gospel to as many individuals as we can. Because Jesus never turned away anyone who came to Him. That is the gospel’s glory!
