Salvation for ALL is God's Will

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1 Timothy 2:3-4
For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;
Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

The Word of God is the Will of God. God says what He means and means what He says. He says here that it is HIS WILL for ALL men to be saved. The Greek word translated "knowledge" in this verse is "epignosis" which is an full experiential knowledge. God wants ALL men to be saved and God wants ALL men to come to a full experiential knowledge of His Word. That is what God's Word says and that is what God's Word means.

The common question asked by those who do not want to believe God's Word is: "What about the aborigine in the outback of Australia? What about the islander living on a small island in the south Pacific? What about the native in the jungles of Africa?" These questions are a matter of the integrity of the Word of God. Does God say what He means and mean what He says? Can you trust God's Word? (or more importantly) WILL YOU trust God's Word when you know from experience that the words of men cannot be trusted?

Matthew 5:6
Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

Here is a promise from God written in His Word. Righteousness is being right before God. With salvation we receive "the righteousness of God!" If a man or woman has a hunger and thirst for righteousness that person shall absolutely be filled. The Greek word for filled is "chortazo." "Chortazo" is to be filled or gorged according to your appetite. If you want a little you will be filled with a little. If you want a lot you will be filled with a lot. The problem is never with God. His Will is clear. God will have ALL to be saved and come to an experiential knowledge of His truth. The question is what does man want? If a person does not want to know about God or be right before God, that person will not be filled. God has given man free will and God does not change or overstep His Word.

John 3:17
For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

God's plan for salvation was to send His son, Jesus Christ, that the world through him might be saved. The Greek "kosmos" refers to "the inhabited world" or the inhabitants of the world. God sent Jesus Christ so that ALL the inhabitants of the world might be saved. That is what God's Word says and that is what God's Word means.

John 12:47
And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.

John 14:6
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

There is only one way to get saved according to God's Word, and that is by Jesus Christ. Specifically:

Romans 10:9-10
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

God made the plan. To get saved you must confess Jesus Christ as Lord and believe that God has raised him from the dead. This is the ONLY way to salvation.

Acts 4:10-12
   Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.
   This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.
   Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

There are NOT many roads to heaven. You do not get saved by being a good person. You do not get saved by Allah or Buddha or any other name given among men. Only by confessing the Lord Jesus Christ and by believing that God raised him from the dead is salvation possible. That is what God's Word says. That is what God's Will is!

1 Corinthians 1:21
For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.

It may seem foolish to men and women who are schooled in the wisdom of this world that God would rely upon the speaking of His Word to save those who hear and believe, but that is exactly what God was pleased to do and that is exactly how salvation is accomplished for each individual.

Hebrews 4:2
For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith [believing] in them that heard it.

1 Thessalonians 2:13
For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.

Once spoken there are two responses to the Word of God. Those who hear and do not believe and therefore do not profit from the Word. Those who receive the Word and believe it and get effectual results. It works for them. The Word of God is not at all like the word of men. The word of men is unreliable. It cannot be trusted for men are not trustworthy. You must never receive God's Word as if it were the word of men. God's Word "effectually worketh" - it produces results! - when you believe it.

Now, what about the man living in the far reaches of the world? How is God going to reach him if he wants to know about God? I don't know. But I do know that God will fulfill His Word.

Acts 2:8
But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me [Jesus Christ] both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

It is God's Will that believers speak His Word regarding Jesus Christ "unto the uttermost part of the earth." When we are willing to go and speak, God will direct us to those who have a hunger for His Word. Consider the following example from the book of Acts:

Acts 16:6-12
    Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the
Holy Ghost [God] to preach the word in Asia,
    After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit [God] suffered them
not.
    And they passing by Mysia came down to Troas.
    And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying,
Come over into Macedonia, and help us.
    And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavoured to go into Macedonia, assuredly
gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them.

God was the guide. They (Paul, Silas, & Timothy) began moving God's Word in Galatia. When they started to enter Asia, God said: "Stop. Don't go that way!" He did not tell them where they were going. They only knew where NOT to go. So they headed north toward Bithynia. They entered Mysia and God said: "Stop going north!" So they headed west through Mysia until they arrived at Troas. While in Troas, Paul received revelation in the form of a vision or picture of a man of Macedonia asking them to come help him. They still did not know the end of their road or who it was they were going to find, but they knew that God was directing the trip. In Troas the writer of the book of Acts (Luke) joined them.

Acts 16:11-14
    Therefore loosing from Troas, we came with a straight course to Samothracia, and the next day to
Neapolis;
    And from thence to Philippi, which is the chief city of that part of Macedonia, and a colony: and we
were in that city abiding certain days.
    And on the sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and
we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted thither.
    And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God,
heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul.

     Paul, and Silas, and Timothy had traveled throughout Phrygia, Galatia, and Mysia. In Troas they had picked up Luke and Paul saw a vision of a MAN asking for their help in Macedonia. After traveling to Macedonia they spent certain days in Philippi and then went out by a river where there were women praying. God had been directing their path throughout this journey; but as yet the Word of God does not record that any that they spoke to believed until finally they spoke to Lydia. Lydia attended to the Word of God and she and her household believed. It was in fact this ONE woman to whom God had been guiding these FOUR great men of God. Look at all that God will do to reach one hungry person in the uttermost part of the earth!
     What if there is a hungry person and no believer is willing to go speak to him? Does that change God's Word? NO! The apostle Paul had a desire to be righteous before God and to do God's Will before he got born again. He thought he was right in persecuting and killing the believers. There was no believer on earth willing to approach him. So God sent Jesus Christ personally to witness to Paul. Once Paul believed, God sent a believer to bring him up to speed on an accurate knowledge of the truth.

Matthew 19:24-26
And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

[Again I say to you, It is easier for a rope to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. (Lamsa Bible translation from Aramaic)]

When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved?
But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible. (KJV)

In the Aramaic the word "gamla" means camel and it also means rope. To some men, it may seem impossible for God's Word to be true. Yet, when it comes to salvation all things are possible with God. God's Will is that ALL men be saved and come to an experiential knowledge of His Word.