When I was at church one Sunday, I mentioned to someone my hope that all will be saved. I was then asked for a Scriptural argument. My reply was a question, “When God commands all people everywhere to repent (Acts 17:30), does he have as at least one of his purposes, that all people repent?” Upon being informed that he does, I then mentioned Isaiah 55:11,
“As the rain and the snow
come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,
so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” (Isa. 55:10-11)
So God’s word, in commanding all to repent, we may hope for it accomplish its purpose. We may then hope for all to repent.
Blessings,
Lee
P.S. I acknowledge my debt to Thomas Talbott’s essay here in "Universal Salvation? The Current Debate", where he makes a similar argument from an Arminian perspective.
“As the rain and the snow
come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,
so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” (Isa. 55:10-11)
So God’s word, in commanding all to repent, we may hope for it accomplish its purpose. We may then hope for all to repent.
Blessings,
Lee
P.S. I acknowledge my debt to Thomas Talbott’s essay here in "Universal Salvation? The Current Debate", where he makes a similar argument from an Arminian perspective.
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