252 – WILL ALL MEN BE SAVED?November 11, 1962
Pastor Henry F. Kulp
I Timothy 2: 1 - 4 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. 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.
There is a teaching that is going around today that is a damnable heresy right out of the pit of hell, and I am surprised that folks can ever believe this teaching for there is not one Bible verse, taken in its context that would ever teach it.
1/ What is this teaching that seems to be growing today? It is universal reconciliation, known as Universalism, Universalist—the sect itself can be called Universalism, and the people who embrace it are Universalists. But it is generally known as Universal reconciliation.
2/ II Corinthians 11: 14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
Here the devil is pictured as being transformed into an angel of light, offering false hopes to Christ-rejectors, seeking if possible to keep them from ever hearing the truth as it is in Jesus Christ, and if he ever has appeared as an angel of light in the past or present, it is in the teaching of universal reconciliation, for here is something that sounds so sweet, so kind and gentle that folks just want to lap it up and embrace it. But it is the lie of the devil from start to finish.
3/ These folks use scripture such as I Timothy 2: 4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
II Peter 3: 9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
I John 2: 2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
To teach us that all men in the end will be saved—that Christ has died for all—for notice in I John 2: 2 And he is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.
God is not willing that any should perish, and these folks get one Scripture after another that they present.
4/ God has never promised that all will be saved—let us give you a principle that runs through the entire Bible.
Matthew 7: 13, 14 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
Here on the sermon on the mount, Jesus Christ says enter ye into the straight gate, for wide is the gate and broad is—now notice—that leadeth to destruction—not to salvation. And then He uses the word, many there be that go in thereat.
Notice, Many, and destruction. Then in the 14th verse He says Because straight is the way and narrow the gate that leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
How any one can find universal reconciliation in this passage is beyond me.
5/ Now you say what makes this teaching so horrible and makes it such a wicked blasphemy? It is because it attributes sin to God. This is the very basis of the teaching. Their philosophy says that sin originated in the heart and mind of God. And He conceived it and brought it to pass for our good and His glory. They tell us that sin entered into the world by God and He brought it to pass so that by His grace program He can save everyone. But what does God Himself say about this? Did He bring sin into the world? Did He conceive it in His own mind so that graciously later on you can be saved?
6/ There is a Scripture that these Universalists have a hard time with.
Genesis 6: 5, 6 And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
Now notice, And it repented the Lord that He had made man on the earth, and it grieved Him in His heart.
Does this sound like God planned sin, and introduced it into the world for some gracious purpose? What can universalists do with such with such a passage?
7/ There is another scripture that certainly embarrasses the Universalist.
Jeremiah 32: 35 And they built the high places of Baal, which are in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire unto Molech; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my mind, that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin.
And He says, they have built the high places of Tophet, to burn their sons and daughters in the fire, which I commanded them not neither came it into my heart—God did not want sin to come to come into the world, He did not conceive sin in the heart and mind of God to bring about a gracious purpose.
8/ Universalism teaches that man is really absolved of his guilt of sin, and it places a responsibility for sin upon God. It argues that God deliberately set the tree of knowledge
of good and evil in the garden to tempt man and to cause him to sin so that God’s grace could later on save him. But they forget a portion of Scripture that is very clear.
James 1: 13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:
Where God says, let no man say when he is tempted—I am tempted of God, for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempted He any man.
God, it is true, set the forbidden tree in the garden, not to tempt man to eat it, but to emphasize man’s relationship to Him as that of creature to his creator—to do what God told him to do.
9/ If God willed and caused men to commit sin, then did not Adam have a perfect alibi when he blamed his sin on the “woman whom thou gavest to be with me.” And was God not then unjust in condemning them? Oh, no, man had a choice and God did not cause man to take the choice of sin.
Genesis 3: 12 And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.
10/ When I read these doctrines or hear someone set forth these doctrines, there is a portion of Scripture that comes to my mind immediately, Job 1: 22 In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.
Beloved, to blame God for the sin that is in the world is a devilish thing. Job sinned not nor charged foolishly. This teaching charges God foolishly. He is not responsible for sin, He does not tempt men to sin.
11/ But now, let’s notice some of these Scriptures these folks use to prove that one day all men will be saved—that God’s Word proclaims universal reconciliation.
John 12: 32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.
First of all, this passage does not teach that our Lord will draw all men unto Him in salvation. These folks who have universal reconciliation do not believe that Jesus is God—they deny the deity of Jesus Christ, and that makes their teaching even more blasphemous—you will notice here in this Scripture, if you will, that they like to use, that Christ has sublime egotism. He does not merely declare truth—He says, I am truth. For He says, If I be lifted up, I will draw all men unto me.
12/ First of all, we have to consider and if I be lifted up—what is He talking about?
He is talking about His death on the cross of calvary. You will notice it is not the public or oral ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ which has drawing power—it is not His teaching— it is His death which is the magnet through which men are drawn unto Him.
13/ Now we want to look at the word, draw. It occurs five times in John, and once in the book of Acts. And each time the word, draw, is used it means drawing with force. It means a compelling power, the same word is used in John 21: 11 Simon Peter went
up, and drew the net to land full of great fishes, an hundred and fifty and three: and for all there were so many, yet was not the net broken.
Here we read of a net enclosing 153 great fishes and they came as we are told dragging the net to the land. The fish were helpless, they were dragged in the net to the land.
14/ Acts. 16:19 And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drew them into the marketplace unto the rulers,
Here we read of dragging Paul and Silas into the market place. They were helpless, they were driving by a compelling force—drawn by a compelling force. then we have it again in Acts 21: 30 And all the city was moved, and the people ran together: and they took Paul, and drew him out of the temple: and forthwith the doors were shut.
Here we read of Paul and Silas into the market place. They were dragging Paul out of the temple. They were helpless, they were drawn by a compelling force. Then we have it again in Acts 21: 30 ...dragging Paul out of the temple.
Let us go back to John 12: 32 where we read, And I, if I be lifted up will draw all men unto Me. Now men may say—but I don’t want to come to Him—I don’t want to face Him —I don’t want to give an account to Him, but you will not be asked if you want to or not. You will have to face Him and stand in His presences, and answer to Him. The answer is to be drawn in love by grace in this age, rather than wait and be drawn to Him in judgement, when it will be too late to be saved.
15/ Now let’s go to one of their favorite Scriptures in Philippians 2: 9 - 11 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
The word, every, in each of the above verses is from the same Greek word, so often rendered, all, in other portions of the Scriptures, so the universalist are sure it teaches all finally will be saved, and then they like to quote, Romans 10: 9 That if thou shall confess with thy mouth Jesus as Lord, thou shalt be saved—and does not Philippians 2: 11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Here, it teaches that one day every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord? Oh no, the answer is NO.
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.
Confession is coupled with heart-faith.
Philippians 2: 9 -11 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
This is not so—here it is rather coupled with the bowing of all, including all people. Notice something—when this is brought to pass, believing with the heart that God has raised Christ from the dead will no longer be a factor, for His resurrection will then be a self-evident fact.
In Romans 10: 9, 10 it is clearly a proposition. 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.
Philippians 2: 9 - 11 is a prediction. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Confess Christ as Lord in this age, right now, and you will be saved. Decline to do so, and according to Philippians 2: 9 - 11 you will someday be forced to do so. It teaches universal subjugation, not universal reconciliation.
You will notice God has given Jesus Christ a Name that is above every Name. That is the Name that is going to fill the universe, as I hope it is the Name you love—what a Name it is—sweetest Name on mortal tongue, sweetest carol ever sung. I hope you love to have your baby say that name first—you love to hear him say, Jesus Christ, before he says anything else, and when the aged die, you bend over them and you hope to hear them say, Jesus Christ before they die.
16/ The knee and the tongue—the knee is to be bended to Christ—even the millions of lost who have scoffed at Him, and the swearer who has taken His name in vain will confess that He is lord. Yes, God says to the stiff-kneed, you must bow your knee to that Name and your tongue must confess Him, but it will be a matter of subjugation.
17/ I Timothy 2: 4 - 6 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.
The universalist argument here is that if God desires the salvation of all but cannot achieve it then He is not omnipotent, and Christ died a defeated person. This argument may sound convincing until we realize this is not so. Here we will compare it with other Scriptures as in Ezekiel 18: 20, 23 The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not
bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.
In verse 23 He says, Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die, saith the Lord, No. But we know the wicked will die, for we are told so in the 20th verse.
18/ Special attention should be given to the position of I Timothy 2: 4 - 6 in its context. Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.
An exhortation to pray for all men is followed by the assertion that God would have all to be saved, and that Christ gave Himself a ransom for all, and so the thought is since God desires the salvation of all, and since Christ gave Himself a ransom for all—we, His people, should surely have a like desire, and should pray for all. We want all to be saved, but we know God can’t save anyone who will not come unto Him by Jesus Christ.
19/ Now let us turn to another Scripture that they love to use I Timothy 4: 10 For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.
God who was the saviour of all men, especially of those that believe. It has been difficult to believe the universalist can use this Scripture to try to prove that eventually all will be saved. You will notice that the word, Saviour, is preserver. He is the preserver of all those that believe. There is no question here of Christ’s work in salvation. It is God pictured as Creator and preserver of all men.
Notice, Psalm 36: 6 O Lord, Thou preservest man and beast, and He does do just that, and you will also remember, Matthew 5: 45 where He says, He makes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
Every good and perfect gift cometh from him and all men whether saved or unsaved, have God as a preserver of life. He is the one who has created this universe, has set up its governing laws, and notice, not only on man, but on beasts as well, but especially on the saved. He does care for us, because all things work together for good.
20/ Let me give you an illustration of what God did for Paul.
II Corinthians 11: 32, 33 And in Damascus the governor under Aretas, the king kept a city of Damacenes with a garrison to apprehend me, and through a window in a basket was let down by the wall, and escaped his hands.
Here God was the preserver, especially of Paul.
21/ Now let us look at a few verses, do they tell us that all will some day be saved?
Philippians 3: 19 Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)
Notice, they are enemies of the cross of Christ that he is talking about, and what is the end of those who are the enemies of the cross of Christ? It is destruction, it is damnation, it is perdition. This doesn’t sound like their end is salvation does it? No, their end is perdition, it is damnation.
22/ Now let’s carry this thought a little bit farther. If we have in Romans 8: 33 Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect? If the Universalists’ argument is correct—it should read, Who shall lay anything to the charge of anybody, anyone? For all are going to be saved—NO—that would make this portion of scripture just sheer non- sense.
Then take Romans 8: 28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
why does it not say—God is working all things together for good to all men? Why does it say to those who are in love with God?
23/ When we come to the fact that they think that even Satan will someday be saved. All the demons will be saved. This is a ridiculous teaching—let us look at
II Corinthians 11: 13 - 15 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.
Notice what it says, Whose end shall be according to their works. They don’t deserve salvation. Their end will be according to their works.
AMEN
Ref: 11/11/1962 / 252 - WILL ALL MEN BE SAVED? / 05/22/2021
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