Will Everyone Be Saved?

Q

This is my first time writing to you after being blessed by your Ministry for many years. I believe the word that,GOD desires that everyone will be saved. I also believe the word that, “every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that JESUS CHRIST is LORD.” These two scriptures lead me to believe that at some point in time everyone except the “Named Three” will be saved. I’ve read a lot of supporting scripture for this. Please, kindly share your understanding with me on this.

A

God does desire that everyone will be saved. 1 Tim. 2:3-4 and 2 Peter 3:9 attest to that. And everyone admits He did everything He could do to make that happen, including sending his son to die for the sins of mankind. That means the sins of every person who ever has or ever will live have been paid for. But the reality is that the final decision is man’s to make and many will reject Him.

Matt. 7:7-8 says everyone who seeks will find, everyone who asks will receive, and to all who knock the door will be opened. John 1:12-13 says to all who receive Him and believe in His name … John 3:16 says whosoever believes … Romans 10:9 says if you confess with your mouth and believe in your heart, etc. We have to believe and receive.

Conversely Matt. 7:14 says small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life and only a few will find it. In Matt. 7:23 Jesus will say to some, “Away from me you evil doers I never knew you.” John 3:18 says everyone who does not believe stands condemned. In Matt. 25:41 Jesus will say, “Depart from me you who are cursed into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” 2 Thes 2:10 says some will perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. Many won’t believe and won’t receive.

It is true that Phil. 2:10 tells us every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. But this will only happen after He returns to Earth, having defeated His enemies and been named King of the whole Earth (Zech. 14:9). They will have no choice but to bow before Him and agree that He is the Lord, but according to these other verses many of them will not have called Him Savior, and by then it will be too late.

As much as I wish what you’re proposing would be true, I’m afraid the Scriptures don’t support it.