Yesterday I addressed my thoughts on who the saints are and today I want to continue my thoughts. I said that it appears to me that God considers all humanity to be saints - special and set apart creatures - despite the fact that all have sinned, some more than others.
God created humanity with a purpose to make humans into His image. That is obviously a process that takes time. God is the King of "the ages" and He created His Son, who "made the ages" to get this done...
“Now to the King of the ages, the incorruptible, invisible, only, and wise God..." (1 Timothy 1:17)
"...in these last days did speak to us in a Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He did make the ages.” (Hebrews 1:1-2)
Paul was chosen to reveal the glorious future of humanity to those whom God predetermined to hear and believe during this present wicked age in which we now live. It has been my experience that those who hear and believe the good news of the future salvation and reconciliation of all humanity rejoice in God's grace. They are at peace with God while waiting for Jesus to return to Earth to finish the plan of God. Paul told humanity about the grace of God...
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He PREDESTINED us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of HIS WILL, to the praise of the glory of His GRACE, which He FREELY bestowed on us in the Beloved.” (Ephesians 1:2-7)
One future day, after the final resurrection of both the just and unjust, and after death has been abolished, ALL humanity will be at peace with God, completed into His image and will rejoice together in their Salvation. They will be the Church of God, the body of Christ, and God the Father will finally be "All in all". The purpose for making the ages will be complete with the abolishment of the last enemy of humanity - death.
Paul was chosen to reveal the glorious future of humanity to those whom God predetermined to hear and believe during this present wicked age in which we now live. It has been my experience that those who hear and believe the good news of the future salvation and reconciliation of all humanity rejoice in God's grace. They are at peace with God while waiting for Jesus to return to Earth to finish the plan of God. Paul told humanity about the grace of God...
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He PREDESTINED us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of HIS WILL, to the praise of the glory of His GRACE, which He FREELY bestowed on us in the Beloved.” (Ephesians 1:2-7)
One future day, after the final resurrection of both the just and unjust, and after death has been abolished, ALL humanity will be at peace with God, completed into His image and will rejoice together in their Salvation. They will be the Church of God, the body of Christ, and God the Father will finally be "All in all". The purpose for making the ages will be complete with the abolishment of the last enemy of humanity - death.
“For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive….The last enemy that will be abolished is death….so that God may be ALL in ALL.” (1 Corinthians 15:20-28)
Some think it unfair of God to save everyone. They need to change their attitude.
“Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus… He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” (Philippians 2:5-7)
“God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him…for the wages of sin is death but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 5:8-9; 6:23)
God loves everyone the same and Jesus died for sinners - ALL of them. The result of His love and faithfulness has highly exalted HIM and we can be confident that in time, every knee will bow in grateful appreciation and confess Jesus as the Lord of their Salvation…
"For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that EVERY TONGUE WILL CONFESS that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:5-11)
This makes “faithful” saints happy!