Hi, Mike,

I pray you and your family are well. I have a question.

2Th 2:10 and with ALL UNRIGHTEOUS DECEPTION among those who PERISH, because THEY did not RECEIVE the love of the TRUTH, that they might be saved.
2Th 2:11 And for this REASON God WILL send strong DELUSION, that they should believe the lie.
2Th 2:12 that they ALL may be CONDEMNED who did not believe the TRUTH but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

Mike, are these scriptures telling me that there will be billions of people that will perish, because God blinded them to the truth? And He did this out of righteous deception? Will there be people out of every generations of man that will not see the kingdom of heaven? I have come to believe that God will save all in the end. But are there going to be some, that will not change? I pray you can help me understand better. Cause I still can’t understand why God would force one to understand. We don’t force our children, we let them learn, but then again, they still get in trouble. We have had to make our choices. And many people make bad choices. They suffer for those choices. So are there going to be people that are going to perish, because of their choices?

I know you have written that we don’t have free will. What is will? Are you saying that it isn’t my will that I picked out blue to wear today? Thanks, Mike for helping me clear this up. I know you are very busy, but I pray you can help me see clearer. In Christ

K____

Hi K____,

Thank you for your question.

You say that you have come to believe that God will save all in the end. This is true.

1Ti 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.
1Jn 2:2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

So the only thing you are struggling with is that you don’t quite understand how man’s will operates within God’s sovereignty.

The first thing you need to understand is that God does not force us to do anything. It may appear that we are ‘forced’ to choose God, but the “dragging” mentioned in the scriptures is God’s sovereign work at bringing us to want to serve Him. Being drug to God means that God in His mercy has decided that we would want to do things His way. No one serving God is doing so against his will. The opposite is also true. No one rebelling against God is doing so against his will. Those who obey God, do so because they have been granted the desire to obey. But they desire to serve God because they have been caused to desire to serve God. Those who disobey God, disobey God because they were created with an innate desire to please their flesh. They did not get to vote on whether they would be “in Adam.”

Rom 8:20 For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of Him who hath subjected the same in hope,

The fact that it is stated that Adam was made subject to vanity, NOT willingly, does not mean that Adam really did not want to eat of the tree of the knowledge of Good and evil. Both Adam and Eve wanted and willed to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. They wanted to disobey God so they could satisfy the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life. They did nothing against their own will. But why did they want all of these sinful lusts filled, even before they had ever touched the tree of the knowledge of good and evil? The answer of scripture is that they had been made in a “marred” condition by the hand of their Creator:

Jer 18:4 And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the Potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.

So we all have a ‘will.’ It is always a will that will choose to do less that is required by God’s spiritual law. It is not nor will it ever be a “free” will. If you decide to wear blue, you chose blue because you were caused to want blue. It was not a choice that had no influence exerted upon it. You may not be aware of exactly which influences you were dealing with, but you were dealing with some influence in your life that influenced you to make the decision to wear blue. So do you have a will? Absolutely! Is it free of any outside influence? Come on! We all know better than that. So it is with every conscious or unconscious decision we make. They are one and all CAUSED choices. It is a caused will that we all have.

All vessels of clay will be destroyed and made again as seems good to the Potter to make them. When Christ or the writers of the New Testament talk about perdition, they are referring to those who do not destroy the beast in this life. All men must destroy the beast within. The word translated perdition is more often translated ‘destroy’, ‘destroyed’ or ‘destruction.’

All flesh must be destroyed. Those who die to the flesh while still in it will be greatly honored above all the rest of mankind who will experience the death of the carnal mind in the ‘lake of fire’ as unconverted resurrected spirit beings, along with “the Devil and his angels.” But this “perdition” of the carnal mind is for a wonderful purpose. It is for the salvation of the entire human race. Life comes only through death. It comes only through the “perdition” of the flesh. Not every one is called “the son of perdition”, but that fact does not deny that we must all experience the destruction, the perdition of our flesh.

Heb 2:14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;

Contrary to all of “historical orthodox Christian” teaching, Christ did not die to the flesh so we can live in it. He died to the flesh so that He could fill up what is behind of his sufferings in us, His church. The Truth of God’s Word is that few will endure this death in this age.

Col 1:24 Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church.

We have every reason to rejoice, even in suffering, if it is for Christ.

I hope this gives you some clarity on this subject.

Mike