This is one of the deepest, most challenging questions we can ask. If God is all-powerful and all-loving, why isn't everyone saved? It feels like a massive contradiction, doesn't it?
This isn't just an academic debate; it's a question that cuts right to the heart of who God is. If we can unpack the Biblical Concept of God’s will, we gain a richer understanding of His character, and that changes everything about how we pray and share our faith.
Let's dive into the Scriptures and explore this apparent tension together.
1. The Paradox: The Two Sides of God's "Will"
When the Bible talks about what God "wills" or "desires," it's often using one of two different lenses. Understanding this duality is the key to unlocking the entire conversation.
The Heart's Desire: What God Wants to Happen
First, we see God's will of desire—His revealed, perfect preference for humanity. This is what He commands and what brings Him the greatest pleasure, a desire that is often resisted by human choice. We know that God is not a cosmic tyrant waiting to condemn people; He genuinely yearns for every person to turn back to Him and live.
The Apostle Peter gives us one of the clearest statements on this, telling us that the Lord is patient toward us, “not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance” (2 Peter 3:9, ESV). This is echoed in the New Testament when we read that God is “who desires all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:3–4, ESV). If you read those verses, how can you not believe God loves the world? He tells us exactly what He desires.
The Sovereign Decree: What God Ensures Will Happen
The second lens is God’s will of decree—His unchangeable, sovereign plan. This is His eternal blueprint that guarantees certain outcomes, regardless of human input. Nothing catches God off guard; His plan is never frustrated, and what He sets out to accomplish will be accomplished. The prophet Daniel reminds us that God “does according to his will... and none can stay his hand or say to him, ‘What have you done?’” (Daniel 4:35, ESV). Furthermore, Paul makes it clear that we are “predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will” (Ephesians 1:11, ESV). This is the doctrine of God's absolute control.
The Million-Dollar Question: The tension becomes real when we ask: If God desires that no one perish, why doesn't He simply decree that everyone be saved?
2. Why Does God Allow Rejection? (The Concept of Genuine Choice)
Some argue that if God truly willed the salvation of all, He would simply force them into heaven. But the biblical narrative shows a God who, while fully sovereign, allows for genuine human choice and holds people accountable for their resistance.
The Universal Call is Real and Sincere
The invitation to repentance is not a trick; it’s a sincere, universal call. If you hear the Gospel, the choice to respond is real, and the capacity to resist God’s desire is terrifyingly real as well. God commands “all people everywhere to repent” (Acts 17:30, ESV). This implies a genuine opportunity for all to do so. Our failure to repent is ultimately our own choice, not a failure of God's universal desire for us.
The Divine Initiative is Always First
Here's the biblical balance: While we choose to reject Him, we cannot choose Him first. The move toward salvation is always, always initiated by the Father. Jesus taught us plainly that “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him...” (John 6:44, ESV).
This confirms that salvation isn't based on your effort or decision-making skills, but on a divine act, as those who believe are “born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:12–13, ESV). God sincerely desires all people to be saved, but He sovereignly allows some to follow their genuine human choice to resist His call, establishing His glory through both mercy and justice.
3. The Unresolved Mystery: Our Call to Action
Instead of trying to fit God into our logical box, the richest Bible Concept is found in living within this glorious tension. This mystery isn't meant to stop us—it's meant to compel us!
The Cross: Where Desire and Decree Meet
The Cross is the perfect expression of both wills: The sacrifice of Jesus was sufficient for the entire world (1 John 2:2), fully meeting God's desire and opening the path wide. Yet, through the work of the Holy Spirit, the sacrifice is efficiently applied to the elect—those God chose before time began (Ephesians 1:4)—accomplishing God's absolute decree.
How This Changes Our Ministry
When we understand this balance, our actions become energized:
- It Fuels Our Prayer: We pray for the salvation of the lost because we know it aligns perfectly with the Heart's Desire of God (1 Timothy 2:1). We are co-laborers in this divine desire.
- It Energizes Our Mission: We share the Gospel with every person because we know the invitation is genuine and God uses our voices to call His people (Romans 10:14).
- It Humbles Our Hearts: We realize that our own salvation is not due to superior intellect or effort, but entirely due to God's Sovereign Decree to draw us (John 6:44).
You may also want to Read👉 How can we have free will if God knows everything
