When they read words and phrases like "all" and "all men" and "world" and "the whole world" they assume meaning into them that just isn't always there.
I'll give some examples.
For the choir director. A Psalm of David. A Song. There will be silence before You, and praise in Zion, O God, And to You the vow will be performed. O You who hear prayer, To You all men come. — Psalm 65:1-2
Do all men come to God? No! But millions of people if they were honest and consistent would say "Yes they do, look, it says all men, and all means all."
And yet we all know not every man comes to God.
So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. — Romans 5:18
Will every man be justified and have eternal life? But look. It says all men.
You are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read by all men; — 2 Corinthians 3:2
The believing Corinthians are a letter written in Paul's heart. Is it known and read by every man whoever lived? If you throw caution to the wind and insist that all men must mean everybody, then everyone knows about this letter, no exceptions.
And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself.” — John 12:32
Will all men be drawn to Christ, as in everyone without exception? Of course not. Not everyone comes to Christ. But one may say, "Everyone is drawn, but you have to accept for it to matter." To these people, you need to understand what draw here means. It's used 8 times in the NT, and only twice in this way. It's also used the same way in John 6:44-45.
No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day. It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught of God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father, comes to Me. — John 6:44-45
Everyone who has been drawn by the Father, that is, has heard and learned from Him, comes to Christ. This is the same type of draw Christ uses when He says He will draw all men to Himself.
All men can't mean everyone without exception because not everyone is drawn. Not everyone comes to Christ.
crying out, “Men of Israel, come to our aid! This is the man who preaches to all men everywhere against our people and the Law and this place; and besides he has even brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place.” — Acts 21:28
Here it says Paul preached to all men everywhere. Do you believe he preached to every person living on earth during that time? No. He preached to all kinds of men, not just Jews. He did not just preach in Israel, he preached to the whole world, that is, all kinds of places, in places where Gentiles lived.
First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time. — 1 Timothy 2:1-6
For those who believe "all men", "all men" and "all" refer to everyone without exception, you need to notice what it is you're believing.
You must then believe the following.
- God desires everyone to be saved.
- God desires everyone to come to the knowledge of the truth.
- Jesus Christ gave Himself as a ransom to everybody.
Let's start with God desires everyone to be saved.
So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires. — Romans 9:18
If God desires to save everybody, He would have no desire to harden anyone. His only desire would give mercy to everybody. This is not the case, here is a specific example further proving this.
For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts, to meet Israel in battle in order that he might utterly destroy them, that they might receive no mercy, but that he might destroy them, just as the Lord had commanded Moses. — Joshua 11:20
Let's move on to God desiring everyone come to a knowledge of the truth. This cannot be the case either.
with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, — 2 Timothy 2:25
God is the one who grants repentance to people. If He desired everyone to come to a knowledge of the truth, He would grant repentance to everyone. Make no mistake, God does what He desires.
So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it. — Isaiah 55:11
Lastly, you must believe that Jesus gave Himself as a ransom to everybody.
If this were the case, everyone would be redeemed. Nobody would go to hell.
And the ransomed of the Lord will return And come with joyful shouting to Zion, With everlasting joy upon their heads. They will find gladness and joy, And sorrow and sighing will flee away. — Isaiah 35:10
The ransomed of the Lord will have everlasting joy on their heads. If you believe everybody was ransomed, then everyone will have everlasting joy. But this is not the case either.
For the Lord has ransomed Jacob And redeemed him from the hand of him who was stronger than he. — Jeremiah 31:11
The Lord has not ransomed everybody, but Jacob is ransomed, the one God loves, who is redeemed from the hand of Esau, the one God hates.
Jesus' death was a demonstration of God's love. He couldn't have ransomed Esau. He couldn't have died for Esau. There is no love to demonstrate for him because Esau was hated.
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. — Romans 5:8
Jesus died for His friends, because He loves His friends.
Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. — John 15:13
He died for the sheep, because He loves His sheep.
“I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. — John 10:11
even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd. — John 10:15-16
My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. — John 10:27-28
For He said, “Surely, they are My people, Sons who will not deal falsely.” So He became their Savior. In all their affliction He was afflicted, And the angel of His presence saved them; In His love and in His mercy He redeemed them, And He lifted them and carried them all the days of old. — Isaiah 63:8-9
Who is a God like You, who pardons iniquity And passes over the rebellious act of the remnant of His possession? He does not retain His anger forever, Because He delights in unchanging love. He will again have compassion on us; He will tread our iniquities under foot. Yes, You will cast all their sins Into the depths of the sea. — Micah 7:18-19
In that day it will be said to Jerusalem: “Do not be afraid, O Zion; Do not let your hands fall limp. “The Lord your God is in your midst, A victorious warrior. He will exult over you with joy, He will be quiet in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy. — Zephaniah 3:16-17
He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.” Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, “Lord, what then has happened that You are going to disclose Yourself to us and not to the world?” Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him. — John 14:21-23
There's a lot you're misunderstanding, like pretty much everything.
God never said He loved everybody. If anyone commits sin, it must be paid for. Sins must be dealt with. All sin, not just adultery.
God's love is exceedingly precious, it's just that He also hates people.
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I'm actually not a Reformer.