Undeniable desire

God loves people.  I believe this to be true with all of my heart.  Does He also love those who don't love Him in return?  Again the answer is yes, for God loves with a perfect love that transcends any way that our feeble minds could understand.  The Bible makes it abundantly clear: God is love. 

Does this mean that it is God's desire for everyone to be saved, for all people to be in heaven with Him for eternity?  Yes, that is God's desire as well, but this is where it gets tricky with many theologians.  Without diving deep into the tenets of the theological belief systems that are out there and trying to argue with who is "chosen" and who isn't, I want to appeal again to Scripture to what I believe is the undeniable desire of God's heart.  Consider these verses of Scripture:

• John 3:16 "For God loved the world in this way: He have His One and Only Son so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life."
• 1 Timothy 2:3-4 "This is good, and it pleases God, our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth."
• 1 Timothy 4:10 "In fact, we labor and strive for this, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of everyone, especially of those who believe."
• Titus 2:11 "For the grace of God has appeared, with salvation for all people."
• 2 Peter 3:9 "The Lord does not delay His promise, as some understand delay, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance."

These are encouraging verses full of hope for the lost.  But please notice what is not being said in these passages: God is going to save everyone.  While it is true that God does desire that all be saved, not all will be saved.  God is the author and finisher of our salvation; we can do nothing to earn it or merit it on our own.  Yet somehow, in God's perfect sovereignty and providence, we as a people are free to make choices for which we are totally accountable. 

God's grace is free and available to all.  While it is sufficient for salvation, it is not grasped by everyone.  Indeed, many reject the gospel of Jesus Christ and turn from the only hope that there is in this world.  Why does God love mankind like He does even though most reject Him?  I have no idea, but I do know that when He extended His hand of grace to me I knew then that it was the truth and hope that I could not live without.  It is God's undeniable desire that all come to know Him and since neither you nor I know who will respond to that invitation and who will reject it, we must all be diligent to proclaim the gospel to everyone.  We can't keep that kind of love to ourselves.