Take your Bible with me this morning and turn to 1 Timothy chapter two. 1 Timothy chapter two. I've entitled this message, and it'll be a two-parter. We'll do part of it today. I was gonna try to do it in one. You just can't do it. And it's a unique title to me, but it's scriptural. I've entitled these next two messages, All Men, and I capitalized all men, All Men To Be Saved. All Men To Be Saved. This'll be part one, then we'll come back and we'll do part two, Lord willing, next Sunday. Yeah, I had such a good time several weeks ago when I preached on 2 Peter 3, verse 9. Because all of us have friends, people that we work with, that if we ever get into a religious discussion and it ever comes up who Christ died for, they always have some verses that they run to. You know, the biggest one is, and we'll see it in just a minute, is John 3, 16. That's the one that everybody from childhood up memorized. But we'll start with this one. Much like 2 Peter 3, verse 9, which says, The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness, but is longsuffering to usward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. Or 1 John 2, verse 2. And He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of, and they gotta have that in there, but it's not in the original, but also for the sins of the whole world. They say, see that? See there, God's not willing that any, He's not willing that any should perish, but that all, all means all. Have you heard that? World means world. Or the most popular one, John 3, 16, for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Or one of the every passages of Hebrews chapter 2, verse 9, but we see Jesus. who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor. Now listen to this, that he, by the grace of God, should taste death for every man. You see those? This verse that we're gonna look at, particularly verse five this morning, here's our text for this morning, the one that we're really gonna deal with. who, verse four, who will have all men, all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. They appeal to this verse, and they do. And they try to use scriptures like these that I've just read to you. It's proof that God wants to save all men and he's doing everything he can possibly do to save them. And I thought about that. I read these verses, and I understand, and I can honestly understand why they can come to these false conclusions, especially based on the various translations of the scriptures they currently rely upon as their source material. Unwilling, and this is what most people will not do. Most people you know, you know what they do? They just read the scriptures. And whatever they read, they say, that's it. But the scriptures tell you and me to do what? Study. You hear that? study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." They were rightly interpreting the word of truth. They don't want to do that. They just like to lift these little pet passages up out of their proper context and run with it and try to say, well, see there, this says without exception that He tasted death for everybody and I believe the word of God. You ever heard that? I take God at His word. Well, I do too. I do too. But here's the thing, I've heard this verse that we're gonna look at, verse four in particular this morning, I've heard it read several times recently, and I'm pretty certain they were reading it out of the New King James Version of the Bible. Here's the New King James Version of this verse four. Who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. You see that he desires. Context is everything. You hear me? I always think about the example, you know, Conrad Hilton, who started the Hilton Motel franchise. Somebody once asked him, after he proved himself to be so successful, they said, what is the criteria that you use to build a building? He said, location, location, location. If you're gonna properly understand the scriptures, you know what's the most important thing? Context, context, context. You cannot escape it. Because see, the context of any particular passage or verse, it always gives us qualifications for the meanings of words like all, and world, and every man. And as we begin this verse to look at this section of scripture over the next two weeks, this morning, let me read you a literal translation of verses four through six. Who doth will, a little bit different from desire. Who doth will all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For one is God and one also is mediator of God and of men, the man Christ Jesus. And I think this is so important. The biggest qualifier in this whole section is this, who gave himself a ransom for all. The testimony in its own time. Now look at how Paul starts this chapter. He's writing to a young preacher, and he tells Timothy in 1 Timothy 1, verse 1, or chapter 2 verse 1, I exhort therefore that first of all, the first thing you need to think about, Timothy, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for, underline and highlight and circle that next two words. Who's it to be for? All men. And then he breaks it down, for kings and for all that are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and in all honesty. Now listen to me. What I'm about to say to you, it's gonna seem pretty simple. And it seems almost petty. But here's the question I'd like to ask anybody to begin with on this statement that he makes. How are we to interpret Paul's exhortation that supplications and prayers and intercessions and giving of thanks be made for who? For all men, including kings and everybody that's in authority. You think of the scope of that. If all means all, And so I thought about that statement that he wrote to this young preacher, and what he's telling him to exhort and admonish the church, because he's a pastor at Ephesus is where he's at. And so I thought, you know, we're in the 21st century now, and we got a little thing, anybody ever fool with it, it's called AI? And AI's got a new one, oh, Elon's got one called Grok, I think's the name of it. And so I thought, well, I'm gonna just ask AI, because it's supposed to be a quick thinker, you know what I mean? I actually asked AI to write me a sermon on imputed righteousness. It wrote me a four-page sermon just like that, like 30 seconds. It's pretty close. Wrote it out. I mean, you could print it out and you could preach it. Now, I'm not using AI to generate my messages. But it's incredible. I mean, that thing just twirled a few minutes, and it was there. And so I asked AI, I said, how many nations were there in existence at the time that Paul wrote this to Timothy? And if you look at it, and you'll notice, understand the history of it, this was about 63 AD, about 30 years after our Lord Jesus Christ died, when he wrote it. And AI thought a minute, and it twirled a second, it came back, it said, can't be answered. It's impossible with the information that's out there to know how many known nations existed at the time that Paul wrote this to Timothy, and I thought, okay. So using all of that mighty computed power, not just this little head, it tells me it can't come up with, but it did come up with some nations that existed. Now, we don't think about this at this point in time, but folks, at this point in time, there were folks over here on this continent. You do know that, right? But it gave me this list. The Han Dynasty existed at this time, and where was that at? That was in China. In Europe, Pam and I went to Ireland, and we saw buildings that were built. You go into the United States, about the oldest thing you can find here is 300, 400 years old. We stood in buildings, rocks, that were built like 600 AD. But at this point in time, you know, Europe existed, England existed. You know who occupied it? The Germans. The Germans occupied it. So if that's the case, if there were more nations, you can't interpret what Paul tells this young man Timothy in 1 Timothy chapter 1 and 2, chapter 2, verse 1 and 2, as a call for them to pray for every single solitary king and person of authority that existed in the whole world. You think about it, the Han Dynasty in China had absolutely no influence on them leading a quiet and peaceable life. Do you see that? Do you understand contact? What was he doing? Who was he calling on them to pray for? He was calling on them to pray for the kings and rulers that were in existence at that time who had authority derived from the Roman Empire that influenced that area of the world. So all without exception, it's all without distinction. Do you see that? It's a specific thing. Rome influenced whether they had peace. Do you see how the scriptures themselves qualify the meanings of words like all? Well, I do pray, and I encourage you to do, I pray for all the leaders across the world to accomplish God's will for His glory, His people's good, and advancement of His kingdom in this world. You know what I also pray for? I also pray that those in positions of power that are immediate around me so that I might, by God's grace, lead a quiet and peaceable life. I don't want trouble. With the freedoms and liberties I've got, religiously, freedom of speech, live a peaceful life in all godliness and honesty. And see, the next verse gives us the motivation behind it, what calls such action. Notice what he says in verse three, for this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior. Literally translated, this verse reads like this, for this is right and acceptable before God our Savior. Now listen, for us to pray for all men, for us to pray for kings and all those in authority, You know what it is? It's for us to follow the example of our Lord Jesus Christ. And what he taught his disciples in the Sermon on the Mount, as well as what he taught his disciples about prayer itself. Listen to it. But I say unto you, love your enemies. You hear that? Bless them that curse you. Do good to them that hate you. Pray for kings, places of people in authority, pray for all men, and pray for them that despitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be the children of your Father which is in heaven. For he maketh his, now listen to this, he maketh his son to rise on who? The just, and who else did the son come upon today? and sendeth rain on the just and the unjust. Now listen to this, for if we love them that love you, what reward have you? Do not even the publicans do the same? And if you salute your brethren only, what do you more than others? Do not even the publicans do the same? taught our Lord, our Lord taught his disciples about prayer. He said, after this manner, therefore pray ye. How are we to pray? Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done. On earth as it is in heaven. Now, some folks, when they read this verse that we just read, verse three, they try to connect it with the verse that's after it. See, they connect verse three with the one we're trying to get to, verse four, who will have all men to be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth. But the truth of the matter is, is this verse, it has to be interpreted in light of what the apostle just wrote, which concerned one thing only. You know what it concerns? That you might lead a peaceable and quiet life in all godliness and honor. In other words, what's we talking about here? Temporal. Temporal blessings. temporal safety for all men while they're in this world. This phrase Paul used, God our Savior, it gives us an indication that this was the Apostle's point. The Greek word translated Savior, you know what it means? It means deliverer or preserver. Deliverer or preserver. Here's the same word. Paul used it in 1 Timothy chapter 4 verse 10. For therefore we both labor and suffer reproach. Paul said everything we do, we labor and we're suffering reproach because we trust in the living God who is the Savior of all men. Now hold on. Especially of those that believe. When Paul stood on Mars Hill, preached the gospel to those pagan idolaters. He said, God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he's Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with men's hands, neither is worship with men's hands, as though he needeth anything. Listen to this, seeing he giveth to all life and breath, and what else does he give to everybody? All things. Everything that any billionaires got on this planet, where'd he get it from? He tore with his own hands. No, he didn't. He might have put in some effort, but I tell you what, if the Lord hadn't have blessed him and provided for him, I don't care if he was an atheist, he didn't drudge that stuff up on his own. and made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on the face of the earth. And listen to this, he hath determined the times before appointed and the bounds of their habitation. In other words, wherever any man or kingdom or nation or power or authority is gonna go, you know what? God set the parameter and they're not going one inch inside or outside what he's determined. Do you understand that? Do we see how important it is that we understand that our God's in control of things? This thing's not running willy-nilly. He didn't set this thing to spin and then step off and say, let me just watch what's going to happen. He's intimately involved in everything, every aspect of it. And then he goes on, he tells those at Mars Hill, for in him we live and move and have our very being, as certain also of your poets have said, we are all his offspring. Everybody's born where they get life from. All of them. I say this about as clearly as I can. Everything that every person, both elect and reprobate, possesses in this world is given to them by the great preserver of the world. All of it. Among those that are in the world, God's elect are scattered, even though there's a lot of people that have been blessed. I mean, that's one of David's complaints over in Psalm 89. He said, why does a heathen prosper? You know, we don't have nothing, they got everything. But at the end of Psalm 89, he said, oh, I see, God said, he saw God put them in slippery places and their foot slips in a second, what happened? They're gone. Kind of like our Lord said, what is a man profit if he gains a whole world and loses his soul? So among this world scattered out there, what's there? God's elect. His children, His chosen ones, and our role as justified saints, and that's what Paul is instructing this man, Timothy, as well as all who would believe on him through their gospel message. Our role as justified saints in this world is to pray that God will be pleased to use every man, and every man, and I use man as a generic term, both men and women, and every means to preserve us in our mission of preaching the gospel while we're in this world, using that gospel message we proclaim to call his chosen vessels to true faith and true repentance. That's what we've been called to do. And all things are of God who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ. What we reconcile, and since we're reconciled, what's he entrusted us, has given to us the ministry of reconciliation. to wit that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them, and hath committed unto us that word of reconciliation. Now then, as ambassadors of Christ, as though God did beseech you by us, we pray you in Christ's stead, what? Believe the report. Believe the message. He made him to be sin for us who knew no sin. that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. But the next words, the one I've been trying to get to, verse four, Paul wrote, give us as God's redeemed sons and daughters comfort and assurance as we go forth in this world with this glorious good news, who will have all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. That Greek word translated will have means to be resolved, determined, or to purpose. Now read to her, who hath purposed all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. That Greek word translated to be saved means to save, keep safe and sound, to rescue from danger or destruction. I want to state this as clearly and as simply as I can. This God, our Savior, this God, our Preserver, to whom we are to pray for all men and kings and all in authority, has determined and has purposed all men, every one of them, to be saved, whoever those all men are. as well as He's also determined or willed the means of their coming to this place of eternal salvation. How? To a knowledge of the truth. The salvation God sovereignly willed and determined for all men, while it will enjoy, it's not a potential or a possibility of salvation or even putting men in a savable position. It isn't an offer of salvation or a proposal of sufficient means for all men to be saved in the Word of God if they'll believe it. That's not what it's talking about. This is a real, certain, actual salvation that the true and living God has determined all men will have, every one of them. When it comes to the salvation of sinners, the scriptures never speak of God's will or God's decree depending on the creature's response to it. Matter of fact, the exact opposite is what we find in the scriptures. For the scriptures saith to Moses, I'll have mercy on whom I'll have mercy, and I'll have compassion on whom I'll have compassion. So then it's not a him that wills, nor a him that runs. What does it depend on? God that shows mercy. And I say this, you think about it, for one to imply that one sinner, God has willed to be saved, could ultimately be lost, is to call God a liar and to call Christ a liar. You say, no it's not. Tell me you wouldn't be saying Christ is a liar. He says all that the Father gave me How many? All that He gave me. What are they going to do? They're going to come to me. And everyone that comes to me of that all that He gave me, what? I'll never cast them out. For I came down from heaven not to do mine own will, but the will of Him that sent me. And this is the Father's will which sent me, that of all which He gave me, I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And it keeps repeating it. This is the will of Him that sent me. that everyone that sees the sun, believes unto him, may have everlasting life and I'll raise him up at the last day. King Nebuchadnezzar, the most powerful king that ever existed at that point in time, our God humbly brought him down to the dirt. He declared to the true and living God, and at the end of the days, I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted up mine eyes unto heaven and mine understanding returned unto me And I bless the Most High, and I praise and honor Him that liveth forever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom is from generation to generation. All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing. And He doeth according to His will among the armies of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth, and none can stay His hand or say unto Him, What doest thou? That's the God that's purposed who will have all men to be saved. But here's the thing, not only is God determined that all those he chose will be saved, he's graciously determined the means by which they'll be translated from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of the light. What is it? To come to a knowledge of the truth. I know people say, well, y'all put too much emphasis on what you know. Well, the what you know defines the who we know. You do understand that. Young's little translation of this verse is, and to come to the full knowledge of the truth. Not a partial, but a full knowledge of the truth. Christ told those Jews, and you shall know the truth, and the truth will set you free. Christ told Pilate, you know, he's standing before Pilate. Pilate asked him, are you a king? Christ responds, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness. Doesn't say he was, what did he, it had nothing to do with being king. I came to bear witness to what? To the truth. Now listen to this. Everyone that's of the truth, He puts himself into the truth. Everyone who's of the truth hears my voice. And what he said in John 10, my sheep hear my voice, and they come unto me, and I give unto them eternal life. He told those other Jews, he said, the reason you do not hear my voice, why? Now my sheep. So there's somebody I know's not in this all, man. Huh? I'll tell you there's another group, John 8, 44. Here's a group that's not in this all-men thing. Christ looked at them and He said, you are of your father of what? The devil. So there's somebody else that's not in the all-men. You know, they said one time, they said the whole world's gone after him. They weren't. They're not in the world. I mean, it seems simplistic, but think about that. He's talking about everybody that's known in this group, that world's gone after him. All the world of the church has gone after him. Here's the thing, he says, I came into this world that I should bear witness unto the truth. Christ said he would bear witness to the truth. But my question is this, Christ is no longer physically here, right? So how's he gonna bear witness to the truth? He said he was going to do it and he never lies. How does he do that? When the comforters come, whom I will send unto you from my father, even the spirit of truth, you see that? Which proceeded from the father, he shall testify of me. I think one of the things that I got out of that John 14, 15, 16 study more, Anything else was Christ said, it's expedient for me, for you, that I go away. For if I go not away, who's not coming? The comforter will not come. But he said, if I go away, and he was, I'll pray the Father and he'll send another comforter whom the world cannot receive. You see that? There's some more of those old people gone. The world can't receive the comforter. Can't know him. But he says, you know him for he has been with you, that's Christ, and His same comfort that had been with them comforted Him through those three years that He had them under His tutelage. He said, not only has He been with you, He said He will be, where is He going to be? He's going to be in you, Christ in you, in the hope of glory. See, all those born of God by the Holy Spirit under the declaration of God's gospel, they're taught of God. Christ said, no man can come to me except the Father which has sent me. Draw him, and I'll raise him up again at the last day. It's written in the prophets, and they shall be all taught of God. Every man, therefore, that hath heard and hath learned of the Father. See, you can't hear Him, and you can't learn of the Father unless He reveals Him. And when you see that this God will by no means clear the guilty, that He will not overlook the least of sin in the best of men, that every person that is found with sin charged to them, they're gone. You hear that, you learn that, what do you do? They come where? They hear Christ's words, Matthew 11, verses 28 through verse 30. Come to me, all ye that labor and heavy laden, and I'll do what? I'll give you rest. That's what I'm looking for. Now what you're looking for, rest. What a blessing this there is in the simple truth of God's free and sovereign grace, which the natural man cannot and they will not accept. Matter of fact, they hate it, do they not? Well, that's just not fair. If God hadn't have done it that way, there would have nobody been saved. Because, listen, no man can come to me except the Father which hath sent me, draw him. And we'll see more clearly when we look at verse 5 and 6. That's why I want to deal with that next week. We see that the office that Christ occupies, what's the office that he occupies? There's one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, and the price he paid, a ransom for all. And I told you already what that word ransom means in another message, you know what I mean? It's the price of life. It qualifies who the all men are to be saved. We'll come back, we'll pick up there next. Let's stand together. and be dismissed. I appreciate your presence. Lord bless you. Keep you till we see you next Lord's Day. Oh, if you would dismiss us please.