Answering the Unanswerable

Christ died for all. His perfect life and innocent washed us of all sin, and his resurrection and ascension to Heaven show that God the Father accepted His Son's all-atoning sacrifice. These concepts are nothing new to anyone who knows even just a smidgen about true Christianity. But, for those in the beginnings of their study, upon learning and meditating on these truths, many find that a seemingly innocent- and logical-enough question arises in their minds which, though only six words long, has resulted in more chaos to the true Christian church than any other: "Why are not all people saved?" What the new student doesn't realize is that they have stumbled upon the reason for so many false-teaching churches and misunderstandings about Christianity in the world since Christ: the Crux Theologorum.

Actually, the Crux (as it will be referred to from this point) can be asked in any of three ways, all of them equal in meaning and implication:

1. Why some and not others?
2. Why some instead of others?
3. Why not all?

And what is the answer to this? If you ask a member of a church that subscribes to the teachings of John Calvin, the answer is thus: "God chose who would be saved and who would be banished to Hell before we were ever created." If you ask one who believes what Jacob Arminius teaches, he will say "They didn't work with God to begin and strengthen their faith." These two contradicting views--Calvin with God choosing who will go to Hell, and Arminius with man having some say in his conversion--both contradict Scripture. The true answer--sorry about this for those who were dying of curiosity--is only known by God. We mortal, sinful beings will never know that in our Earthly existence.

But, you might ask, it must be one of them. Well, here are some passages from the King James version of the Bible (the closest we have to the original translation and therefore, the vast majority of the time, the most reliable) which refute both possible answers:

"As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live." (Ezekiel 33:11) (Refutes predestination to Hell)

"The Lord...is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." (2 Peter 3:9) (Refutes predestination to Hell)

"[God] will have all men to be saved and to come unto the knowledge of the truth." (1 Timothy 2:4) (Refutes predestination to Hell)

not finished