John 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
Luke 9:54 And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, shall we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did? But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, You know not what manner of spirit you are of. For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them. And they went to another village.
One of the biggest hindrances to understanding the scripture and the nature of God is not knowing what spirit we are of. Think of it as looking at the world through a red veil. If, by some means, you had always looked at he world through a red veil, you would see an image of reality but you would have a very distorted view, and you would not know it, if you had never seen the world as it is, until the veil was removed.
Many centuries of teaching have been centered in a “presumption of destruction”, a false assumption that God was content to destroy or bind in eternal torment most of His created beings. Yet, Jesus plainly said that He did not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.
There is a great historical dispute about judgment. People stand on one side a say, “Judge not lest you be judged”. On the other side people stand and shout “Beware the judgment to come”.
But we read so carelessly. Jesus did not say that there is no judgment. He said that He did not come to judge. His core purpose was not judgment, it was salvation…there is judgment, but there is even greater mercy. The core of Christ’s being and purpose in the world was the redemption of the world.
In truth, judgment is only a side effect of that spirit of redemption, because it is that great love that saves us, and His love is the standard by which we are judged.
John 3:19
This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil.
1 John 3:16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
1 John 1;9 He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.
The light by which all are judged is love. “No greater love has any man than to lay down his life for his friends.”
This the core statement of the gospel of Jesus Christ. He did not come to judge, He came to save through the gift of His life.
If I am lifted up from the earth I will draw all men unto me…Ultimately the love that judges us will swallow up all judgment in mercy, all separation healed by reconciliation.
There are many verses in the Bible that reveal that before the ages are complete Jesus will have saved all.
There is no verse more compelling that His own prophecy, “If I am lifted up from the earth I will draw all men unto me”. John 12:32
Jesus was not confused. He was speaking of His mission. As it is written in Phil.2, He “endured the shame(of death on a cross) for the joy set before Him”. That joy was summed up in His words,
“If I be lifted up…I will draw all men”
As the resurrected Lord of glory, at the end of the book of “apocalypse”(unveiling) He cries out, “Behold, I am making all things new”.
Behold, Be unveiled, See what My purpose is, what I AM doing. Understand why I was lifted up, and why I am seated at the right hand of God.
For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming, then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be abolished is death…
And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all. 1 Cor 15:22-28
The judgment of God is only a step along the way to His ultimate purpose, the redemption of all.
It is this red veil, this “presumption of destruction” that blinds people to the truth. Our God could never rest content through an eternity where most of His children writhed in torment with no hope.
This “ultimate fear” of eternity in hell is a teaching that blinds us and binds us because within is the lie that if you dont believe it and teach it you will also suffer it. It is a virus within a virus. Once you unwrap the truth of the word of God and begin to behold the truth of the salvation of all, suddenly the fear of eternal torment as a heretic is thrust upon you by people and by that same spirit of fear and condemnation that holds the world in bondage.
But the truth is, once that 'red veil" of condemnation is torn, it becomes as clear as a sunny summer day at noon. There are too many witnesses to ignore. Too many verses that make no sense in any other paradigm that of the “restoration of all things prophesied by all God’s holy prophets since the world began”(Acts 3:19)
The disciples wanted to call down fire from heaven upon their detractors. Jesus reproved them saying, “You know not what spirit you are of”.
What spirit would bind billions of souls in eternal torment?
Certainly not the Spirit of Christ.
Luke 9:54 And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, shall we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did? But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, you know not what manner of spirit you are of.
**For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them. ** And they went to another village.
Jesus prophesied, “If I be lifted up from the earth I will draw all men unto me”.
This was the joy that held Him upon the cross of His suffering.
This was God’s plan, from the beginning.
For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;
And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. Col.1:20
Father, I pray the “red veil” will be torn and all will come into the revelation of God’s purpose in Christ.
Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he has purposed in himself: That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:
In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who works all things after the counsel of his own will: That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. Eph 1;9-11
