Does God Exist

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Psalm 19:1-6

Psalm 19:1–6 KJV 1900

1 The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament sheweth his handywork. 2 Day unto day uttereth speech, And night unto night sheweth knowledge. 3 There is no speech nor language, Where their voice is not heard. 4 Their line is gone out through all the earth, And their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun, 5 Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, And rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race. 6 His going forth is from the end of the heaven, And his circuit unto the ends of it: And there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.

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Psalm 1111-10

Psalm 111:1–10 KJV 1900

1 Praise ye the Lord. I will praise the Lord with my whole heart, In the assembly of the upright, and in the congregation. 2 The works of the Lord are great, Sought out of all them that have pleasure therein. 3 His work is honourable and glorious: And his righteousness endureth for ever. 4 He hath made his wonderful works to be remembered: The Lord is gracious and full of compassion. 5 He hath given meat unto them that fear him: He will ever be mindful of his covenant. 6 He hath shewed his people the power of his works, That he may give them the heritage of the heathen. 7 The works of his hands are verity and judgment; All his commandments are sure. 8 They stand fast for ever and ever, And are done in truth and uprightness. 9 He sent redemption unto his people: He hath commanded his covenant for ever: Holy and reverend is his name. 10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: A good understanding have all they that do his commandments: His praise endureth for ever.

1 God the Father

Civil government; Christian citizenship; separation of church and state; religious liberty; angels; Satan; virgin Mary

What Baptists Believe

1 God the Father

The Bible does not seek to prove the existence of God. It declares him (Gen. 1:1). Belief in God, or a divine Being, is practically universal. The Bible dismisses the atheist with one terse verse. “The fool [unthinking person] hath said in his heart, There is no God” (Psalm 53:1). Note that he says it in his heart, the seat of his will. In his mind he knows better. But knowing it, he wishes that there was no God.

E. Y. Mullins gives us a definition of God. “God is the supreme personal Spirit; perfect in all his attributes; who is the source, support, and end of the universe; who guides it according to the wise, righteous, and loving purpose revealed in Jesus Christ; who indwells in all things by his Holy Spirit, seeking ever to transform them according to his own will and bring them to the goal of his kingdom.”

There are three basic names for deity in the Old Testament: God (Elohim, Gen. 1:1); Lord (Adonai, Josh. 7:10); Jehovah (Yahweh, Lord in KJV, Gen. 2:4). The first (2,550 times in O.T.) is a plural of majesty and power. The second (340 times in O.T.) is a term of personal relationship and is used often as a cognate of Jehovah. The third (6,823 times in O.T.) defines the God of Israel as the true God and as Redeemer (cf. Ex. 3:14; Isa. 42:8). In the New Testament, Theos corresponds to Elohim; Lord corresponds to Jehovah; Jesus means “Jehovah is salvation.”

God is one Person (Deut. 6:4) who reveals himself in three manifestations as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He is a personal Spirit (John 4:24). He has no material body, except in his incarnation in Jesus Christ, nor is he limited by or to matter.

Systematic theology speaks of the attributes of God, which are usually divided into seven natural and four moral qualities relating to God's person. The natural attributes are his self-existence (from no source outside himself); immutability (unchanging character, nature, and purpose); omnipresence (present in all space and time); immensity (not confined to space or its laws); eternity (past, present, and future equally known to him; he inhabits eternity, Isa. 57:15); omniscience (God knows everything simultaneously); omnipotence (unlimited power in keeping with his nature, character, and purpose). God's moral attributes are holiness (supreme moral excellence or the sum of his other moral qualities); righteousness (self-affirmation of the right as opposed to the wrong); truth (“source and ground of all forms of knowing, and all objects of knowledge,” Mullins); love (self-imparting nature of God seeking the highest good and complete possession of his creatures). Love is the attribute which envelops all others.

To conceive of God with respect to any one of his attributes apart from the others is to have only a partial picture of God. He reveals himself fully in and through Jesus Christ, who is interpreted to us by his Word and through his Holy Spirit.

Trinity

The word “trinity” is not found in the Bible. It was first used in the second century A.D. by Tertullian to express the truth taught in the Scriptures. It denotes the triune (three in one) revelation of God as Father (Gen. 1:1; Matt. 6:9), Son (John 8:36), and Holy Spirit (Gen. 1:2; John 14:26).

This does not mean that we worship three Gods. The natural mind of man, attempting to express the concept of the manifold nature of God, turned to idols (Rom. 1). God revealed himself as one God existing in three manifestations. He always has been Father, Son, and Spirit. Thus God the Son existed before Jesus was born. Jesus is the Son of God (John 3:16); through faith we may become sons of God (John 1:12). Jesus is God's begotten Son; we can become his adopted sons. As Holy Spirit, God indwells his children.

An examination of the Scriptures reveals that God is present in his triune revelation in his activity in creation (Gen. 1:1-2; Psalm 104:28-30; John 1:1-3; Col. 1:15-16), revelation (2 Tim. 3:6; Heb. 1:1-2; 2 Peter 1:21), redemption (Heb. 10:5-15), and providence (Matt. 6:25-31; John 14:1-3,16-18; 16:13). This is best seen in redemption. The Father proposed it; the Son provided it; the Holy Spirit propagates it (Heb. 10:5-15; 2 Cor. 5:19; Heb. 9:14). All three persons of God were present at the baptism of Jesus (Matt. 3:16-17: note voice [Father]; Jesus [Son]; dove [Holy Spirit]) and in his resurrection (Rom. 1:4).

Think of history as a stage. In the Old Testament God the Father is on stage, with the Son and Holy Spirit in the wings. In the Gospels God the Son is on stage, with the Father and Holy Spirit in the wings. Thereafter, God the Holy Spirit is on stage, with the Father and Son in the wings. All three Persons are present at all times, with each being the more prominent revelation at given stages of history. It is a mystery beyond our comprehension, but it is a fact.

This triune revelation is given for man's finite understanding. Paul pictures the concept of God in eternity (1 Cor. 15:24-28). In a redeemed and subjected universe the Father, Son, and Spirit reign supreme. There will still be Father, Son, and Spirit. But with our finite minds released from the limitations of the flesh, we shall know as we are known (1 Cor. 13:12). God (Father, Son, and Spirit) will be all in all (1 Cor. 15:28). For we shall see him as he is (1 John 3:2).

Sovereignty of God

The sovereignty of God means that God is sovereign or bears the rule in his universe (Psalm 10:16; Jer. 10:10). This relates to both nature and man. In the New Testament the word “kingdom” may well be rendered “sovereignty” (cf. Rev. 11:15). Satan claims world sovereignty (Matt. 4:8 ff.). In Christ God asserted his sovereignty in history (Matt. 4:17). It will be realized fully through his redemptive work (1 Cor. 15:24 ff.).

In the abstract sense God's sovereignty could mean that God, being all-powerful, may act as he wishes without regard to any other being or the attributes of his nature (Matt. 20:1-16). But in the concrete sense it means that he can do as he wills, said will being in accord with his nature which involves such attributes as his truth, holiness, righteousness, and love.

In this sense God has placed certain limitations on himself. He has willed not to violate the free will of man (Gen. 3). He does not act contrary to his own nature (Gen. 18:25). Thus God cannot regard evil as good. He cannot ignore sin. He cannot deny his love. He cannot lie or make two plus two equal five. The self-imposed limitations are not an evidence of God's weakness but of his omnipotence.

As sovereign, God chooses to work according to laws of his own making (Gen. 1:24-25; 8:22; Rom. 6:23). These laws are beneficent in purpose and become punitive only when violated. But God is not a prisoner within his laws. He acts supernaturally (miracle) when necessary to accomplish his moral and spiritual ends. Even here God does not act by caprice but according to higher laws unknown to man.

To the finite mind it is impossible to harmonize the sovereignty of God and the free will of man. But in the infinite mind of God there is no conflict. Finite minds can only accept both as facts in experience. The sovereignty of God never violates man's freedom. But it does require responsibility in man's choices.

The sovereignty of God is dedicated to the accomplishment of his spiritual purpose in history. “He keeps the reins of government in his hands. He guides the universe to his own glorious end. That end embodies the highest ideals of holiness and love” (Mullins; cf. Isa. 54:8; 55:1-9; Jer. 31:3; 1 Cor. 15:24-27; Eph. 3:1-11; Rev. 11:15).

Fatherhood of God

The revelation of God as the Father is uniquely that of Jesus. In the Old Testament there are allusions to God as Father (Job 1:6; Hos. 11:1). In the New Testament the fatherly nature of God toward all men is seen in such passages as Matthew 5:45; Luke 15:11-32; and Acts 17:28. But the distinct teaching of the New Testament is that God is “the Father” only in a spiritual relationship (John 4:23). Outside of Christ men are called “tares” or “children of the wicked one"; the “good seed” are “the children of the kingdom” (Matt. 13:38). The Pharisees were “of your father the devil” (John 8:44). But Jesus taught his disciples to pray to God as “Our Father…” (Matt. 6:8-9). In the New Testament the word “Father” is used of God 267 times. It is so used 122 times in John.

The relationship between the first and second persons of the Trinity is that of Father and Son. But their unity is seen in Jesus' words, “I and my Father are one” (John 10:30). The New Testament teaches that Jesus is the Son of God, and that men may become the sons of God.

How do men become sons of God? Universalism claims that all men are sons of God and need only to claim their sonship. But this is to generalize the biblical teaching. The fact is that God is eternally Father in his nature. Men are constituted with the capacity to become sons of God not by their power but by God's grace. God desires all men to become such. But it is possible only by a change of nature described as being “born again” (John 3:3). This is made possible only by grace through faith (Eph. 2:8-10). “But as many as received him, to them gave he power [right, privilege] to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name” (John 1:12). Power means “out of being.” So in such an experience God imparts his nature or being to those who receive his Son. Only these may be called “sons of God” in the true, spiritual sense. They become “children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ” (Rom. 8:17). God is the Creator of all men, but he is “the Father” only to those who have become “sons” through faith in the Son.

As Father, God loves his children and gives good gifts to them (Matt. 7:11). He also disciplines his children in love (Heb. 12:6 ff.). The children of God are to live so that through them men will glorify their Heavenly Father (Matt. 5:16).

Love of God

“God is love” (1 John 4:8). Thus love is grounded in the very nature of God. E. Y. Mullins defines this love as “the self-imparting quality in the divine nature which leads God to seek the highest good and the most complete possession of his creatures.”

Three principal words in the New Testament are rendered “love” (phile , verb, 25 times; agapa , verb, 142 times; agap , noun, 116 times). Phile denotes friendliness prompted by sense and emotion. Agapa (agap ) connotes a love grounded in admiration, veneration, and esteem (Thayer). At times the words appear to be used interchangeably (John 14:23, agapa ; 16:27, phile ), but the above distinction qualifies the meaning in either case. Perhaps their difference is best seen in John 21 where the play on each word is significant (vv. 15a, 16a, agapa ; vv. 15b, 16b, phile ; v. 17, three times, phile ). When Peter failed to come up to the higher love, Jesus descended to the lower or the love which Peter had. Hence Peter's grief. It is evident then that agapa refers to a higher love than phile does. The latter denotes a friendly, emotional love; the former is a love embodying absolute loyalty toward its object. The more numerous use of agapa is indicative of the greater emphasis placed upon it in the New Testament.

In “God is love” (1 John 4:8), the word is agap . It is a favorite word of John in both verb and noun form (agapa , John, 37 times, 1 John, 28 times; agap , John, 7 times, 1 John, 18 times). This love finds its source in God (1 John 4:10) and is man's response to God's love (1 John 4:19). It is the love which men in Christ should have for each other (1 John 4:11; note “charity” in 1 Cor. 13 is agap ). It is out of this love that God proposes salvation for men (John 3:16; Rom. 8:37), and that Christ acted to provide this salvation (Gal. 2:20; Eph. 5:2).

An analysis of this love in 1 John 4:8-21 is most revealing— God's love coming down to man (v. 10), man's love rising in response to God's love (v. 19), the Christian's love going out to other believers. Pause to visualize the directions in which this love moves. They form a cross, suggesting that this love finds its complete expression in the cross. The proof of our love for God is our love for our fellow Christians (v. 20).

Wrath of God

The wrath of God is not angry passion, vindictiveness, or hatred. It is his resistance to sin, which expresses itself in penalty. In essence this penalty is spiritual death or the separation of the soul from God.

Two New Testament words are rendered wrath with respect to God (thumos and org ). The former denotes a reaction of boiling up and soon subsiding. The latter denotes that which rises gradually and becomes more settled or abiding. With one exception (Rom. 2:8), thumos appears only in Revelation (14:10,19; 15:1,7; 16:1) with reference to God's wrath. Org is the more general word for the wrath of God (cf. Matt. 3:7; John 3:36; Rom. 1:18; 2:5; Col. 3:6; Rev. 6:16f.; 19:15). The two words appear together in Romans 2:8 where they are rendered “indignation and wrath” (org kai thumos). The gradual and abiding indignation bursts forth in boiling wrath or retribution (cf. Revelation).

The wrath of God (org ) has been defined as the law of God in operation (cf. Rom. 1:18). God's laws are for man's good. When he defies them they go right on working, and man is broken on them. Compare the law of gravity and the “wages of sin.” Thus, the wrath of God is not an emotion of God. Rather, it is his fixed resistance to rebellion against his law.

God has not appointed man to wrath (1 Thess. 5:9). We are children of wrath because of our sinful nature (Eph. 2:3; cf. John 3:36). Through Christ man may be saved from God's wrath (Rom. 5:9).

On the cross God poured out his wrath on Christ, not as a personal sinner, but as one who became sin for us (2 Cor. 5:21). Thus the sin-death principle operated in him as he completely identified himself with sinful man, not as a participant in sin, but as the sin bearer (John 1:29).

Over against the wrath of God (Rom. 1:18) the gospel declares the righteousness of God (Rom. 1:17), God's activity in Christ whereby he declares us righteous as though we had not sinned. This he does as we believe in Christ as Saviour (Rom. 1:16). Henceforth we abide, not under God's wrath, but in his mercy and grace (Eph. 2:1-7).

Mercy and Grace of God

The mercy of God is related to the love of God. God is love in his nature. He can never cease to be love. But he shows mercy as he wills (Luke 1:50). God loves the sinner whether he repents or not. But his mercy is conditioned on repentance. This does not mean that God gives mercy grudgingly. He is abundant in mercy (Eph. 2:4; 1 Peter 1:3), but in his righteousness he can show mercy only upon conditions of his own choosing. “Mercy is love expressing itself in forgiveness and remission of penalty from the guilty” (Mullins) who repent of their sins (Luke 18:13).

In the New Testament “mercy” renders a word (28 times in N.T., verb form 31 times) meaning “kindness or good will towards the miserable and afflicted, joined with a desire to relieve them” (Thayer). It is used of men toward men (Matt. 9:13; 12:7; James 2:13). More often it speaks of God's attitude toward men (Luke 1:50; 1 Tim. 1:2; Titus 1:4). Specifically it speaks of God's desire to give salvation through Christ (Luke 1:54; Rom. 15:9; Eph. 2:4-5). Twice it refers to the mercy that Christ will show to believers in the judgment (2 Tim. 1:18; Jude 21).

According to E. Y. Mullins, mercy alone does not show the fulness of God's love. This is seen in grace. “Mercy and grace are the negative and positive aspects of love toward the sinful. Mercy takes the bitter cup of penalty and pain from the hand of the guilty and empties it. Grace fills it to the brim with blessings. Mercy spares the object; grace claims it for its own. Mercy rescues from peril; grace imparts a new nature and bestows a new standing. Mercy is God's love devising a way of escape. Grace is the same love devising ways of transforming its object into the divine likeness and enabling it to share the divine blessedness.”

The divine order in God's love to repentant sinners is “grace, mercy, and peace” (1 Tim. 1:2). And it is all through Christ.

“Grace” (Greek, charis) is one of the greatest words in human language. In classical Greek it sometimes means “sweetness, charm, or loveliness.” It often referred to a favor done out of generosity (always to one's friends) with no thought of a return. In the New Testament “grace” in this sense refers to the generous act of God toward his enemies (Rom. 3:23-26; 5:1-10).

The word for “grace” (charis) appears 156 times in the New Testament. In the Gospels it is found only in Luke (8 times, translated once as “grace,” 2:40) and John (1:14-17). It is a favorite word of Paul, appearing in his epistles 102 times.

The history of this word is most revealing: (1) to make a gift, (2) to forgive a debt, (3) to forgive a wrong, (4) to forgive sin. Basically, then, grace means a gift (cf. Rom. 3:24; 6:23; Eph. 2:8). In the sense of redemption, grace is the unmerited favor of God bestowed on the sinner through the merits of Christ (John 1:14,16-17). C. E. Autrey defines grace as “something which God does for a sinner that no one else or nothing else can do for him.” In the New Testament “grace” is contrasted with “works” (Eph. 2:8-10). If salvation is by grace it cannot be by works in any sense, for this would be a negation of the meaning of grace. Regeneration is by grace alone. But God's grace uses the works of a Christian in producing the kind of Christian character which he designs for each believer.

The word “grace” is often used in greetings by New Testament writers to express the sum total of God's spiritual blessings (Rom. 1:7; 16:20; 1 Cor. 1:3; Gal. 1:3). “Grace” in this sense is sometimes used with “peace” (cf. Rom. 1:7; Eph. 1:2), combining the Greek and the Hebrew words of greeting. “Grace” is also used in the sense of monetary gifts (1 Cor. 16:3, liberality) or of abilities which are due to the grace of God (Eph. 4:7). A kindred word (charisma) is used in this latter sense only by Paul (Rom. 12:6; 1 Cor. 1:7; save one example in 1 Peter 4:10).

The term “falling from grace” is a misnomer. “Ye are fallen from grace” (Gal. 5:4) literally means “ye are fallen away from grace.” The context clearly means “ye left the sphere of grace in Christ and took your stand in the sphere of law” (Robertson). In Hebrews 12:15 the sense of “grace” refers not to redemption but to the realization of all spiritual blessings or to realize the goal of one's Christian life (Thayer).

Will of God

The will of God is an expression of the life of God. God's life is expressed in his activity of thought, feeling, and will (Ezra 7:18; John 1:13; Rom. 12:2).

Two verbs are rendered in the New Testament for “willing.” Boulomai refers to deliberate will or purpose (Mark 15:15; Acts 5:28,33). Thel is related to resolve or purpose (Rom. 9:16). Thayer distinguishes between them by saying that the former seems to designate the will which follows deliberation, the latter the will which proceeds from inclination. Authorities are disagreed on the distinction, and at times they seem to be used interchangeably. But Thayer lists thel ma (noun of thel ) as referring to God's purpose to bless mankind through Christ (Acts 22:14; Eph. 1:9; Col. 1:9). It is also used to express that which God wishes for man to do (Rom. 12:2; Col. 4:12). The primary word used to refer to God's will is thel and its derivatives (Matt. 6:10; 8:2; 9:13; 26:39; John 4:34).

The will of God may be regarded severally. His judicial will is his commandments (cf. Ex. 20). God's punitive will relates to the consequences of sin (Rom. 6:23). Distinction should be made between God's will as causing a thing or permitting it (Job 1:12; 2:6). Even in his permissive will God sets limits beyond which such shall not be done. This explains much of the tragedy of life. God does not cause such, but on occasion he permits it in that he does not perform a miracle to prevent it. Many such events occur when we violate God's will, not because he wills them (Luke 19:41 ff.; cf. Ex. 8:15).

The will of God may be regarded as intentional, circumstantial, and ultimate. God intends only good for man (Gen. 1:27-28; 2:15-17). But circumstances arise which bring the opposite result (Gen. 3; Job 1-2; 2 Cor. 12:7 ff.). In such God wills that we shall so conduct ourselves as to glorify him. And he sustains us in them (2 Cor. 12:9). God's ultimate will is that God's intentional will ultimately shall be done (Job 42:10 ff.; cf. Gen. 3:15; John 3:16; Rom. 8:28).

The will of God the Father and God the Son were/are one (John 4:34; cf. Matt. 26:42). Jesus taught us to pray, “Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven” (Matt. 6:10). The will of God may not always be easy, but it is always right. George W. Truett was fond of saying that to know the will of God is the greatest knowledge, and to do the will of God is the greatest achievement.

Foreknowledge of God

The foreknowledge of God is based upon his omniscience or all knowledge. Since the Bible views God as present at all times and all places contemporaneously in his universe, he knows all things simultaneously. Thus he foreknows all things before they occur.

The Greek verb “foreknow” (progin sko) occurs five times in the New Testament where it is variously translated (Acts 26:5, know; Rom. 8:29; 11:2, foreknow; 1 Peter 1:20, foreordain; 2 Pet. 3:17, know before). The noun “foreknowledge” is used twice (Acts 2:23; 1 Peter 1:2).

There are three principal positions in theology with regard to this doctrine. Calvinists hold that since God has willed what will happen in the future, he knows that it will happen. Arminians insist that while man is free, God knows his choices in advance. Socinians contend that God knows all that is knowable, but that events determined by man's free choice are unknowable.

Two questions arise out of the first and third positions. First, does God's foreknowledge of an event predetermine its occurrence? The answer is “no.” To foreknow an automobile accident does not cause it. God's foreknowledge of man's sin does not necessitate it. Or else it is not a matter of free choice, and it makes God the author of evil. God does not cause evil in any sense, nor does he will it. He permits it in that he does not intervene to prevent it. But to say that God wills it, therefore it must be, is to ignore the holy nature of God.

Second, does man's free choice rule out the foreknowledge of God? Those holding this view insist that foreknowledge is based upon a chain of antecedent events which determine the final result. That free choice is not determined by antecedent events, else it is not free choice. Therefore, God cannot foreknow the choice.

But God's omniscience is not serially obtained. “God knows immediately and directly without the need of inference from antecedent motives” (Mullins). Otherwise, God could not control and guide his universe to his purposeful ends. “Other wills, not his own, would fix the course of events and the destiny of his creatures” (Mullins). The Bible teaches that God does foreknow man's choices (cf. Job 1:8 ff.).

The New Testament uses of foreknowledge relate it to both sin and salvation. Foreknowing man's sin God had a foreknowledge of the cross (Acts 2:23). But his foreknowledge did not itself cause them. Because he foreknew sin, he also foreknew the cross, his remedy for sin. Foreknowledge is also related to election (1 Peter 1:2). This refers to the election of individuals only in the sense that God foreknew who would receive or reject his provision for sin (cf. Rom. 8:29a). But even God's foreknowledge leaves man free and responsible in his choice.

The Bible does not try to harmonize God's sovereignty and man's free will with respect to his foreknowledge. It assumes them both to be true. This is a mystery to our finite minds but not to the infinite mind of an omniscient God.

Providence of God

The word “providence” appears only once in the Scriptures (Acts 24:2, KJV), and that is in reference to a political ruler. But the word is suggestive of the broader and more extensive providence of God.

This English word is derived from the Latin pro (forward) and videre (to see), hence provide. Thus it means to see forward or ahead. Note the word “provision,” supplying in advance, especially food. The word “providence” may be understood as “provide-ence.”

The Greek word rendered “providence” is pronoia, forethought (Acts 24:2). Its verb form is pronoe , to know or think beforehand (Rom. 12:17; 2 Cor. 8:21; 1 Tim. 5:8).

E. Y. Mullins defines the providence of God as “his control or direction of the universe toward the end which he has chosen.” It involves the creation (Gen. 1:1,27) and care of both the natural universe and man as God guides both to his spiritual ends.

Thus God's providence is related to his divine purpose in his control of the universe (Eph. 3:11). It involves God's sovereignty as expressed in the physical (Gen. 1:3-31) and moral laws of the universe (Ex. 20:1 ff.). But it respects man's freedom, else God would be responsible for evil (Gen. 3:1 ff.). It speaks of both God's transcendence and immanence with respect to the universe. He is above nature and man. Yet he is concerned and involved in both. This presupposes both miracles and natural events (Mal. 3:11) in God's operation.

The providence of God encompasses the race (Matt. 5:45) as well as individuals (Matt. 6:25 ff.; 10:29-31). To accomplish his purpose God uses both nations (Isa. 45:1 ff.) and individuals (Gen. 12:1 ff.). This is especially seen in the nation Israel (Ex. 19:1 ff.) and in the church (1 Peter 2:9 ff.).

God's providence does not pre-empt the possibility of evil in nature and man. But he overrules the evil as he pursues his purpose (Rom. 8:28). The ultimate purpose of God is expressed in the redemption of the universe (2 Peter 3:13) and man (Eph. 3:9; 1 Tim. 2:4). But men are not saved as a race. Only those are saved who come to God through faith in Jesus Christ (John 3:16).

The providence of God envisions a redeemed universe (Rom. 8:19-23) and people (Rev. 5:9) wherein “God may be all in all” (1 Cor. 15:27-28).