Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord GOD: and not that he should return from his ways, and live?... For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord GOD: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye. (Ezekiel 18:23)
Say unto them, 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: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel? (Ezekiel 33:11)
And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead. (Acts 17:30,31).
In Ezekiel God plainly declares that He has absolutely no pleasure in the death of the wicked, therefore He repeats that three times. And because He has no pleasure in the death of the wicked, He exhorts the house of Israel (all of Israel without exception) to repent -- turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways.
But God does not stop with the nation of Israel. He now commands ALL MEN EVERYWHERE TO REPENT. And since repentance is an essential response to the Gospel, this means God offers salvation to all human beings who will repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 16:20,31).
Without faith in the Person of Christ and His finished work of redemption, there can be no salvation. But neither can their be salvation without repentance. Thus Peter’s command to all Jews on the day of Pentecost: Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. (Acts 2:38)
This is why the Great Commission was given to the Church. The primary responsibility of Christians is to make every effort, and take every opportunity, to bring the Gospel to those millions and billions who are without Christ. The secondary responsibility of Christians is to disciple those who are converted, and ensure that they begin their new life by obedience to Christ in believer’s baptism.
There are many who mistakenly believe that people can ignore God’s conditions for salvation and yet enter Heaven. Those are the Universalists. Then there are others who believe that God bars access to Heaven for those who are not “the elect”. Those are the Calvinists.
But the Good News (the Gospel) is what the Lord Jesus Christ Himself has said, and those are the only words which count (John 3:14-21):
14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:
15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
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.
17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
Say unto them, 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: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel? (Ezekiel 33:11)
And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead. (Acts 17:30,31).
In Ezekiel God plainly declares that He has absolutely no pleasure in the death of the wicked, therefore He repeats that three times. And because He has no pleasure in the death of the wicked, He exhorts the house of Israel (all of Israel without exception) to repent -- turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways.
But God does not stop with the nation of Israel. He now commands ALL MEN EVERYWHERE TO REPENT. And since repentance is an essential response to the Gospel, this means God offers salvation to all human beings who will repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 16:20,31).
Without faith in the Person of Christ and His finished work of redemption, there can be no salvation. But neither can their be salvation without repentance. Thus Peter’s command to all Jews on the day of Pentecost: Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. (Acts 2:38)
This is why the Great Commission was given to the Church. The primary responsibility of Christians is to make every effort, and take every opportunity, to bring the Gospel to those millions and billions who are without Christ. The secondary responsibility of Christians is to disciple those who are converted, and ensure that they begin their new life by obedience to Christ in believer’s baptism.
There are many who mistakenly believe that people can ignore God’s conditions for salvation and yet enter Heaven. Those are the Universalists. Then there are others who believe that God bars access to Heaven for those who are not “the elect”. Those are the Calvinists.
But the Good News (the Gospel) is what the Lord Jesus Christ Himself has said, and those are the only words which count (John 3:14-21):
14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:
15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
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.
17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.