What Does It Mean That God Desires All People To Be Saved?

Is it considered a desire if I only have a strong feeling of wanting? Do I need to do anything to make my desire a desire? If I volunteer to incur all the expenses for my family does this make it a desire when before it wasn't?

What if I only volunteered to pay for some family members?

It is simply to understand the nature of what is entailed in a desire and what is not.

I am asking for unbiased thought.

The desire has to mutual i would imagine there's truth in belief that true desire as in the heart of Christ for a person begins at 40. You know the saying life begins at 40, because thats how long the father taught the 12 tribes of Israel about life and it's desires.

So your Question of does God have to do anything for you to desire is he allready has it's up to you if you volunteer.
You just have to live your life, and at some point with all the knowledge that's in the would there should be some point where you feal as if you want to volunteer.

What Does It Mean That God Desires All People To Be Saved?

Sounds pretty straightforward to me, but I will read your OP.


God's love and desire for fellowship did not start only 2000 years ago. It is the reason He created us in the first place.


It's not that way with God. It is His desire that none should perish, but that all should choose to come. He died for all. He bought everyone a ticket. It is sad that many will just throw it in the trash.



God's nature is love towards all men, but when they reject it, His justice requires negative consequences.
2 Peter 3:9
“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”


Our own personal thoughts on this matter are irrelevant. The Bible is crystal clear on these things. We follow the Word of God, not the thoughts of men. Sorry if that sounds harsh, but we must stand on the solid rock of God's Word, and it alone.

If it is true that the giving of Himself is God's greatest gift, then the uttermost in giving Himself would be to give it to everyone possible. But not everyone experiences God this way.

You are ignoring the fact that God is not only LOVE but He is also LIGHT. Which means that God is both merciful and also just. God has made it crystal clear that ONLY THOSE WHO OBEY THE GOSPEL shall be saved. So don't try and put it on God if people refuse to obey the Gospel or reject the Gospel. That is their choice and they must face the consequences.

If you would have taken the time to read all my posts you would know I'm not blaming God.

You are the one who said "But not everyone experiences God this way." That is in fact blaming God.

Let's suppose I am going on a trip. I make all the arrangements, set a date, and wait. But I also would like it to be a family excursion. I desire their company.

Is it considered a desire if I only have a strong feeling of wanting? Do I need to do anything to make my desire a desire? If I volunteer to incur all the expenses for my family does this make it a desire when before it wasn't? What if I only volunteered to pay for some family members? Does this affect whether it is a desire or lessen the desire to have the company of my family?

I ask these questions so they will be top of mind when asking the same questions about God's desire that all people are saved? Can God's desire for the salvation of people be independent of people? Does God have to do anything for people in order for His desire to be genuine? If so, does He have to act equally towards all people for His desire to be real?

I'm not attempting to offer this as proof of one set of ideas over another. It is simply to understand the nature of what is entailed in a desire and what is not. Consequently, and perhaps impossibly, I am asking for unbiased thought. I am asking that as you consider the question, you set aside, as much as is possible, how you would answer based on your other held beliefs, and consider the question independently from other doctrine.

Thanks. And I look forward to your responses.

You are just trying to unnecessarily complicate things. "God desires all people (all mankind) to be saved" speaks for itself. God offers salvation to all -- "whosoever" -- meaning anyone and everyone regardless of nationality, ethnicity, gender, or degree of wickedness.

the problem is some members of your family do not want to join you or enjoy your company, some of them plan to go part way and then kill you and take over the whole excursion.

you do or do not believe God's desire requires an action on His part?

How do you reconcile that God's nature towards all is love when in Romans 9 he says Jacob have I loved and Esau have I hated?

this may be a most unhelpful idea, and if so i do ask your forgiveness...

... but what if we flip it around? what if the question becomes is it God's desire for humans to sin?
i think we can apply your further questions to it still?

ps-- imo post 2 shoulda been a mic drop

God's love prompted many actions down through the ages... acts of grace and mercy. The greatest of all was when He gave His only begotten Son for the sins of everyone.


Jacob and Esau, in that context, are used as Old Testament symbols that represent righteousness and sin. God loves righteousness and hates sin. Gods loves all as individuals. That includes Esau and Judas. It even includes me.

For the record, I don't believe God has to act on a desire.

How do you reconcile that God's nature towards all is love when in Romans 9 he says Jacob have I loved and Esau have I hated?

God has made the uttermost in provision for salvation in that He gave Himself.

the uttermost in giving Himself would be to give it to everyone possible.

But not everyone experiences God this way.

Yet God remains able to do so. So in experience or application there are some who don't experience God's uttermost who conceivably could.

It's not that way with God. It is His desire that none should perish, but that all should choose to come. He died for all. He bought everyone a ticket. It is sad that many will just throw it in the trash.

That's right. What he did not do was force His gift upon us. God has OFFERED salvation to all men.

God's desire for something is not about His actions but the desire He has towards the actions of the other.