I Timothy 2:2-3 - Good and Acceptable

v 3 “For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;”
v 4 “Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.”
{I Timothy 2:3-4}

What is good and acceptable to God is to pray for all men, without any difference of nationality, age, or religion. This is, because the Lord by calling all men and women knows that indeed some of those called are the greatest enemies to the cross. Prayer for all churches and civil authorities is good in itself, because it is useful to the Kingdom and to the public at large, and it is acceptable in the sight of our Father and our Saviour, Jesus. Prayer is of the highest sanction and highest character, it is good and well pleasing to our Father. Because the Father desires the salvation of all men, he wills that all men should be prayed for. In the face of such a declaration, how can any Christian soul suppose that God ever unconditionally and eternally condemned any man? Those men who already believe they are condemned have little knowledge of the nature of GOD. The truth-the Gospel of Jesus Christ should be proclaimed to them. It is the duty and honor of all who know it, to diffuse it far and wide, and when it is made known, then it is the duty of those who hear it to acknowledge it and receive it. If they receive it as the truth, and make it the rule of their faith {lives}, then we have done the Fathers will and he and He alone through his grace will save that mans soul and bring them into eternal life. Christ gave himself as a ransom for all, showing once and for all that God desires their salvation.

‘Who will have all men to be saved‘. This is, in accordance with our Fathers nature, his feelings, and his desires. His word can be taken here in the absolute sense, denoting a decree like that by which he spoke and willed the creation of the world, for then it would certainly be done. Thus it may be said of God that he "desires” that his creation {man} may be happy, because it is in accordance with his nature, and because he has made abundant provision for their happiness, though it is not true that he wills happiness in the sense that he exerts his absolute power to make them happy. Again God wills that sickness should be relieved, and sorrow mitigated, and that the oppressed should go free, because it is agreeable to his nature; though it is not true that he wills these things in the sense that he exerts his absolute power to produce it. A parent wills the welfare of his child. This is human nature, and we make every arrangement for it. If that child is not virtuous and happy, it is that child’s own fault. So God desires that all men should be saved., it is part of his benevolent nature. He has made ample provision for it. He uses all proper means to secure your salvation, he uses no positive means to prevent it. If you are not saved it will be your own fault. We are to blame if we are not saved. If God did not wish our salvation, and if he had made no provision for it, you could not be blamed if you rejected the gospel. If God desires it, and has made provision for it, and you are not saved, the sin must be your own, and it is a great sin, for there is no greater crime which you can commit than to destroy your own soul, and to make yourself an eternal enemy of your Creator.

God’s salvation is be offered to all men, and if the Father desires it, his ministers should announce that desire, since He desires it, it is not proper for his ministers to announce anything contrary to this. The means by which God would have all men to be saved is namely by coming to the knowledge of the truth. It is a lie from the author of all lies, by which some confidently affirm, that a man may be saved in any religion, NO, he cannot come to salvation but by the knowledge of the truth; without the knowledge of the Father and faith in His Son.