Does God Desire Salvation For All?

There is a certain verse of Scripture, that is consistantly taken out of context, that results in unbiblical theology.

The certain verse is here:

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.

Now many people read that verse, and come away saying "God is not willing that any (meaning any human being) should be lost". From that point of view, they can then support the teaching that God extends salvation to all human beings, and leaves the choice to actually get saved, in the hands of man.

Problem is, none of that is true, because it's all based on a misinterpreted verse, to begin with.

2Peter was written by Peter to "them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ" (2Peter 1:1) The "brethren" (2Peter 1:10), the "beloved" (2Peter 3:1) and finally "us-ward" (2Peter 3:9). In summary, this passage of Scripture was written to believers, period. Peter was NOT addressing a mixed crowd of saved and unsaved, faithful and unfaithful alike, but to a specific group of people - those like-minded in faith.

What Peter was addressing in this specific verse, was the activity he mentions in verse 3, scoffers showing up and mocking the promise made of His return - in verse 9, Peter reminds the believers he was addressing, that the Lord is not slack, or too slow, to fulfill His promise, as some men might be, but that His promise stands.

Where Peter reminds the faithful that God is longsuffering toward "us-ward" is where alot of folks miss the intended target of the verse. By that very word, Peter is eliminating all human beings, and specifically addressing a key group of people, "us-ward". By us-ward he is saying believers, the faithful, the brethren, the beloved.

Peter goes on to say, that in God's longsuffering of "us-ward" He was not willing that any should perish - let me clarify right there, Peter is STILL talking about believers - NOT - all human beings. Further, Peter reminds the receivers of this letter that in God's longsuffering, and because of His unwillingness that any of THEM should perish, He brought each of them to repentance.

Peter was reminding these people that it was by the power of God, and by the grace of God, that any of them were walking by faith to begin with, and that it was also by that same power that they should hold fast to what they had been taught, about His return (in the light of the scoffers mentioned in verse 3).

Peter goes even further in his exhortation to BELIEVERS, and what kind of lives we should be living, BECAUSE of that promise, and BECAUSE of God's mercy on us, in the next many verses (if you read it without the numbered verse seperations, you'll see how Peter's thought is a solid, flowing text, and not chopped into sections).

So if the verse is read in context, pertaining to what those believers were dealing with in their day, and why Peter said what he said, you will easily see that he was never addressing the unsaved at all, he was addressing believers, ONLY. And if you really think about Peter's words, they would certainly fall on deaf ears if shared with the unsaved anyway, since the unsaved have no peace in the power, grace, and promise of the return of Christ.

The only time these words of Peter would 'quicken' the hearts of the unsaved, would be if they were already being convicted to repent of their sin.

In summation, the Bible does NOT teach, in this verse, or any other, that God is not willing that any human being should perish - since many have, and many will, die in their sins, which would be theologically, doctrinally, and logically impossible, if it were against God's determined will for them.

Additional notes and Scripture:

1599 Geneva Bible: The Lord will surely come, because he has promised: and neither sooner nor later than he has promised.A reason why the last day does not come too soon, because God patiently waits until all the elect are brought to repentance, that none of them may perish.

Gill's Notes: Not any of the 'us', whom he has loved with an everlasting love, whom he has chosen in his Son, and given to him, and for whom he has died, and who are brought to believe in him. These, though they were lost in Adam, did not perish; and though in their own apprehensions, when awakened and convinced, are ready to perish; and though their peace, joy, and comfort, may perish for a while, and they may fear a final and total perishing; yet they shall never perish as others do, or be punished with everlasting destruction.

And that this is the will of God, appears by his choice of them to salvation; by the provisions of grace for them in an everlasting covenant; by the security of their persons in the hands of Christ; by sending his Son to obtain salvation for them, and his Spirit to apply it to them; and by his keeping them by his power,through faith, unto salvation.

Supporting Scripture verses:

Luke 18:7-8, Romans 9:22, 1 Timothy 2:4,John 10:27, John 10:4,Psalms 1:6, John 6:37