Its All About Souls for the Loving God

God is a Savior. He is referred to such at least 30 times in Scripture. There is nothing in Scripture more hopeful than God’s desire for man to be saved (1 Timothy 2:4). The study of salvation is soteriology (from the word soter)—its God’s favorite topic.

God is in the saving business. Jesus came to obey the Father’s commands (John 5:30; 12:49; 15:15)—one of them was to “seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). Man’s sin (Genesis 3) prompted God to save (Genesis 3:15). Divinely, God must attempt to save. He must extend to reach His hand. Not as a debtor, but as a Savior. A part of God’s nature is to do as much as He can without violating free will, to save anyone and everyone. It is literally against His nature to cheer on the lost (Ezekiel 33:11; 2 Peter 3:9). It defies His whole purpose to do absolutely nothing for man’s sinful condition. Even when God knows that some men will never choose Him, He still must provide an opportunity as if they would. He cannot wage before He warns.

If God had a profession, He’d be a doctor. If He drove a car, it would be an ambulance. If He had a hobby, He’d volunteer. He came to help the sick (Mark 2:17). There is nothing that delights God more than to see souls that are saved (Luke 15:10). Redemptions sweet story is literally sweet to Him (Ephesians 5:2). When we look at the Bible as a Deity’s desire to save men from Hell, the more we grow in awe at His character. The Bible is the true origin of species. It provides us with our history. It shows us God’s direct involvement in order to bring about His promises. We don’t want to miss however, that in the midst of God’s plan to bring ultimate redemption, He was working to bring people to Him every time. The Bible is God’s list of conversions and non-conversions, and also a record of how hard God worked to show people His love.

God is always at work behind the scenes unobserved by fleshly eyes. His interworking’s behind the curtain are “too wonderful…” (Psalm 139:6 to use the Psalmist's words) to explain. While we must resort to Pauline language when referring to God’s providence (“perhaps” [Philemon 15]), we can know that God’s main purpose for everything He does is soul winning. When we look at the Bible through God’s converting lens, we will be able to see His purpose clearer than ever before. While God has not saved everybody, He has given anybody the same opportunity to reach for Him (Acts 17:27). The following are times in which we might say that God "perhaps" did something to help save mankind's soul.

God Uses Time (Genesis 6:3).

God is the world’s timekeeper. He made the clock and knows exactly what happens for every second the hand moves. In Noah’s day, the world was running out of time. Day by day, evil continued to breed until everything man did was evil (Genesis 6:5). Mankind shot arrows into God’s heart due to their sin (Genesis 6:6). What did God do? He did what He always does; He sought to save them. He said in verse 3 “My spirit shall not always strive with man (justice-NO), for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years (grace-NO).” For these nearly a billion souls, God let them have a 120 year calendar!

As minutes passed to days, days to years, and years to decades, nothing changed. Instead, these sinners kept on sinning (Matthew 24:37-39). Little did they know that their time would be up soon, and that God’s hand was present through His preacher Noah (2 Peter 2:5). Did they talk to Noah about God and His incoming wrath at the supermarket? Maybe Noah invited some co-workers over for a study, only to have them leave in a rage. Did Noah stand at a pulpit to persuade people about God’s impatience, or did He preach a sermon entitled “You’re Time is Running Out?” Whatever Noah did, he was an example to the world about God’s providential desire to save them. God was right there where He had always been, and He was pleading with these people to change.

He even made a boat big enough to house more than eight souls (Genesis 6:15). Anyone could have gotten a free ride if they just would have come before the clock struck twelve. There was room and God was ready to bless them. God was captain of the ship. He was inside (Genesis 7:1) and all who came to Him would find peace. He was waiting to save, but no one came.

Unfortunately, God could only add eight people to His saved list. He tried, but the people would not listen. He gave them 1,036,800 hours to talk to Noah about turning to God. They didn’t listen. He gave them 6,240 weeks to contemplate whether they would repent or not. They didn’t change. He would have let them repent, even up to minute 62,207,995[1]--but they didn’t. God was rooting for them and they let Him down. He had no choice but to bring the rain (Genesis 7-8).

God Uses Family (Genesis 19:12-14).

God loves family members; He knows how influential they can be. Noah saved his own family and perhaps the same mode could be used here. God was fed up with Sodom. They were modeling their antediluvian ancestors. Their homosexuality (Genesis 19:5) and pride (Ezekiel 16:49) were enough for a holy God. What did God do? He did what any holy God would do—He got His people out and tried to save more.

Lot entered Sodom to his own demise and thankfully got out before he became one of them. Two angels were sent by God to bring Lot and his family out (Genesis 19:1). After the miraculous punishment against the riotous immoral abusers (Genesis 19:10-11), they urged the Lots to get out of the city. But God had others on his radar too. Perhaps Lot’s family members would be convinced to leave too. Maybe they could be saved from destruction. God had to try! But Lot’s sons in law thought he was crazy and refused to accept the invitation. They had representatives come to the door and offer hope—and they laughed in their face. They could have been saved but they were entirely lost. They met fire in mere moments (Genesis 18:24), were thrust into fire in torments (Luke 16:23), and will be cast into everlasting fire at the great day (Matthew 25:41; Revelation 20:14-15). They could not say that God never knocked.

God Uses Power (Exodus 7:5; 8:10; 9:14-16, 20; 12:12, 38).

God is the “Almighty”—He wears this t-shirt 57 times in the Bible. His power is infinite (Revelation 19:6), but God is limited by free will. He cannot change hearts against another’s decision, but He can use His power to convince people to come to Him. This is what He did in Egypt…and it worked!

God wanted to save His people from captivity. He had to; this was in His nature (Exodus 2:23-25; 3:7-9). He sent Moses and Aaron to fulfill His will. Due to Pharoah’s stubbornness (Exodus 5:2), God decided to manifest His power to Egypt through ten miraculous plagues. His goal was not only to save His people but that “the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD” (Exodus 7:5). He wanted these idolatrous polytheists to “know that there is none like unto the LORD our God” (Exodus 8:10; cf. 12:12). He then said, “I will at this time send all my plagues upon thine heart, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people; that thou mayest know that there is none like me in all the earth. For now I will stretch out my hand, that I may smite thee and thy people with pestilence; and thou shalt be cut off from the earth. And in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up, for to shew in thee my power; and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth” (Exodus 9:14-16, emp. mine, NO). God did not just have Israel’s salvation in mind; He wanted Egypt to have an opportunity to know Him too.

Beautifully, some listened and feared God (Exodus 9:20). Others, joined Israel after the plagues (Exodus 12:38). Egypt would never be the same again. Maybe those who stayed became worshippers. Perhaps some burned their idols. What we do know is that God showed them who He was, giving them an opportunity to come to Him. A savior-like act indeed.

God Uses Mail (Joshua 2:10).

God is a mailman. He loves using Every Door Direct Mail to show every household His 66 letters. But He doesn’t do it without aids! He loves employing mail helpers to fulfill the mission. In the Old Testament days, God used similar means to carry His worldwide message. Someone took God’s mail to Rahab a harlot’s house. She heard about God somehow!

Israel was about to enter into the land of promise, but before they did, they had to do some conquering. God knew exactly who needed to be expelled (Exodus 34:11) and He knew who would accept His invitation. Nations had heard about God’s wonderful deeds. They knew about His plagues and aquatic miracle at the Red Sea. They heard about his destruction of Sihon and Og. God mailed the world a letter—Rahab chose to read it.

Rahab hid these two spies sent by Joshua (Joshau 2:1-8) and knew that her city would be destroyed. She “read” about what God had done and wanted to be spared. She knew she needed to trust God, in fact, she declared it so: “And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for the LORD your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath” (Joshua 2:11). God knew she would confess this; He saw it before the message arrived to her door. God used word of mouth to cause belief in a harlot and the spies were their to confirm her rescue. God was interested in a harlot’s soul and He saved her (Joshua 6:17). God cared about Israel’s entrance into Canaan as this was a step in His ultimate plan, but He also cared about souls along the way who needed to hear about Him too. If Rahab remained faithful, she is Heaven but also because God loved her.

God Uses Famines (Ruth 1:1, 17-18).

God is good all the time, even when it doesn’t seem like it. God can turn any situation into something good, especially if that good is for souls. What might not seem important to us in the story, may be a critical detail from the Author. One of these critical details may have involved a famine (Ruth 1:1).

During the Judges period, a certain family from Bethlehem-Judah decided to leave and go east of the Dead Sea. The father was Elimelech, the mother Naomi, and the sons Mahlon and Chilion (Ruth 1:1-3). The two sons marry two women Ruth and Orpah who both were past idolatrous Moabites (Ruth 1:4) but after a few years they both died. Left without an heir or husband, Naomi sought to return home to her family (Ruth 1:6-7). She urged both of her daughters-in-law to go home (Ruth 1:8-14)—one of them left, one of them stayed. Inspirationally, this is not just a warm, familial story; it’s a conversion story. God was working to bring about a soul to Him.

Ruth’s confession shows her conversion. “And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me” (Ruth 1:16-17, emp. mine, NO). Her sister-in-law forsook an opportunity to come to God (Ruth 1:15). How was God working here? Might it have been that He used the famine to bring these Israelites to Ruth? Ruth became a follower of God, all because of a famine! God was bringing souls from Moab to Him and He did it through a famine. What unorthodox thing might God use today to save a soul? He might do whatever it takes.  

God Uses Leprosy (2 Kings 5:15-17).

God had strict rules for those with leprosy (Leviticus 14:57). Leprosy was sometimes a terminal illness. Even in non-life-threatening cases it was still shameful. Naaman is a classic case of God’s using sicknesses as a conversion tool! God touched Naaman with His divine hand, something no human would ever do. God touched him though because He cared about Him (cf. Luke 5:13).  

Naaman was a captain of Syria (2 Kings 5:1). Israel was taken captive by Syria and specifically, Naaman had taken a little Israelite maid (2 Kings 5:2). She told him about Elisha who could help Naaman recover (2 Kings 5:3-4). Naaman eventually came to Elisha, and after denying his first request at being cleansed, he submitted to the plan at Jordan (2 Kings 5:8-14). He became cleansed and reacted as a converted man: “And he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and came, and stood before him: and he said, Behold, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel: now therefore, I pray thee, take a blessing of thy servant…And Naaman said, Shall there not then, I pray thee, be given to thy servant two mules' burden of earth? for thy servant will henceforth offer neither burnt offering nor sacrifice unto other gods, but unto the LORD” (2 Kings 5:15, 17, emp. mine, NO). God used Naaman’s sickness to bring him to Him. God cured Naaman of two diseases: leprosy and perhaps of sin (if his confession is genuine).

When no one else would touch Naaman God extended His hand and cleansed his soul. Cleansing Naaman’s leprosy was not number one on God’s list—this was just something He did along the way. God wanted His soul and Naaman likely gave it to him! He knew Naaman could be saved and perhaps it was only through leprosy could God have led him to be saved.

God Uses Politics (Esther 8:17).

God can do mighty wonders with bad people—even politicians. Most if not all politicians in the modern world have no respect for God; yet God may be using them for His good. Remember, God is in the saving business, not the economic business. Everything He does surrounds souls—even if He must put a young Jewish girl in power to do it.  

It had been over 50 years since Persia overtook Babylon. Xerxes found himself on the throne and in need of a queen. He had disposed of Vashti for her refusal to engage in unlawful sexual practices (Esther 1). God moved Esther to the throne (Esther 2:17). It was not too long after that Haman crafted a genocidal plan to destroy the Jews. The Queen’s courageous and direct actions destroyed wicked Haman’s plot. Chapter 8 records Esther’s request for the king’s creation of a new law which led to a statute of self-protection (Esther 8:10-12). The Jews were protected by God’s wonderful providence—but they were not the only ones. God saw other innocent souls who may accept His call.  

This political, positive interworking became a light to the Persian people—many of them became Jews (Esther 8:17). While some believe this was a mere tactic to elicit acceptance from the Jews, it is probable that some at least were sincere. Even if they were fearful at the beginning, God can turn fear into faith quickly! It wasn’t just about preservation of a nation to God; it was about salvation from damnation! It didn’t matter whether these Persians had taken His people. They had been previous idolators but God cared about their present. God did not blink when He saw an opportunity to lead people to Heaven, even in a land of immorality.

God Uses Sin (Jonah 1:16).

God is opposed to sin. He hates it with a passion—but He can use it to bring people to Him. God never sins to accomplish His goals, but He might use sinful situations to manifest His glory. Sometimes God shines the brightest when sin is at the darkest, even when God’s servants are the culprits!

We know the story of Jonah and God’s mercy toward Nineveh, but we might forget that God had some prospects in mind long before Jonah walked toward Ninevah. The book of Jonah is introduced to him doing the opposite of what God commissioned him to. He travelled about 2,000 miles away from Ninevah (Jonah 1:1-3). He was likely opposed to helping the sinful Assyrians, seeing they were crueler than any people at the time. Jonah thought he could get away from his preaching appointment, but God had other plans in mind. Jonah didn’t realize that God was saving people on a boat!

Jonah’s ship met a ferocious storm and the crewman wondered what prompted such a feat. Jonah was asked about his God to which he finally humbled himself and told his shipmen that it was His God that was doing this. Eventually, they threw him off the boat at his request and soon after, the sea stopped raging (Jonah 1:15). The crewmen were on the front row to God’s awesome display of aquatic power. Did God know they would turn to Him? Did God know that the men would fear and offer sacrifices to Him (Jonah 1:16)? God didn’t NEED Jonah to be faithful to save other souls—He’s too powerful for that.

God Uses Preachers (Daniel).

One preacher said that “God loves all His children, but preachers are His favorite.” Because God is in the soul-winning business, it is no surprise that He commissions preachers (Romans 10:14-18). God has always used preachers to spread His message (Luke 24:48-49; Acts 8:29; 9:6), even a young preacher in Babylon.

Daniel was one of the eunuch’s pulled from his homeland (Daniel 1:1-7). He was only 15-20. He would soon become one of Babylon’s greatest influencers. But why is Daniel a book of the Bible? Did God want us to have a glimpse into Babylonian lifestyle? Did He want us to see His hand was working with His people even in a foreign land? Did God want us to see that His prophecy would come to pass, as Daniel read Jeremiah (Daniel 9:2). We wonder if God also wanted to show us a conversion story too. 

Nebuchadnezzar was a fierce king. He was quick-tempered and unmoved by murder (Daniel 2:5-12; 3:13-23). He was also prideful (Daniel 4:30). He was a typical Babylon king on both the inside and outside, but God perhaps saw something more. He used three miraculous events to display His awesome power to the king. He used:

• Miraculous knowledge (Daniel 2:27-46).

• Miraculous power (Daniel 3:24-27).

• Miraculous change (Daniel 4:31-33).

After each of these occurrences, Nebuchadnezzar seemed to get closer to God a little more (Daniel 2:47; 3:29; 4:2-3, 34-37). He began to realize that God was the true God. Through the years in Babylon was God trying to save a king?! We wouldn’t expect anything less from a Savior.

God Uses Prisons (Philemon 15).

Many good things have happened in prisons:

• Joseph met the baker who would eventually have him freed (Genesis 39-40).

• Paul and Silas sang and prayed, which may have taught the jailor (Acts 16:23-34).

• Peter was released from prison by an angel (Acts 12:4-17).

Yet, they do not rival what God did in a Roman prison. God is the first prison minister.

Onesimus was a runaway slave. He had left his master Philemon for reasons of which we cannot be certain. Apparently, he met Paul while in prison and was taught the Gospel (Philemon 10). Paul urged Philemon to receive him, seeing that it might have been providence so that they could join as brothers not just as mere business companions (Philemon 11-16). Prison was a hard place to be, but it was the right place for Onesimus. God provided a way for his salvation, even if it took using his fleeing and a prison.

God did not begin working at the cross and He did not stop working at the cross; He has always sought the salvation of souls. Jesus is the Savior of the world (1 John 4:14)—everything God has done is linked to this sacrificial act. God knew what we needed, so He gave us just that. One wrote “If our greatest need had been information, God would have sent us an educator; If our greatest need had been technology, God would have sent us a scientist; If our greatest need had been money, God would have sent us an economist; If our greatest need had been pleasure, God would have sent us an entertainer; But our greatest need was forgiveness, so God sent us a Saviour.” Paul wrote “For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe” (1 Timothy 4:10). Its all about souls for God—is it all about souls for you?

Endnotes

[1]There are 62,208,000 minutes in 120 years.

[2]https://www.keepbelieving.com/sermon/how-many-will-be-saved/