Column by Sumter Pastor Joey Durham: All can be saved by the grace of God
I want to say "thank you" for allowing our ministry to serve your heart today! Our devotional thought for today is "The Blessing of a Whosoever Salvation," and my text is in Revelation 22:17, where we read, "And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." (KJV) This is considered the last invitation in all of the Word of God to anyone who would want to know Jesus Christ as their Savior. This verse says "And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." There are those today who feel as though the gift of salvation is only available to a select few, that only the "predestined elect" can enter heaven and all of the rest have no hope.
I'm so glad to report to you that such is not the case according to the Scriptures. I believe the Lord Jesus would say to those who hold such an opinion the same thing that He told the Sadducees in Matthew 22:29. "Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God." (KJV)
Those who feel that salvation is not to the "whosoevers" in this world "err" or are in error because they attempt to apply the "elect" only to the church in this dispensation of the grace of God, which shows that they have simply not studied the Scriptures and they limit the power of God.
There is no doubt that election, foreknowledge and predestination are Bible doctrines, but in order to rightly divide God's Word, we must correctly interpret and apply God's Word, and in so doing, there will be no contradiction. For instance, John 3:16 states "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." (KJV)
The "elect," or those who can be saved and not perish but have everlasting life, are contained in the word "whosoever." Isn't that an amazing blessing? The word "whosoever" literally means "all, any, every, the whole, anyone, everyone."
God's Word brings out in multiple Scriptures that salvation is offered to the "whosoevers" of mankind. It also states that it is not the will of God that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. I have read my Bible through many times, and there is not one verse of Scripture in all of God's Word that says only the "predestined elect" can be saved and all the rest cannot.
I am so blessed when I preach a salvation message, because there is no one that it will not apply to. All people, any person, every man, woman, boy or girl, the whole of humanity, anyone and everyone can be saved by the amazing grace of God with no one excluded. It is such a blessing that you and I and "everyone" are included in the word "whosoever!"
Dr. Joey Durham is pastor at Open Bible Baptist Church at 180 Old Manning Road in Sumter. You can contact Pastor Durham at durham.joey@yahoo.com or call the church office at (803) 481-9315.