Email: This post is a response to a detailed email that I received from someone objecting to my video. I am going to present the main idea of the email because it was quite lengthy. However, the person asked why God deals out vengeance in 2 Thessalonions 1: 6-9 if all are justified? He goes on to object to Christ’s cross being powerful enough to save all mankind and refers to 1 Timothy 4:10 as God only saving some. Below is how I responded. I only post these emails and responses becaus I think they pose good questions and bring out great truths.
My response: First, your question on ‘have all men been justified before God and if so, why deal out vengeance to those justified?’
Everyone is justified by Christ Jesus and His work on the cross. Through Adam’s offense we are condemned and through Christ’s just award, not ours, we are justified (Romans 5:18). We have to understand that not all are constituted just at the same time. Though Christ has accomplished justification for all, the deliverance of our bodies to justification happens at different times. For instance, 1 Corinthians 15:28 talks about all those that die in Adam, that’s everyone. In these verses, Paul says that the same all that die in Adam will be made immortal (vivified) By Christ. Then, in verse 28 he says that all are subject to Christ and the only one not subject to Christ is God himself. This occurs at the consummation when all creation is perfected by the perfect Savior Christ. This is why God becomes All in all. Remember, the context clearly refers to the all that die in Adam…which is the same all in which God becomes All in all (v. 28)
Here is what Christians don’t get. These verses go the furthest in time than any scripture, Paul speaks of a time even after the book of revelation because in 1 Corinthians 15:24 Christ gives up his reign and in verse 27, death is abolished. In revelation Christ is still reigning and death is still in operation. However, Christ’s reign ends and death ends once Christ saves all creation. However, before this, God deals out his vengeance and judgement on unbelievers. The verses in 2 Thessolonians 1: 6-9 talks about vengeance and judgement in order to bring unbelievers to the eventual realization of the justification Christ has accomplished for them. Isaiah 26:9 says that when God’s judgements come to earth, the people of the world learn righteousness. So this vengeance is not the end game. The people that receive this vengeance will be corrected into realizing Christ’s justification for them. That is the end game.
Justification is a done deal because Christ accomplished it. However, each in their own order. First, believers that have been given faith BY GOD to realize what Christ has accomplished for them. Then, the rest through judgment come into this justification. Therefore, all are justified by Christ and God works out the timing for each to be constituted just. You are confusing the end with means. You think the means is the end. Not so, the end is 1 Corinthians 15:28, Colossians 1: 15-20, Romans 5:18-19, etc.
Romans 6:7 says that anyone that dies is justified from sin. WE are justified because we die with Christ. Believers realize this first, then, through judgement the rest (Romans 8: 18-25). Either way, how can someone that dies not be justified? WE all die. WE all are resurrected. Each in our own order.
This is the true meaning of 1 Timothy 4:10. Believers have a special salvation in that they get in first, however the word used is ‘especially’ not exclusively. So God is the Savior ‘especially’ of believers which qualifies the rest ‘unbelievers’ as having a salvation as well. Believers have a special salvation through faith, unbelievers have salvation through judgement. Both groups saved by and only by Christ’s death for sin, His entombment, and His resurrection.
Paul’s gospel speaks of being conciliated to God not reconciled to God. Please review 2 Corinthians 5: 18-21. This is because God is already at peace with us because He was in Christ conciliating the world to Himself, not reckoning their offenses to them. The reason it is conciliation and not reconciliation is because God is good with us because of Christ. Sin can no longer stand in the way. The only thing needed is for us to realize that we are justified. That is the order of salvation.
Saved ignoble 
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