After last weeks blog, Elaine and I were talking about the subject. She made a very interesting observation as to the thought I was making about God's plan and desire for His creation. She focused on the word all. The dictionary will define all which is an adjective as "the whole amount, quantity, or extent of".
In the New Testament the Greek word 'pas' is used well over a thousand times for the word all. The word is an important word as defined and thus used in the Scripture. For all defines a group or identified number. That is to say that when Paul said in Romans 3:23 CSB
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God;
Paul was referring to the all of mankind. Those who were created by God in Genesis 1:27 CSB
So God created man in his own image; he created him in the image of God; he created them male and female.
The group is thus identified as mankind, male and female. So the all is as we see mankind.
There is no carving out of something from the all. The all is all. For the purpose of this blog today that is where we stand. Therefore, when you look at a Scripture in the Old Testament what do you see? Well, in Isaiah 53:6 CSB, a verse often used to express to someone when they are being told about Jesus in a gospel presentation is that-
We all went astray like sheep; we all have turned to our own way; and the Lord has punished him for the iniquity of us all.
The word used is 'kul·lā·nū ' as in the whole and as Isaiah is speaking to those in that day he was speaking to the Jewish people. Yet when we as Gentiles were given the opportunity to receive the Gospel of Jesus Christ the all, the whole is seen as mankind as the New Testament says.
We are becoming more divided in our country and in our churches today because we don't consider the all. We are segmented by titles, team names, political or religious labels. Now I can hear some of you right now saying is he going to call out examples of these? No, that is not the purpose of this blog and I imagine you all have a pretty good idea of what the examples might be if I listed them.
As a believer, I have to think as our Savior thought. He was always thinking about all people. Those people who He and the Father created that day in the beginning. The same people to whom He said He would send the comforter. In John 14:26 KJV Jesus says-
“But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatever I have said to you.”
You will notice here that Jesus is saying the Holy Spirit will teach you all things, bring all things to your remembrance, of the things He has said. He is saying that we need to know and that we need to remember are sourced to us from Him through the Holy Spirit. It is important to understand here that the all is as we said earlier as a group. The group of things we need to know and remember.
Now I liken this to a student in a class at school. The teacher is there with all of things the student needs to learn and remember. However, if the student chooses not to listen, learn and remember they will lack the knowledge available to them.
The same is true in the Spirirtual life. If, although saved by grace, a person chooses to not listen, learn and remember they then lack the knowledge needed to live this life at the level God intended for us. In John 10:10 CSB Jesus said that there was a reason He came-
A thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance.
The word for abundance is 'per-is-sos' and means superb in quanity and superior in quality, it is exceeding being abundant, beyond measure.
So as I have thought and studied this idea for this blog, I have come to a very simple conclusion. I am one of the all and so are you. Jesus died for me and for you and him and her, them and those, whether here and there. Not simply to save us from hell although that certainly is a great benefit. It was to also provide for this life to be something to experience and that means all of it, if you get the thought today.
God bless and I close today by wishing all the fathers out there a very Happy Fathers Day. Have a wonderful weekend with your family as you worship of Lord and Savior.
In God's Grace,
Elbert Nasworthy
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