Vessels of Wrath

By Doug Cook

How many times have we heard throughout the church system that it is God’s will to save everyone?  Is this a true statement?  Does this doctrinal concept line up with the whole sum of the Word of God?  Have you ever considered studying the bible to see if all the denominations and pastors that are teaching this perception may possibly be wrong, or are you blindly following another man’s doctrine assuming they have studied their bibles and know the truth?

2 Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

1 Thessalonians 5:21 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.

Proverbs 25:2 It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter.

Brothers and sisters we are the ones that should be studying the Word for ourselves, not depending on someone else to do the work for us.  That way we won’t be the ones that are “ashamed” when doctrines are inescapably proven false.  I was listening to an alternative media reporter the other day that proudly claimed he sat under a “bona-fied reverend” because his pastor had a religious doctorate degree.  Degrees from theological cemeteries seminaries are created and given by man, NOT God.  I guess he missed the part in the bible that stated the apostles, appointed and ordained by Christ to establish the church, were “unlearned and ignorant men,” not the “bona-fied” doctorate degreed scribes and Pharisees who rejected Christ.  Paul was the only one with a degree and he counted all his learning as “dung.”  Most believers would be surprised how many pastors with doctorates of theology don’t personally know God or His Word.  All they had in seminary was one fallen head teaching another fallen head.  False doctrines are taught by professors who learned the same false doctrines when they received their education years before from the same type schools.  So the identical knowledge perpetually infects the denominational system and hardly anyone stops to “prove all things” like the bible commands, mostly for fear of being rejected from their church system.  Also, a lot of us learned our beliefs from our parents’ denominational religions and so the false canons are perpetuated throughout generations because, again, very few fear God enough to “study” and “prove all things” for dread of being rejected by the factious religious systems we grew up in, many of which seem to be comprised of blood relatives, which may mean forsaking our own mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, and even our own children.  (Matthew 19:29)

God intentionally conceals things in His Word to see if we care enough about Him to search them out for ourselves.  If we are preprogrammed from early childhood with carnal doctrines, educations and traditions of men, it will be nigh impossible for us to have enough clarity of mind to accept real truths even if they are revealed to us through God’s holy Word.  Unless our desire for truth takes precedence over our obsession to belong, traditions will continually enslave our beliefs.  “Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.”  Not even considering the ramifications of rejecting God’s Spirit of Truth (baptism of the Holy Ghost) sent by Him from taking up residence within most believers.  Do you want to be part of the remnant Bride of Christ?  Then you must separate yourself from carnal factious doctrines and sects created by men to divide the Body of Christ, no matter what price we have to pay.  “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing (such as denominations); and I will receive you.”

Does God intend for ALL to be saved?

1 Timothy 2:3-4 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

It seems this verse is in plain enough English so it must be God’s will to save all people and your doctrine is sound right?…..  Not necessarily!  We should never form a belief based on one scripture!

1. Deuteronomy 19:15 One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall a matter be established.
2. Matthew 18:16 But if he hear thee not, take with thee one or two more, that at the mouth of two witnesses or three every word may be established.
3. 2 Corinthians 13:1 This is the third time I am coming to you. In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.

Psalms 119:160 The sum of thy word is truth; And every one of thy righteous ordinances endureth for ever. (ASV)

First, even a supposed truth of the Word of God must be established in the mouth of two or three witnesses because God said so in the Word in three verses (witnesses).  And secondly, it is the sum of all of the scriptures in the bible from the beginning that establish a true doctrine.  We must utilize “the sum” of the bible scriptures from Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 22:21 to make sure an implied truth we currently believe is repeated many times and no other scriptures contradict that truth.  The Word of God cannot contradict itself, so if we find scriptures opposing our customary viewpoints then we have not established a true doctrine.  This is part of “rightly dividing the Word” as we are commanded to do.

Now, looking again at our 1 Timothy verse that says “Who will have all men to be saved,” can we find two other witnesses in the bible that say it is God’s will to save all people?

Titus 2:11 For the grace of God hath appeared, bringing salvation to all men,

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.

Ignoring context, it seems we might have a couple of other witnesses that may support a truth that God wants all men saved; possibly passing the test of “in the mouth of two or three witnesses.”  However, look as hard as we may, without twisting scriptures to make them mean what we want them to say, is there any other scriptures in the bible that very specifically says God wants every man ever born to be saved?

So what about the “sum of thy word” test of truth concerning scriptures that may actually contradict the statement that “God wants all people saved?”

Matthew 22:14 For many are called, but few chosen.

I need to expand on a few definitions of words so we can rightly divide some scriptures.  The Greek word “eklectos” is interpreted in the bible interchangeably with the words “chosen,” “elect,” or “election.” Whenever these words are used in the New Testament they are directed at someone who is born again or has received salvation.  The word “called” means that someone is invited, appointed, or predestined to salvation but has not received it as yet.  Just like in the verse above, Jesus commented in the parable of the Matthew 22 passage preceding this verse they were called (invited, appointed) to the wedding supper.

In context of the whole passage in Matthew 22, Jesus is talking about guests being called (invited) to a wedding feast (as an allegory of being called to salvation).  Many of the guests were invited, but as with most believers today, the excuses began to flow and few of them actually came to the wedding (as few actually receive salvation).  Jesus was using this as a symbolic parable about the coming marriage supper of the Lamb in heaven.  ”Many” are called (invited) to be partakers but few (the chosen or elect) will come because most rejected salvation.  Jesus said “many” are called which means not everyone is invited to receive salvation.  If God wants “all” men saved (chosen), why didn’t Jesus say ‘”ALL” are called (invited to be saved) instead of “many?”  Jesus Himself actually contradicts the statement “it is God’s will that all be saved” in His declaration in this passage.

Ephesians 1:4-5 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:  Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

Revelation 20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

Psalms 69:28 Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous.

Revelation 3:5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.

We are predestined to be chosen (saved) in Christ “before the foundation of the world” according to the Ephesians 1 passage above.  Sometime before the week of creation, God wrote the names of everyone who He predestined (called) to be saved in the book of life.  Please notice He never says “ALL” people were written in the book or predestined to be saved.  Some preachers teach that when you receive salvation your name is then written in the book of life.  That is apostasy and does not agree with scripture.  All the names in the book of life were written there before the world began.  If anyone chooses not to accept the gift of salvation our names are then “blotted out” of the book.  The names of the “many are called” were written in the book of life at the beginning of time, but in the end of times only those “few chosen” names will remain in that book because the rest will be blotted out.  We must understand this concept in order to understand the next contradicting verses.

Revelation 13:8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

Revelation 17:8 The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.

If you will notice these two verses are talking about the people dwelling on the earth worshiping the beast whose names were never written in the book of life from the “foundation of the world.”  They won’t have a chance to have their names blotted out because they were never there to begin with.  This can only mean one thing… they were never predestined or “called” to be born again from the beginning of time!  God never intended for them to be born again.  This completely contradicts the belief that “God wants all people saved.”  These people worshiping the beast are predestined for the lake of fire from the foundations of the earth.  And for those that are now saying a god of “love” would never predestine someone for hell, you need to reevaluate your unbiblical, carnal perception of God’s love and determine which god you are serving.  The little “Jesus” you created in your mind after the counsel of your own will or the God of the bible who created evil (Isaiah 45:7) “after the counsel of His own will.”

Romans 9:10-24  And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac;  (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;)  It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger.  As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.  What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.  For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.  So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.  For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.  Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.  Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?  Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?  Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?  What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction:  And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory, Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?

Hebrews 12:16-17 Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.  For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.

We need to look at this whole passage in Romans so we can keep the verses in context.  If you remember in the Old Covenant Isaac had two sons, Jacob and Esau.  God loved Jacob and “Hated Esau.”  (So much for the false doctrine that says “God loves everyone”… NO HE DOESN’T!)  And if you will read this passage correctly you will find that God’s hatred of Esau was when he “being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil.” Did you understand that?  God hated Esau before he was born from his mother’s womb, which means he had not even had the chance to commit any evil yet.  Why did God hate him before he was born?  This passage says why, “That the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth.”  God had predestined (called) Jacob to the elect and Esau to be destroyed before the foundation of the world.  Jacob was written in the book of life and Esau was not.  Paul tells us in Hebrews about Esau “for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.” Esau desired the blessing but God showed him no mercy for repentance even though he sought after it weeping.  So, how does this fit into your concept of a “loving” God?  “What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.”

“I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.”  It is God’s decision to show mercy on whomever He chooses (Jacob) and He will preordain anyone He chooses (Esau) to go to hell at His own option.  He goes on in this passage to say He created and predestined Pharaoh to evil so He could show His own power throughout the world, just because He can.

“Who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?”  Who are we, the created with our pea sized intellect, to try and determine what a “loving” God should do or not do and question His authority to send someone to heaven or hell?  He is the potter and we are the clay, He can create any one of us pots for heaven or for destruction at His preference.  This passage very plainly demonstrates that God does not “love everyone” and it is not His desire that “all” people receive salvation and even gives two examples of people from the past He chose to make evil and refused them salvation for His own purpose.  He creates “vessels of wrath fitted for destruction.”  These “vessels of wrath” were created to be evil for God to use for His purpose and they will have no opportunity to receive Christ as their savior.  I’m sorry if this biblical truth bursts your bubble about the “god of love” you created for yourself, but it is a sound biblical truth we as believers MUST accept if were going to serve the right God.

And as a severe warning, there is NO believer that can accurately distinguish the difference from an unsaved, evil-acting person called to be saved (such as the apostle Paul was before his Damascus conversion) and a “vessel of wrath fitted for destruction.”  Only God knows who they are because He created them for His use, not ours.  If we try to decipher who the “vessels of wrath” are, we may end up in the same place they are going.  It’s best we treat everyone as if they are preordained to be saved so we don’t miss ministering to one of the called ones.

There are other passages that contradict the “God wants all people saved” belief, as well.  But this is enough to prove it to be an inconsistent confused doctrine.

Going back to 1 Timothy 2:3-4, Titus 2:11, and the 2 Peter 3:9 statements about wanting “all” men to be saved, obviously it cannot mean that God will have every man ever born to be saved because that belief creates too much opposition in the Word of God.  According to Thayer’s Greek Lexicon the Greek word “pas” translated as the English word “all” in these verses can mean “collectively, some of all types,” so it does not necessarily mean every person ever born but instead some people from all types of people, like say Jew, gentile, man or woman.  The same Greek word is also translated as “whomsoever” in Luke 12:48.  Therefore, in these three scriptures, it probably means His desire is that all the “called” men of different types to be saved which is a biblically sound truth.  Other scriptures could prove this point and there would be no other contradicting verses to dispute it.  It would also fit into the context of these three passages by using the phrase “all called men” instead of assuming it means all men ever born.

Ephesians 1:11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

God works “ALL things after the counsel of His own will.”  He is a God of love but love defined by His conditions, not our carnal human emotional expressions.  In all the years of meeting multiple believers in Christ, I have yet to encounter one that truly understands God’s kind of love as define by the Bible… How unfortunate!  He doesn’t need our feeble counsel or intellect… just our love for Him demonstrated by our obedience and faith to believe what He says, void of our preconceived ideas.

      2 Timothy 2:7 Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all (some of all types) things.

Your servant in Christ.