Whosoever

The Apostle Paul often wrote of the "mystery of Christ" or the "mystery of God". Since Jesus is God, then voila - the two are the same. That mystery is perfectly revealed in one particular verse, not by Paul, but by John the Beloved. When everyone has heard that verse, everyone will have had their chance. At that time, the purpose of human existence will have been fulfilled. Mankind exists for one decision. By their own free will, without coercion, each person must make a choice; to be one of the "whosoever"!

John 3:16 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.

What is the mystery of God? It has several aspects. God is capable of profound love. Of course, He is capable of anything but love is His forte.  He can use that power of love to bestow gifts. In fact the recipients' purposes in life are to either accept or reject God's gift.

If we look further, God has the power over life and death. Of course this life is inconsequential to Him except for one thing; the decision everyone must make - to believe in the power of Jesus' blood. Scripture says that salvation must be by the shedding of blood.

Hebrews 9:22 And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.

For anyone to have eternal life, blood must be shed. God killed an animal, shed its blood, and covered Adam's sin. That blood was saving, and was indicative of God shedding his own blood thousands of years later.  Adam's sin went into remission when by grace God covered his shame. Now Adam ben Jehovah has an address and room number in Paradise, situated on the River of God and under the Tree of Life, and fed by God's living waters. Adam was the first "whosoever".

There was power in shedding the blood of animals but it was only a shadow of what power the blood of God has. When Jesus healed, he felt divine power flow from his being (Luke 8:46). The blood of animals had the power to save a few, but the blood of God was sufficient to cover all the sins of mankind of all time!  Have you ever thought: Adam was not Jewish, white-ish, or blackish. He was all-ish! Thus he was the father of "Whosoever".  Because Adam was God's first son, we all have the same opportunity as Adam - to be saved or not to be. I like to say: that is the question!

That all is the identity of "whosoever" is one of the great "mysteries of God". God remitted the sins of the first "Whosoever", and now as the seed of Whosoever, everyone in the world is a candidate for salvation.

Everyone is the world. The world is occupied by billions of "Whosoevers".  However, the Jewish people, favored by God to bring the Messiah into the world, believed that salvation was for themselves only. They were just a small portion of the world which God so loves. Because of a few righteous Jews who tended to the Garden - God, I am now born-again - just like Adam was! This "Whosoever" pondered on Jesus's blood, and accepted it as a propitiation for my own sins - ala Adam.

Romans 3:25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God...

I drank of the cup of Jesus; not the Kool-Aid as some say, but of the very blood of God. Whereas, being deceived and drinking poison kills, the ingestion of living waters revives. That living water is the Spirit presenting me water from Jesus's well. I stand there with the sinful woman by the well, listened to Jesus, and accepted his drink. I am not Jewish. I'm Gentile. The mystery of God is that grace was always for me. In the beginning Gentile/Jew/black/red/yellow Adam received the same grace that I did! And I thought that I was special since my blood is from Japheth!

"Whosoever" is loved by God.  He shed his own blood for those. The reward is eternal life. "Whosoever" is for equal opportunity, not equal outcome. The idea of equal outcome still confounds people. "Whosoever" isn't rewarded with eternal life. There is an exclusion clause! "Whoseover believeth in him". Let's look to see who "him" is. Him is God's "only begotten Son". Therefore, Jesus is the Way to salvation:

Acts 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

"Whosoever" of the world is narrowed down to Christians by one word: Jesus. Jews are part of "whosoever". Most have rejected Jesus. Like the Jews, most of "the world" has rejected Jesus. Those saved will be few for the Way is just too narrow, and the Gate too straight. (Matthew 7:14).

I'm white-ish and my world is Christianity. I had a more than equal opportunity for a better outcome because I'm not Jewish, and not a citizen of the third world - those nations without God. As a Christian, I am indeed a "peculiar person" (1 Peter 2:9). I "shall be saved" by the blood. However, beyond being a follower of Jesus, I'm merely part of the "whosoever' in the world. Indeed, as a sinner, I was not of the chosen Jewish race, nor was I special at all.

Christians must remember: although we are "peculiar", we are not special. We are merely one of many "whosoevers".

Now for a bit of honesty: When I look at Orientals, Arabs, Indians, and many Africans; I have sinful thoughts. The thoughts are prideful because I see myself as special. I look at them, and think: they are peculiar (strange) people, but not in the sense of Christianity. To me, they are "peculiar" because most of the world is pagan. Although that much is truthful, all the world has the same opportunity!

Spiritually speaking, God is an equal-opportunity giver. His grace was and is for all the world. The mystery is solved - grace was always for everybody, and the covenant was always one of grace, and not of works!

Acts 10:34 Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:

Peter perceived rightly! No race is special! I don't like to admit it, but homosexuals have the same spiritual opportunity which I have.  They too are part of the "whosoever". There is a "however": though: all sinners are to become peculiar - we are to change from a life of sin to righteousness. Those who truly "believe" will do that. All the world must come to God on His terms, not ours, because no one is special above another. The outcome of choice is far from equal; thus us "peculiar people". Ironically, homosexuals can go from queer  (their word) to peculiar if they place their trust in Jesus and become new creatures - no longer queer but peculiar!

My thoughts are that those different from me have more difficulty in believing than I do. That's pride, and is sinful. Indeed, I have wicked thoughts sometimes: my sins are not great. There are in fact degrees of sin but all the unpardoned sin has the same penalty - death. Again, I am not as special as I think! In fact, the worst sinners love him the most:

Luke 7:47  Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.

"Peculiar people" love God a lot. The more the sins in remission, the greater the love. All those "unspecial" people out there in the world live in tremendous sin, whereas I, just like the rich young ruler, have obeyed all my life. When really evil people, in a lawful sense, are forgiven their sins, they have the most love. I fit the lesser category. I was always a "good" child and a well-behaved adult for the most part, but never considered that I was forgiven of much. I now proclaim to you now - I am not special;  I stand as guilty as the worst sinner. Like Paul, I too am a chief sinner.

Christians must rid themselves of the notion that we are special. God has the power to save anyone regardless of race, religion, creed, or lifestyle. They are all part of "whosoever", and when they do come to believe, they will be spiritual equals with me, as God will live in them as well!