By Pastor Lazarus Muoka

Text: 1 Timothy 2:3–4 (KJV) “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.”

There is something precious about the heart of God toward humanity, and that is God’s desire for all to be saved. Salvation is not God’s desire for a selected few; it is His gracious invitation to every sinner, every broken heart, every wandering soul, every man and woman who will hear His voice and respond to His call. God does not delight in the destruction of the sinner, but His desire is that men should turn from their sins, receive His mercy, and live.

The Bible says in Ezekiel 33:11, “Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live.”

What a wonderful revelation of the heart of God! God is not looking for an opportunity to condemn you, but calling you to repentance. He is stretching forth His hand of mercy. He is giving you another opportunity to turn from sin and come back to Him.

From the beginning, God’s plan has been to bring mankind into fellowship with His Maker. But sin separated man from God. When Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, sin entered the human family, and the relationship between God and man was broken. Since then, humanity has continued to struggle under the burden and consequences of sin.

The Scripture declares in Romans 3:23, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”

Notice the word all. Nobody can claim that he does not need salvation. Wealth cannot save a man. Education cannot save a man. Position cannot save a man. Good family background cannot save a man. Religious activities cannot save a man. Human morality cannot remove the guilt of sin.

There is only one answer to the problem of sin, and that answer is Jesus Christ.

God loved humanity so much that He gave His only begotten Son to die for sinners. John 3:16 says, “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.”

This is the heart of the gospel. God loved the world. Not merely the righteous, but the sinner. Not merely those who were already serving Him, but those who were far away from Him. Christ came because humanity needed salvation.

Jesus did not come into this world merely to improve people’s lives materially. He came to save us from sin. He did not come simply to give people prosperity, comfort, houses, cars, or earthly success. He came to rescue the soul from eternal destruction and reconcile man to God.

The angel said concerning Jesus in Matthew 1:21, “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.”

The greatest problem of humanity is sin, and the greatest need of humanity is salvation.

Many people spend their lives pursuing things that cannot satisfy the soul. Some pursue money, while others pursue fame, pleasure, position, relationships, material possessions and worldly achievements. Yet after obtaining these things, they still discover an emptiness within.

The human soul was created for God, and nothing else can take God’s place.

Jesus asked in Mark 8:36, “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?”

What a question! A person may gain the whole world and still lose everything that matters eternally. You may have everything this world can offer and yet be spiritually bankrupt. You may have a beautiful house but an unprepared soul. You may have money in the bank but no assurance of eternal life. You may have many friends but still be separated from God.

The soul is more valuable than everything this world can give. That is why salvation must not be treated lightly.

The tragedy of our generation is that many people are postponing salvation and saying, “I will give my life to Christ later. I am still young. There is still time. I will repent when I am older.” But nobody knows how much time he has.

The Bible says in Proverbs 27:1, “Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.”

Tomorrow is not promised to anybody. There are people who planned to repent but died before repentance. There are people who planned to surrender their lives to Christ but never got another opportunity. There are people who thought they had many years ahead of them, but their earthly journey ended suddenly.

Therefore, when God is calling you, do not harden your heart. 2 Corinthians 6:2 says, “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.”

The word is now. If you are a sinner, now is the time to repent. If you have wandered away from God, now is the time to return. If you have been living a careless Christian life, now is the time to come back to the Lord. If you have never surrendered your life to Jesus Christ, now is the time.

The door of mercy is still open. Jesus gave Himself so that all may be saved. His blood was shed for the remission of sins. 1 John 1:7 declares, “The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.”

No matter how deep your sin may be, Christ is able to forgive you. No matter how far you have wandered, His grace can reach you. No matter how broken your life may have become, Jesus can restore you.

The prodigal son went into a far country and wasted his inheritance, but when he came to himself, he arose and went back to his father. His father did not reject him. He welcomed him.

This is the picture of God’s mercy toward the repentant sinner. Jesus said in John 6:37, “Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.”

What a promise! If you come to Jesus sincerely, He will not reject you. You do not have to clean yourself up before coming to Him. Come as you are, but do not remain as you are. Come with repentance. Come with faith. Come with a broken and contrite heart.

Isaiah 55:7 says, “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.”

The gospel is not merely an invitation to feel better; it is a call to become a new creature in Christ.

2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

The gospel is still God’s power unto salvation. Jesus is still calling.

The words of Christ in Matthew 11:28 remain true: “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

Come to Jesus. Come with your burdens. Come with your failures. Come with your brokenness. Come with your past. Come with your tears. Come with your sins—but come in repentance and faith.

The Saviour is calling because He wants all to be saved. Do not let another opportunity pass you by. Do not wait until tomorrow. Do not allow pride, fear, pleasure, friends, possessions, or the cares of this world to keep you away from Christ.

The greatest decision you will ever make is the decision concerning your soul.

One day, this life will end. One day, you will stand before your Maker. On that day, the question will not be how much money you made, how famous you became, or how much property you acquired. The question will be whether you received Jesus Christ and lived for Him.

May our lives, our churches, our ministries, and our witness become instruments through which many souls will hear the gospel, repent of their sins, receive Jesus Christ, and be saved.