The verse that contains this statement is 2 Peter 3:9, which says “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” This verse gives us insight into the heart and character of God. Here are a few key things we can understand from this verse:
1. God desires all people to be saved
This verse makes it clear that it is God’s desire for every single person to repent and be saved. God takes no pleasure in anyone perishing eternally. His heart is for the salvation of all. As 1 Timothy 2:4 says, God “desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” Some verses that support God’s universal love and desire for salvation include:
– John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
– 1 John 2:2 – “He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.”
– 1 Timothy 4:10 – “For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.”
So Scripture is clear that God deeply loves all people and wants all to come to salvation through faith in Christ. No one is excluded from the scope of God’s love and saving power.
2. God patiently delays judgment to allow more time for repentance
2 Peter 3:9 says God is patient toward us, not wanting anyone to perish. God is deliberately delaying the final judgment and Second Coming of Christ because He is providing more time for people to repent. God knows that the longer He waits, the more people will come to salvation. As 2 Peter 3:15 says, “Count the patience of our Lord as salvation.”
If God was primarily concerned with immediate judgment, He would have already brought history to an end. But He is slow to judge because He is merciful and patient (Exodus 34:6). God waits because He wants to give people every possible opportunity to repent and be saved. As Isaiah 30:18 says, “Therefore the LORD waits to be gracious to you.”
3. God freely offers salvation, but does not force anyone to accept it
An important implication from this verse is that God will not force salvation on anyone. He desires all people to repent and be saved, but He will not override our free will to make that happen. Each person must make their own choice to accept or reject Christ. God invites all, but compels none. Here are some verses that speak to this balance:
– Revelation 3:20 – “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.”
– Joshua 24:15 – “Choose this day whom you will serve.”
– John 5:40 – “Yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.”
God could save everyone against their will if He wanted to, but He honors our freedom to choose. So God patiently draws all people to Himself, but we must respond to His offer of salvation. No one will be forced into the kingdom.
4. God’s desire for all to be saved demonstrates His goodness and lovingkindness
This verse is a beautiful display of the goodness of God’s character. He could have chosen to save just a few or condemn all. But instead He has extended amazing grace and mercy to all people. Jesus died for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2). God delays judgment so that more can come to repentance.
This should lead us to worship God for His kindness, grace and compassion. He truly cares for every single person and wants all people to experience eternal life through Christ. As Psalm 145:9 says, “The Lord is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made.” God’s desire for universal salvation reveals His loving and merciful nature.
5. God’s desire for all to repent calls for urgency in evangelism and missions
Since God wants everyone to come to repentance and be saved, this should instill in us an urgency to preach the gospel and call people to faith in Christ. As Romans 10:14 says, “How are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?”
God has chosen to use believers to spread the message of salvation to the world. So we must proclaim the gospel far and wide, to every tribe and tongue, while God patiently gives more time for repentance. We should have an urgent heart for evangelism, just as God urgently desires for all people to know Him.
6. Those who reject God’s patience store up wrath for themselves
While God’s patience graciously allows more time for repentance, there are consequences for those who continually reject Him. Romans 2:4-5 warns:
“Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.”
God’s mercy should lead people to repentance. But if people continue to reject Christ, they are only storing up greater judgment in the future. There are eternal consequences for rejecting God’s offer of salvation in Christ. His patience gives more time to repent, but the offer of salvation has an expiration date.
7. At the end, not all will come to repentance, though it was God’s desire
While God wants all people to come to repentance, sadly Scripture indicates that not all will be saved in the end. Jesus spoke of the reality of eternal judgment and hell (Matt 25:41). Revelation 20:15 says that those whose name is not written in the book of life will be thrown into the lake of fire.
Though it was God’s desire for universal salvation, He ultimately honors the choice of those who persist in rebellion against Him. God’s desire for all to repent does not necessarily mean all will repent. But it does reveal God’s amazing grace and kindness to all people.
8. We can rejoice that God has made salvation available to all
What an incredible truth – that the God of the universe wants all people to know Him and has provided salvation through Christ! God is not limiting salvation to a few. He has flung wide the gates of heaven and welcomes all who will put their faith in Jesus. We can rejoice at God’s goodness and grace.
As 1 Timothy 4:10 proclaims, “For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.” Salvation is available to all – so we should praise God for His generous love and tell others the good news!
9. We should develop the same heart of compassion that God has
As God desires all people to come to repentance and be saved, so we too should have that same heart of compassion for the lost. We should urgently proclaim the gospel, while also praying for more time and opportunity for people to respond in faith to Christ.
Just as God has no pleasure in the death of the wicked (Ezekiel 33:11), we too should weep over those who are perishing without Christ. We must develop God’s heart of mercy for the lost. As we grow in His love, we’ll passionately plead with people to be reconciled to God and avoid the coming judgment.
10. This truth gives us confidence in God’s trustworthiness and redemption
We can have complete confidence that God genuinely loves each person and wants them to experience eternal life through Christ. This truth about God’s heart reveals that He can fully be trusted with our lives. He truly cares for us and wants the very best for His creation.
We can also joyfully anticipate the final redemption of all things when Christ returns. God’s plan to reconcile and restore all of creation will come to completion. What amazing grace that God is patiently preparing people for that coming day!