God’s desire is that all men would be saved, but he leaves the choice up to man whether to accept or reject his terms.

Joshua said as he addressed the Jewish nation before his death, “And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15).

God has given the ultimate sacrifice – Jesus to die for all men: “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” (John 3:16).

He has given an instruction manual to be followed – the Bible: “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works” (2 Tim. 3:16 – 17).

And he has given man time to obey: “For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succored thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Cor. 6:2).

Since God has prepared the way for man, you would think man would be thankful and simply obey God, but as we know many fail to follow God.

There are those who feel they have no need for God, failing to realize that without God they could not even have life. They assume that just because things always have been they always will be. This also is a false belief.

God foretold of such individuals and their way of thinking. “Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of his coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.

“For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men” (2 Peter 3:3-7).

God has prepared the way and made salvation accessible for all men, on the same terms. If man will simply study and obey God’s commands he can be saved. Why not obey God as he desires, since he prepared the way?