"The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9).
The above verse clearly declares God's will to save all. God has commanded all people everywhere to repent (Acts 17:30). Those who perish outside of God's will are those who refuse to repent. The word repent means to have a change of mind that leads to a change of direction in a person's life. It's a change of mind toward God about our sin, and a change of direction in life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Jesus said, "I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish" (Luke 13:5). The choice is ours. If we refuse to repent, then we reject God's good will for our lives and perish in our sins.
Even John Calvin admitted the obvious interpretation of 2 Peter 3:9. He wrote: "Not willing that any should perish. So wonderful is his love towards mankind that he would have them all to be saved, and is of his own self prepared to bestow salvation on the lost" (Calvin, Commentaries, ad loc. ). On these comments, we should all agree with Calvin and the clear meaning of 2 Peter 3:9.
After making his comments about God's will to save all, then Calvin wrote to justify his view of predestination. "But it may be asked, if God wishes none to perish, why is it that so many do perish? To this my answer is that no mention is here made of the hidden purpose of God, according to which the reprobate are doomed to their own ruin, but only of his own will as made known to us in the gospel. For God there stretches forth his hand without a difference to all, but lays hold only of those, to lead them to himself, whom he has chosen before the foundation of the world" (Calvin, Commentaries, 2 Peter 3:9).
John Calvin's comments on God's will to save all conflicts with his teaching that God's hidden purpose is to save only some. Another explanation provides an answer consistent with Scripture. God's will is to save all, but many reject His will, refusing to repent. God's purpose to save may be rejected by man. He gives us the choice. We see an example of this in the ministry of John the Baptist. He preached the message of repentance, but certain religious leaders refused to repent. They rejected the purpose of God in their lives. "But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the will of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him" (Luke 7:30). The responsibility for not being saved is with man's decision and not God's will.
You may rest assured that God's will is to save you and every member of your family. It's His will to save all people everywhere. However, let us always remember that our responsibility is to repent and receive God's love and mercy in Christ (Acts 17:30; John 1:12). God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
