Why can't the default position be the saved condition?


Given that Christ restored everyone to favor with God (I'm assuming "the whole race of men" means "everybody"), how could the default position be lost?

2 Peter 3:9
The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

God waits for our repentance because He doesn't want us to perish. If salvation was the default, then Peter's argument is invalid.

You made a couple of assumptions, and you already mentioned one. Another one is that "favor with God" means "saved condition."

Jesus said that few find the road that leads to life. That means most will be lost.

That means either most of humanity, who were already saved, got themselves lost again; or "favor with God" doesn't necessarily mean "saved condition."

Let's say that it's the 1st option, that all humanity was saved, but most of them got themselves lost again. There are a few things to think about:

How could those who died before Jesus came get themselves lost again, assuming they were part of the "whole race of men."

The sacrifice of Christ, so far as this world is concerned, dates from the foundation of the world. While Christ was going about doing good in Judea and Galilee, He was in the bosom of the Father making reconciliation for the sins of the world.

The scene on Calvary was the manifestation of what has taken place as long as sin has existed, and will take place until every man is saved who is willing to be saved: Christ bearing the sins of the world. He bears them now....

"Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law,"--from sin and death. This He has done by "being made a curse for us," and so we are freed from all necessity of sinning. Sin can have no dominion over us if we accept Christ in truth, and without reserve. This was just as much a present truth in the days of Abraham, Moses, David, and Isaiah, as it is to-day. More than seven hundred years before the cross was raised on Calvary, Isaiah, who testified of the things which he understood, because his own sin had been purged by a live coal from God's altar, said: "Surely He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; . . . He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed. . . . The Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all." Is.53:4-6. "I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins; return unto Me; for I have redeemed thee." Is.44:22. Long before Isaiah's time, David wrote: "He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities." "As far as the east is from the west, so far hath He removed our transgressions from us." Ps.103:10,12. (The Glad Tidings)

If God already got everyone saved at one point, and Peter tells us that He doesn't want anyone to perish, He should have just ended it all at that point, so that we don't have the chance to get ourselves lost again.

The light shining from the cross reveals the love of God. His love is drawing us to Himself. If we do not resist this drawing, we shall be led to the foot of the cross in repentance for the sins that have crucified the Saviour. Then the Spirit of God through faith produces a new life in the soul. The thoughts and desires are brought into obedience to the will of Christ. The heart, the mind, are created anew in the image of Him who works in us to subdue all things to Himself. Then the law of God is written in the mind and heart, and we can say with Christ, "I delight to do Thy will, O my God." Ps. 40:8. (DA 176)

MM: Character is repetitious thoughts, words, and behavior. A predictable momentum is established. God can infer future acts.

A: What about your cursing driver? Did God infer that, or was He caught by surprise? Was that in the "predictable momentum"? BTW, your scenario never happens.

Found the quotes:
If someone sins and "would repent if he had the chance" God can and will keep him alive to do it. The IJ is based on our works, not inferences.

The tree determines the fruit borne. And the fruit borne is unmistakable evidence of what the tree is. Hence, Jesus could say, "By their fruits you will know them." Also, out of the abundance of heart, the mouth speaks.

If William Miller could have seen the light of the third message, many things which looked dark and mysterious to him would have been explained. But his brethren professed so deep love and interest for him, that he thought he could not tear away from them. His heart would incline toward the truth, and then he looked at his brethren; they opposed it. Could he tear away from those who had stood side by side with him in proclaiming the coming of Jesus? He thought they surely would not lead him astray.

God suffered him to fall under the power of Satan, the dominion of death, and hid him in the grave from those who were constantly drawing him from the truth. Moses erred as he was about to enter the Promised Land. So also, I saw that William Miller erred as he was soon to enter the heavenly Canaan, in suffering his influence to go against the truth. Others led him to this; others must account for it. But angels watch the precious dust of this servant of God, and he will come forth at the sound of the last trump. (EW 258)

My attention was then called to William Miller. He looked perplexed and was bowed with anxiety and distress for his people. The company who had been united and loving in 1844 were losing their love, opposing one another, and falling into a cold, backslidden state. As he beheld this, grief wasted his strength. I saw leading men watching him, and fearing lest he should receive the third angel's message and the commandments of God. And as he would lean toward the light from heaven, these men would lay some plan to draw his mind away. A human influence was exerted to keep him in darkness and to retain his influence among those who opposed the truth. At length William Miller raised his voice against the light from heaven. He failed in not receiving the message which would have fully explained his disappointment and cast a light and glory on the past, which would have revived his exhausted energies, brightened his hope, and led him to glorify God. He leaned to human wisdom instead of divine, but being broken with arduous labor in his Master's cause and by age, he was not as accountable as those who kept him from the truth. They are responsible; the sin rests upon them. {EW 257.1}

If William Miller could have seen the light of the third message, many things which looked dark and mysterious to him would have been explained. But his brethren professed so deep love and interest for him, that he thought he could not tear away from them. His heart would incline toward the truth, and then he looked at his brethren; they opposed it. Could he tear away from those who had stood side by side with him in proclaiming the coming of Jesus? He thought they surely would not lead him astray. {EW 258.1}

God suffered him to fall under the power of Satan, the dominion of death, and hid him in the grave from those who were constantly drawing him from the truth. Moses erred as he was about to enter the Promised Land. So also, I saw that William Miller erred as he was soon to enter the heavenly Canaan, in suffering his influence to go against the truth. Others led him to this; others must account for it. But angels watch the precious dust of this servant of God, and he will come forth at the sound of the last trump. {EW 258.2}

The case of William Miller is interesting. Sister White wrote that God laid him to rest to prevent him from rejecting the Sabbath unto his damnation.

Thank you for clarifying this point. Her comment does, though, beg the question, at least in my mind. The question is - If God had not allowed Brother Miller to die, would he have gone on to reject other testing truths to his damnation?

Also, given the fact that he "raised his voice against the light from heaven", that he "erred as he was soon to enter the heavenly Canaan, in suffering his influence to go against the truth" what right does God have in bringing him to heaven when Jesus returns? There is no indication he repented of his sin.

How many more are there that were led into error who will be in heaven? In light of the following testimony it would appear that Miller's case is an exception to the rule:

T:Error is simply a matter of degree, isn't it? Rather than being an exception to the rule, Miller is the rule. Who, except Jesus Christ, will be in heaven who did not err?

MM:Tom, are you suggesting Brother Miller didn't "err"?

And, why do you think God allowed him to die prematurely?