A Big Picture Narrative of Salvation

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth ... and it was all very good, including humans. This has never been reversed; humans and all creation are in essence still very good by virtue of creation, even though there is none that does good (Psalm 14:1). When Jesus says that there is none good except one, and that is God, I believe He is meaning the character, the adjectival description. Where it says that a good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit, he is referring to our sinful nature which we have, but this does not counter who we are by virtue of creation: made in God's image, and along with the rest still very good "in essence".

Christ was crucified "from before the foundation of the world". God's plan was always that we should be one in Christ. The Law was given because of transgressions, to determine/show the boundaries, but gave no power to fulfill. They allowed societal order, and highlighted and reckoned sin.

Christ came in order to fulfill the Law, taking all its stipulations and fulfilling them, and was the 'telos' to which the Law pointed. The Law never offered salvation: it was always through faith.

The regime of the Law, with its stipulations, is now ended; we don't follow circumcision, the sacrifices, etc, but it still reveals the righteous requirements of God. The Holy Spirit now is God's empowering presence to fulfill the Law and its just requirements (which Jesus showed in his Sermon on the Mount is actually much narrower than the 10 Commandments).

We are justified by faith, reconciled through Christ's death.

Paul, as to the righteousness under the Law, was blameless, meaning that he fulfilled all its sacrificial obligations, but it could never save and give power to live a righteous life! "Hence I find in my body a law which is contrary to what I hold in my mind. Aaah! Who will deliver me from this body of death?! I thank God, through Jesus Christ our Lord". It is now the Holy Spirit who enables us to fulfill the Law's requirements.

We now can live in love (the presence of the future age!); the Law is still holy & just & good, ordering 'evil society' and providing the boundaries which people need in order to realize they are transgressing, but it is never through keeping the Law that we are saved!

Christ died for all! All has been done! It is only through faith that we are made right with God, and all people should have the opportunity to hear and respond: just believe! But it is not merely predestination of the individual, but a predestination to be in Christ, and not apart from Him. The Spirit still blows where it wishes, and there are still hard hearts, but it is not a 'dualism' of predestination - 'us' & 'them'. We all need to repent (not a negative, heavy thing, but a metanoia - a change of mind - toward God (don't worship the creature, but worship the Creator)) and have faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. Pride and unbelief are the biggest obstacles to coming to Christ, the biggest sins.

The Holy Spirit is in the world, talking to people; people are free to make a choice; the strong man sometimes has to be bound. Remember, we are dealing with RELATIONSHIP at ALL LEVELS; we are not robots. God can also choose not to talk to a person and leave them to their own destructive ways! (cf Romans 1). But can also choose to overrule by so influencing our minds through the Spirit part of us (or to our minds directly, or through 'circumstances') that we cannot but do what He wills.

The Father is directing the unfolding plan of salvation across the world. God even uses 'hardened Pharaoh' to try to get His glory to all the world to save the world (the great Exodus would be spoken about in all the world, as a trigger to believe in this God !!). God even uses hardened hearts for the purpose of saving. God can and is using evil for good, not as His prime tool, but as His only/best/respectful tool (maintaining/upholding the rights of people to be free) to achieve the greatest good in the long run (ie the most people in heaven). God's divine strategy is His choosing!! WOW! And who are we to question God (cf Romans 11:33-36).

[Note that in the above I have tried to integrate Divine Sovereignty with Human Responsibility. But perhaps ultimately they cannot be brought together. I don't know.  When it comes to the whole question of predestination, I think the crucial passages are what Jesus Himself said: No one can come to me unless the Father draws Him (John 6:44); All who come to me I will never cast out (John 6:37).  In looking at what Jesus said, the fundamental question must be: Who does the Father draw unto Jesus?  In answer to this, I think it has something to do with our response to the Holy Spirit.  I believe the Holy Spirit talks with every individual on this planet, either comforting them in their sorrows or convicting them of their sins (John 16:8).  God does not desire that any should perish but that all should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9).  If we listen to the Holy Spirit's promptings we are then not guilty of the unforgivable sin (cf Matthew 12:32), and then I believe the Father is happy and draws us to Jesus!]

Further Big Picture Intent?
This world (& the possibility of death, rebellion, etc) was necessary in order to be able to create a "faithful bride" for Christ.

Consider Satan and his fall; God is wanting to create a people who will never be rebellious [again] like Satan, so He had to create a cosmos like this in which death was possible, so that it is only through mercy, humility, etc that people are saved/eternally secure, & NOT just by divine creation; it seems that a created personality in the image of God can only not usurp God by means of having humility taught to him/her (but in the process of humility being taught, sin must arise, & death, which thus have to be conquered). Thus we read that it was already before the foundation of the world that we were destined to be in Christ, indicating that His whole saving work was already foreordained (cf Ephesians 1:4,5; Revelation 13:8; Matthew 25:34). And thus we read that in heaven we shall always be beholding the Lamb that was slain (cf Revelation 5).

The only way God would not have had to have Christ slain from the foundation of the world was if He created us as other Gods, which is impossible, for He alone is and can be God!!