Note 9 at 1 Tim. 2:4: God wills that all men be saved (2 Pet. 3:9). Yet, not all men are saved and scripture reveals that this will not happen (Mt. 7:13-14). Therefore, what God wills doesn't always come to pass. Why? Because of man's free will.

The Lord wills for everyone to be saved, but He gives us a choice. God doesn't make that choice for us and the devil cannot force anyone into going to hell. It's our choice (Dt. 30:19). Those who preach that God sovereignly predestines some to salvation and others to damnation totally miss this point (see note 2 at Rom. 8:29, p. 801).

Note 10 at 1 Tim. 2:4: In context, the "all men" that Paul is referring to were "kings, and for all that are in authority." Therefore, in Paul's day, this referred to Nero and many ungodly sub-rulers that Paul stood before. The Lord hadn't written them off. He wanted them to be saved too.

The Lord arranged for His most powerful expositor of the Gospel to appear before Felix (see note 2 at Acts 23:24, p. 713); Festus (see note 9 at Acts 24:27, p. 718); King Agrippa II (see note 1 at Acts 25:13, p. 721); Centurion Julius (see note 4 at Acts 27:1, p. 725); Publius (see note 1 at Acts 28:7, p. 734); and even Caesar Himself (Acts 25:11-12).

There is no account that any of these rulers ever repented and came to a saving faith in the Lord, but the Lord did arrange for them to hear the Gospel. It is often the tendency of believers, to think that some people are too far gone to even bother witnessing to. That is not the example we see in scripture and is not what Paul is admonishing in these verses.

Note 11 at 1 Tim. 2:4: Notice that it is not only God's will for all men to be saved, but He also wants all men to come unto the knowledge of the truth. There is more to relationship with the Lord than just being saved. We need to renew our minds through the truth of God's Word, so that the salvation that is inside us manifests on the outside.