Based on Acts 18:1-17 (New King James Version)
“After these things Paul departed from Athens and went to Corinth. And he found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla (because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to depart from Rome); and he came to them. So, because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them and worked; for by occupation they were tentmakers. And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded both Jews and Greeks. When Silas and Timothy had come from Macedonia, Paul was compelled by the Spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus is the Christ. But when they opposed him and blasphemed, he shook his garments and said to them, ‘Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.’ And he departed from there and entered the house of a certain man named Justus, one who worshiped God, whose house was next door to the synagogue. Then Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his household. And many of the Corinthians, hearing, believed and were baptized. Now the Lord spoke to Paul in the night by a vision, ‘Do not be afraid, but speak, and do not keep silent; 10 for I am with you, and no one will attack you to hurt you; for I have many people in this city.’ And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them. When Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews with one accord rose up against Paul and brought him to the judgment seat, saying, ‘This fellow persuades men to worship God contrary to the law.’ And when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, ‘If it were a matter of wrongdoing or wicked crimes, O Jews, there would be reason why I should bear with you. But if it is a question of words and names and your own law, look to it yourselves; for I do not want to be a judge of such matters.’ And he drove them from the judgment seat. Then all the Greeks took Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, and beat him before the judgment seat. But Gallio took no notice of these things.”
In August 1st, 2006, John D. Morris, Ph.D. from the Institute for Creation Research, wrote the following article: “Did Darwin Renounce Evolution on His Deathbed? The story has circulated for decades. Charles Darwin, after a career of promoting evolution and naturalism, returned to the Christianity of his youth, renouncing on his deathbed the theory of evolution. The story appears to have been authored by a ‘Lady Hope,’ and relates how she visited him near the end and received his testimony. Evolutionists in general and his surviving family in particular have disputed the account. Those with him at the time insist there was no evident changing of mind. Indeed, in his autobiography written late in his life, Darwin fully supported evolution. He admitted the concept was distasteful to him and had brought him much dismay, but he still held it. Lady Hope was real, the wife of Lord Hope. She was a fervent Christian and friend of Darwin's wife, also a strong Christian who prayed for and witnessed to him all their married life, to no avail according to him. Nevertheless, many have researched the story, and all have concluded it is probably an ‘urban myth.’ In his later years Darwin did soften in his attitude toward Christianity. He even allowed a local church to hold their meetings on his property and asked that his bedroom windows be opened so he could hear the hymns being sung. A Christian can only hope that the seeds planted earlier took root at the end, and that he did place his faith in Christ before he died.”
As we saw in today's passage, some received the Gospel and believed in Christ to the point of enduring persecution and being killed for their faith. And we see that others did not receive it and even went so far as to harm and kill those who did. One might ask: “At some point, will everyone be saved, or not? Does God call only certain people to be saved, or does He call everyone?” To answer the first question, we don't know if everyone will be saved or not. Only God knows. As we just read in a story about Charles Darwin, the so-called "father of evolution," where the possibility arises that something could have happened at the end of his days, shortly before his death, from the account of this courageous woman, Lady Hope, who was not just anyone, but a renowned British evangelist in the 19th century. She was the wife of Lord Hope, or even more accurately, Sir James Hope, who was none other than Admiral of the Royal Navy Fleet of the United Kingdom. So, we must give some credibility to the story that Charles Darwin may have been converted in his final moments, because of the people involved in the affair. There will be many surprises in heaven, at God's great judgment, where there will be those who did come to have a true faith in Christ, even in their final moments, and there will also be those who gave the appearance of having had faith, and they will be condemned by the Lord for their hypocrisy and religiosity.
Now, to answer the second question, whether God only calls certain people to be saved, the Word teaches us conclusively that God desires the whole world to be saved, without exception. God's love is such that He opens His arms to everyone, without exception, and calls everyone from sunrise to sunset, and even afterward. God calls every human being to repent and come to salvation, as it is written: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” John 3:16-17. And it is also written: “Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” 1 Timothy 2:1-4. So, there is no doubt that God desires everyone to be saved, even those who seem least redeemable, like this Charles Darwin, and Christ followers should strive for God's desire.
The point is, and we see this everywhere in Scripture, that every human being has the power to choose. It is written: “‘The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not bear the guilt of the father, nor the father bear the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself. But if a wicked man turns from all his sins which he has committed, keeps all My statutes, and does what is lawful and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die. None of the transgressions which he has committed shall be remembered against him; because of the righteousness which he has done, he shall live. Do I have any pleasure at all that the wicked should die?’ says the Lord God, ‘and not that he should turn from his ways and live? ‘But when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and does according to all the abominations that the wicked man does, shall he live? All the righteousness which he has done shall not be remembered; because of the unfaithfulness of which he is guilty and the sin which he has committed, because of them he shall die.’” Ezekiel 18:20-24. Whoever lives for Christ, until the end, no matter when they began, will obtain justification through the Lord. But those who never adopt or retain faith in Christ until the end will not see eternal life. So, is the faith of Christ your faith, until the end, or will you be among those who will not gain entry into His kingdom by your own choice? Lord bless! John. God bless Israel!