Many if not most believers will answer in the affirmative to this question. Let us examine the verse which many believers will cite to support their answer.
2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
It would appear at first glance that the Lord does not want anyone at all to perish in hell, but rather for every person to come to repentance and to receive eternal life. However, this seems to conflict with other, “difficult” Scriptures which appear to teach otherwise.
The Book of Life
Revelation 17:8 The beast, which you saw, once was, now is not, and yet will come up out of the Abyss and go to its destruction. The inhabitants of the earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the creation of the world will be astonished when they see the beast, because it once was, now is not, and yet will come.
According to this verse, there are people whose “names have not been written in the book of life from the creation of the world.” Long before these people were born—“from the creation of the world”—their names were not written in the book of life. The Lord did not write their names there. What happens to them?
Revelation 20:15 Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.
It is not unreasonable therefore to say that it was not His will to save those whose names are not found written in the book of life. Conversely, only those whose names are in fact found written in the book of life are given grace to repent upon hearing the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Since God does not give to everyone the grace to repent, we can say that God does not want everyone to come to repentance. How can we square this with 2 Peter 3:9? To do this let us consider the intended recipients of Peter’s epistle.
It’s all about context
2 Peter 1:1 Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours…
The recipients of Peter’s letter are “those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours.” Clearly Peter is writing to followers of Jesus Christ. He assures these believers:
2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
The Lord is “patient with you”—referring to His people. He does not want any of them to perish, but all of them to come to repentance. Could Peter be referring to those whose names are written in the book of life from the creation of the world? Could He be urging them to remain steadfast in their faith and obedience?
10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare. 11 Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives 12 as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat.
Peter is urging God’s people to live holy and godly lives in view of the coming awesome day of God.
It’s clear that Peter is not addressing unbelievers here. He is addressing the Church, consisting of those whose names are written in the book of life. Within the Church there are those who need to be strengthened lest their names be blotted out of the book of life.
Revelation 3:5 The one who is victorious will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out the name of that person from the book of life, but will acknowledge that name before my Father and his angels.
In his letter Peter urges his “dear friends” and fellow believers “to make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with God.”
2 Peter 3:13 But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells. 14 So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him.
God’s patience means salvation for us
2 Peter 3:15 Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him.
Yes, the Lord’s patience means salvation, but for whom—for every human being? No, God’s patience means salvation for His people—for those whose names are written in the book of life. Peter is warning believers to be on their guard against the error of the lawless and thus “fall from their secure position.”
…17 Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position. 18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.
What is “the error of the lawless”? This error teaches believers that it is not necessary to live holy and godly lives on earth, or to make every effort to found spotless and blameless before God. This error can cause us to fall from our secure position. This error turns the grace of God into a license for immorality (Jude 1:4).
Rather, Peter urges us to grow in the true grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ which enable us to live a godly life and to participate in the divine nature.
2 Peter 1:2 Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. 3 His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
We conclude that in his letter Peter is not addressing the lost in the world, but rather the Church. The Lord does not want anyone in the Church to perish, but for all of us in the Church to come to repentance. True repentance will result in turning away from sin and living a holy and godly life.