DID CHRIST DIE FOR ABSOLUTELY EVERYONE?

Did Christ die only for the elect, only for those who will eventually be saved? I don’t think this view is Scripturally sustainable in view of the many verses that explicitly claim that he had died for all. Even the Hebrew Scriptures attest to the fact that He died for absolutely everyone:

·       We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:6)

Notice that the same “all” who had rejected God – and that is absolutely everyone – are the same “all” that He had died for, absolutely everyone.

In his second evangelistic sermon, Peter preached that Jesus had been raised to turn everyone away from their sins:

·       When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways." (Acts 3:26)

Paul wrote that:

·       supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. (1 Timothy 2:1-6)

How could God desire for all to be saved without also making provision for them at the Cross? This passage requires us to take “ransom for all” as absolutely all. Why? Paul instructed us to pray for all. There is absolutely no reason to think that he was only requiring us to pray for the elect, simply because we do not know who they are. Besides, we are to pray for absolutely all because God desires that all be saved. If He desires that all be saved, He must have died for all.

Later, Paul made a revealing distinction, which points to the fact that Jesus must have died for all:

·       …for this we labor and strive, that we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, and especially of those who believe. (1 Tim. 4:10)

Even though God “is the Savior of all men,” this applies especially to believers, who are saved by faith in Jesus. By this, Paul had acknowledged that He died even for those who will not believe.

John had made the same distinction to indicate that Jesus died not only for the elect (believers) but for everyone, the sins of the entire world:

·       He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. (1 John 2:2)

This proves that salvation is available to everyone, “whoever believes”:

·       "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

Implications:

This means that no one has to worry that their sins are not covered by the Cross. This serves as an encouragement to all who might want to come to Christ but doubt that the door is open to them.

This also portrays a God who truly loves His creation and who wants to reconcile everything to Himself:

·       The LORD is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. The LORD is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made. (Psalm 145:8-9)

We are the problem and not God. This doctrine identifies us as the fault and not a God who only offers hope to the limited number of people He will actually save.