Third, and perhaps most important, is the view the Bible gives us of the efficacy of Christ’s atoning death. Paul writes, “For those he predestined, he also called those he called, he also justified those he justified, he also glorified.” But in Romans 8:30, for instance, the Bible tightly links election and the benefits of Christ’s atoning death. The main reason most people deny that Jesus died only for his own is that they deny the biblical doctrine of election. The Bible overwhelmingly teaches that God chose some sinners for salvation, apart from any merit of their own, passing by other sinners. 26:28).Ī second reason to believe Jesus made atonement only for his own comes from the doctrine of election. That is, many, not all. Again, in instituting the Lord’s Supper, Jesus said, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” (Mt. There, we find Jesus praying to the Father on the night of his arrest, “I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me.” Similarly, he said, “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mt. The first is the express statements of Scripture, beginning with John 17:9. There are several other persuasive reasons to reject the idea of a general atonement and conclude that Jesus only made atonement for those given to him by God. The world’s only Savior is Jesus of Nazareth, God’s precious Son. John’s emphasis is not in a general redemption that includes unbelievers, but in the explosion of salvation through every tribe, tongue and nation. The first time the expression is used is in John 4:42, after Jesus has taken the gospel outside the bounds of Judaism and to the Samaritans. There is good reason to believe that John does not mean the Savior of everybody but rather the Savior of Gentiles as well as Jews. There are problems with this view, however, starting with the interpretation of the statement that Jesus is the Savior of the world. The problem simply is that with obstinate hearts they refuse the blood that was shed for them. 1 John 2:2, for instance, says, “He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.” This shows, they argue, that Jesus made atonement for everyone. People who hold it point out the New Testament statements that speak of Christ as the Savior of the world. The first answer is attractive because it seems to pin all the blame on human obstinacy and unbelief. In this case, unbelievers perish not only for want of faith but also for want of an atonement. The second explanation is that while Jesus died to offer salvation to the world, he made atonement only for those who believe on him. Here, what saves people is not ultimately Jesus’ death but their faith because some people do not believe they are lost, even though Jesus offered his blood for them. Is this in spite of the atoning sacrifice that Jesus made for them, or is it that, since they do not believe, Jesus did not make atonement for them?Īccording to the first view, known as general redemption, or unlimited atonement, Jesus died to make atonement for everyone, but his death was not effectual apart from their believing on him. A great host of unbelievers will be condemned by God for their sin. The Bible makes it clear that not everyone is or is going to be saved. The matter comes to its head when we ask if Jesus actually made an atoning sacrifice for everyone. Therefore, every person can be told that Jesus died to give them a free offer of forgiveness and acceptance with God. Jesus’ blood has sufficient worth to ransom from their sin everyone who ever lived. There is a sense in which no one denies that Jesus died for everyone, namely with regard to the value and suitability of his death for the salvation of every sinner. Her concern is whether in evangelism she should tell people, “Jesus died for you.” One reason for this is the one given by the person who sent the question. “Did Jesus die for everyone?” Tonight’s question is one that has been hotly debated in the history of the church.
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