"If you say that he (Jesus Christ) died for every human being in the same way, then you have to define the nature of the atonement very differently than you would if you believed that Christ only died for those who actually believe. In the first case you would believe that the death of Christ did not actually save anybody; it only made all men savable. It did not actually remove God's punitive wrath from anyone, but instead created a place where people could come and find mercy -- IF they could accomplish their own new birth and bring themselves to faith without the irresistible grace of God."- John Piper
What do you think?
4 comments:
He's absolutely right. If Jesus died for ALL people in the same way, then his act on the cross was not effectual as to some, since it only creates the possibility that we could be saved. The Bible is clear that Jesus would not lose those that the Father gave to Him.
From another angle, if Jesus truly died for ALL people, truly taking on the wrath of God that would be poured out on all sin, what need would there be for a hell? The punishment would have been taken, the price been paid for, God's wrath would be satisfied as to all sin; we cannot simply say on judgment day, "well, these folks over there didn't apply Christ's sacrifice to their sins, though Christ did die for them." This may be a terrible analogy, but if I'm in a restaurant eating a meal, and a stranger who I don't know pays for my meal and then leaves the restaurant, can I undo his payment? No! It is paid.
To say otherwise is to render the sacrifice of Christ somehow lacking to those who do not come to faith, if we say that Christ died for ALL people, regardless of whether they ultimately come to faith or not.
Amen! Yes! Well said, Dan!
We are saved by grace through faith, not just grace (even though neither is of ourselves) Eph 2:8-10.
So if everybody gets the gift voucher Christ paid for (grace), only those who cash it (in faith) benefit from it.
If the price Jesus paid wasn't infinite then He could only die for one person's sin. One sinless person's death for one sinner's sin. After dying for a million people's sin he was still sinless and still died, hence the death of one sinless person is payment in full for all who give their sin to him.
But isn't faith a gift as well?
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