As a Christian, I believe that Jesus Christ died in my place, bearing the punishment for my sins.  This is an essential component of saving faith, and every true Christian believes this.  Christians do not agree, however, on whether He also died for those who will never be saved.  Particular Redemption teaches that He died only for those He actually saves—the elect.  General Redemption teaches that He died for all men without exception.

Sometimes, Particular Redemption is called "Limited Redemption" or "Limited Atonement", because it teaches that Christ's payment for sin is limited to the elect only, and General Redemption is called "Unlimited Redemption" or "Unlimited Atonement" because it teaches that Christ died for all men without exception.  However, the terms "Limited" and "Unlimited" are misleading, because both views put limits on the work of Christ.  This must be so, because every true Christian believes the Bible when it says that there are many who will be eternally lost.  Particular Redemption teaches that we are necessarily saved by the work of Christ—that Christ bore our full penalty on the cross, and that it would be unjust for God to punish us twice—once on the cross, and again in hell.  General Redemption puts a huge limit on the work of Christ when it says that it is not enough that Christ died for your sins—that His death alone cannot save you and is wasted or ineffective for those who never trust in Jesus.

For this reason, I will use the terms "Particular Redemption" and "General Redemption" to distinguish the two positions.

When we go to the scriptures to resolve the issue, we find that both sides of the controversy have a list of passages they use to support their respective views.  Some scriptures say that Christ died for the world or for all men, while others say that He died for His sheep, for His church and for His elect.  The correct view will be able to give a cogent explanation to all these passages—both those that seem to support it, as well as those that seem to contradict it.
 

Scriptures that say Christ died for "the world" or "all men".

There are many passages that speak of Christ's work on the cross with reference to "the world" or "all men".  If your focus is on the words "world" or "all", it is easy to see how you might conclude that Christ died for every single person.  The problem with such a conclusion is that these verses say specifically what Christ accomplished by dying for them, and in each case it is an act that always results in salvation, and not merely the bare possibility of being saved.

For example, John 3:16 says that the reason why God gave his only-begotten Son was so that "whoever believes in him" should not perish but have eternal life.  The purpose of giving Christ, then, was not to bless all men without exception, but to save in particular those who believe in Christ.  Other passages use words such as "propitiation", "ransom", "save", "reconciling", etc.  All these words describe an act of God that results in the actual salvation of the individual.
 

It may come as a surprise to some that the passages that are used to support General Redemption are also used to support Particular Redemption.  How can this be?  The reason is that the General view emphasizes the words "world" and "all", while the Particular view emphasizes words like "propitiation", "ransom", "takes away sin", "Savior", "save", "reconcile", "not counting their trespasses against them", "justification", "life", etc.

In other words, when the General view focuses on the words "world" (or "whole world") and "all", it fails to pay careful attention to what Christ is said to have accomplished for "the world" or for "all people", for, in each case, Christ is said to have accomplished salvation itself for those for whom He died.

Christ is their propitiation.  What does propitiation mean?  It means that God's justice is satisfied on their behalf—that He has no wrath remaining against them.  Properly understood, this means that they can never come under His wrath, for that wrath was poured out on their substitute, Jesus, instead.

Christ is their ransom.  What does ransom mean?  It means a price paid to gain a person's freedom.  Christ has paid the required price, and therefore all for whom He died are of necessity released from the guilt and penalty of their sin.

Christ takes away their sin.  If their sin has truly been taken away, then how could God condemn them?  Hell exists because men are sinners who deserve eternal punishment.  But if Christ has taken away their sin, then there is nothing left to condemn them.

Christ is their Savior.  How can He be the Savior of those who will never be saved?  In what sense was He ever their Savior?  Scripture never says that Jesus is potentially their Savior, but that He is their Savior.  If He is truly their Savior, then they must truly be saved.

Because Christ died for them, they have died.  This describes the fact that our punishment has already been borne by Christ on the cross—when he died, we died with him.  But this cannot mean that he died for all men, for scripture tells us ... "if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him." (Romans 6:8).  The result of having died with Christ is that we shall someday live with him.  This is not true of all men without exception.  It is, however, true of all those who believe in him.  Romans 6:5 explains this even more clearly:  "For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his."

Christ reconciled them to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them.  What does reconcile mean?  It means to make peace between two adversaries.  Christ, by dying for our sins, has reconciled us to God, making peace with God, so that He no longer regards us as enemies.  ... How is this possible?  By "not counting their trespasses against them".  If you have been reconciled by Christ, then God does not count your transgressions against you.  In other words, because Christ died for your sins, God's wrath has been poured out on Jesus at the cross, and He has no wrath remaining against you.  And, because there is peace, there can be no future condemnation.

How "world" and "all men" are used in Scripture

The Bible states in many passages that not all men will be saved (see the Appendix: "Will all humans be saved in the end?").  Therefore, in the passages listed above, we have two options:

1. either "world" and "all men" do not mean "all people without exception", or else
2. the various words "propitiate", "reconcile", "save", "takes away sin", "not counting their trespasses against them", "justification", etc., do not denote actual salvation.

Scriptural usage is one of the most reliable ways to determine the range of possible meanings for a Biblical word, and this is where a concordance (or a search function in a Bible software application) can be especially useful.  It is preferable to search for the original Greek or Hebrew word, rather than the English words that translate them.  For this reason, there are Greek and Hebrew concordances that can be used, such as Englishman's Greek Concordance and Englishman's Hebrew Concordance.  But even the better English concordances, such as Strong's or Young's, can help you identify the original words and, if properly used, can be quite effective.  Bible software often lets you search using Strong's numbers, which will find all the occurrences of a particular Greek or Hebrew word.  Once you have a list of the passages where a particular Greek or Hebrew word is used, you can simply read the passages to see the various meanings for the word, and the various ways it is used in context.

The word "world" (Greek: kosmos) is used various ways in Scripture to speak of the entire created universe, of men and angels, of the general public, of a large crowd, of the goods and pleasures of this present life, or to denote geographic extent or ethnic diversity.
 

The word "all" (Greek: pas) is often used to mean "all kinds of" or "a variety of".  In the passages below, the bold blue words translate the single Greek word pas.  Whether this word is translated with a simple "all", or as "every kind of", "all sorts of", "all kinds of", etc., it is clear from the context that "all without exception" is not the intended meaning.
 

By examining how "world" (Greek: kosmos) and "all" (Greek: pas) are used in scripture, we see that these words do, indeed, have a range of meanings and that we are not justified in assuming they must necessarily denote "all men without exception".  The technical salvation words "propitiation", "ransom", "reconcile" and "justification", on the other hand, are more fixed and limited in their range of meanings.

When 1 John 2:2 says that Christ is the propitiation for the whole world, we need to understand that propitiation describes an act that necessarily results in salvation.  Christ has propitiated (satisfied) God's justice for those for whom he died.  To say that Christ is the propitiation for all men without exception would assert that all men without exception will be saved.  Therefore, the expression "whole world" in 1 John 2:2 cannot mean all "all men without exception", and must instead denote geographic breadth, or ethnic universality (i.e. people of all races, nations and languages).  This is a perfectly legitimate meaning for the Greek word translated "world" and it avoids the problems of a universal propitiation.

When John 3:16 says that "God loved the world so much that he gave his only-begotten Son, so that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life", we need to realize that the focus of God's love for "the world" is on those who would believe in Christ.  No benefit or advantage is mentioned here for those who will never believe in Christ.  God gave Christ to die for the express purpose of saving believers, and not (as is often supposed) to make all men "savable" or to "put salvation within the reach" of all men without exception.  We need to read carefully what the passage actually says rather than reading into the passages ideas that are never stated or expressed in the passage itself.
 

Other Considerations Cited to Support a General Redemption.

"whosoever"
John 3:16 says "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life."  When we see the word "whosoever", it sometimes gives the impression that the identity of the people under consideration is indefinite or unknown.  It sounds to our ears that God gave Jesus to die to save "whoever believes in him", as if God was unsure of who might believe in Christ, or that their identity had not yet been determined.  Thus, some take this to mean that Christ died for all men without exception in order that everyone would have an opportunity to trust in Christ and be saved.

Scripture makes it clear, however, that nothing is hidden or unknown to the infinite God (Hebrews 4:13). He knows the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:10), he knows the secrets of our hearts (Psalm 44:21) and the darkness is as light to him (Psalm 139:12).  In fact, God works all things after the counsel of his will (Ephesians 1:11), and has chosen a people for himself, whom he brings to faith and repentance by his own power.

Ephesians 1:11  In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will,

Ephesians 2:4-5  But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—

Philippians 1:29  because it was granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer on His behalf,

2 Thessalonians 2:13  But we ought to thank God always concerning you, brothers, beloved by the Lord, because God chose you from the beginning to salvation in sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth,

2 Timothy 2:25  correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth,

"I will draw all people to myself"
In John 12:32, our Lord says "And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself."  This is sometimes used to support the idea that Jesus died for all people without exception, but it is difficult to see how this verse supports a general redemption.

We would ask "In what sense are all people without exception drawn to Christ?"  If all without exception are drawn, then it cannot refer to effectual calling, whereby God grants saving faith to people, for scripture is clear that many people will never come to Christ for salvation.  It cannot refer to the call of the gospel either, for there have been many people throughout history who have never heard the gospel.  How can they be drawn by a gospel which they have never heard?

Some might suggest that Jesus is speaking of the convicting work of the Holy Spirit described in John 16:8 whereby he convicts the world of sin, righteousness and judgment.  In context, Jesus is discussing the Helper who will be with the disciples in their ministry for Christ, and so the convicting ministry of the Holy Spirit occurs through the ministry of Jesus' disciples, and not in a vacuum.  Which is to say, that this is a work that occurs only in the presence of the preached word, and is not a global sin-convicting work that occurs apart from the ministry of the word of God.  It may be that Jesus is describing the way that the Helper will work in the words and ministry of the disciples—giving them words to speak that are convicting words, and the faith to speak them with seriousness and authority.  Or, it may mean that the Helper will accompany the preached word, working in the hearts of the hearers of the word, to bring about in them conviction of sin, righteousness and judgment.  Either way, nothing is said here about the Helper drawing anyone to Christ through this convicting ministry, and, in any case, it is a work that does not occur apart from the ministry of the gospel.  So it would not apply to those who never hear the gospel.

I submit that the phrase "draw to myself" refers to effectual calling—a work that results in the actual salvation of men, and that the phrase "all people" signifies all kinds of people. John 12:32 simply means that Christ will effectually draw (i.e. bring to genuine faith and repentance) people from all nations and classes of mankind.
 

Adam and Christ
It is sometimes argued, from Romans 5:18, that, since all men without exception came under condemnation because of Adam's sin, then the parallelism between Adam and Christ requires that all men have been redeemed by Christ's act of righteousness in dying for our sins.  Or, to put it another way, that the expression "all men" must denote the same group of people in each case, and therefore Christ's redemption extends to the very same group of people who fell under condemnation for Adam's sin.

Romans 5:18  Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men

To properly understand the passage, we need to recognize that one must be organically related to Adam or Christ in order to receive the result of their respective acts.  In other words, those who are "in Adam" (being physical descendants of Adam), are under the condemnation merited by Adam's initial sin.  Those who are "in Christ" (having received his Spirit and trusting in Christ for salvation), partake of the results of Christ's righteous obedience in dying for our sins on the cross.  Apart from being "in Adam" or being "in Christ", there is no logical reason why a person should partake of the consequences of what Adam or Christ did.

Therefore the phrase "all men" which occurs twice in this passage is not focusing on whether every individual person was affected by Adam or by Christ.  Rather, it focuses our attention on the fact that the acts of Adam and Christ affected every race and nation of men—"all kinds of men"—people in all parts of the world, and was not restricted to the Jewish people only.  This continues Paul's discussion in earlier chapters, where he affirms that God will judge all men—whether Jew or Gentile—by the same standards (Romans 2:9-11), that both Jews and Gentiles are under sin (Romans 3:9-10), and that God justifies every person who believes in Jesus—whether Jew or Gentile (Romans 3:28-30; 4:9-12, 17).

Some would argue that the number of people redeemed by Christ must be at least the number who fell in Adam, or else Adam appears to be greater by comparison.  However, this does not follow.  Sin is destructive, just as a bomb is destructive.  It is very easy to destroy, but much harder to repair what is destroyed.  It is easy to drop a vase and watch it shatter into thousands of little pieces.  It is much more difficult to gather the pieces and reassemble them into a beautiful vase.

Even if Jesus had died for every single human being who fell in Adam, then the parallel still breaks down if anyone for whom Christ died remains unsaved.  This would mean that, in the comparison between Adam and Jesus, Adam wins.  Adam brought everyone under sin and condemnation, but Jesus only delivers some from the results of Adam's sin.  To compare the number of people affected by Adam versus Christ is simply not a valid comparison, and does not accurately represent the argument Paul is making in Romans 5.

Adam, by one sin, brought the entire human race into sin, resulting in many sins.  However, Jesus, by one act of righteous obedience, erased multitudes of sins, restoring countless thousands or millions of people to a right relationship with God.  He did not have to save every single sinner in order to prove himself greater than Adam.  Creation and restoration, by their very nature, are exceedingly more virtuous and glorious than acts of destruction.

Moreover, Jesus did not simply restore us to Adam's condition prior to the Fall, but procured for us a far more glorious and permanent standing.  Christ's immutable righteousness has been imputed to us (2 Corinthians 5:21; Philippians 3:8-9). We are sons of God, held securely in the Father's hand (John 10:29), so that we cannot fall as Adam did.  We have eternal life and will bear the very likeness of Christ himself (Romans 8:29; 1 Corinthians 15:49; 1 John 3:2).  Jesus' work of redemption outshines Adam's sin by virtue of the exceeding greatness of the salvation he has purchased for us.
 

"those who live"
Another passage that is sometimes cited as proof that Christ died for all men is 2 Corinthians 5:14-15, which not only says that Christ died "for all", but also says it was so that "those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him ...".  Because the phrase "those who live" designates a subset of those who died, it is argued that Christ died for all, but it is only believers who can be described as "those who live", since they alone have been raised to new life through the new birth.

2 Corinthians 5:14-15  For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.

Moreover the passage is discussing the motive for Christian obedience in this life ("the love of Christ controls us"), so the phrase "those who live" may very well mean "those believers who are now living on earth" in contrast to "those believers who have died and gone to be with Christ."  In this case, it does not distinguish believers from unbelievers at all, and would not give any support to the idea that "all" must mean all men without exception.

Ultimately, the biggest problem with understanding "all" to mean "all without exception" is that it requires us to believe that all without exception have died with Christ. This would mean, according to Romans 6:8, that all without exception will someday live with Christ.

Romans 6:8    Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him

Two reconciliations?
2 Corinthians 5:19-20 is sometimes used to claim that there are two kinds of reconciliation—that Jesus at Calvary reconciled the world to God (making all men "savable"), and now, as a second step, we must be individually reconciled to God by trusting in Christ ...

2 Corinthians 5:19-20  that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

"especially of those who believe"
1 Timothy 4:10 says that "God ... is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe."  Does this mean that Jesus died for all without exception, so as to become their "Savior" in some potential sense, and that it becomes actual only for "those who believe"?  The passage does not use the word "potential" here, and we need to ask whether we are justified in supplying it.

There are three other ways to understand this passage ...

1. God is the Savior of all kinds of people—i.e. of every nation and status of mankind—but specifically ("especially") of those who believe.
2. Salvation can be thought of in both a temporal sense and an eternal sense.  Temporally, God saves people from various calamities in this life—from illness, crime, war, storms, etc.  Eternally, God saves believers from his eternal wrath.  Either way, God can be called "Savior".  In the temporal sense, he is the Savior of all men—of both believers and unbelievers. However, in the eternal sense, he is the Savior of believers only.  Thus, he is especially the Savior of believers, because he is their Savior in both senses, and because the eternal sense is the greater.
3. Some would claim that temporal salvation alone is in view in this passage—that there is a General Providence which attends all mankind, and a Special Providence whereby God watches over his own elect people.  He preserves them prior to their conversion in order that they might be called unto faith.  He likewise preserves them after conversion, bringing them through many trials and hardships, watching over them as a mother hen cares for her chicks, or as a shepherd protects his sheep.  (See John Gill's commentary on 1 Timothy 4:10).

"denying the Master who bought them"
2 Peter 2:1 speaks of certain false prophets who will "deny the Master who bought them".  It is sometimes argued that this proves that Jesus died even for people who will never be saved ...

2 Peter 2:1  But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction.

1. In this passage, the word "Master" is not the usual word for "Lord" (kurios), but the word despotes which is the source of the English word "despot".  It means "absolute ruler, Lord, master" (see #1203 in Strong's Greek dictionary).  This word occurs several times in the New Testament, and always refers to God the Father (Luke 2:29; Acts 4:24; 2 Timothy 2:21; Jude 1:4; Revelation 6:10), or to earthly slave owners (1 Timothy 6:1-2; Titus 2:9; 1 Peter 2:18).  In contrast, whenever Christ is called "Lord" in scripture, the word kurios is used.  Kurios denotes the relationship of a King to his subjects (Luke 19:16) or a husband to his wife (1 Peter 3:6), whereas despotes denotes the relationship of a slave owner to his slaves.
2. No mention is made here of a purchase price, in contrast to other passages, which add "with the precious blood of Christ" (1 Peter 1:18-19), "with his own blood" (Acts 20:28), "with a price" (1 Corinthians 6:20), "through his blood" (Ephesians 1:7) or "by your blood" (Revelation 5:9).
3. Peter is addressing a Jewish audience (see 1 Peter 1:1; James 1:1; Galatians 2:9) and reminds them how God dealt with their fathers in the Old Testament, when "false prophets also arose among the people".  Israel in the Old Testament was said to have been "purchased" by God by his providential dealings with them, saving them from their enemies (Exodus 15:16; Psalm 74:2; Isaiah 43:3-4) and especially, by delivering them from the Egyptians by means of the plagues and the passage through the Red Sea (Psalm 78:42-53; 105:23-38; 106:8-12; 135:8-9; 136:10-15; Isaiah 63:7-14).

It might be added that other explanations have been suggested as well.  For example, that the passage is describing these false teachers according to their profession of faith—i.e. that they claimed to have been redeemed by Christ.  Another explanation is that others mistakenly regarded them to be fellow believers, redeemed by Christ.
 

"and not for ours only"
1 John 2:2 says "He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world."  It is sometimes argued that the phrase "and not for ours only" proves that Jesus is the propitiation for all men without exception, and not for believers only.  However, the epistles of Hebrews, James, Peter, John and Jude were written to Jewish Christians, and so when John says "and not for ours only" his point is that Jesus didn't die just for Jewish Christians, but for people in every nation throughout the whole world who would believe in Christ.

Peter, for example, addresses his epistle to "... those who are elect exiles of the dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia ..." (1 Peter 1:1).  The word "dispersion" is the Greek word diaspora, which is a technical word denoting Jewish believers who had been scattered from their homeland.  James is even more explicit, addressing his epistle to "... the twelve tribes in the Dispersion." (James 1:1).

This distinction follows naturally from the agreement reached in Galatians 2:9, where James, Peter and John agreed that they would focus their ministry on the Jews ("the circumcised"), and that Paul and Barnabas should go to the Gentiles.

Galatians 2:9  and when James and Cephas and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given to me, they gave the right hand of fellowship to Barnabas and me, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised.

This would affect the scope and meaning of "us" and "our" when used by Peter and John, in contrast to Paul's meaning and usage.  Peter and John would typically mean "we Jews" or "we Jews who have trusted in Jesus, the Messiah", whereas Paul would mean "we believers—whether Jew or Gentile".
 

"the whole world"
1 John 2:2 says "He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world."  Some might say that, even if it could be proved that the expression "the world" does not necessarily mean "all people without exception", then surely by adding the adjective "whole", we have made it a truly universal term.  Jesus is said to be the propitiation, not merely of "the world", but of "the whole world".  —Doesn't that prove that he died for all men without exception?

In response, we must say "No, 'the world' does not necessarily mean 'all people who ever lived', and neither does 'the whole world'".  Remember that the epistles of John are written to a Jewish audience.  To the Jews, any nations outside of Israel would constitute "the world".  Thus, if Jesus was the propitiation, say of Egyptians, Syrians and Cretans, in addition to Jews, it could be said that he was the propitiation for the sins of the world.  John means something broader than just the nearby Gentile nations, however.  He means to include Rome, Greece, Babylon, Persia, Carthage and Gaul as well as lands and nations unknown to him at the time, such as China, Russia, Germany, Scandinavia, Australia and the Americas.

The "whole world", therefore, is a way of ensuring full geographic extent—as if to say all the nations of the whole world.  The word "whole" makes universal whatever meaning is here intended by "world".  If "the world" did not mean all individual people at the outset, but instead meant "nations outside the borders of Israel", then "the whole world" simply broadens the basic meaning to "all nations outside the borders of Israel—throughout the world".  It does not turn the meaning from nations to individuals.
 

Scriptures that Limit Redemption to the People of God.

In addition to the passages examined above, there are a number of passages that explicitly say that Christ died for his own —"his people", "the sheep", "the church of God", "God's elect" and "those who are called".
 

How does the General Redemption view handle these passages?  The usual response is to observe that, if Christ died for all men, then he surely died for "the sheep", "the church", "the elect" and "those who are called".  The problem with this answer is that it would make no sense for scripture to single out the church, the sheep, or the elect if Christ's death for them was no different than for others.  These passages teach us that Jesus died specifically for his own people.  He "lays down his life for the sheep", which would be a meaningless qualifier if he also laid down his life for everyone else in the very same way.

To say that God "did not spare his own Son but gave him us for us all" (Romans 8:32) would likewise be a meaningless statement if God gave Christ up for everyone.  Some might argue that "us all" in this passage denotes all men without exception.  However, that cannot be, for the passage continues, by asking "how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?"  In context, the "all things" that God gives us include predestination, calling, justification and glorification (Romans 8:29-30).  The passage reasons from the greater to the lesser—if God was willing to make the greatest sacrifice of all and give up his only-begotten Son to death by crucifixion, then how could he withhold from us any of the blessings of salvation?  The answer—He won't!  Finally, the passage identifies "us all" by saying "Who shall bring any charge against God's elect?"  In context, God's elect are the "us all" for whom he gave up his Son.

Ephesians 5:25 is especially enlightening, for it sets forth Christ's love for the church as a model for how husbands are to love their wives.

Ephesians 5:25  Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,

The Redeemed.
Throughout scripture, the title "the redeemed" refers to the people of God, and never to all mankind.
 

Redeemed from mankind.
Scripture also speaks of redeeming people from mankind—indicating a distinction made between those who are redeemed and the remainder of mankind who are not.

Revelation 14:4  It is these who have not defiled themselves with women, for they are virgins. It is these who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These have been redeemed from mankind as firstfruits for God and the Lamb,

He shall be satisfied.
In Isaiah 53, the prophet declares that Christ will see the results of his suffering and will be satisfied.  How could Jesus be satisfied with the results of his suffering if many for whom he died will end up in hell?

Isaiah 53:11  He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.

The fallacy of this explanation is that, in numerous passages, Jesus is said to have "redeemed" his people by dying for their sins.  This has in view a specific people for whom Christ died who are thereby redeemed, irrespective of what they might later do to appropriate it.  Jesus redeemed them (Luke 1:68, Hebrews 9:15), he laid down his life for them (John 10:11), he obtained them with his own blood (Acts 20:28), he gave himself up for them (Ephesians 5:25), etc.  All these passages teach that, when Christ died, it was for specific people who are actually and ultimately redeemed.  There is no thought here of Jesus redeeming all mankind, while only certain ones appropriate that redemption by faith.  Rather, the language of scripture is that they are redeemed simply and only because he died for them, bearing their sins.

To summarize the Biblical evidence:  The passages that say Christ died for "the world" or for "all men" use salvation words like "propitiate", "reconcile", "save" and "justify" to describe what Christ accomplished for those for whom he died.  To say that "world" and "all men" denote all men without exception would mean that all without exception will be saved, which contradicts many passages of scripture.  The words "world" and "all" are very common words having a wide range of meaning.  The technical words "propitiate", "ransom", "reconcile" and "justify", on the other hand, have a very narrow range of meaning.  God uses the words "all" or "world", not to claim that all without exception are redeemed, but to say that all kinds of men, throughout all parts of the world, have been redeemed by Christ and will be saved.  Other passages teach that Christ died for "the sheep", "the church", "the elect" and "those who are called".  Why single out those who are saved if Christ actually died for all without exception?  These passages teach that Christ's death is as exclusive for his elect as a husband's love for his own wife, and that God freely gives all the blessings of salvation to everyone for whom Christ died.
 

Federal Headship in Romans 5

Romans 5:18 and its context teach us that, just as Adam brought condemnation upon men, so Christ brings justification and life upon men. The parallel between these two acts is instructive—especially as it concerns the consequences of each act.

Romans 5:18-19  Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous.

Paul, in Romans 5, draws a parallel between the disobedience of Adam and the righteous act of Christ. Adam's "one trespass" brought condemnation on all his posterity. In the same way, Christ's "one act of righteousness" brought salvation ("justification and life") to all those for whom he died.

We didn't have to do anything to receive the consequences of Adam's act of disobedience—it was ours by birth, for no other reason than having Adam as our ancestor. In the same way, then, Christ's one act of righteousness—bearing our sins in his own body on the cross—automatically constitutes all the elect as righteous in God's sight.

Unbelief and disobedience come naturally to the child of Adam. We don't become children of Adam by disbelieving. Rather, we are born into a condition of unbelief and disobedience because we are already children of Adam by birth. Our individual acts of sin make us more guilty in God's sight, but we are born into this world already guilty enough to deserve eternal hell, by virtue of Adam's first sin of eating the forbidden fruit in Eden.

In the same way, obedience and belief come naturally to the child of God, who is born "not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God" (John 1:13). Through the new birth, we are born into a condition of faith and obedience, as the Holy Spirit changes our hearts and makes us children of God. Thus, faith and obedience are the fruit of salvation, not its cause. The cause of our salvation is Christ's work of redemption, bearing our sins in our place.

Romans 5:9  Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.

This Biblical fact—that we are counted guilty or righteous based on the sin or obedience of another—is the doctrine of imputation. There are three important acts of imputation mentioned in scripture:

• The imputation of Adam's sin to all his descendants.
• The imputation of our sin to the Lord Jesus.
• The imputation of Christ's righteousness to his people.

Just as Adam's sin is imputed to all his posterity, so also our sin is imputed to Jesus, who died in our place on the cross, and his perfect righteousness is imputed to us. If our sins have truly been imputed to Jesus, then God's justice has been satisfied, and he has no cause left to condemn us. If Jesus' righteousness has truly been imputed to us, then our judicial standing before God is one of absolute, spotless righteousness, and we cannot be condemned, even though our actual state, in this life, is far from sinless.

We sometimes say that Adam is the Federal Head (or "Covenantal Head") of those who are lost, and Christ is the Federal Head of those who are saved. All in Adam are under the curse and condemnation of Adam's first sin. All in Christ are counted righteous in Christ, by virtue of his work of redemption.

In summary, Romans 5 draws a parallel between Adam, who by one sinful act brought condemnation on all his posterity, and Christ, who by one act of obedience brought justification and life to all his people. Just as Adam's sin is unconditionally imputed to all his posterity, resulting in their guilt and condenmnation, so also Christ's righteousness is unconditionally imputed to all for whom he died, resulting in their justification and eternal life. Since it is not the case that all men without exception will be saved, it follows that Christ did not die for all men without exception.
 

Theological Considerations.

The Justice of God in Redemption
Particular Redemption affirms an actual Substitutionary Atonement—that Jesus actually took the place of particular sinners, bearing the full penalty they deserved for their sins, and forever freeing them from the wrath of God.  In comparison, General Redemption undermines the doctrine of substitution by interposing a qualification:  It is not enough that Christ died for your sins; more is needed—you must take hold of his redemptive work by faith.

To illustrate the problem with this view, consider a man named Henry who never trusts in Christ.  Jesus died for Henry's sins, meaning that Jesus took upon himself the punishment for Henry's sins.  Yet, Henry will still go to hell because he does not trust in Christ. So here is the problem: God punished Jesus for Henry's sins, and then also punishes Henry in hell for his own sins.  Where is the justice in this double payment for sins?

To get around this problem, some people say that Henry does not go to hell for his sins, but because of his unbelief.  What do they mean by this?

Theory #1.  If they mean that unbelief is a special sin—one that damns to hell even those for whom Christ died—then it would mean that Jesus did not die for the sin of unbelief.  For, if Jesus did die for Henry's unbelief, then Henry's unbelief has been forgiven and it cannot condemn him.  On the other hand, if Jesus did not die for the sin of unbelief, then no one can be saved, for each of us persisted in unbelief for several years before coming to Christ in faith.  Our past unbelief is a sin, and if Jesus did not die for unbelief, then we cannot be forgiven our past unbelief, even if we eventually come to Christ in faith.

Theory #2. Or, they could mean that unbelief is not a sin, but is rather the condition that separates us from Jesus, preventing us from partaking of the redemption he purchased.  In this case, we still must ask "Where is the justice if Jesus died for the man's sins, and then the man must also die for his own sins because he never came to Christ to receive forgiveness?"  In this case, God is still punishing the same sins twice—once upon Christ at Calvary, and also upon the sinner in hell.  This double-punishment for the same sins would violate the justice of God.

Theory #3. Some might respond by saying that the man now is doubly guilty:  He is guilty of his own sins, and he is also guilty of the wasted suffering Jesus endured attempting to save him from his sins. Thus, he will suffer twice as much in hell than if Christ had not died for his sins.  It is as though he nailed Jesus to the cross, and now must suffer the punishment for that sin, as well as for all his other sins.

While this explanation may, on the surface, appear to solve the problem of a double-payment for sins, it is inadequate, for it fails to explain the case of those who have never heard the gospel.  Would a person be considered guilty of rejecting Christ's payment for his sins if he had never heard the gospel?  How can he reject that of which he is totally ignorant?  In this case, it would be a multiplied injustice for God to have Christ die for the man's sins, and then for the man to suffer twice as much in hell in order to offset Jesus' suffering for him.

Also, theory #3 treats the man's rejection of Christ as a very serious sin (one that merits a doubling of his punishment in hell), yet it implies that Jesus did not die for this sin (since the man will receive additional punishment in hell for rejecting Christ).  This has the same problems as theory #1, discussed above.

The Sin Question or the Son Question?
Sometimes, theory #2 is summed up in the statement, "It's not the sin question, but the Son question." While there is a grain of truth in this—namely, that you cannot be saved by cleaning up the sins in your life, you can only be saved by trusting in Christ—the statement is meant somewhat differently by those who use it to support General Redemption.  What they mean is that Jesus has died for everyone's sins, and so the Father will no longer condemn anyone for their sins.  What matters now is what they do about Jesus—if they trust in him, they will be saved, but if they don't, then they will be condemned for their rejection of him.

There are two problems with this claim.

1. Scripture repeatedly says people will be judged for their sins (Ephesians 5:6; Colossians 3:6; Revelation 20:12-13; Matthew 7:23; 25:41-45).
2. Those who never hear the gospel do not reject Christ—they don't even know about him.  How can someone be condemned for rejecting Christ if he has never heard of Christ?  There is a difference between refusing to believe, versus not believing out of ignorance.  Yet, those who have never heard the gospel are headed for hell.  But, why?  If God does not hold their sins against them, then they cannot be condemned for their sins.  And if they have never heard of Jesus, then they cannot be held guilty of rejecting him.  So the logical consequence of this view is that the unevangelized cannot go to hell.  Of course, if that is true, then we should immediately cease all missionary endeavor.

John 3:18  Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

Rejection of Christ is a sin, of course—a very serious sin.  If that was the only sin we ever committed, it would be enough to condemn us.  However, any of our other sins is also enough to condemn us to hell for all eternity.  God is absolutely pure and holy.  If he overlooked even one "little" sin, he would be denying his own character and polluting his perfection.  John 3:18 does not say that rejecting Christ is the only sin that condemns a man.  In fact, by saying that men are "condemned already", it teaches that we are condemned even if we never heard the gospel.  The phrase "because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God" does not say that he made a deliberate choice not to believe, or that he knowingly rejected Christ.  Those who have never heard the gospel are "condemned already" because they have not believed in the only Son of God.  However, they are not condemned for rejecting Christ.  They are condemned by their sins, which remain on them if they never trust in Christ.
 

Did Jesus merely Throw Open the Doors of the Prison of Sin?
Theory #2 is sometimes described using this illustration:

Mankind is trapped in the prison of sin, awaiting judgment.  Christ pays the ransom and throws open the doors of the prison, announcing that the ransom has been paid and that the prisoners may freely leave the prison.  Some prisoners walk out through the open doors, but other prisoners choose to remain in the prison even though there is now nothing hindering them from leaving. Those who choose to leave will not face punishment, but those who stay will be condemned to hell.

Ephesians 5:6  Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.

Galatians 3:13  Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree"—

Romans 8:1  There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

A Treasury of Merit?
There are some who view the sufferings of Christ as simply procuring a reservoir of merit that God can apply to individuals as he pleases.  This redemptive merit has no particular reference to any specific human beings until they tap into it by trusting in Jesus.  In this view, Jesus is not seen as dying in the place of particular sinners, nor of bearing their particular sins.  It is a General Redemption that saves no one in particular.  In fact, it would save no one at all, if no one ever decided to trust in Christ.

The problem with this view is that scripture describes redemption in particular terms.  Scripture never describes the work of Christ as simply treasuring up impersonal merit for sinners to tap into by faith.  Rather, it says that Jesus died in our place and for our sins ...

1 Peter 2:24  He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.

Isaiah 53:5  But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed.

Isaiah 53:6  All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Isaiah 53:11  Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities.

Isaiah 53:12  Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.

Romans 5:8  but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Hebrews 9:28  so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.

1 John 3:16  By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.

Leviticus 1:4  He shall lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him.

If Jesus died for the particular sins of particular sinners, then he bore their punishment and God's justice has been satisfied.  This is what the word propitiation means—God's justice has been satisfied, and he has no more wrath toward them.

Romans 3:24-25  and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.

1 John 4:10  In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

Isaiah 53:11  Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities.

Did Jesus die just for the Sin of Adam?
Occasionally, someone will say that Jesus died for Adam's first sin of eating the forbidden fruit, but not for any other sins.  They base this on Romans 5:14-19, which contrasts Adam's one sin with Christ's one act of righteousness (i.e. his death for us on the cross).

Their reasoning is that it seems unjust to them for God to condemn Adam's descendants for Adam's sin.  Thus, they reason, God gave Jesus to pay for Adam's sin so that we don't come into the world already guilty of sin.  This way, we are held accountable for what we do, but not for what Adam did.

There are so many glaring problems with this view, that it is hard to believe anyone would seriously argue for such a position.  There are numerous sins that we commit every single day of our lives, so that, even if we were not considered guilty of Adam's sin, we would still deserve God's wrath.  If Jesus did not die for all our other sins, then on what basis can God forgive us?  Moreover, if it were truly unjust for God to hold us guilty for Adam's sin, then God's justice would not demand a sacrifice for that sin in order to release us from it.  The death of infants demonstrates that they are guilty even from the womb, and under the curse of Genesis 2:17.

Finally, such a view claims that God was obligated to send Jesus to the cross—that the death of Jesus was not an act of unmerited kindness, mercy and grace on God's part, but simply a matter of duty.  It claims that God had to send Jesus to the cross in order to prevent the injustice of condemning Adam's descendants for Adam's sin, and so he was not at liberty to give Christ to die as a free act of pure compassion, mercy and love.

It should be noted that Romans 5:14-19 does not say that Jesus death simply paid for Adam's sin.  The passage says that Jesus' death paid for "many trespasses", and that the law came in to increase the trespass.

Romans 5:16  And the free gift is not like the result of that one man's sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification.

Romans 5:20  Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more,

Did Jesus die only for our past sins?
Another similar claim that I have occasionally heard is that Jesus died only for the sins we committed before we came to him in faith.  If this is true, then, of course, no one could be saved, for all have sinned after coming to Christ.  As John says ...

1 John 1:8-10  If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

Romans 3:25  whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.

Romans 3:26  It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

Is Particular Redemption consistent with the Free Offer of the Gospel?
Particular Redemption is a difficult teaching for many because they don't understand how it is compatible with a general offer of salvation to all men.  If Christ died only for those whom God has chosen to be saved, then how can salvation be freely offered to people whom he did not choose?  It seems that, if Christ did not die for all without exception, then the gospel cannot be freely offered to all without exception.

How can we tell an unsaved man "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved" (Acts 16:31) if we don't know that Jesus died for him? Is this merely a way of saying "If you believe in Christ, then this proves that you are elect, that he died for your sins, and that you will be saved"?  Or, is it a genuine offer of salvation, calling men to repentance and faith and proclaimed even to those who will never trust in Christ?

Consider these passages ...

Isaiah 45:22  Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.

Acts 17:30  The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,

John 5:39-40  You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.

So, how can God make such an offer to the non-elect if Christ did not die for them? Suppose a non-elect man did trust in Christ—would God save him? Could God save him, if Christ did not die for his sins? Obviously, we ask this question hypothetically, since no non-elect person would ever be willing to trust in Christ. We ask the question only because God commands all men (whether elect or not) to trust in Christ and promises salvation to them if they do. How can God, in good faith, make such an offer?

One answer that is often given is this:  Both sides agree that the work of Christ is sufficient in value to save all men without exception, and that it is applied only to those who are actually saved. Thus, the only point of difference is in the purpose of the atonement—did God, by the cross, intend to make all men savable, or to actually save the elect?

It is certainly true that the work of Christ is sufficient in value to save all men without exception (i.e. he would not have had to suffer more in order to save more people).  However, if you say that this explains how God is able to offer salvation to the non-elect, then you are really arguing for a "Treasury of Merit" view of the work of Christ.  It would mean that God offers salvation to men for whom Christ did not die, on the basis that there is sufficient merit in Christ's work to save them, even though he didn't actually bear their sins or die in their place.  Hypothetically, if such a man did come to Christ for salvation, then he would be saved, not because Christ bore his penalty on the cross, but because the cross is viewed as possessing a certain value or merit to save sinners—even sinners for whom he did not die.  This is quite a different view of the atonement than seeing it as the substitutionary work that scripture declares it to be.

Perhaps someone would say that God does not need to be able to save the non-elect, since he knows they will never trust in Christ. Such an explanation seems to charge God with dishonesty.  It is like promising to give a man a million dollars if he can jump over the Statue of Liberty unassisted.  You know he could never do this, so you feel safe making the promise.  However, if you don't have a million dollars to give, then the man's inability to leap over the Statue of Liberty is matched by your own inability to come up with a million dollars in case he did.  Your promise would be an empty promise, and to make such a promise would be misleading—it implies that you have a million dollars to give when in fact you do not.

The simple answer is that, if a non-elect person did trust in Christ, then God would have foreseen this in eternity past, when he formed his decrees.  In that case God could have made sure to include the man among the elect when forming his decrees.  Or, he could have made an exception, and had Jesus die for this man's sins also, even though he was not one of the elect.  We need to realize that God is not constrained by time as we are.  God inhabits eternity (Isaiah 57:15) and, to him, the past, present and future are a uniform now.  This is why Peter could say that "with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day" (2 Peter 3:8), and why Moses says "For a thousand years in your sight are but as yesterday when it is past, or as a watch in the night." (Psalm 90:4).

We are finite creature who do not know what future choices a person might make.  We don't even know what choices we will make next year, next week, or even tomorrow.  However, God knows the end from the beginning, and has ordained all that comes to pass.  With him, there are no surprises and no uncertainty.  It will never happen that someone will trust in Christ by his own free will, but even if it did, God would have foreseen this and taken appropriate action beforehand, so that he could make good on his promise to save anyone who comes to Christ in true faith.

This may seem similar to saying that God does not have to be able to save the people to whom he offers salvation.  However, there is an important difference.  God is able to save anyone he wants to save.  He knows the future perfectly.  His actions and decisions in eternity past are consistent with all that comes to pass in time.  If God ever needed to provide salvation for another human being, he would have foreseen this long ago and could have taken appropriate action. We should beware of assuming that God is limited by our creaturely time constraints.
 

How can someone trust in Jesus if he cannot be sure he is one of God's elect?
Another obstacle to accepting Particular Redemption concerns how we should phrase the gospel.  Saving faith involves trusting in the crucified and risen Christ to save me from my sins.  How do you exhort an unbeliever to trust in Christ for salvation if you cannot know if he is someone for whom Christ died?

General Redemption tells the unsaved man "Jesus died for your sins—trust in him to save you and he will."  Particular Redemption cannot guarantee that Jesus died for the man's sins.  How do you present the gospel to him in a way that he can confidently trust in Jesus to save him by his substitutionary death?  How can an unsaved man come to Christ, believing that Jesus is able to save him from his sins, if he cannot be sure that Jesus died for his sins?

The simple answer is to tell the man "Jesus died for everyone who trusts in him".  If the man trusts in Jesus, then he has a reason to believe that Jesus' redemptive work applies to him.  This is an honest answer, and it does not require the man to first believe that he is chosen by God before he can conclude that Jesus died for his sins.  Moreover, it avoids the problems raised by telling the man that Jesus died for all men—which would imply, for example, that all men are automatically saved from their sins and that no response is needed.

The man does not need to first assess whether Jesus died for his sins before he can trust in Christ.  Rather, trusting in Christ to save him by the cross and believing that Christ died for his sins coexist gracefully once he understands that Christ died for all who will believe in him.
 

The role of faith with respect to redemption.
A question naturally arises:  "If everyone for whom Christ died will be saved, then what is the purpose of faith, and why do we exhort people to trust in Christ for salvation?"  By saying that God's justice requires that all for whom Christ died will necessarily be saved, faith may appear to be rendered unnecessary for obtaining salvation.

In response, we observe the following purposes for faith in Christ ...

1. Faith identifies those who will receive salvation, since God grants faith to each person for whom Christ died.
2. Faith acknowledges Christ, and his sufferings and death, as the sole basis for our acceptance with God.
3. Faith is the channel by which the graces of salvation, purchased by Christ, are communicated to the heart and soul of the elect individual, and by which the individual branches are nourished by the Vine (John 15:4-5).
4. Thus, faith is the instrument by which the Holy Spirit sanctifies the believer, motivates him to live for Christ, and assures him of his ultimate salvation.
5. Faith glorifies God, since it is the appropriate response of a creature to his Creator, and of a hell-deserving sinner to his Redeemer.

In the gospel, we call upon men to trust in Christ.  This makes it clear that salvation is in Christ alone, and that those who experience such faith will have the assurance of the forgiveness of sins.  God rightly commands all men to believe in Christ, promising salvation to all who do.  Nothing prevents men from truly believing in Christ other than their own stubborn rebellion against God and their unwillingness to submit to his authority.  By sending them such a gracious offer of salvation, God demonstrates that those who never believe in Christ are fully to blame for their own condemnation.  The gospel invitation provides an opportunity for the Holy Spirit to create faith within those the Father has chosen to save, and this faith gives them the assurance that Christ is their Savior and that he has reconciled them to the Father.

Scripture sometimes says that our faith is counted as righteousness.

Romans 4:3-5  For what does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness." Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness,

Romans 4:22-25  That is why his faith was "counted to him as righteousness." But the words "it was counted to him" were not written for his sake alone, but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.

Scripture often says that we are justified by faith.

Romans 3:28  For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.

Romans 3:30  since God is one—who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith.

Romans 4:5  And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness,

Romans 5:1  Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Galatians 2:16  yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.

Romans 3:24  and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,

Romans 4:25  who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.

Romans 5:9  Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.

James 2:21-23  Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness"—and he was called a friend of God.

James 2:24  You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.

The Greek word dikaioo, translated "justify", means "to show or regard as just or innocent" (Strong's Greek Lexicon #1334), "be acquitted, be pronounced and treated as righteous" (Bauer, Arndt, Gingrich Lexicon, 4th edition) or "to vindicate".  In some contexts, it has the idea of actually putting a person into a right relationship with God, where God sees our debt of sin as fully paid by Christ at Calvary, and sees us as forever clothed in Christ's perfect, immutable righteousness.  However, it can also have the idea of proving or confirming that one is already right with God.

The former sense (actually putting a person into a right relationship with God) results from Christ's dying for our sins.  We are "justified ... through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus" and we have been "justified by his blood" (Romans 3:24; 5:9).  When Christ died, we died with him (Galatians 2:20; 6:14).  He bore the punishment for our sins (1 Peter 2:24; Isaiah 53:11) and canceled the record of debt that stood against us (Colossians 2:14).  Because our penalty has been paid and God's wrath against us has satisfied, we now stand fully forgiven of our sins, with no cause left for God to condemn us.

Colossians 1:13-14  He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Romans 5:9  Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.

Romans 4:25  who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.

This latter sense (proving or confirming that one is already right with God) also appears to be intended when scripture says that we are justified by faith—which means that our faith marks us out as those whom Christ has redeemed and are now regarded by God the Father as having Christ's perfect righteousness.  This is evident from the fact that faith and repentance are graces, given by God to his elect people ...

John 6:37  All that the Father gives me will come to me, ...

John 6:44  No one is able to come to Me unless the Father who sent Me compels him, and I will raise him up in the last day.

John 6:65  And He said, Because of this, I have told you that no one is able to come to Me except it is given to him from My Father.

Ephesians 2:4-5  But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—

Ephesians 2:8, 10  For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, ... For we are his workmanship ...

Philippians 1:29  it has been granted to you that ... you should ... believe in him ...

Philippians 2:13  it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

2 Timothy 2:25  God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth,

Because genuine saving faith looks to Christ alone (and not to our own good works or pedigree) as the basis of our salvation, it is the appropriate mark and seal of our relationship to Christ.  We call upon him to deliver us from our sin and from God's righteous judgment. We trust in him, confident that he alone is able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through him (Hebrews 7:25).  We joyfully confess him as Lord, knowing that his will for us was forged in eternity from perfect wisdom and incomprehensible love.  We love him, knowing by faith that he first loved us and gave himself up for us (1 John 4:19).

Similarly, the truly good works that a Christian does in this life are done in faith.  Our God-given faith is the source, the motivation and the power behind the good works that we do.  Thus, good works that proceed from faith testify to the genuineness of the Christian's faith, and thus to the fact that we are Christ's sheep, and that he laid down his life for us (John 10:11).  Because works that are done in faith prove the genuineness of our faith, we are said to be justified by our works.

Again, this does not mean that our good works make us righteous, or that they contribute in any measure to our acceptance with God, for they do not.  Christ made full payment for our sins when he died at Calvary and proclaimed "It is finished!" (John 19:30).  Moreover, we stand fully accepted in him, and in his righteousness (Ephesians 1:6; 2 Corinthians 5:21).

To suggest that our good works are required to be accepted by God implies that Christ's work is insufficient to save us, and that he needs our help to complete the work.  This turns redemption on its head, for it makes him to be the one in need—needing our good works to help him in the work of salvation—rather than acknowledging that we are the ones in need, and that he is mighty to save all who acknowledge their need and call on him for salvation.  Finally, to claim that our good works contribute to our salvation is to rob Christ of the glory that is rightly and exclusively his own alone.  He alone is the Savior, and he will not share that glory with another.

Good works are the fruit rather than the ground of salvation.  The new heart that God gives produces both faith and good works.

Ephesians 2:8-10  For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Ezekiel 36:26-27  And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.

The point that James is making in James, chapter 2, is that there is such a thing as counterfeit faith. A counterfeit faith does not produce good works—it is just an empty profession of faith, with no evidence of a true change of heart. This is expressed in verse 14, using the phrase "that faith". Can that faith—namely, the faith that does not produce works—save a person? James answers "No." Saving faith is the kind of faith that produces a radical change in a person's outlook and behavior.

James 2:14  What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?

James 2:17  So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

Good works are the evidence of a vital, living faith. Thus, James continues by saying ...

James 2:18  But someone will say, "You have faith and I have works." Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.

We see then that James is contrasting two kinds of faith—a bare profession of faith that has no supporting evidence, versus a lively faith that is evidenced by the good works it produces. James equates faith with the changed heart that comes from the new birth. Paul quotes Habakkuk, who says virtually the same thing "The righteous shall live by faith." (Romans 1:17; Galatians 3:11; Hebrews 10:38; Habakkuk 2:4). In other words, faith is a way of life for the righteous person, and his faith affects all that he does.
 
 
  The Importance of Particular Redemption.

Does it really matter whether what we believe on this subject?  Is this just an intellectual dispute about a trivial technicality of doctrine?  Absolutely not!  It reaches to the very heart of the gospel—namely, the nature and accomplishment of the work of Christ.  It goes far beyond the question of scope (i.e. asking merely "For how many people did Jesus die?"), and gets to the central issue of what Jesus accomplished by his death on the cross. In other words, it is the difference between a diluted redemption which by itself saves no one, versus a powerful redemption that effectually saves every single person for whom it was made.  It is the difference between a helpless, frustrated God who tried to save all men and failed, versus the sovereign, omnipotent Creator who saves each and every person he intended to save.  It is the difference between a synergistic salvation, where God and man must each contribute their respective parts, versus a monergistic salvation where God does it all—and thus deserves all the glory.

Saving faith involves trusting in Christ's substitutionary death to save me from my sins.  However, if there are people in hell for whom Christ gave his life, then I cannot trust in Christ's death as the sole basis of my salvation.  If my salvation depends partly on the fact that Christ died for my sins, and partly on my willingness to believe, then my faith will be divided between Christ, who died for me, and my own decision to trust in him.  This puts salvation on a very precarious footing, because a self-generated faith is a creaturely, unreliable thing.  A decision you make today can be reversed tomorrow.

To overcome this objection, those who believe in General Redemption usually also believe that, once you have made your free-will decision to trust in Christ, God then sends the Holy Spirit into your heart to preserve your faith and keep you from ever falling away.  According to this interpretation, you must bring yourself into salvation by deciding to trust in Christ.  However, once you come, God then seals your decision so that it cannot be undone.

Even so, in this view it is not the work of Christ alone that saves you.  Christ does only a part—putting salvation within your grasp, then you must do your part—taking hold of salvation by faith, and thirdly the Holy Spirit does his part—securing your faith so that you never fall away from Christ.  Since this is a threefold work, your faith must be divided three ways.  It is not enough to trust in Christ alone for your salvation, since he died for others who are now in hell.  You must also trust in your own good sense to come to him for salvation, since that is what differentiates you from the lost man in hell.  Also, you must trust in the Holy Spirit's work to preserve your faith so that you don't later fall away.

What a different picture scripture paints!  In scripture, our faith is always directed toward Christ and Christ alone.  "What must I do to be saved?" asked the Philippian jailer.  The answer: "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved." (Acts 16:30-31). 

John 3:16  ... whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
John 6:40  For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life ...
Acts 10:43  To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name."
1 Peter 2:6  ... "Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame."

Particular Redemption is the only view that preserves Christ as the single focus of our trust.  If I am saved purely because Jesus took my place and suffered the wrath of God in my place, then I can look to him alone as my Savior.  I don't need to set my faith or the Spirit's preserving work alongside Christ as if, without them, Christ's redemptive death would be unable to deliver me from the wrath of God.

Some may respond by saying "My faith is in Christ, not in my willingness to believe."  This may be your perception, but if you truly believe that Jesus died for people who are now in hell, then, in practical terms, your trust in not in Christ alone to save you, because you don't believe that Christ's death, by itself, is sufficient to save anyone.  It must be supplemented by faith.  If you believe that your faith is what made the difference, then you are trusting (at least partly) in your faith as the basis of your salvation.  And, to the degree that you are trusting in your own faith as the basis for your salvation, to that degree, you are not trusting in Christ.  Your faith (trust) is divided between Christ and your decision to believe in Christ.   You cannot separate "faith" from the doctrines you believe.  You cannot separate "faith" from the facts and factors that you are relying on for your salvation.

Particular Redemption also preserves the unity of God's purposes in salvation.  Some would agree that the Father chooses who will be saved, and that the Holy Spirit grants faith to each person the Father has chosen.  But they insist that the Son's work was broader than this—that he died for all men without exception.  Particular Redemption, on the other hand, views the work of the Trinity—Father, Son and Holy Spirit—as working toward one single purpose—the salvation of the elect.  The Father chooses who will be saved, the Son redeems those whom the Father has chosen, and the Spirit gives life and faith to those whom the Father chose and the Son redeemed.  When salvation is viewed in these terms—as the single-minded purpose of the three members of the Trinity, who are working in unison toward the same goal of saving specific people—then salvation appears more glorious and secure.

This unity of purpose is clearly taught in various passages.  It was God the Father who "... gave his only-begotten Son ..." (John 3:16), so the work of Christ is really the Father's idea, fulfilling the Father's purposes.  Jesus says "All that the Father gives me will come to me" (John 6:37), so the Father has given a particular people (the elect) to the Son, that he might be their Savior and Shepherd, and that he might enjoy them as his peculiar possession.  Philippians 1:29 instructs us that "... it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should ... believe in him".  Thus, our God-given faith was purchased by Christ.  By dying for our sins, Jesus purchased the faith that the Holy Spirit imparts to us.  Jesus laid down his life for the sheep (John 10:11), and it is they who hear his voice and follow him (John 10:27) and to whom he gives eternal life, so that they will never perish (John 10:28).  It is not just Jesus and the Holy Spirit who are holding the sheep secure, but they are held securely in the Father's hand (John 10:29).  Jesus concludes by saying "I and the Father are one" (John 10:30)—affirming the unity of their nature, purpose and work.
 

Conclusion.

Properly understood, Particular Redemption is both biblical and reasonable.  It is the only view that preserves the justice of God, affirming a truly substitutionary redemption—that those in whose place Christ suffered cannot subsequently suffer for their own sins.  It keeps Christ as the sole object of saving faith—since his death alone saves us from God's wrath.  And it is the view that most honors God, since it affirms that the cross is not wasted or impotent for those who end up in hell.

Scripture, when properly understood, always affirms Particular Redemption.  Christ died for "all men" and "the world", but we must define these terms biblically in order to understand the scriptural meaning of the passages that use them. These terms denote national and ethnic diversity, and broad geographic extent, rather than implying a totality of all individuals.  Once we realize this fact, then we are free to take the phrases "reconcile", "ransom", "propitiation", "not counting their trespasses against them", "save", "justification" and "takes away sins" to mean exactly what we would expect them to mean—the actual salvation of those for whom Christ died.

It is no accident, therefore, that scripture uses the term "the redeemed" as a title of the people of God, and it comes as no surprise that scripture should specifically say that Christ died for his sheep, for the church, for his people and for the elect.  Knowing that all for whom Christ died will be saved, I can confidently trust in Christ alone for my salvation, without having to divide my confidence between Christ, my faith, and the Spirit's work of preserving my faith.  In the end, God receives the full glory for man's salvation, because all three members of the Trinity—Father, Son and Holy Spirit—are united in their purpose to save those who will actually be saved—the elect of God.  The cross of Christ is truly powerful and victorious—saving every single person for whom he died.  For this we can forever praise our holy, merciful, wise and sovereign God.
 
 

However, there are many problems with Universalism.  In the first place, as we have shown, the word "world" has many diverse meanings and does not necessarily mean "all people without exception". Likewise, we showed that the word "all" often denotes variety—"all sorts of" or "all manner of"—rather than "all without exception".  So it is gratuitous to claim that "world" and "all men" must mean "all people without exception" in the various redemption passages.

Secondly, there are numerous scriptures that plainly teach that hell is real, dreadful, eternal, and will certainly not be empty.  For example, in Jesus' story of the rich man and Lazarus, both men died, and the rich man went to a place of torment from which he could not escape, and where no one could come to his aid (Luke 16:19-26).  Jesus told this as if it were an accurate description of the afterlife.

Luke 16:19-26
19 -  "There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day.
20 -  And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores,
21 -  who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man's table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores.
22 -  The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried,
23 -  and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side.
24 -  And he called out, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.'
25 -  But Abraham said, 'Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish.
26 -  And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.'

Some would have us believe that Jesus was here merely using a fable of the Jews to teach a spiritual lesson. However, Jesus never affirmed the false teachings of the Jewish leaders—on the contrary, he consistently corrected their false teachings:

Matthew 12:7-8  And if you had known what this means, 'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the guiltless. For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath."
Matthew 15:3  He answered them, "And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?
Matthew 22:29  But Jesus answered them, "You are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God.
Mark 12:27  He is not God of the dead, but of the living. You are quite wrong."
John 5:39-40  You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.

In Matthew 25:31-46, Jesus describes the judgment of the nations, where he will separate people the way a shepherd separates goats from sheep, placing the former at his left hand and the latter at his right hand.  To those at his right hand, he says "Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." (vs. 34), while to those on his left, he says "Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels." (vs. 41).  He sums up his teaching by saying "these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." (vs. 46)  From this, we learn that there is an "eternal fire" that God prepared for Satan and his angels, and that unsaved men will also be cast into that place.  In verse 46, he calls it "eternal punishment".

Revelation 20:10 gives us an additional description of the place where Satan will spend eternity.  It is called "the lake of fire and sulfur" and it is a place where "they will be tormented day and night forever and ever."  Revelation 20:15 then adds "if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire."  So, the lake of fire is an instrument by which Satan and the unsaved are "tormented day and night forever and ever".

Revelation 14:10-11 gives us additional information about this place, describing the destiny of those who worship the beast and his image or receives the mark of the beast

Revelation 14:10-11  he also will drink the wine of God's wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.  And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night, these worshipers of the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name.

This fits perfectly with the various warnings given in scripture about coming to this place ...

Matthew 10:28  And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

Hebrews 12:29  for our God is a consuming fire.

Mark 9:42  Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea.

Mark 9:43  And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire.

Mark 9:45  And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into hell.

Mark 9:47-48  And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell, 'where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.'

Proverbs 27:20  Hell and destruction are never full; so the eyes of man are never satisfied.

Matthew 7:13  Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many.

Universalism is not based on scripture, but on sentimentalism—supposing that God is too loving and good to punish anyone eternally. Assuredly, God is perfectly good and loving, but his goodness is a holy goodness, and his love is a holy love. A good, loving and holy God is opposed to all that is evil or unholy. Scripture says that God hates all evildoers (Psalm 5:5) and that his soul hates the wicked and those who love violence (Psalm 11:5). It must be so, because to love evil and wickedness would be treason against loving what is good and holy. To love evil would mean that God is not so loving after all. Hell stands as a monument to God's purity and holiness and to his love for all that is good and true. God does not send good or just people to hell. He justly sends wicked people to hell, in punishment for their wickedness.

But surely, God saves sinners, not righteous people (Luke 5:32). This is certainly true. However, scripture nowhere says that God saves every sinner. God "has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills" (Romans 9:18). "The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened," (Romans 11:7). God's love of righteousness and justice demands satisfaction for sin. The sin of the reprobate will be satisfied by an eternity of suffering in hell. The sin of the elect has been forever satisfied by the once-for-all substitutionary suffering of Christ in their place.

Some imagine that God could only intend hell for correction—to cure them of their wickedness. However, scripture is clear that man's evil cannot be repaired by punishment. Man needs a new heart, and not merely a time of punishment. There is nothing short of the new birth that can turn a sinner into a saint—"You must be born again" (John 3:7). Neither education nor punishment can improve the basic character of a child of Adam.

Universalism fails to take seriously the awesome reverence that God deserves. It often supposes that men could never sin so horribly as to deserve an eternity of torment. The fallacy of this reasoning is that it is too much man-centered, and fails to consider that all sin is an affront to the dignity of the infinitely holy God. Our sin deserves an infinite penalty because it constitutes treason against the infinitely glorious God of heaven and earth. God's glory is of far greater worth than man's comfort, so hell is justified as upholding God's glory at the expense of those who dare to profane his holy name.

Moreover, when Universalists claim that man could never deserve eternal punishment in hell, they degrade the redemptive work of Christ. Rather than releasing us from an inescapable, unending punishment, Jesus merely gets us out of a punishment that eventually would have ended anyway. Thus, Universalism cheapens the gospel and makes Christ to be, not so much a Savior as a helper. If a few years in hell could cure us of our rebellious nature, then Christ did not need to die to save us. Indeed, if hell is temporary, then anyone could be our redeemer, just by agreeing to suffer longer in hell to pay for our sins.

Universalists sometimes argue that, since Christ did not have to suffer for an eternity in order to save us, then our sins do not deserve an eternity of suffering. When they reason this way, they fail to recognize the infinite worth and dignity of Jesus Christ, and the finite worth and dignity of creaturely, fallen human beings. Jesus Christ is the Eternal God who created all things. By him all things consist. He is all-powerful, all-knowing, sovereign and unchanging. He is infinitely holy, righteous and just. He is the dearly-loved, only-begotten divine Son of the Father. It is altogether just and equitable that a person of infinite worth and dignity should suffer a finite period of time to redeem persons of finite worth and dignity from a punishment of infinite duration.

This is the great mystery that makes sense of the cross of Christ—namely, why God should send his dearly loved Son to suffer the horrible anguish of the cross, in order to save guilty, rebellious sinners like us. It does not mean that he loves us more than he loves his Son, the Lord Jesus. Rather, God knew that, in just six hours of suffering on the cross, Jesus could redeem us from an eternity of horrific suffering, and thereby purchase, not only a people for himself, but also an eternity of praise and thanksgiving for the wondrous mercy and grace he has shown to wicked, rebellious sinners. An infinite punishment is too much for mere mortals to bear, but it is not too much for Christ to bear, due to his infinite dignity as God. God took pity on his hell-deserving elect people, and sent the only one qualified to bear our punishment—his own Son, the Lord Jesus Christ—to be our Redeemer.
 
 
 
  Passages Cited in Support of Universalism.

Romans 10:9  because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Philippians 2:10-11 has in mind both the elect, who gladly and willingly bend the knee to Jesus, and the non-elect, who are coerced against their will to bow the knee to Jesus.  Only the elect will exhibit a true saving faith in Christ and a glad submission to his Lordship over them, and so the requirements of Romans 10:9 will be fulfilled in the elect only.

However, the word "all" is qualified by the phrases "in Adam" and "in Christ".  Thus, all who are "in Adam" die, and all who are "in Christ" shall be made alive.  The observation we made earlier concerning Romans 5:18 applies here as well—there is no reason why the actions of Adam and Christ should have anything to do with us unless we are related to Adam (i.e. because we are his offspring), or related to Christ (i.e. given to him by the Father, evidenced by coming to him in faith, John 6:37. We should remember that "not all men have faith"—2 Thessalonians 3:2)

In response, please observe that the phrase "all things" is limited to things "on earth or in heaven".  According to Philippians 2:10, there is a third category, "under the earth".  Colossians 1:20 does not claim that Jesus reconciles those things that are "under the earth".

Phillipians 2:10  so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

"Reconcile" as it is used here, has a broader scope than the salvation of individual people.  It refers to God's overall plan for heaven and earth.  In the eternal state, heaven and earth will be free of all sin, suffering and death.  Even the creation itself will be redeemed from corruption, decay and death ...

Romans 8:18-23  For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.

Moreover, if "all things" is taken in its most extensive sense, and if "to reconcile" did mean "to save", then it would prove too much, for that would mean that even Satan and the demons will be saved by "the blood of his cross".  But this contradicts Hebrews 2:14-17, which says that Jesus took on flesh and blood in order to save Abraham's offspring, and that "it is not angels that he helps" ...

Hebrews 2:14-17  Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham. Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.

[1]  Even if you admit that faith is not your own contribution to salvation, but is given by the Holy Spirit, your trust is still divided between Jesus and the Holy Spirit if you believe that Jesus died for all men without exception, and that your God-given faith is what ultimately makes the difference. In such a case, your trust is not wholly in Christ, but is divided between Jesus, who died for your sins, and the Holy Spirit, who made Christ's death effective for you. Scripture does not call upon us to trust partly in Christ and partly in the Holy Spirit for our salvation. Rather, we are to trust in Christ Jesus alone as the sole basis of our acceptance before God—and this means that the work of Christ—plus nothing—is sufficient and effective to save everyone for whom he died.