There can only be three possibilities for consideration, which are as follows –
1. Christ died only for the elect, whether they be thought of as “chosen” in the Calvinist sense, or “believing” in the Arminiansense.
2. Christ died potentially for all mankind, but is operative only for those who believe.
3. Christ died in fact for all mankind, and this will be worked out fully in future administrations of His plan of salvation.
Let’s see what the implications are for these three alternatives.
1. If Christ died only for believers, it means that the cancer of sin within the rest of mankind can never be eliminated. Sin can only be washed away by the blood of Christ, and therefore God would have the unthinkable situation on His hands of 95% of His creation existing forever in a sinful state. No amount of “hell fire” can cleanse them. It is an insoluble problem, unless Christ were to die again for the rest, which Scripture affirms will never happen.
2. If Christ died for the sins of all mankind, but is only effective for those who believe, then Jesus has the legal right to approach His Father with righteous indignation, that His death was in vain for the vast majority, and likewise the major proportion of His sufferings. All those confined to everlasting hell fire would therefore have been cleansed from their sin, but cannot ever enjoy the benefits of it because of their disbelief.
3. If Christ died for all mankind, but we do not yet see all things under His feet, then we must understand that in future dispensations of God’s plan, all mankind will eventually bow the knee and be saved. “He is the Saviour of all mankind, but especially those who believe.” Hence God’s plan is first to draw out His “little flock” of believers, who will then eventually become the instruments in His hands to draw the residue to Himself. Hell fire is seen, by a figure of speech, as a means whereby ardent sinners can be brought to their senses and eventually give glory to God by believing.
It is manifestly obvious that the third possibility is the only one that can operate, and be legally binding, but it has been made into a heresy by the evangelical church by their insistence on death being the door slammed shut in one’s face to any future choice, repentance, or blessing. There is no Scriptural warrant for this popular assertion.
We ask our readers to ponder the above, and see that even by logic alone one can eliminate possibilities which are offensive to God Himself, and therefore should not be espoused by His children.
