That Jesus died on the Cross is the reality that every Christian is reflecting this Lenten Season. It is one of the most important events in history...
Every person may be asking " How can I be benefited in what Christ did at the cross?"
One Christian may answer: "You are surely benefited because Christ died for all, and that includes you."
Another Christian may answer: You may be benefited because Christ died for select few. Well as of now we do not know if you are among the elect or not... but just in case, you try your best to understand the gospel because if you did understand and believe, hmm that might be the sign that you are elect. Because you will not believe anyway, if you are not among the elect. But of course you have to prove for a lifetime that you are really elect by the fruits of your life. But do not worry because you can not be snatched from the Father and Jesus hands IF you are really an elect. You may fall several times but you will always come back if you are among the chosen. However, if after several years of faithfulness you fall down and never come back.. hmmmm... well you really did not believe after all. You really is not a Christian, because if you were a true Christian , you will not fall back permanently. So all those years you just deceive your self and others that you are a believer when in fact you are not.You failed to overcome until the end and so you are a reprobate.
WHY the difference in answer as to whether Jesus died for few or for all ?
The Christian who answered that " You are surely benefited because Christ died for all and that includes you"
is looking NOT only at what Jesus did on the Cross (He died), but looks at the same time on WHO Jesus is...the Second Adam (Romans 5). He understands that the Cross should not be isolated from the Incarnation of the Son of God as if he became human only for the reason of dying.
In the beginning God - Father , Son and Holy Spirit enjoys a communion. There is relationship of Love. The Father loves the Son and the Son loves the Father through the communion of the Holy Spirit. They created humanity for adoption into this communion. For humans to be able to enter into that relationship the Son will have to be made flesh so that in him is both humanity and divinity. a union of God and man.
"...even as he chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption through Christ according to the purpose of his will " Ephesians 1: 4-5
Because Adam fell into sin , all are under condemnation so Jesus also is the Second Adam the one new man so that he reversed the effect of the fall. as vicarious man.
"Therefore, as one tresspass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. ( Romans 5:18).
When he died, all died when he was raised all are raised. That is the Person and and Being of the Son of God which should be the foundation of our understanding of what he did.
HOW about the one who answered Jesus died for the few and not for all?
That Christian separated the Person of Christ from his Work. He focused only from what Christ did. ( He died ) and then proceeded with the HOW and the WHY. He used a logico-causal connection principle that was discussed in the former post.
Here is how it goes: If Christ died for all, then all must necessarily be saved, but since some will go to hell, then he did not die for all. His death is sufficient for all but efficient only for some.
To explain this they arrived at a view of Predestination that there was an eternal decree in the past in which God will protect this decree by his sovereignty. The decree is the reason why Christ came and died for the predestined elect. ( in which some of their critics argued that if there is such decree, even if Jesus will not come and die, they will be saved anyway because there was already a decree that God in his sovereignty will make it come to pass ) So they resulted to another reason that Jesus must die so that there will be justice. Jesus suffered the wrath of the Father on our behalf.
WHO finally is right?
The differences are presented to you.
1. Those who believe he died for all are looking not only on what Jesus did but for WHO Jesus is.
2. Those who believe he died for few based in from logico-causal connections, a little Greek word-study and a unique hermeneutics in which the words ALL in the Bible will mean "not all".
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