Part 1
What does the NT say God accomplished in Christ, and for whom?
- He ransomed/redeemed us ALL from our separated, sinful condition.
- He eradicated sin once for ALL.
- He reconciled us ALL to Himself.
The 7 texts below confirm this. (The remaining 59, along with my commentary, are in the Chapter 2 Appendix.
The Scriptures:
John 1:29 - The next day John (John the Baptist) saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Behold the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world."
Hebrews 9:26 - Now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.
Why did Jesus appear? He appeared to put away sin through His death. The Greek word translated "put away" means no longer in effect. Because of Jesus, sin is no longer in effect! (Remember: God calls things that don't exist, as if they do.)
How did Jesus inactivate sin? Through His death. Translation: You Had Nothing To Do With It.
Hebrews 9:12 - Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.
Jesus obtained (past tense) eternal redemption for all. Teaching redemption is conditional and requires you to do something first (choose to believe for example), is an offense to the blood and cross of Christ; it's anti Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:21-22 - For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ, all shall be made alive.
"All shall be made alive in Christ," doesn't mean "only the few who believe" are made alive in Christ. The all who died in Adam are the same all made alive in Christ.
Those who proudly proclaim Christian/Catholic orthodoxy tell us the word all can't mean all because most of humanity ends up in hell for their sins. Does it never occur to them that perhaps no one ends up in hell because the word all means all? Ask a pastor or priest if all die in Adam, and the answer will be "absolutely." Ask them if all are made alive in Christ, and the answer will be "absolutely not!" (Sidenote: I wonder when God will remove the blinders?)
Romans 3:23-24 - For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.
If the first half of the verse refers to all, so does the second. Current Christian teaching, across all denominations, interprets :23 to mean all, but :24 to mean "only those who believe," which is non sensical. Paul is telling us we ALL fall short of the glory of God, and likewise, ALL are justified freely by His grace.
Every one of us knows intuitively we were born sinners (through no fault of our own), so why is it crazy to believe God would redeem us ALL from such a state? Are you aware the current representation of God in "the church" insists He allowed for us to be born sinners knowing billions would suffer forever as a result, and this suffering is an expression of His justice? (Note: To categorize this line of reasonsing as absurd is an understatement. Beyond all doubt, these doctrines are anti Christ.)
Romans 5:18 - Therefore, as through one man's offense (Adam) judgment came to all men resulting in condemantion, even so through one Man's righteous act, the free gift came to all men resulting in justification of life.
Condemnation came to all men through Adam. Likewise, justification of life came to all men through Jesus. (Notice we played no causal role in our condemnation, and no causal role in our justification.)
1 John 4:14 - And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world.
God sent Jesus as the Savior of the world, not the potential Savior of those who ____ (fill in the blank according to what you've been incorrectly told.) Therefore, He is the Savior of the world. Isn't it fascinating this simple, straight-forward claim - Jesus being the Savior of the world - is heresy in Christian/Catholic culture? (Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness does not lay hold of it. John 1:5)
Thankfully, God's eternal purpose - Life in Jesus, because of Jesus, for everyone - was accomplished (past tense) through the cross and resurrection. Redemption for all is truth, and not because we believe it; It's the truth because it happened; You Had Nothing To Do With It.