The Bible says that the Lord Jesus died for everyone. Will a person perish if he does not believe in the Lord Jesus?
“For the love of Christ constrains us because we have judged this, that One died for all, therefore all died” (2 Cor. 5:14). The “One” in this verse refers to Christ. The “all” in “One died for all” refers to all men. Since the Lord Jesus’ death is a death for all, it might seem that a person will not have to die even if he does not believe in the Lord Jesus. But the Bible also says, “He who believes into Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe has been condemned already, because he has not believed into the name of the only begotten Son of God” (John 3:18). How do we explain this in view of God’s righteousness and God’s administration? Let us consider this matter.
Matthew 20:28 says, “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many.” First Timothy 2:6 says, “Who gave Himself as a ransom for all.” What is the difference between “many” and “all” in these two verses? Matthew says that He died “for many.” “Many” refers to many people; it includes all those who believe. The Lord Jesus died for and on behalf of the many who believe in Him. First Timothy says that He gave His life as a ransom for all. This refers to the Lord Jesus as a ransom prepared for all men. The Lord Jesus’ death is for believers as well as on behalf of the believers. But His death is only for sinners and not on behalf of the sinners. The extent of His death on behalf of men is limited before God. The Lord Jesus, on the one hand, died for and on the behalf of the many; on the other hand, He died for all men but not on behalf of all men.
“One died for all” (2 Cor. 5:14) means that the death of the Lord Jesus Christ is prepared for all men to apply; it does not mean that the Lord died on behalf of all men. When the Bible refers to all or all men, it only uses for. This means that the provision of the Lord’s death is available to all men so that all men will have a chance to be saved. But when the Bible refers to the believers, it uses both for as well as on behalf of. Therefore, the death of the Lord Jesus is most righteous. If He had not died this way, there would be no righteousness. Whoever is in the Lord Jesus Christ considers His death as a death on their behalf. But whoever is outside of the Lord Jesus Christ does not consider His death as a death on their behalf; they can only consider that the Lord Jesus has died for them. This can be likened to a meal that was prepared for them that they did not eat.
First John 2:2 says, “And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for those of the whole world.” Christ became the propitiation not only for us who believe, but also for those who do not believe. We, however, have to be clear that the word “for” in this verse does not mean “on behalf of.” God’s salvation is already prepared. But not until we receive this salvation does God reckon us as one of the “many.” Christ died for all men. His death was a provision for all men. Yet His death is not on behalf of all men. If a person does not believe in Christ, he will surely perish. This is man’s responsibility before God.
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