Did Jesus Die for All? (Part 1)

Most of the things we believe about God come from our religious traditions and teachings. It’s amazing how many of those traditions and teachings don’t really give us an accurate portrayal of God. But once we accept those portrayals as truth, it’s not easy to see it in any other way. I know, because there are a number of things I once used to believe that I now see in a completely different light.

One of the things some religious traditions have taught is that Christ’s sacrifice was not for everyone. They claim that he died only for certain people, the specially selected ones. The rest are apparently just out of luck.

I find this assertion absolutely dumbfounding. Not only does it fly in the face of many portions of Scripture, but it also paints a picture of God that is totally false and tells an entirely different story of why Jesus came into this world in the first place.

Let’s first tackle what the Scriptures say. As Jesus was approaching him one day, we find his cousin, John the Baptist, making this stunning proclamation about him: “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29)!” Clearly John saw Jesus’ mission as one that would have impact on not just a selected few but on the entire world. 

And then we have a town of Samaritans with something similar to say. After her encounter with Jesus at a well, a Samaritan woman told some of her townsmen about Jesus. He stayed a couple days and taught them about God, which prompted this response: “They said to the woman, ‘We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world (John 4:42).’” The Savior of a few? Nope. The Savior of the world.

And then we have the apostle Paul. He wrote to the Corinthians and explained to them, “For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died (2 Corinthians 5:14).” How many did Paul believe Jesus died for? All. Seems pretty straightforward, doesn’t it?

Just a few verses later, we read Paul declaring, “…that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them (2 Corinthians 5:19).” In Paul’s theology, there was no question who was affected by Christ’s sacrifice. It wasn’t just a portion of the world that was reconciled to God. It was the whole world.

He also made a couple remarkable statements in his first letter to Timothy. First, he said, “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst (1 Timothy 1:15).” When he says that Jesus came to save sinners, who does that include? Only certain people? Hardly. This same apostle declared in his letter to the Romans that all have sinned and fall short of God’s glory. So who is included in Paul’s statement that Jesus came to save sinners? Everyone!

Later in the letter, he wrote, “That is why we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe (1 Timothy 4:10).” Notice that he says that Jesus, the living God, is the Savior of all people. And then, as if to make sure that Timothy understood what he was saying, he specifies that Jesus is especially the Savior of those who believe. But the important point is that Jesus is not only the Savior of those who believe, but of all people. That’s a very inclusive statement.

Then we turn to the apostle Peter, perhaps the person who knew Jesus best. As he encouraged his readers in the midst of their suffering, he reminded them, “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God (1 Peter 3:18).” Who was righteous? He is clearly referring to Jesus. So who qualified as unrighteous? That would be everyone else in the world. So like John the Baptist, the Samaritans, and Paul, Peter also understood Jesus’ sacrifice to have universal effect.

And finally, we come to the apostle John, the disciple whom Jesus loved. Like the people in the Samaritan town, he declared, “And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world (1 John 4:14).” Again, Jesus is not the Savior of a few but of the whole world. It can’t be much clearer than that.  

But just in case his readers missed it, he also wrote, “He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2).” John plainly states that Jesus was the atoning sacrifice for “our” sins, referring to those who were fellow believers. But then he takes it a step further and says that Jesus was not only an atoning sacrifice for believers but also for the whole world. Again, Jesus’ sacrifice applied to everyone.

These passages, and so many more, clearly reveal, in my humble opinion, the truth that Jesus died for all. And if God is as loving as I believe He is, His love is the reason for it. As John 3:16-17 tells us, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”

Obviously, not everyone agrees with me. They will point to other parts of the Bible that seem to say something different. That is why we will next turn to examining the character of God. In other words, is God, as revealed to humanity by Jesus Christ, more likely to try save everyone or to save only a few? That will be the focus of the next article. So stayed tuned for more as we go even deeper into the question, did Jesus die for all?