[Music] well the Apostle Paul says that Christ died for all people even the non-elect and of course that raises some very delicate questions for us Calvinists to answer so how does Christ's atoning sacrifice apply to the non elect question is from an anonymous listener to the podcast who writes and to ask this hello Pastor John many times I have heard people say yes Christ died for all people but not all people in the same way I know reformed theology teaches that Christ atonement is particular in that the extent of the atonement to save souls is limited to the elect only however I'm having trouble adequately explaining how Christ died for all people but not all people in the same way for what tangible reason did Christ died for the non elect let's start with first Timothy 4:10 which captures the both and goes like this for to this end we toil and strive because we have our hope set on the Living God who is the savior of all people especially of those who believe Savior of all especially of those who believe or as Paul says in Titus 2:11 the grace of God has appeared bringing salvation for all people and he would add especially especially those who believe he brought salvation for all especially for those who believe or we can see the both and in the Gospel of John start with John 3:16 for God so loved the world that He gave His only Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life John 3:16 so Christ came as an expression of God's love for the world verse 17 God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world but that the world might be saved through him so the offering of his son is the offering of salvation to the world now we'll come back to this in in just a moment to answer the question from what tangible reason did Christ die for the non elect but first we need to see the the other side of the coin in the Gospel of John besides saving the whole world I am The Good Shepherd this is chapter 10 verse 14 I am The Good Shepherd I know my own and my own know me just as the father knows me and I know the father I lay down my life for the Sheep I lay down my life for the Sheep the ones who know me the ones that the father has given me and I have other sheep that are not of this fold those are the elect scattered throughout the world I must bring them also they will listen to my voice that's what marks them out as sheep I go out I I preach I call and the Sheep the ones whom the father has who gives to me they recognize my voice they come to me so there will be one flock and one Shepherd so the father has the Sheep he gives the Sheep to Jesus they are his own they know his voice he calls them they come he lays down his life for them you weekly for them Paul says the same thing in Ephesians 5:25 Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her a husband loves his wife uniquely and in a special way and that's the way Christ loves the church and dies for the church in a unique way now what's the effect of this focused particularly demson for the bride the sheep the elect what what what is the death do that's unique for the bride I think Romans 8:32 gives the answer he who did not spare his own son but gave him up for us all now pause us all in the context of Romans 8:32 is clearly the elect it's not the whole world it's the elect he did not spare his own son but gave him up for us all you can see it in the next verse who shall bring any charge against God's elect it is God who justifies who is to condemn and that's how verse 32 is being fulfilled and you can see it in the rest of this verse let me start over and read the rest of the verse he who did not spare his own son but gave him up for us all how will he not also with him graciously give us all things in other words the death of Christ for his people secures and guarantees for them every saving blessing that there is will he not also with him graciously give us all things yes he will because that is what the death of Christ guarantees for all the elect if God gave his son in this same way for every person on the planet then that promise would attach to every person because it's attached to the blood of Jesus to the sacrifice of Jesus and that means every person would be saved would be guaranteed every possible blessing which Paul says clearly is not the case 2nd Thessalonians 1:9 so what can we say about how the death of Christ expresses itself for the elect and the non elect who reject him how is it for the elect the blood of Jesus is the blood of the new covenant which purchases for them a new heart new life faith and obedience Jesus says that in Luke 22 20 the scup is the New Covenant in my blood so the blood of Jesus is purchasing the New Covenant and the New Covenant is not an offer of salvation it's an accomplishment of salvation in the hearts of God's people he gives them a new heart and a new spirit a gift of life give to faith gift of obedience now back to John 3:16 for the other side of how the death of Christ relates to the world or to the non-elect I think the wording of John 3:16 provides the answer how to speak of the gift of Christ the death of Christ for the non elect the whole world is here hi puts it God so loved the world that He gave His only Son so that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life he loved the world so that everyone who believes would have life so the way to speak about the giving of the son as an expression of love to the world is to highlight the word so that so that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life that's the connection we make between the death of Christ and every person on this planet Christ accomplished a completely full and satisfactory and effective redemption for whosoever believes you may look everyone in the eye absolutely everyone in your neighborhood at your church at your work you can look everyone in the eye and you should look everyone in the eye and say leave on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will never perish believe on him you will become a full and complete participant in the perfect salvation the perfect payment for sins the perfect propitiation of the wrath of God the perfect obedience for imputation the perfect deliverance from death and hell and Satan and into the everlasting glory of God all of that is yours it's yours for the believing because of Jesus death we could never talk like that to people we don't know who the non-elect are so let's just assume there's lots of them that are listening we could never talk like that to the non-elect if Jesus hadn't died the way he did that is a great and awesome gift that we are indebted to give to the entire world oh that God would put fire in our hearts to take that message to the ends of the earth amen what a glorious gospel meant for the free proclamation - to all people and our families neighborhoods communities all the peoples around the globe Pastor John thank you for this reminder and thanks for listening and for supporting this podcast you can subscribe to our audio feeds and search our past episodes in our archive and send us an email of your own even questions related to reformed theology and Calvinism and how the implications of it all shake out you can do all that through online home at desiring God org /s Pastor John well a tablecloth full of animals descended from heaven before the eyes of Peter and from that moment no animal is now on clean and since that precious incident in redemptive history the kitchen doors have flung wide open to all kinds of delicious dishes like a lobster and coconut shrimp and bluefin tuna sushi and bacon-wrapped everything and juicy porterhouse steaks and bacon-wrapped juicy porterhouse steaks and on and on it goes but there's still a lingering question over whether veganism more closely Maps on to God's original dietary design hmm it's a good question and it's the question on Friday I'm your host Tony ranky we'll see you Friday to talk food 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