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The author grapples with a problem created by his Calvinistic doctrine. He believes in "Limited Atonement," which is the idea that Jesus' sacrificial death is applicable only for those who are predestined to be saved. So, Calvinists believe Jesus died only for the Elect.
This means that the author cannot tell a non-believer that Jesus died for them because he doesn't know it that person is one of the Elect. However, if one is not a Calvinist it's not a problem at all to tell someone "Jesus died for you."
This is one of the many issues we have with Calvinism, that it creates problems that need to be worked around.
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Some who read this article’s title might wonder why anyone would ask such a question. “Of course you can! How else can you share the gospel?” For Christians who believe in general atonement—the idea that Christ died for every individual in the same way— ("In the same way." Is this an accurate description of "general atonement?" This is odd terminology. How would Jesus die differently for the Elect verses the balance of humanity?
Some who read this article’s title might wonder why anyone would ask such a question. “Of course you can! How else can you share the gospel?” For Christians who believe in general atonement—the idea that Christ died for every individual in the same way— ("In the same way." Is this an accurate description of "general atonement?" This is odd terminology. How would Jesus die differently for the Elect verses the balance of humanity?
The testimony of Scripture is plain, Jesus died for everyone:
Jn. 1:29 The next day John saw Jesus coming towards him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
Ro. 5:18 Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men.
Ro. 11:32 For God has bound all men over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all.
1Ti. 2:3-6 This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all men — the testimony given in its proper time.
1Ti. 4:9-10 This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance 10 (and for this we labor and strive), that we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, and especially of those who believe.
These verses present a problem for Calvinists and for them creates the need to invent explanations.)
this question never even comes up. It only arises for Christians who believe in definite (or limited) atonement. (Indeed. Those who are not Calvinists do not have to create work-arounds.)
Definite atonement means that when Jesus died, he wasn’t making salvation possible for all but certain for none. (Again, odd phrasing. Salvation is indeed certain in that the Bible tells us many will be saved, but which individuals who will be saved isn't certain. That is, salvation is not predestined by God.
We will explain below.)
He was securing the salvation of a definite (and massive) number of sinners from every nation—those whom the Father had given him (John 6:38–39). (Let's quote it:
Jn. 6:38-39 For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day.
An obvious question is, who are the ones the Father gave Jesus? Are they from every nation as the author asserts?
We must examine the context. Just prior to the author's quoted verses the hostile crowd asserted:
Jn. 6:31 Our forefathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written: "He gave them bread from heaven to eat."
To this Jesus replied:
Jn. 6:36 But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe.
The crowd was essentially offering their credentials as children of Abraham. However, Jesus rebuked them for their lack of faith. It's here that the verses the author quoted appear.
In them Jesus was continuing His response to what the crowd said. A Jewish crowd. Jesus was talking to Jews about Jews. People from every nation did not eat manna in the desert. Our father is not Abraham.
We cannot automatically insert ourselves into the narrative.
It is quite plain that the Father had given certain Jews to Jesus. They were the firstfruits [Ro. 8:23, Ro. 11:16], the first of the harvest to be saved. They obtained salvation by faith, not by lineage [Ro. 11:7]. They were the children of promise [Ro. 9:8], the part of Israel that was were predestined to be saved, the Elect.
The firstfruits are identified by Paul as "we ourselves:"
Ro. 8:23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.
Notice how profoundly self-referential this is. "We ourselves." They received "the firstfruits of the Spirit." Paul made a careful distinction in referring to the "firstfruits of the Spirit." The "firstfruits" are the very first of the crop. We should understand that not every Christian received the very first part of the Holy Spirit - - Paul said this happened to "we ourselves."
The rest of us are not the firstfruits, we were included in Christ when we believed [Ep. 1:13]. Indeed, we are 2000 years removed from this. We have not received the firstfruits of the Spirit, the initial Pentecostal outpouring. We were not among the first. No, we have received the continued outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
Continuing on in John chapter six, a few verses later we read:
Jn. 6:44 No-one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day.
This sounds like predestination, however a few chapters later we find this:
Jn. 12:32 But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself.
Of course Jesus will not save "all men," but He will draw "all men." To draw means to entice, with the desire to save.
Thus we conclude that we are not predestined. Therefore, in our day only the ones who receive Him become children of God:
Jn. 1:12 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God...)
In this view, no one for whom Christ died will ultimately be condemned (Rom. 8:34); (No, this is not the conclusion to be reached.)
But since God hasn’t given everyone to Christ (John 17:9), (Let's quote:
Jn. 17:6-9 I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. 7 Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. 8 For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. 9 I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours.
Notice that those who were given to Christ were the apostles [vs. 17:8]. He kept them safe while He was with them [Jn. 17:12]. Then Jesus said:
Jn. 17:20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message...
The author is not telling us the truth. The verses he cited are not about us. We are the ones who believe through their message. Jesus was making a clear distinction between those who had been given Him and those who would believe later.)
this means Christ didn’t die for everyone (such that all will be saved). Jesus died for his sheep, and not everyone is part of his sheep (10:11, 26). (Let's quote:
Jn. 10:11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep... 26 but you do not believe because you are not my sheep.
We discuss this passage in detail here. Jesus' sheep are those from Israel who are predestined to believe. This is not us, because we are the other sheep [Jn. 10:16].)
Jesus died for his Bride, and not everyone is part of his Bride (Eph. 5:25; Rev. 19:7–8). (Sigh. We are beginning to understand why the author is reluctant to quote the Bible. The verses he cites don't teach what he says they teach.
Ep. 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her...Re. 19:7 Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. 8 Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear.
The church of course is made up of the ones who believed the Gospel message. But Paul was not being exclusive. His statement is contextually specific and not for the purpose of defining a restricted category.
Further, the Revelation quote does not apply to the author's assertion.)
Since we can’t know who the sheep are apart from the evidence of saving faith, (Well, no. We can't know at all. Only God knows a person's heart.)
it raises the practical question of whether we can tell a current unbeliever “Jesus died for you!” After all, how can we know for sure? (Thus a problem created by an errant doctrine based on a faulty reading of Scripture.)
Thorny Question
Full disclosure: I’m a pastor who holds to definite atonement. I believe the arguments I just summarized. Moreover, I don’t typically say to individuals point-blank “Jesus died for you”—either in my preaching or in personal conversations.
And yet I recognize this is a thorny question requiring great care. (Only for Calvinists.)
If You’re Going to Make ‘Jesus Died for You’ Part of Your Evangelism
First, make sure you’re not making a bigger deal out of this phrase than the Bible does. Recognize, for example, that there are no evangelistic sermons in Acts where this precise language is used. If Peter and Paul could evangelize without saying “Jesus died for you,” then you shouldn’t make it a litmus test for gospel orthodoxy. (The author now lies to us. We do find similar language in the Bible:
If You’re Not Going to Make ‘Jesus Died for You’ Part of Your Evangelism
First, don’t flip out when others do. They may not believe in definite atonement, but what they usually mean by those words is something like “Jesus died in such a way that if you believe on him you will be saved”—which you believe too.
Second, don’t be more guarded in your language than the apostles. When you’re more careful than Scripture, it can justify others’ concerns about Calvinism killing evangelism. Peter and Paul may not have told unbelievers “Jesus died for you,” but they did make similar appeals in their evangelism: “The promise is for you” [i.e., the promise of the Holy Spirit and the forgiveness of sins] (Acts 2:39).
“God . . . sent [Jesus] . . . to bless you by turning every one of you from your wickedness” (3:26).
“Everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name” (10:43).
“Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you [singular] will be saved” (16:31).
So don’t be afraid to speak like the Bible speaks, even if it sounds “Arminian.” Few preachers were as committed to definite atonement as Charles Spurgeon, and yet he was frequently attacked by hyper-Calvinists for being too free with his language toward unbelievers. That’s because Spurgeon’s goal wasn’t to keep hardcore Calvinists happy with him; he was seeking to honor God and win souls.
Don’t be afraid to speak like the Bible speaks, even if it sounds ‘Arminian.’
Finally, make sure you help unbelievers feel God’s love as well as his wrath. The gospel warns, but it also woos. D. A. Carson once noted that when asked by young, Reformed preachers whether he feels OK telling unbelievers that God loves them, his answer was “Of course I tell the unconverted that God loves them.” Iain Murray put it this way:
Thorny Question
Full disclosure: I’m a pastor who holds to definite atonement. I believe the arguments I just summarized. Moreover, I don’t typically say to individuals point-blank “Jesus died for you”—either in my preaching or in personal conversations.
And yet I recognize this is a thorny question requiring great care. (Only for Calvinists.)
We can preach the gospel without directly mentioning election, but we’d be hard-pressed to preach the gospel without talking about Christ dying in the place of unbelieving sinners (1 Cor. 15:1–3; 1 Tim. 1:15; 1 Pet. 3:18). (Jesus did not die in our place, and none of these verses tell us this.
Jesus died "for" us as the perfect sacrifice. Let's look at the third citation:
1Pe. 3:18 For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.
"For the unrighteous." Here the word "for" is huper, for one's safety, for one's advantage or benefit (one who does a thing for another...) Jesus' death was for our sake, our benefit, it was a good thing done for us. The word does not mean "in the place of.")
So it’s not hard to see why the question “Which unbelieving sinners?” would seem relevant. Someone might ask, “What good is an atonement if you can’t be sure it applies to you?”
This is probably why the Reformed theologians I read rarely answer this question with a flat “No” but with something like a “No, but” (or even a “Yes, but”). In that spirit, let me address this practical question by offering counsel to both sides—to those who opt to use the phrase and those who don’t.
This is probably why the Reformed theologians I read rarely answer this question with a flat “No” but with something like a “No, but” (or even a “Yes, but”). In that spirit, let me address this practical question by offering counsel to both sides—to those who opt to use the phrase and those who don’t.
If You’re Going to Make ‘Jesus Died for You’ Part of Your Evangelism
First, make sure you’re not making a bigger deal out of this phrase than the Bible does. Recognize, for example, that there are no evangelistic sermons in Acts where this precise language is used. If Peter and Paul could evangelize without saying “Jesus died for you,” then you shouldn’t make it a litmus test for gospel orthodoxy. (The author now lies to us. We do find similar language in the Bible:
Ro. 5:6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.
2Co. 5:14 For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died.
There is no need to find the "precise language" since the testimony of Scripture conveys that very concept.
We will end our commentary here, since the author gets the balance of his presentation mostly correct.)
Second, make sure your unbelieving hearers know they’re not saved until they repent and believe. Most Christians understand this, but we shouldn’t assume non-Christians do. If hearing “Jesus died for you” makes a person feel secure in his sin and unbelief, then it’s misleading. As Jesus reminded us, “Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish” (Luke 13:3, 5).
If hearing ‘Jesus died for you’ makes a person feel secure in his sin and unbelief, then it’s actually misleading.
Finally, make sure you help unbelievers feel God’s wrath as well as his love. To my surprise, I once heard an evangelist tell a nonbeliever “God is not angry with you!” He explained that since 1 John 2:2 calls Christ “the propitiation [i.e., wrath-removing sacrifice] . . . for the sins of the whole world,” God mustn’t be angry with anyone anymore. But this flatly contradicts John 3:36: “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.”
Until people believe, God is still angry with them. In fact, it’s only God’s wrath that helps us see his love as more than mere sentimentality.
If hearing ‘Jesus died for you’ makes a person feel secure in his sin and unbelief, then it’s actually misleading.
Finally, make sure you help unbelievers feel God’s wrath as well as his love. To my surprise, I once heard an evangelist tell a nonbeliever “God is not angry with you!” He explained that since 1 John 2:2 calls Christ “the propitiation [i.e., wrath-removing sacrifice] . . . for the sins of the whole world,” God mustn’t be angry with anyone anymore. But this flatly contradicts John 3:36: “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.”
Until people believe, God is still angry with them. In fact, it’s only God’s wrath that helps us see his love as more than mere sentimentality.
If You’re Not Going to Make ‘Jesus Died for You’ Part of Your Evangelism
First, don’t flip out when others do. They may not believe in definite atonement, but what they usually mean by those words is something like “Jesus died in such a way that if you believe on him you will be saved”—which you believe too.
Second, don’t be more guarded in your language than the apostles. When you’re more careful than Scripture, it can justify others’ concerns about Calvinism killing evangelism. Peter and Paul may not have told unbelievers “Jesus died for you,” but they did make similar appeals in their evangelism: “The promise is for you” [i.e., the promise of the Holy Spirit and the forgiveness of sins] (Acts 2:39).
“God . . . sent [Jesus] . . . to bless you by turning every one of you from your wickedness” (3:26).
“Everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name” (10:43).
“Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you [singular] will be saved” (16:31).
So don’t be afraid to speak like the Bible speaks, even if it sounds “Arminian.” Few preachers were as committed to definite atonement as Charles Spurgeon, and yet he was frequently attacked by hyper-Calvinists for being too free with his language toward unbelievers. That’s because Spurgeon’s goal wasn’t to keep hardcore Calvinists happy with him; he was seeking to honor God and win souls.
Don’t be afraid to speak like the Bible speaks, even if it sounds ‘Arminian.’
Finally, make sure you help unbelievers feel God’s love as well as his wrath. The gospel warns, but it also woos. D. A. Carson once noted that when asked by young, Reformed preachers whether he feels OK telling unbelievers that God loves them, his answer was “Of course I tell the unconverted that God loves them.” Iain Murray put it this way:
[It is true that] . . . the Holy Spirit uses truth to convince us of sin. . . . But conviction of sin is not enough to bring men to Christ. Conviction of sin only speaks of God’s holiness, it tells the sinner nothing of God’s willingness to pardon. . . . For that further truth is needed. It is only the disclosure of love which can persuade the sinner of God’s readiness and willingness to pardon. . . . Love is the great attraction. Love stands foremost in the gospel appeal. . . . And this love is to be proclaimed as ‘good news’ not to men as elect, but to men as sinners.
It’s God’s kindness, not just his power, that leads people to repentance (Rom. 2:4).
Definite atonement doesn’t deny God’s universal love—it deepens it by recognizing God’s special love. Just as a man can (and should) love all women while loving his wife uniquely, so Jesus can love all people (see Mark 10:21) while loving his Bride uniquely. This is the clear message of Ephesians 5:25. The gospel of definite atonement says Jesus died for his Bride in a special way but then turns around and invites people into that relationship. “The Spirit and the Bride say ‘Come’” (Rev. 22:17). If we share the gospel with that kind of passion, I doubt anyone will wonder whether Jesus died for them.
Justin Dillehay (MDiv, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) is a pastor of Grace Baptist Church in Hartsville, Tennessee, where he resides with his wife and their four children.
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