X user Ihunanya Chi,
a follower of Christ challenges us with the following to see how we might
answer:
“As Christians,
how do we understand this? The Bible says Jesus died for the whole world. Do
unbelievers also benefit from His death, or is it only believers who receive
the benefits?”
https://x.com/Ihunanya_chi/status/2056086999031767300
Here was my
response:
“Unbelievers
benefit in the sense that redemption is offered to them, but they will never
experience the benefits of that redemption until they become repentant
believers.
It is only the
repentant who experience the benefits of redemption because they have received
the mercy and forgiveness offered, but for those who persist in their unbelief
and unrepentance, it won't do anything for them.
You can't expect
to experience the benefit of something you continue to reject. You can only expect to reap the benefits of
something that you accept and surrender to.
Now, there will be
those who will accuse Christianity of being exclusive instead of inclusive and
to that I must say that Christianity is both exclusive and inclusive at the
same time.
How can this be
you might ask? Allow me to explain:
Christianity is
inclusive in the sense that redemption is offered to all persons irrespective
of social or economic status, skin-color, age, gender, lineage, ethnicity,
nationality, background and walk of life, or what they might have done in life
as we are all made in the image of God (Gen. 1:26) who has made from one blood
all nations (Acts 17:26) and with whom there is no favoritism (Acts 10:34) and
who applies the same law and the same standard to all people (Num. 15:16) and
in whom all people are made equal (Gal. 3:28, Col. 3:11)
But it is
exclusive in that only those who in sincere faith and repentance have placed
their trust in Jesus Christ alone for the forgiveness of their sins and in
nothing more will enter into the Kingdom of God but those who persist in taking
pleasure in that which is sinful, displeasing, and evil in the eyes of God, and
in their unbelief and who continue to follow after those doctrines, creeds, and
philosophies, that are opposed to the faith will not inherit the Kingdom of our
Lord and Savior for He has plainly stated: "I am the way, the truth, and
the life: No man can come unto the father but by me." (Jn. 14:6)
For it is His
blood that He shed upon the cross on which He was crucified that our redemption
is purchased. And it is in His
resurrection that we are made justified in Him in the sight of God the Father
(Rom. 4:25
It is by the hand
of Christ that all things were made and without Him nothing was made that was
made (Jn. 1:1-3, Col. 1:16) and by His power are all things held together and
sustained. (Col. 1:17)
And if He is our
Creator, then He is also the source of all life and the source of all truth
which rightfully makes Him the way, the truth, and the life as He has said and
it is what makes Him the sole provider of our redemption and the only way to
eternal salvation as He has said.
When He said that
He was the way, the truth, and the life, and that none can come unto God but by
Him, He meant exactly that and nothing more; any claiming otherwise are liars
and charlatans who are leading any who listen to them on the road to eternal damnation
in the unrelenting fiery torments of Hell and sadly, there are such, even at
our pulpits who would have us believe that Jesus did not mean what He said and
are consequently leading their respective congregations into eternal darkness
and eternal torment and who themselves will one day have to give an account
before God for the souls they led astray and what a dreadful position they will
be in, for the punishment they will face for leading those who have believed
their lies and heresies astray will be even harsher than the punishment that
awaits those who have been deceived by them.
And if there
should be any doubt, let us take time to examine ourselves to make sure that we
are of the faith (2 Cor. 13:5) and let us take care that we are not leading our
respective audiences astray but are leading them in the right way as revealed
to us by God Almighty in His written Word having been penned and compiled under
His direction (2 Tim. 3:16) and that what we preach and teach is in agreement
with the teachings of His Word and not in opposition to. There may be great reward in committing ourselves
to the faithful preaching of the Gospel and in the teaching of the instruction
contained in the written Word of God, but we are warned also that a harsh
judgment awaits if we should neglect to teach all that is written in the
divinely inspired scripture by which the Gospel of salvation is delivered.
(Jas. 3:1)
So, let us take
care to make sure that not only are we in the faith, but what we preach is in
agreement with the faith as well.”
Scripture
references:
1. Genesis 1:26
2. Acts 17:26
3. Acts 10:34
4. Numbers 15:16
5. Galatians 3:28, Colossians 3:11
6. Romans 4:25
7. John 14:6
8. John 1:1-3, Colossians 1:16
9. Colossians 1:17
10. 2 Timothy 3:16
11. James 3:1
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