By Dennis Pollock
The Bible tells us that Jesus Christ, through His death on the cross and resurrection three days later, has been made the Savior of the world. In 1 John, we read: “And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.” (1 John 2:2).
No Christian would dare argue with this thought. We all understand that Jesus’ death on the cross was for the forgiveness of our sins, and that this forgiveness has been extended to the whole world: every African, American, European, Asian, Hispanic… Jesus died for us all. The Bible calls Him “the propitiation for our sins.” The word “propitiation” refers to that which appeases God’s righteous anger and deflects it from us to Christ, as He died on the cross. The Scripture says, “For He made Him who knew no sin (JESUS) to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (2 Corinthians 5:21).
Another verse which speaks of Jesus dying for the whole world is found in the first chapter of John, where we read: “The next day John (the Baptist) saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, ‘Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!'” (John 1:29). Not the sins of Israel or the sins of America, but the sins of the entire world.
So far, so good. No evangelical Christian would argue with these statements or suggest that John the Baptist did not know what he was talking about. The Bible could not say it more plainly: Jesus died on the cross for the sins of all mankind. But there is some controversy over the exact interpretation of these and other similar verses. These verses could give you the impression that Jesus cancelled all the world’s sins. All sins and all God’s judgment against sin have been wiped out. God no longer holds anyone’s sins against them, regardless of whether they are Christian, Muslim, Hindu, or totally secular.
Does Sin Still Count?
Some ministers have gone so far as to say that God is never upset by anyone’s sins, because Jesus cancelled them at the cross. So, whether you lie, steal, fornicate, murder, or rape, God looks on you and says, “Que sera, sera – doesn’t bother me. Some even teach that there is no such thing as sin anymore, since all sins have been nullified, and they insist that the only sin you can commit these days is the sin of unbelief. If you reject Christ through unbelief, you will face judgment, but any and every other type of sin does not count and is no sin at all. This comes very, very close to universalism: the idea that everybody is saved by the cross of Jesus, whether they know it or not. We’re all forgiven, we’re all acceptable to God, whether Christian or heathen, because Jesus died for us all. If you can just get through your life without hearing about and rejecting Jesus, your place in heaven is certain. Of course, if that were true, the last thing the church should be doing is sending out missionaries.
This has a certain logic to it. If you ignore all the other verses in the Bible that say the exact opposite. For example, in the third chapter of John we read: “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” (John 3:36). Notice the wrath of God, the anger of God, the total displeasure of God, abides on, rests on, dwells with, and stays with the one who does not believe in Jesus. Doesn’t sound much like his sins were cancelled, does it?
In the Book of Romans, the apostle Paul tells sinners: “But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are storing up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who will render to each one according to his deeds…” (Romans 2:5-6). This is Paul, the apostle of grace, telling sinners that if they do not repent and put their faith in Jesus, they are constantly storing up sins and the anger of God. Paul didn’t just believe in grace; he also believed in and preached accountability for our sins, if we reject the grace of Jesus by not repenting and believing in Him.
How can we reconcile these two concepts: 1) Jesus died for the sins of the whole world, and 2) the sinner and our world are storing up God’s wrath and will eventually face God’s judgment for their wicked lives? There is only one possible solution to this dilemma, and it is this: Jesus’ death on the cross provided the potential for the forgiveness of our sins, but that forgiveness is only activated by our faith, in an act of receiving Jesus as our Savior. The Bible says: “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.” (John 1:12). People who receive Jesus receive the forgiveness of their sins; people who do not receive Jesus do not receive the forgiveness and cancelling of sins that He makes available to the whole world.
“Especially Those Who Believe”
Paul writes: “For to this end we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe.” (1 Tim 4:10). While Jesus is potentially the “Savior of all men,” this salvation is activated by our believing in Jesus and receiving Him. Until you receive Jesus by faith, salvation, while offered freely, is not activated and does you no good whatsoever. Yet the moment you open your heart in faith to the Savior, what was potentially yours, is now activated in your life, and your sins are completely cancelled and washed away.
You might be lost and freezing in the woods on a frigid winter’s night, with a great big pile of firewood stacked in front of you. That wood has the potential to keep you warm and comfortable, but it must be lit. Just staring at the pile of wood does you no good. You must find a way to light the fire and convert its energy from potential to kinetic. That is when you will feel the warmth and see the light. The salvation of Jesus Christ is similar. Until you receive Jesus by faith as your own personal Savior, His salvation does you no good. You are still lost, still freezing, still dying in a cold and dark world. But once you reach out to Him in faith, the fire starts, and all is well. You will make it through the night. Not only that, but you will make it through this life, you’ll be just fine.
