1 Timothy 4:10 … we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, and especially of those who believe.

If Jesus died for everyone, why isn’t everyone saved? I googled that question a few years back, and the articles I found all said something different.

• Universalists believe that because Jesus died for everyone, everyone will be saved, whether they believe in Jesus or not.
• Our Calvinist brothers and sisters maintain that Jesus did not die for everyone, but only for those who He knew would believe in him, using the Scriptural term the “elect.” This is often called Limited Atonement.
• There is the position that says that the invitation to be saved is offered to everyone, but some reject it and do not receive the benefit of what Jesus did.

These different positions all refer to Scripture to support their understanding. Scripture clearly says that Jesus died for the sins of all people.

• 1 John 2:2 He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.

However, we also find in the Bible that not everyone will be saved.

• In the days of Noah, the wicked died unsaved in the flood (Genesis 6-9)
• When Sodom and Gomorrah were obliterated (Genesis 19) those people died unsaved
• But it was not just an Old Testament thing. When Jesus was crucified, one thief was told he would be with Jesus in paradise. The unrepentant one on the other side was not told that.

People die unsaved. You have probably known some people like that.  So the question remains: If Jesus actually died for the sins of everyone who ever lived, then why does anyone go to Hell?

Again, one answer is to say that Jesus died only for those he knew would believe in Him. They will cite passages to support their position. Matthew 25 talks about Jesus separating the sheep from the goats, and John 10 has Jesus calling Himself the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for the sheep. So they say Jesus died for the sheep, but not the goats. And in Ephesians 5 it says “Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her”, which they understand to say that He died only for the church and not for those who are not believers.

So how do we reconcile those passages to the ones like this?

• 1 John 4:14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.
• [Jesus] is the Savior of all men, and especially of those who believe.

The teachings about Jesus as Savior of all has been a source of disagreement in the church for a long time, and most likely it will be until Christ returns. Let me affirm that anyone who puts their faith and confidence in Jesus as his or her Savior from sin has been saved. If you have faith that Jesus is your Savior, you are saved. That is true whether you believe Jesus died for everyone or not. If you believe He is your Savior, if you trust that His death made payment for your sin, you get the benefit of everything He accomplished for you.

Our Lutheran understanding of this issue is that all of the passages cited above are God’s Word, so they are all correct. Even if they appear to contradict, we are willing to live with that seeming conflict. If you are saved, it is God’s doing, not your own, and He deserves all the credit and honor and glory. If a person is not saved, it is because he or she rejected God’s grace, and the blame lies with that person, not God.

I heard someone explain this teaching using the illustration of a meal. God has prepared a meal and you have been called to “come and get it.” It has already been done for you. When you eat the meal, you receive it and get the benefit of it. Your eating of the meal does not make it real. It was already there and existed. The eating simply receives what was prepared for you. In the same way, faith does not cause God’s forgiveness – that was earned by Jesus. Faith receives what Jesus earned.

 [Jesus] is the Savior of all men, and especially of those who believe.

Jesus is the Savior of all people and some people are not being saved. They will not eat the meal that has been prepared for them. Jesus died for all and is the Savior of all men. It is available for everyone. And those who put their faith in Jesus as a result of the Spirit’s work in their lives will reap the benefits of all Jesus earned.