Featured God Does Not Will Any To Be Lost, Some Men Do!

Here is a very good definition of God's Sovereignty, as given by king Neb:

"For His dominion is an everlasting dominion, And His kingdom is from generation to generation. All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; He does according to His will in the army of heaven And among the inhabitants of the earth. No one can restrain His hand Or say to Him, “What have You done?” (Daniel 4:34-35)

 

Your point being? WHY would verse NINE say what it does, if it is addressed only to the ELECT? Simple question.

 

No where in the entire Bible do we read that Jesus died only for "some". In fact, not till Augustine did the teaching that Jesus died for the "elect" enter the Church. All or the greater majority of the early Church fathers believed in a universal atonement, though not salvation. If are quite wrong to assume that the Redemption of Jesus Christ is "applied" to any sinner, without their repenting and accepting His Atoning Sacrifice first. Remission of ones sins can only be achieved by repentance, and not because Jesus may have died for the entire world. It is only when a sinner actually appropriates the death/blood of Jesus Christ in forgiveness, that it is "actual". the death of Jesus Christ is "potential" and not "actual", which can only be after a sinner comes to Jesus for salvation

 

Please check the textual evidence for the reading "us", and you will very clearly see that the best evidence is for "YOU"

 

"Whom God has set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God" (Romans 3:25). "set forth", is from the Greek "προτίθημι", which means, "to place before", or "This meaning of “set forth publicly” is preferred for προέθετο by SH ad Rom_3:25 (cf. Deissmann BS p. 129 ff.); but Moulton on the strength of an inscr. suggests that the meaning may rather be “offered,” or “provided” for a propitiatory gift. The inscr. is Syll 325 (= .3 708).15 (before B.C. 100) τισὶν δὲ τῶν πολειτῶν ε[ἰς] λύτρα προτιθεὶς (sc. χρήματα) ἔδειξεν ἑαυτὸν πρὸς πᾶσαν ἀπάντησιν τῶν σωζομένων εὐομείλητον, which Moulton renders, “offering money for the ransom of other citizens, he showed himself gracious at every welcoming of those who from time to time safely returned.” See further Exp VIII. i. p. 475 f." (Moulton/Milligan, Vocab. of the Greek NT)

 

If, as you say, there is no free will for any sinner to either choose or reject the Lord Jesus Christ as their Saviour, then why do we read Jesus say:

"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!" (Matthew 23:37)

Before anyone tries to change this to "they could not will", note that the Greek here does NOT say this, nor would this reasoning make any sense of the passage. Clearly Jesus is here saying that He, before through the Prophets, and now Himself, "wants" to save the lost, but they are not interested. Clearly shows that they had FREE WILL to reject!

 

The textual evidence for YOU is by far the better, as you well know!

 

Both, is the simple answer. It is the Godhead that has been offended by the fall of man, and rightly so "propitiation" had to be made for this. Jesus' death on the cross was to do just this. He actually appeased Himself, as He is Almighty God. No doubt the Father and Holy Spirit were also equally part of the Redemption of mankind. Then we have the finished work of the Lord Jesus, which was "offered" as Romans 3:25 says, to all those who would accept.

 

You speak the truth! I notice this with the "reformed"

 

I don't know where you get this from? There are many millions of sinners who have been saved for 2000 years, including the thief of the cross, who at first mocked and railed at Jesus, but then was convicted by the Holy Spirit, and repented and asked for forgiveness! There are many whom I have spoken to about the Lord, who are not rejectors of Him or the Gospel, but have never had the opportunity to hear the Gospel presented in Biblical terms. God is very Faithful, and is saving many thousands each day, because of His GREAT LOVE for the lost sinners!