What then "sealed the deal", is that I saw what
actually happened on the cross, and
for whom it happened:
Colossians 2:13-14 <---- All trespasses forgiven the believer, the Law nailed to His cross.
Ephesians 5:25-27. <----Christ loved the church and gave Himself for it, so that He might sanctify and cleanse it.
Romans 5:8-10. <--------God commended His love towards believers. While they were yet sinners, Christ died for them, they were justified by His blood, and were reconciled to God by the death of His Son.
1 Corinthians 6:11. <-----Believers are washed, sanctified and justified, not unbelievers.
2 Corinthians 5:19. <----"World" cannot mean everyone, otherwise all men are actually reconciled and God has not imputed their trespasses to them.
The key to my understanding "world" as people out of every tongue, tribe and nation ( Revelation 5:9, Revelation 7:9 )?
2 Corinthians 5:19 and Romans 11:12-15...."world" means "Gentiles" in most cases, both Jews and Gentiles in others.
Actually redeemed, actually reconciled, actually washed, actually cleansed, actually "quickened", actually justified...not "potentially".
Then I started seeing the arguments:
If all trespasses were forgiven the unbeliever at the cross, then there are millions of people in Hell that God actually reconciled, etc., to Himself.
Millions of people who were actually forgiven of their trespasses at the cross, sins actually paid for.
How can they then be judged according to their
works out of the books ( Revelation 20:11-15 )?
Ultimately it's up to you to decide, MB.
But when many of us state that Christ died for His sheep, we see it according to the details unfolding in God's word...not one "verse" or even 3.
There's a lot more to the what "world", "all", and "every man" mean, and they are defined by context.
Simply quoting one thing that God has to say, in many cases, is not enough to give a fully educated statement about many subjects.
For example, I could walk up to anyone, point at 1 John 2:2 and about 7 others, and say, "See? Christ died for everyone!"
That fooled me for a long time.
May God bless you with many good and praise-worthy gifts.