Did Christ tatste death for each and every man that ever lived?
I want to take my text from Hebrews 2:9....."But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God
should taste death for every man."
Now, if you stop right there, you have a "slam dunk" case. It's a closed case. However, you have to dig further into this chapter to understand what the Hebrews writer was conveying.
"For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things,
in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For both
he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to
call them brethren, Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee."(vss 10-12)
If you read closely vss 10-12, there is a particular set of people being focused upon. Those who are sanctified, and He who sanctifies them as being the Captain of their salvation. You see things such as, "He who sanctiifes and those who are sanctified are one." So, if Christ did taste death for every man, you have a world wide sanctification. Then, you end up having a myriad of sanctified peoples burning in torment. This is what I was referring to having an atonement that didn't atone. A blood w/o any saving power. If Christ died for every man w/o excpetion, and peopled died in their sins, that's a weak atonement, a blood that doesn't blot out sins, and a Saviour who is just a bystander. But, let's not stop here.....
"And again, I will put my trust in him. And again,
Behold I and the children which God hath given me. Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;
And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham. Wherefore in all things
it behoved him to be made like unto his brethrenthat he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted."(vss 13-18)
Look at what I
bolded and
underlined. You'll see things like "Behold I and the children which God hath given Me", and also "And deliver them who through fear of death", and also "it behoved Him to be made like unto His brethern." These phrases have a set of peoples in mind, and not a world wide view. He is going to deliver them who fear of death. Too many people have no fear of death in their eyes, and they'll die lost. And the bible backs this claim of mine up.....
"The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart,
that there is no fear of God before his eyes. For he flattereth himself in his own eyes, until his iniquity be found to be hateful. The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit: he hath left off to be wise, and to do good. He deviseth mischief upon his bed; he setteth himself in a way that is not good; he abhorreth not evil."(Psalms 36:1-4)
"As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: Their feet are swift to shed blood: Destruction and misery are in their ways: And the way of peace have they not known:
There is no fear of God before their eyes."(Romans 3:10-18)
People who have no fear of God, most assuredly have no fear of death. Look at all the suicide bombers over the last several years. I saw some footage of a mother doting over her son, because he was going to die for their cause. She looked at him with such a prideful look. You'd thought he had just graduated from a major university. But he was preparing to die, and she was admiring him. These people have no desire whatsoever to be reconciled to God via Jesus' shed blood.
Jesus came to die for His sheep(John 10:15). He prayed for them and not the world(John 17:9). He came because He was predestined to die for them and atone for their sin(Revelation 5:6, 5:12, and 13:8).
If He did taste death for every man w/o excpetion, it's a mighty weak atonement, imo......
Oh, and I also never use scripture, so I guess I parrotted this off someone else...
