Yes!  We can state without hesitation that Jesus died for every single human being who has ever been born.  A few Bible verses that show this truth are:

  • 1 John 4:14, “And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.”
  • Matthew 11:28, “Come unto me, ALL ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
  • 1 Timothy 2:3-4, “For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.”
  • 1 Timothy 1:15, “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.”

I trust that these few verses are enough to convince you that God does not want anyone to face an eternity in Hell, and so He sent His Son into the world to be the savior of all.  We know that God is “…not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9).  It is not the Lord’s desire to judge anyone or to send anyone to Hell.  We have the words of the Lord, Himself, in Ezekiel 33:11 saying, “I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live…” 

Let’s consider the words of 1 John 2:2 which says, “And he (Christ) is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.”  The Apostle John is writing to believers in this short, but important book, and he assures us that Christ is the ‘propitiation’ for our sins…and not only for the sins of those who are saved, but for the sins of the WHOLE WORLD.  So…what does the word ‘propitiation’ mean?  In the Bible Dictionary Today, this meaning is given to describe propitiation: “In biblical terms, propitiation refers to the act of appeasing or satisfying the wrath of God. It conveys the idea that, due to human sinfulness, a sacrifice must be made to restore the relationship between God and humanity. The Greek word for propitiation, ‘hilasmos,’ denotes a means of atonement that brings about reconciliation.”  In other translations, this word is translated as atoning sacrifice, satisfaction, and reconciliation.  This literally means that the sacrifice of Christ on the cross is all that is needed for God to be satisfied for the payment of our sins.  This pertains to the WHOLE WORLD!

Does this mean the whole world will be saved?  Regrettably not.  Although the sacrificial death of the Lord Jesus is all that God requires for the putting away of our sins, one MUST exercise faith in believing that Christ died for their sins.  The death of the Lord Jesus is powerful enough to pay the sin debt of every man, woman, or child that has ever lived…but it does no good to the individual that rejects the grace of God and refuses to trust in the Lord Jesus as their savior.  Let’s look at a few Bible verses that speak of how we can be saved:

  • Acts 16:31, “…BELIEVE on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.”
  • Romans 10:9, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt BELIEVE in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”
  • Hebrews 11:6, “But without FAITH it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must BELIEVE that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”

Christ did, indeed, die for all men.  Salvation is offered as a free gift to all men.  Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is the key to being saved.  The Lord Jesus, Himself said in John 10:9, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved…”  What about you, dear reader?  Have you taken advantage of God’s gracious offer of salvation to any who will come to Him by faith?  The Lord Jesus died that you might be saved.  He is the WAY, the TRUTH, and the LIFE. (John 14:6).  He has made this unbreakable promise to us all, “…him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.” (John 6:37).  (CC)  (711.4)