Bought All Men

The following is from a posting of mine at the Baptist Gadfly from 2008 (here).

 

Spurgeon said it well in a sermon entitled “Good Cheer for Many that Fear”: 

“We believe that by His atoning sacrifice, Christ bought some good things for all men and all good things for some men. And that when He died He had a definite purpose in dying and that His purpose will certainly be effected.”

 

http://www.spurgeongems.org/vols49-51/chs2815.pdf 

This is my view also.

There are general aspects or common grace that come via the death of Christ. By his death on the cross Christ became the "Lord" of all, and in becoming "lord" there is the idea of being owned by purchase. 

"For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living." (Rom. 14: 9)

I believe that this verse says that Christ became Lord of all, both living and dead, both elect and non elect, by his purchase. Christ did purchase things by his sacrificial death. Here are a couple other texts that support this thesis.

"But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction." (II Peter 2: 1) 

False prophets and teachers bought by the Lord. But, being bought does not necessarily mean salvation. It simply denotes ownership and authority over. 

"And because of your knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died?" (I Cor. 8: 11)

I believe that this verse, like others, speaks of Christ dying "for" those who ultimately perish. The question is this, however: in what sense "for" those who perish? And, in what sense "for" the elect, for believers, for those who are actually saved? The Greek words for "for" may denote substitution (such as "anti," "pro," or "huper") or may not denote it, but simply denote "for the benefit or good of." And, like Spurgeon, the death of Christ bought some good things for all men.

"For to this end we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe." (I Tim. 4: 10) 

The death of Christ was good for all men, but it was especially good for believers, for the elect.