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Can I Tell an Unbeliever Jesus Died for You?
Some who read this articles title might wonder why anyone would ask such a question. Of course you can! How else can you share the gospel? For Christians who believe in general atonementthe idea that Christ died for every individual in the same waythis question never even comes up.It only arises for Christians who believe in definite (or limited) atonement. Definite atonement means that when Jesus died‚ he wasnt making salvation possible for all but certain for none. He was securing the salvation of a definite (and massive) number of sinners from every nationthose whom the Father had given him (John 6:3839). In this view‚ no one for whom Christ died will ultimately be condemned (Rom. 8:34); all those for whom Christ died will ultimately be saved (5:10).But since God hasnt given everyone to Christ (John 17:9)‚ this means Christ didnt die for everyone (such that all will be saved). Jesus died for his sheep‚ and not everyone is part of his sheep (10:11‚ 26). Jesus died for his Bride‚ and not everyone is part of his Bride (Eph. 5:25; Rev. 19:78). Since we cant know who the sheep are apart from the evidence of saving faith‚ it raises the practical question of whether we can tell a current unbeliever Jesus died for you! After all‚ how can we know for sure?Thorny QuestionFull disclosure: Im a pastor who holds to definite atonement. I believe the arguments I just summarized. Moreover‚ I dont typically say to individuals point-blank Jesus died for youeither in my preaching or in personal conversations.And yet I recognize this is a thorny question requiring great care. We can preach the gospel without directly mentioning election‚ but wed be hard-pressed to preach the gospel without talking about Christ dying in the place of unbelieving sinners (1 Cor. 15:13; 1 Tim. 1:15; 1 Pet. 3:18). So its not hard to see why the question Which unbelieving sinners? would seem relevant. Someone might ask‚ What good is an atonement if you cant be sure it applies to you?This is probably why the Reformed theologians I read rarely answer this question with a flat No but with something like a No‚ but (or even a Yes‚ but). In that spirit‚ let me address this practical question by offering counsel to both sidesto those who opt to use the phrase and those who dont.If Youre Going to Make Jesus Died for You Part of Your EvangelismFirst‚ make sure youre not making a bigger deal out of this phrase than the Bible does. Recognize‚ for example‚ that there are no evangelistic sermons in Acts where this precise language is used. If Peter and Paul could evangelize without saying Jesus died for you‚ then you shouldnt make it a litmus test for gospel orthodoxy.Second‚ make sure your unbelieving hearers know theyre not saved until they repent and believe. Most Christians understand this‚ but we shouldnt assume non-Christians do. If hearing Jesus died for you makes a person feel secure in his sin and unbelief‚ then its misleading. As Jesus reminded us‚ Unless you repent‚ you will all likewise perish (Luke 13:3‚ 5).If hearing Jesus died for you makes a person feel secure in his sin and unbelief‚ then its actually misleading.Finally‚ make sure you help unbelievers feel Gods wrath as well as his love. To my surprise‚ I once heard an evangelist tell a nonbeliever God is not angry with you! He explained that since 1 John 2:2 calls Christ the propitiation [i.e.‚ wrath-removing sacrifice] . . . for the sins of the whole world‚ God mustnt be angry with anyone anymore. But this flatly contradicts John 3:36: Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life‚ but the wrath of God remains on him.Until people believe‚ God is still angry with them. In fact‚ its only Gods wrath that helps us see his love as more than mere sentimentality.If Youre Not Going to Make Jesus Died for You Part of Your EvangelismFirst‚ dont flip out when others do. They may not believe in definite atonement‚ but what they usually mean by those words is something like Jesus died in such a way that if you believe on him you will be savedwhich you believe too.Second‚ dont be more guarded in your language than the apostles. When youre more careful than Scripture‚ it can justify others concerns about Calvinism killing evangelism. Peter and Paul may not have told unbelievers Jesus died for you‚ but they did make similar appeals in their evangelism:The promise is for you [i.e.‚ the promise of the Holy Spirit and the forgiveness of sins] (Acts 2:39).God . . . sent [Jesus] . . . to bless you by turning every one of you from your wickedness (3:26).Everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name (10:43).Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ‚ and you [singular] will be saved (16:31).So dont be afraid to speak like the Bible speaks‚ even if it sounds Arminian. Few preachers were as committed to definite atonement as Charles Spurgeon‚ and yet he was frequently attacked by hyper-Calvinists for being too free with his language toward unbelievers. Thats because Spurgeons goal wasnt to keep hardcore Calvinists happy with him; he was seeking to honor God and win souls.Dont be afraid to speak like the Bible speaks‚ even if it sounds Arminian.Finally‚ make sure you help unbelievers feel Gods love as well as his wrath. The gospel warns‚ but it also woos. D. A. Carson once noted that when asked by young‚ Reformed preachers whether he feels OK telling unbelievers that God loves them‚ his answer was Of course I tell the unconverted that God loves them. Iain Murray put it this way:[It is true that] . . . the Holy Spirit uses truth to convince us of sin. . . . But conviction of sin is not enough to bring men to Christ. Conviction of sin only speaks of Gods holiness‚ it tells the sinner nothing of Gods willingness to pardon. . . . For that further truth is needed. It is only the disclosure of love which can persuade the sinner of Gods readiness and willingness to pardon. . . . Love is the great attraction. Love stands foremost in the gospel appeal. . . . And this love is to be proclaimed as good news not to men as elect‚ but to men as sinners.Its Gods kindness‚ not just his power‚ that leads people to repentance (Rom. 2:4).Definite atonement doesnt deny Gods universal loveit deepens it by recognizing Gods special love. Just as a man can (and should) love all women while loving his wife uniquely‚ so Jesus can love all people (see Mark 10:21) while loving his Bride uniquely. This is the clear message of Ephesians 5:25. The gospel of definite atonement says Jesus died for his Bride in a special way but then turns around and invites people into that relationship. The Spirit and the Bride say Come (Rev. 22:17). If we share the gospel with that kind of passion‚ I doubt anyone will wonder whether Jesus died for them.
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