Dear Dave: Obviously the Lord of Glory atones for every last rotten sinner in every degree of sin!
"He is [the] propitiation for our sins
AND NOT FOR OUR SINS ONLY
but for the sins of the whole world."
My friend, the Lord Jesus Christ is the hilasmos of the holos!
The following passage shows that Jesus did not die for the Pharisees. And this is why they rejected Christ.
Jesus said “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” John 10:11 (ESV)
“just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.” John 10:15 (ESV)
But then he tells the Pharisees “but you do not believe because you are not among my sheep. John 10:26
Notice the Pharisees did not believe because they were not among Jesus’ sheep. And Jesus did not die for them.
Jesus said “My sheep hear my voice, [the gospel] and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.” John 10:27–28 (ESV)
So again, for whom did Christ die? Jesus said “the good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” John 10:11 (ESV)
The Pharisees did not believe in Jesus? Why? Jesus told them; “but you do not believe because you are not among my sheep” John 10:26
Could the Pharisees become sheep had they chose to believe in Jesus? No, Jesus said the reason is, they must be sheep before they can believe. “but you do not believe because you are not among my sheep” John 10:26
Jesus said they would accept him if they were his sheep. “My sheep hear my voice, [the gospel] and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.” John 10:26–28 (ESV)
Why do so many reject Christ? Because he did not die for them. Why do some accept Christ? Because he died for them.
In his High Priestly Prayer, Jesus did not pray for the salvation of all. He told the Father “I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours.” John 17:9 (ESV). Why would Jesus die for any he was unwilling to pray for?
Since Christ died for the elect only, we must temper all other passages according to this. When Peter says God is not willing any should perish, it is obvious God willed the Pharisees damnation. Had they been Christ’s sheep they all would have believed and remained Israel under Christ. So Peter does not say God is not willing that unbelievers perish. But instead Peter says; “The Lord is not slow in regard to the promise [made to Abraham], as certain count slowness, but is long-suffering to us, not counselling any to be lost but all to pass on to reformation,” 2 Peter 3:9 (Young’s Literal Greek Translation YLT)
When it says Jesus is the Savior of the World, the believing Jews knew the promise made to Abraham about the gentiles one day flowing into Jerusalem above had come to pass. Before this time salvation was only for the Jews (John 4:21–22)
