Reconciled to God while enemies !
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None of the scripture you give agree with what you said, so you dont believe the scripture you give or understand it.
Huh? The unforgiving servant had all his debt erased but was not saved by it. How you do not understand that, is anyone's guess.
According to you John 3:16 ought to read ... for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever He died for should not perish but have everlasting life.
The "while they were his enemies", is that His death became efficacious for them while they were yet sinners and still His enemy, even though it occurred after His after death, that is, everyone who ever came into existence in this world, automatically became His enemy, but only for those whom God places in-Christ - the "few select" - by that, they become reconciled and their sins forgiven, not so for everyone else.
It is Paul himself who argues in Eph (and other places in Scripture), that Christ died only for a limited number of people), otherwise, salvation wouldn't/couldn't be by God's grace and would require something additional be accomplished by those who would be saved- it's either completely by grace or by works - there is no middle ground. And if it is even by what appears to be by a small work, that means they are under law not grace, and no one is saved by the keeping of law.
so why did you post those scriptures ? What's the relevance with what Im posting about reconciled to God while enemies Rom 5:10Huh? The unforgiving servant had all his debt erased but was not saved by it. How you do not understand that, is anyone's guess.
According to you John 3:16 ought to read ... for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever He died for should not perish but have everlasting life.
You said Christ's death saved us but what it did was eliminate the debt. Debt elimination is not salvation as shown by the unforgiving servant who had his debt removed completely yet it did not save him.
I'm not surprised you don't see the connection. You have a tendency to be blinded by your own set of beliefs and not give consideration to what others say.
Because you believe in limited atonement you naturally connect death with automatic salvation. You begin with an error and therefore continue down that path.
Even though I'm convinced that non imputation of sin preached in 2 Cor 5:19 was that of the Terms of the Everlasting Covenant Established before the World began and at which time Christ was confirmed as the Surety of the Covenant Heb 7:22 or Testament, yet for the opposer's of this great Gospel Truth, lets say that 2 Cor 5:19 is referring to the Cross at its actual time in Human History in or around 33 ad, then it would stand for reason that the Non Imputation described here is the one and same with the imputing of sins unto Christ, in order for Him to die for them 1 Cor 15:3
3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
And that being the case, for who can deny that Christ had to have had their sins imputed to Him, in order for Him to die for them ! Then at least no one Christ died for since 33 ad can be born in their sins, yes they can be born sinners, but they are born sinners that do not have the legal guilt and condemnation of breaking God's Law against them, and they are born sinners already reconciled to God by THE DEATH OF HIS SON !
Because it was His Death that satisfied God's Law and Justice for them against every transgression they will ever commit against it, God's Law. So, legally they are born Justified and Reconciled sinners In God's Sight !
3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
And that being the case, for who can deny that Christ had to have had their sins imputed to Him, in order for Him to die for them ! Then at least no one Christ died for since 33 ad can be born in their sins, yes they can be born sinners, but they are born sinners that do not have the legal guilt and condemnation of breaking God's Law against them, and they are born sinners already reconciled to God by THE DEATH OF HIS SON !
Because it was His Death that satisfied God's Law and Justice for them against every transgression they will ever commit against it, God's Law. So, legally they are born Justified and Reconciled sinners In God's Sight !
I agree with your first paragraph, but not your second. My view of the atonement has changed over the years. I no longer believe in limited atonement.
Hard for me to see how salvation solely by God's grace would be possible without it, unless you believe everyone will be saved.
Let me summarize it this way. We typically think of salvation in terms of a quid pro quo between God and followers of Jesus. First, Jesus' death on the cross serves as the payment for divine justice (somehow), and now that Jesus has paid the penalty for our sins, God is free to forgive us our sins and grant us eternal life. God will save all those who believe that Jesus is the Christ.
But this is not what the Bible teaches about how salvation works. Christ’s death is the ground of reconciliation because in Him God removes the barrier of sin, restores fellowship, and opens the way back to life. The New Testament describes this in terms of **propitiation**—not as God punishing an innocent substitute, but as God Himself dealing with sin in mercy so that wrath is taken away and peace is established. Christ’s self‑offering is therefore the basis on which reconciliation becomes possible, but Scripture never treats this as a mechanical transaction or a quid‑pro‑quo exchange. It is the divine act that makes salvation *available*, not the act that automatically *applies* salvation to any particular person.
What actually applies salvation is the **authority of the Son**. The Father has given Jesus the right to forgive sins, to judge humanity, and to grant eternal life to whomever He wills. John emphasizes this repeatedly: “The Son gives life to whom He will,” and “You have given Him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom You have given Him.” Salvation is therefore not a legal entitlement triggered by human action; it is a sovereign gift bestowed by the One who has the right to bestow it. Christ is not a passive instrument of salvation but the active Lord who decides whom to save, because the Father has entrusted all saving authority into His hands.
This is why John describes Jesus as our **Advocate**. The saving event is not merely that Christ died, but that the risen Christ stands before the Father and intercedes for specific individuals. His advocacy is personal, relational, and decisive: eternal life is granted to the one for whom Christ pleads. The cross opens the way, but the Advocate secures the outcome. Salvation, then, is not a transaction in which God is obligated by a payment; it is the royal act of the Son who intercedes, forgives, and grants life to those He chooses. In Johannine theology, the living Christ—not a legal mechanism—is the center of salvation.
The atonement is not meant as a payment of moral debt. It is meant as an act of restoration. a substitution.
Christ’s death is the ground of reconciliation, but salvation itself is an act of royal prerogative. Jesus saves whom He wills because the Father has given Him the authority to forgive, judge, and grant life. Salvation is not a transaction—it is a sovereign gift.
Some Christian theologians believe in limited atonement because they believe in a form of satisfaction. Some theologians teach that we owe a great debt to justice because of our sins. In that view, Jesus' death on the cross satisfied our debt to justice. If that is true, then the atonement must be limited to those whom God will save and not to all human beings, because otherwise all human beings would be saved, as you suggest.
Contrary to the these theories
Reconciliation doesn't automatically lead to salvation.
I didn't mean to suggest that all human beings will be saved - my point was exactly the opposite of that - that only limited atonement is possible but thought maybe you believe everyone will be saved,
In any event, I disagree with your post. I believe that those who become saved, become so, purely, completely, and exclusively, by God's exceedingly great sovereignty, grace, mercy, pity, and good pleasure, bestowed upon them as a completely free gift through Jesus Christ, the Savior. Were that not so, then Jesus Christ would not have the title of Savior, but which He alone does have, and man does not have -and which should make evident that everything needed for salvation was completely and perfectly satisfied by Him. So, by that, there is nothing remaining nor permitted, that man must attempt to satisfy. Instead, we should simply be joyful to find our rest in Jesus Christ.
But I guess in the final analysis, that we're each controlled by our perceptions of the truth.
[Tit 3:4-7 KJV]
4 But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,
5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;
7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
Conditionalism/works, making believe a condition for salvation. The elect are legally saved, forgiven, reconciled to God by His death even while being enemies, unbelievers. Rom 5:10
Of course, there are conditions placed on Salvation. Where did you get the idea that there are no conditions?
Thats a false Gospel, Jesus Christ fulfilled all the necessary conditions to save a people from their sins. He is the Savior alone.
The death, burial, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ is the SOLE basis for our salvation. But Salvation is not granted to everyone. Why? Because not everyone will believe that God exists, that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, that they are sinners, that they stand condemned, that they need to repent, that they need to follow and obey Jesus Christ.
Did you answer my question? Where did you get the idea that there are no conditions?
Wrong. Through salvation is ALL debt eliminated and was paid in full by Jesus Christ, the Savior.
Regarding your statement and example above, the master did not eliminate all of the unforgiving servant's debts; he eliminated only all of that particular debt - the servant had other debts with the master in addition to that one. We know this because of the word "that" of "that debt" - by it, a differentiation was made between it and his other debts, otherwise, it would simply have been phrased as "the servant's debt", period; also, because it was forgiven, and had that been his only debt, the master would not have been able -with it being forgiven - to un-forgive it, and to hold him accountable to deliver him to the tormentors for that which was forgiven. So, the only way he could have done so, is if there were other remaining debts that he still owed to the master.
[Mat 18:32, 34 KJV]
32 Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me: ...
34 And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.