On his website, Arminian Perspectives, Ben Henshaw has a questions page at which he answers questions about Arminianism and Calvinism that visitors to his site pose in the comment section of the page. Here are some questions from a person named Sally followed by Ben’s answers edited for clarity and flow.
Questions: The issue I am currently struggling with and have been for quite some time is this: Not all are saved – we know this from scripture to be true, as well as from our own experience. Those who are saved are saved , according to scripture, because they believe in Jesus and his death on the cross having taken on our sin and removed it from us. So here is my struggle: if Jesus died so that all might be saved, yet not all are saved, does this mean that he failed in his attempt to save everyone? Scripturally, I don’t believe it is possible for that to be so. Additionally, if Jesus took the sins of every person away through his death on the cross, how can a just God require some people to pay for sins that have already been paid for by Jesus?
Answers: God doesn’t want anyone to perish, but come to repentance and takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked. This harmonizes perfectly with everything else the Bible says about God’s love for the whole world and desire to save all. Here are some helpful posts:
And here is a lighthearted look at where this Calvinist argument can lead if followed through to its logical conclusion:
http://seekadoo.blogspot.com/2008/08/atonement-for-paul.html
You said: So here is my struggle: if Jesus died so that all might be saved, yet not all are saved, does this mean that he failed in his attempt to save everyone?
No, because his intent was to provide salvation to all to be received conditionally and not irresistibly. If God had intended to save everyone unconditionally and irresistibly and did not save some, then He would have failed. But God did not intend that. He desires all to be saved, but not in such a way that they are irresistibly caused to be saved. God desires to save people as persons who freely receive Him and the provision of atonement and forgiveness made available in Christ. Since that is the case, it follows that many will not be saved if they reject God’s provision, even though God desires for them to freely accept it. But since God never intended for those who reject it to be caused to accept it irresistibly, He has in no way failed.
There are numerous examples in Scripture of God not getting what He wants because He allows for His creatures to freely choose for or against Him. Just read through the prophets and note his interactions with the people of Israel who were often rebelling against Him.
You said: Additionally, if Jesus took the sins of every person away through his death on the cross, how can a just God require some people to pay for sins that have already been paid for by Jesus?
Because it is a provisional payment in Christ and only those who come to be in union with Christ through faith will benefit from that provision. It is also not like a monetary transaction or payment, but a payment of penalty (death) that becomes ours only when we are joined to Christ through faith. When we are joined to Christ through faith, His death becomes our death and we are therefore freed from the punishment of sin in Him (through faith union and identification with Him).
But, suppose you limit the scope of the atonement to only the “elect” based on your objections. This still creates problems since it would follow that those that Christ died for (the elect) and who had their sins paid for “at the cross” would then be born forgiven and saved apart from faith since their sins were literally paid for at the cross in a non-provisional manner.
