What about 2
Corinthians 5:19, which says God was in Christ reconciling the world? The
context here also is that God is not reconciling every individual to him but
only the believers if all are reconciled and saved then there will be no one in
hell. John Gill the great theologian exposes this scripture so well in the
following.
"God
was reconciling the world in Christ"; by whom are meant, not all the individuals
of mankind, for these are not all in Christ, nor all reconciled to God,
multitudes dying in enmity to him, nor all interested in the blessing of
non-imputation of sin; whereas each of these is said of the world: but the
elect of God, who are chosen in Christ, whose peace Christ is, whose sins are
not imputed to them, and against whom no charge of any avail can be laid; and
particularly the people of God among the Gentiles are here designed, who are
frequently called "the world" in Scripture; being the world which God
loved, for whose sins Christ is the propitiation, and of the reconciling of
which mention is particularly made, (John 3:16) (1 John 2:2) (Romans
11:12,15) . And this sense well agrees with the context, which signifies, that
no man is regarded for his natural descent; it is no matter whether he is a Jew
or a Gentile, provided he is but a new creature: for Gospel reconciliation, and
the ministry of it, concern one as well as another. Moreover, this
reconciliation must be considered, either as intentional, or actual, or as a
publication of it in the ministry of the word; and taken either way it cannot
be thought to extend to every individual person in the world: if it is to be
understood intentionally, that God intended the reconciliation of the world to
himself by Christ, and drew the scheme of it in him, his intentions cannot be
frustrated; his counsel shall stand, and he will do all his pleasure; a scheme
so wisely laid by him in his Son, cannot come to nothing, or only in part be
executed; and yet this must be the case, if it was his design to reconcile
every individual of mankind to himself, since a large number of them are not
reconciled to him: and if the words are to be understood of an actual
reconciliation of the world unto God by Christ, which sense agrees with the
preceding verse, then it is out of all question, that the word
"world" cannot be taken in so large a sense as to take in every man
and woman in the world; since it is certain that there are many who are not reconciled
to God, who die in their sins, whose peace is not made with him, nor are they
reconciled to the way of salvation by Christ: and should it be admitted that
the ministry of reconciliation is here designed, which is not an offer of
reconciliation to the world, but a proclamation or declaration of peace and
reconciliation made by the death of Christ; this is not sent to all men;
multitudes were dead before the word of reconciliation was committed to the
apostles; and since, there have been great numbers who have never so much as
heard of it; and even in the times of the apostles it did not reach to everyone
then living: besides, the text does not speak of what God did by the ministry
of his apostles, but of what he himself had been doing in his Son, and which was
antecedent, and gave rise unto and was the foundation of their ministry. There
was a scheme of reconciliation drawn in the counsels of God before the world
began, and an actual reconciliation by the death of Christ, which is published
in the Gospel, which these words contain the sum and substance of: and this
reconciliation, as before, is said to be "unto himself"; to his
offended justice, and for the glory of his perfections, and the reconciling of
them together in the affair of salvation:
Not
imputing their trespasses.
This was what he resolved upon from all eternity, that inasmuch as Christ was
become the surety and substitute of his people, he would not impute their sins
to them, or look for satisfaction for them from them; but would reckon and
place them to the account of their surety, and expect satisfaction from him;
and accordingly he did, and accordingly he had it. And this will, not to impute
sin to his people, or not to punish for it, which existed in God from
everlasting, is no other than a justification of them; for to whom the Lord
does not impute sin, he imputes righteousness, and such are properly justified.
And
hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation;
or put it in us, as a rich and valuable treasure; for such the doctrine of
peace and reconciliation, by the blood of Christ, is; a sacred deposition,
committed to the trust of faithful men, to be dispensed and disposed of for the
use and purpose for which it is given them.