“The Arminian holds that Christ, when He died, did not die with an intent to save any particular person; and they teach that Christ’s death does not secure, beyond doubt, the salvation of any one man living. They believe that Christ died to make the salvation of all men possible, or that by the doing of something else, any man who pleases may attain unto eternal life; consequently, they are obliged to hold that if man’s will would not give way and voluntarily surrender to grace, then Christ’s atonement would be unavailing. They hold that there was no particularity and speciality in the death of Christ. Christ died, according to them, as much for Judas in Hell as for Peter who mounted to Heaven. They believe that for those who are consigned to eternal fire, there was as true and real a redemption made as for those who now stand before the throne of the most High.” C. H. Spurgeon, Sermons On Sovereignty, p. 82.
If Christ’s work on the cross did nothing for anyone that it did not do for everyone, then either all are saved or his atonement saves no one. The Arminian answer is that the atonement (in itself) saves no one. It makes all savable on a condition left for man to fullfil. In otherwords, God has done his part, now man must do his — by choosing Christ of his own free will. To which, Spurgeon has another comment or two:
“I would rather believe a limited atonement that is efficacious for all men for whom it was intended, than a universal atonement that is not efficacioius for anybody, except the will of men be added to it.” (Sermons, Vol. 4, p. 70)
“We say Christ so died that He infallibly secured the salvation of a multitude that no man can number, who through Christ’s death not only may be saved, but are saved, must be saved, and cannot by any possibility run the hazard of being anything but saved. You are welcome to your atonement; you may keep it. We will never renounce ours for the sake of it.” (Sermon 181, New York Street Pulpit, IV, p. 135)
