[23] The reader will observe, in the above passage, that the words "the sins of" are introduced by the translators, and are not inspired. The divine accuracy of the passage is completely lost by retaining those uninspired words. The doctrine laid down is simply this: In the first clause of the verse, Christ is set forth as the propitiation for His people's actual _sins_; but in the last clause, it is not a question of _sins_ or of _persons_ at all, but of _sin_ and the _world_ in general. In fact, the whole verse presents Christ as the Antitype of the two goats, as the One who has borne His people's sins; and also as the One who has perfectly glorified God with respect to sin in general, and made provision for dealing in grace with the world at large, and for the final deliverance and blessing of the whole creation.
So, also, with respect to all those passages in which God's grace to the world at large is presented. They are founded upon that special aspect of the atonement with which we are more immediately occupied. "Go ye into _all the world_ and preach the gospel _to every creature_." (Mark xvi.)--"God so loved _the world_, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him might not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn _the world_, but that the world through Him might be saved." (John iii. 16, 17.)--"I exhort, therefore, that first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for _all men_; for kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; who will have _all men_ to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus; who gave Himself a _ransom for all_, to be testified in due time." (1 Tim. ii. 1-6.)--"For _the grace of God_ that bringeth salvation hath appeared to _all men_." (Titus ii. 11.)--"But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor; that He by _the grace of God_ should taste death _for every man_." (Heb. ii. 9.)--"The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is long-suffering to usward, not willing that _any_ should perish, but that all should come to repentance." (2 Peter iii. 9.)
There is no need whatsoever for seeking to avoid the plain sense of the above and similar passages. They bear a clear and unequivocal testimony to divine grace toward all, without the slightest reference to man's responsibility on the one hand, or to God's eternal counsels on the other. These things are just as clearly, just as fully, just as unequivocally, taught in the Word. Man is responsible and God is sovereign. All who bow to Scripture admit these things. But, at the same time, it is of the very last importance to recognize the wide aspect of the grace of God and of the cross of Christ. It glorifies God, and leaves man _wholly_ without excuse. Men argue about God's decrees and man's incompetency to believe without divine influence. Their arguments prove that they do not want God; for did they only want Him, He is near enough to be found of them. The grace of God and the atonement of Christ are as wide as they could desire. "_Any_," "_every_," "_whosoever_," and "_all_" are God's own words; and I should like to know who is shut out. If God sends a message of salvation to a man, He surely intends it for him; and what can be more wicked and impious than to reject God's grace, and make Him a liar, and then give His secret decrees as a reason for so doing? It would be, in a certain sense, honest for a man to say at once, The fact is, I do not believe God's Word, and I do not want His grace or His salvation. One could understand this; but for men to cover their hatred of God and His truth with the drapery of a false, because one-sided, theology, is the very highest character of wickedness. It is such as to make us feel, of a truth, that the devil is never more diabolical than when he appears with the Bible in his hand.