Question 27 - Are all people, just as they were lost through Adam, saved through Christ? 

Answer 27 - No, only those who are elected by God and united to Christ by faith. Nevertheless God in his mercy demonstrates common grace even to those who are not elect, by restraining the effects of sin and enabling works of culture for human well-being.

Let’s jump into this issue and look at a powerful, misunderstood truth. Some texts in the bible are taken by the less than careful or ignorant, to mean that just as every single person was lost in Adam, every single person now is saved through Christ (universalism). But that would do violence to much of the scriptures. You would have to rework…

The question is are you in Adam or in Christ? All who are still in Adam are lost and condemned. All who are in Christ are saved. Theologians call this the doctrine of federal headship. Every single person born, is born with Adam as their federal head. All born “in Adam” receive all that Adam can give - sin, condemnation, and death. However, those who are born again, are “in Christ”. And all who are in Christ, receive all that he can give - righteousness, blessing, salvation, and eternal life. 

Two things must happen. Only those we are 1) elected by God and 2) united to Christ by faith. 

Elected by God. This is a controversial truth. But if we are going to be fully biblical, we need to deal with it. The scriptures that God “has mercy on whom he wills” (Romans 9:18), that he “chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world…” (Ephesians 1:4), that he “chose you as the firstfruits to be saved…” (2 Thessalonians 2:13). So God chooses before the foundation of the world, not on the basis of good that he sees we will do. So to be saved, we must be elected or chosen by God. If we stopped here, I think there could be an imbalance. Because the NT says more. It says we need to be “united to Christ” by faith.

Faith unites us to Christ and all the blessings that are found in him. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith.” 

God does demonstrate common grace of course, even to those who are not elect… 

Romans 5:17 - For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.