Christ came to save those who are lost at last in Hell

(Don Fortner)

"She will give birth to a son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus, because He shall save His people from their sins." Matthew 1:21

The promise here given is that the Lord Jesus Christ "shall save His people from their sins." Who are His people? Who are these people specifically designated "His people," whom He came into this world specifically to save?

All of God's elect were redeemed by the Lord Jesus Christ at Calvary-and only God's elect.

All the redeemed, and only the redeemed, are called by irresistible grace and omnipotent mercy and born again by the mighty operations of His grace.

All the called, and only the called, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ by the gift of His grace.

And all who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ are preserved and kept by His grace and power unto life everlasting.

Almost everyone presumes that Christ came here to save everybody. Lost preachers everywhere love to please their lost hearers and tell them exactly what they are hired to tell them:
  "God loves you-and Jesus died for you."
  "The Lord wants to save you-but the decision is yours."

That is not what we read in Matthew 1:21. That is not the doctrine of our Holy Scripture. If Christ came to save everyone in the world, if He died for everyone-then where is the love of God? If Christ died to redeem and save all men, if He loves all, then His love is meaningless.

Where is the justice of God? If Christ died for all and yet some perish under the wrath of God-then the justice of God falls to the ground, for He punishes sin both in the sinner and in His Son!

Where is the immutability of God? If He gave His Son to die for all because of His great love for them, and then sends many to Hell-then His love changes to wrath.

Where is the divinity of Christ? If He tries to save any whom He fails to save-then He cannot be God.

Someone may say, "All people are the people of God." In a sense that is true, inasmuch as they are His creatures. Yet, the Scriptures expressly tell us that not all are His redeemed people. Those who are redeemed by Christ are redeemed "out of every people" (Revelation 5:9).  "Christ loved the church and gave Himself for her" (Ephesians 5:25).

The objects of redemption are described by such words and characteristics as show them to be a special and distinct people. "For the transgressions of My people," says the Lord our God, "was He stricken"-stricken by the rod of Divine justice!

Redemption is not universal, but special. By the precious blood of Christ, atonement has been effectually accomplished, and redemption has been obtained for God's elect. Christ is not the Redeemer of all men, but of many. If the redeemed are those who are the objects of God's special love and favor, then not all men are redeemed. 

If, as the Scriptures teach that the redeemed are the elect of God and them only-then not all men are redeemed, for all are not chosen. "The elect have obtained it, and the rest were blinded" (Romans 11:7).

"I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd gives His life for the sheep." (John 10:11) If the redeemed are the sheep of Christ to whom He gives eternal life-then the goats who go into everlasting punishment are not redeemed.

All honest people who read the Bible must acknowledge that the Lord Jesus Christ died for and redeemed His people alone, with the special, effectual purchase price of His own precious blood!

To teach that Christ came to save those who are lost at last in Hell is to deny the very deity of Christ. He is not and cannot be our Savor:
  if He fails to do what He came to do,
  if people whom He loves now, can become the objects of His wrath later,
  if His blood does not fully satisfy the justice of God.

The Lord Jesus Christ did not come to save all people everywhere. He came to save His people everywhere-His distinct, peculiar, chosen people. Who are His people? They are:
  His seed (Psalm 22:30; Isaiah 53:10-12),
  His sheep (John 10:11, 15, 26),
  His chosen bride (Ephesians 5:25-27),
  His elect (Ephesians 1:3-6),
  all who savingly trust Him (1 Thessalonians 1:4).

Who are His people? They are those people:
  whom God the Father chose in Christ before the world began,
  whom He loved with an everlasting love,
  whom He predestined unto the adoption of sons from eternity by Jesus Christ to Himself, to the praise of the glory of His grace, according to the good pleasure of His own will (Romans 8:28-31).