It is sometimes asked by High Calvinists what value or benefit Christ’s death has for the non-elect, given that they will certainly never believe.
To this I reply:
1) Since the non-elect do not avail themselves of God’s gracious offer of forgiveness, in one very real sense the death of Christ does not benefit them. Salvation is conditioned upon faith and repentance.
2) That being said, there is great value in Christ dying sufficiently for their sins. Here an illustration might prove helpful. Imagine a group of men in a kingdom who have committed a treasonous crime against the King. They are rebellious and scandalous, prone towards all manner of strife and unrest. While the King would be entirely just to execute the criminals, leaving them to hang on the hills near his castle, the King, out of a sincere desire to show the excellency of his love and mercy, formulates a costly plan whereby the criminals are afforded an opportunity for forgiveness. He offers them a condition for pardon, one involving their bowing the knee in genuine humility, asking for the King’s gracious pardon. Surely the King’s offer is intrinsically valuable and is nothing less than a tremendous blessing in the face of such sin.
3) In the same way that the inhabitants of the kingdom would marvel at the King’s example, admiring the depths of the King’s gracious character, wondering to themselves what kind of man would go to such lengths to provide a just way to escape condemnation, I think we ought to marvel at God’s great love shown towards the world.
Even in the case of the non-elect who perpetually spurn God’s love, refusing to bow the knee, nor recognize the splendor of His offer, their obstinate refusal more greatly illuminates the depths of God’s love, seeing that it shows the greatness of his character towards his enemies. Additionally, this likewise serves to more greatly highlight the King’s wrath. They deserved to die for breaking His Law. How much more when they reject the clemency of the King in providing a way for them to be forgiven!
So when it is asked what value or benefit exists in Christ’s death for the non-elect, given moderate Calvinism, I would say that they are offered something amazing that they do not deserve; and that in this astonishing act of costly love, shown through Christ, the quality of God’s character shines more brightly. It tells us something important about God.
Against this backdrop of the gracious offer, we also see the extraordinary depths of effectual grace, whereby God goes even further, causing His light to shine in the hearts of some of the obstinate, thereby awakening them to see more fully their rebellion and sin. These call upon His Name and come to realize that God poured out grace upon grace in their lives.
4) It would seem that common grace is also rooted in Christ’s death. Having paid a sufficient price for the sins of the world- a just equivalent for the sins of all men- God shows His patience in diverse ways, giving the non-elect sun and rain and breath for another day, as well as many different invitations to come to Him.
If Christ died only for the sins of the elect, then how is common grace functioning in the lives of the non-elect? To what are they being called to accept? The gospel? But what possible good news is extended to them? Unto what end are they given more time? There is nothing in Christ’s death made available to them. They are the non-died-fors.
It would seem that on High Calvinism common grace is incidental to the non-elect. Since the elect occupy the same world as non-elect men, the non-elect enjoy a delay in judgment, and as such, various common blessings while the elect are being brought into the kingdom. The message to trust in Christ goes out, and the non-elect hear the call, but this hearing is only incidental. The gospel isn’t technically directed towards them. By definition, or in point of fact, the gospel is only about Christ dying for the sins of the elect.
The Sound of Doctrine 