Who Is Eligible for Salvation?
God does not want death and Hell to be the end of the matter. God loves us so much, that he did something very special – He sent His Son, Jesus, to die in our place. In John 3:15-16 Jesus explains, “That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. (16) For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
Three times in this passage, Jesus identified who is eligible for salvation: “whosoever” in verse fifteen, “the world” in verse 16, and then He repeated “whosoever” in verse 16 again. None of us deserve salvation, because we are sinners. We become eligible because of Christ’s sacrifice. “Whosoever” means any one, or any person whatever. Jesus emphasized this point further when He said, “the world.” If you are anyone – any person who lives in this world, you are eligible for salvation, through Christ’s sacrifice in our place.
For Whom Did Christ Die?
Once you understand for whom Christ died, you will understand that you are part of the “all” that can receive the gift of salvation.
Romans 5:6 says, “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.”
All of us are born in an ungodly world, and we do ungodly things; we are sinners. None of us has the strength or ability to save ourselves, and so Christ died in our place.
Romans 5:8 continues the thought, and says, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” If you are a sinner (and you are), then Christ died for you!
To Whom Is Salvation Offered?
If all are eligible for salvation through Christ’s sacrifice, and if Christ died for all sinners, then to whom does God offer salvation? The answer is the same: all! Whosoever can receive God’s wonderful salvation!
Acts 2:21 tells us, “And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
Acts 10:43 repeats the promise: “To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.”
Again, Romans 10:13 confirms for us that salvation is for whosoever – all who will receive him: “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”