Did Jesus Die for EVERYONE'S Sins? (1 John 2:2)

The Meaning of Propitiation in 1 John 2:2

1 John 2, 1 -2 says, My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

Now, some take this to mean that Jesus died for the sins of every single person in the world. Is that what John meant for his readers to understand? The word propitiation means to appease God's wrath.

It's used twice in this letter, here and in 4 .10, where it says that God loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Who is our? John is writing to the church. Jesus advocates only for Christians.

Christ as the Only Savior for the Whole World

But isn't he also the propitiation for the sins of the whole world? This means that there is no other way of atonement in the world but Jesus Christ alone. 1 John 4 .14 says he is the Savior of the world.

There's not a Savior for this people and another for that people. There is only Jesus. Now, if you think that he is atoned for everyone's sins, then everyone is forgiven. But that is not our default position.

We are guilty before a holy God who will judge the world in righteousness. If anyone in the world is going to be saved, they must repent and believe in Jesus. John wrote elsewhere, whoever believes in the Son has eternal life.

Whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him. God's wrath is satisfied only for those who believe in Jesus when we understand the text.