If Christ's atonement was effective for all men, all men would be saved. Or else it's a pretty paltry atonement.
But the shed blood of Christ is not wasted and Christ did not suffer indiscriminately. Christ's atonement was sufficient for all the world, but effective for the elect, as determined by God from before the foundation of the world.
All whom God gave to Christ to gather will see heaven; He will lose none of them.
Unfortunately, some men choose not to take advantage of Christ's redemptive work.
Natural man will never "take advantage" of God's salvation. Only the spiritual man who has been regenerated by His will and renewed by the Holy Spirit can "take advantage" of God's blessing of salvation.
Well, that's what Scripture says, that Christ died for the sin of all men. While Christ's work opened the gates of heaven potentially for all men, WE must (with God's help) respond to God's grace and take advantage of the offer.
But the shed blood of Christ is not wasted and Christ did not suffer indiscriminately. Christ's atonement was sufficient for all the world, but effective for the elect, as determined by God from before the foundation of the world.
I agree with that statement. Christ offers sufficient grace for all men, but it is only efficacious for the saved. Now, to twist your noodle, is it God or man that makes grace efficacious??!! (we Catholics have not defined the answer to that)
Natural man will never "take advantage" of God's salvation. Only the spiritual man who has been regenerated by His will and renewed by the Holy Spirit can "take advantage" of God's blessing of salvation.
Yes, I suppose. But no one here knows who will be the "spiritual man" until we see God's General Judgment and all is revealed.
Regards