One common distinction between the Reformed faith and its opponents is that while universalists, Arminians, Pelagians and semi-Pelagians teach that Christ merely made salvation possible for every human, the Reformed teach that He actually accomplished the redemption of those that Father gave Him, out of Adam's fallen race, redeeming "a people for Himself," a chosen remnant from among all of rebellious humankind.

Surely the blood of Christ is sufficient to atone for every sin of every rebel. But rebels must receive the benefits of Christ's work on His terms. Since "no one comes to Me except the Father draws him," and since no puny creature can thwart the will and purpose of Almighty God, it is necessarily true that Christ's work was intended from eternity past to apply only to those that the Father draws to Christ.

The wonder is not so much that God has shown mercy to some and justice to the rest. The real wonder is that He shows mercy to anyone at all! For the elect are no less deserving of His just wrath than the non-elect. The fact that any rebel justly deserving hell is spared from it by the sacrifice of the only righteous One who ever lived is spectacular proof of God's infinite mercy in spite of the fact that such mercy is not given to all rebels.