Was Jesus just a martyr killed by an angry mob, or was His death planned by God?
Jesus' death was not merely a martyr's death at the hands of an angry mob. In eternity God had already set it in motion that He would die, shed His blood, and pay the sin debt for the whole human race. It goes for nothing until personally believed.
Les explains that Paul is teaching the heart of the Gospel is not just that Christ died some martyr's death, nor that He was merely put to death by some angry mob. Instead, in the annals of all eternity, God had already set it in motion that He would die, shed His blood, and pay the sin debt for the whole human race, not just for the believer. Les says he does not believe in limited atonement; he believes Christ paid the sin debt for every human being that has ever lived. However, that payment goes for nothing until the person believes it personally and then, as Les puts it, cashes in.