Definite Substitutionary Atonement
Synonyms: particular redemption, definite redemption, actual
atonement, intentional atonement, limited atonement
v
Limited Atonement
(Definite Atonement) Introduced
The term limited atonement
does not mean that the atonement laid by Jesus Christ is limited as to its
greatness, its value and its benefits. That is, the meritorious value of the atonement is not limited. The inherent value (preciousness) of the blood of
atonement of Christ is absolutely limitless. Limited atonement correctly recognizes that Christ’s death
was of infinite value and lacking in nothing. In fact, it is of such value
that, had God so willed, Christ’s death could have saved every member of the
human race. Christ would not have had to suffer any more or do anything
different to save every human who ever lived than He did in securing the
salvation of the elect.
The death of Christ is limited as to its purpose. We would rather speak of definite redemption or definite atonement, meaning that God the Father designed the work of redemption specifically with a view to providing salvation for the elect. The atonement is limited in the sense that it was designed and the eye of God only atoned for His elect. There was a definite purpose and Jesus accomplished it.
v Definite Atonement Proven
Hebrews
9:15:
“Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has
occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed …….”
John 6:38-39: “For
I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this
is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise
it up again at the last day.”
John 10:15:
“I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father
knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.”
John 17:6,
9, 19: “6I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the
world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your
word.......... 9I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours.......... 19And
for their sake I consecrate myself,
that they also may be sanctified in truth.”
Ephesians
5:25-27: “25Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, 26that
he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the
word, 27so that he might
present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any
such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.”
Acts 20:28: “Pay
careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit
has made you overseers, to care for the
church of God, which he obtained
with his own blood.”
Some more proofs
Romans
8:32:
“He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?”
Revelation 5:9: “And they sing a new song, saying, Worthy art thou to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou was slain, and didst purchase unto God with thy blood men of every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation and madest them to be unto our God a kingdom and priests; and they reign upon earth.”
Isaiah 53:11, 12: “Out
of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge
shall the righteous one, my servant, make
many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore I will divide him a portion with the
many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his
soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the
transgressors.”
Matthew 1:21: “She
will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people
from their sins.”
Matthew 20:28: “The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many”
v Definite Atonement Explained
1. Death of Christ: Substitutionary in Nature (Literal, Biblical
Atonement)
The doctrine of the limited
atonement recognizes that Bible teaches the death of Jesus on the cross was a
substitutionary[1]
(vicarious) atonement for sins. Jesus Christ died in our place (as a
substitute) when He was crucified on the cross. We deserved to be the ones
placed on that cross to die because we are the ones who live sinful lives. But
Christ took the punishment on Himself in our place—He substituted Himself for
us and took what we rightly deserved. (2 Corinthians 5:21, 1 Peter 2:24, 1 Peter 3:18,
Isaiah 53:5). If Jesus actually stood in my place and bore my sin on the cross as the
Bible teaches, then I can never be punished for that sin. It is because God had
already punished Christ for that sin in the cross.
2 Corinthians 5:14: “For
the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died.” [Rom 6:5-8
asserts that union with Christ in His death inevitably carries with it union
with Christ in His resurrection. “For
if we have been united with him in a
death like his, we shall certainly
be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6We know that our old
self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to
nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. 7For one who
has died has been set free from sin. 8Now if we have died with
Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.” All for whom Christ
has died, they also died with Him. Those who died in Christ shall be raised
with Christ to walk in newness of life. How can we affirm this and not say that
all those for whom Christ died will be saved?]
Implications: If we truly
believe that Christ’s death was substitutionary in nature and if we affirm, at
the same time, that there will be some people in hell, then we have to believe
in the limited atonement. Christ’s atonement is limited in the sense that He
was not a substitute for those who will be spending their eternity in hell. The
substitutionary nature of his death is limited to those who will be ultimately
saved. It is definite in the sense that all, for whom Christ died as a substitute, will be saved.
2. Definite
Purpose of the Atonement[2]
The doctrine of limited atonement affirms that
the Bible teaches Christ’s atoning work on the cross was done with a definite
purpose in mind—to redeem for God people from every tribe, tongue and nation (Revelation 5:9). Jesus died,
according to Matthew 1:21, to “save His
people from their sins.” This truth is seen in many passages throughout
Scripture. These are the same ones Jesus said were given to Him by the Father
in order that He would fulfill the Father’s will by losing none of them and by
raising all of them up in the last day (John 6:37-40). The truth that Jesus came for this specific reason is
seen in both the Old and New Testaments. One of the greatest passages on the
atonement in the Old Testament is Isaiah 53.
In this passage alone, we see that He was “stricken for the transgression of
God’s people” (Isaiah 53:8); that He would
“justify many” because “He shall bear their iniquities” (Isaiah 53:11); and that He indeed “bore the sin of many” (Isaiah
53:12). These verses and many others talk about an
atonement that was specific in whom it covered (God’s people), was
substitutionary in nature (He actually bore their sins on the cross), and
actually accomplished what God intended it to do (justify many). Clearly, here
is a picture of an intentional, definite atonement. Christ died not simply to
make justification a possibility but to actually justify those He died for. He
died to save them, not to make them savable.
3. The Death of Christ: the Intended Purpose will be Accomplished
John 6:38-39: “For I
came down from heaven, not to do
mine own will, but the will of him that
sent me. And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should
lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.” [The question is whether
the Son will do His Father’s will or not? The intent of the Father, when he sent His Son into this world, was to
save those whom he had given to His Son. The Son will not lose nothing which
the Father has given to him. It is a definite redemption.]
Matthew 1:21: “She will bear a son, and you shall call his
name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” [It is written “He will save”, not that “He may save”. His
purpose will be accomplished.]
Revelation 5:9: “And they sing a new song, saying, Worthy art thou to take the
book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou was slain, and didst purchase
unto God with thy blood men of every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation
and madest them to be unto our God a kingdom and priests; and they reign upon
earth.” [Christ purchased for himself “a people” and
those who were purchased (all of them; none will be lost) will reign with
Christ. The intent of Christ in the atonement is accomplished. Redemption is
not only particular, but effectual. In
the new earth all those purchased by Christ’s death will reign with Him.]
Isaiah 53:11, 12: “Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and
be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous,
and he shall bear their iniquities.
Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the
spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered
with the transgressors; yet he bore the
sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.”
[Whose iniquities Jesus bore (“the many”), they will be “accounted righteous.”]
Acts 20:28: “Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in
which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he
obtained with his own blood.”
Romans 8:32: “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all,
how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?” [[3]The
unanswered question anticipates our ability to answer it and turn it into a
rock solid promise: “Since God did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us
all, he will most certainly give us all things with him.” Who are the “us” in
this verse? They are the people of verses 29-31 (the elect). And for these
people, Paul says, the death of Christ is the unshakable, absolutely certain
guarantee that they will receive all things with him. This is the wonderful
logic of Romans 8:32. But what becomes of this logic if God gave his Son in
this way for thousands who do not receive all things, but in fact perish? The logic
is destroyed. It becomes: “If God did not spare his own Son, but gave him up
for all people in the world, then, since many of them are lost, it is not true
that they will most certainly receive all things with him.” That is not the
point of the verse. It says, because of God’s giving the Son for his people,
those people—foreknown and predestined from the foundation of the world—will
receive everything God has to give.]
4. Jesus Christ died for His Sheep (John 10:11, 15)
In John
10:15, we see that He lays “down His life for the sheep.” In John’s Gospel “the sheep” are not
everyone.[4] Nor
does the term “sheep” refer to those who have used their power of
self-determination to produce faith. Rather they are those whom God has chosen
and given to the Son (John 6:37, 44). Their faith is possible because they are
sheep. We see this in John 10:26 where Jesus says, “You
do not believe, because you do not belong to my sheep.” In other
words, being a sheep enables you to believe, not vice versa. So the sheep do
not first make themselves sheep by believing; they are able to believe because
they are sheep. Who are the sheep?
They are the people chosen by God from
before the foundation of the world (Ephesians
1:4). These are the same ones Jesus said were given to Him by the Father in
order that He would fulfill the Father’s will by losing none of them and by
raising all of them up in the last day (John 6:37-40). It is in this context that Jesus is saying that He
gives his life for the sheep. This context limits the atonement. The intention of God in the death of Christ
was the salvation of His sheep and only His sheep. Further, to say that Jesus (the Good
Shepherd) died not only for the sheep, but also for the wolves, thieves and robbers
(John 10:5, 8, 10, 12) is absurd and contradicting the analogy itself.
5. Jesus died for His Bride
Ephesians 5:25, 26: “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the
church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed
her by the washing of water with the word”
Again, some may say, “what is so limited in this?” They may tell that Jesus loves all the people, and since the church consists of people, He loves church too. But that is absurd in the context of the text. Let me tell why. Here, Paul is not telling the husbands that you have to love all the women in the world, and since your wife is also a woman, love her too! No. That is not Paul’s point. He is speaking of a special (unique) love here. Husband should love their wife in a unique way. Then he is saying, “as Christ loved the church.” This means that the love of Christ for the Church is a unique love. How he expressed this unique love? “By giving himself for her.” The expression of this unique love should also be special and unique. Christ gives Himself up for the Church showing the exclusive love a husband has for his wife. Such a sacrifice must be limited to Christ’s bride. Therefore, the context speaks of a limited atonement. The death of Christ is limited in the sense that, when Christ died, there was a particular aim in that death. It was a bride purchasing love. He knew her from the foundation of the world, and he died to obtain her.
6.
Satisfaction of Jesus Christ
Isaiah
53:10, 11: “Yet it was the will
of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an
offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in
his hand. Out of the anguish of his soul
he shall see and be satisfied; by
his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted
righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities.”
Would Jesus
Christ have been satisfied if a huge multitude, for whom he died for (and paid
for), will perish in eternal hell!? No. The doctrine of satisfaction of Jesus
Christ is that He was satisfied because He got what He paid for.[5]
7. Justice of God
If Jesus Christ was bearing
the iniquity of all, then they would not have to bear them. It is because, God
is not going to put the sin on Jesus and He suffers and then the individual
suffer for the same sin. That would be demanding double payment, and it would
therefore be unjust.[6] God is a perfect holy and
just God. He will always act according to the principles of His character. He
is just in all which He does. The doctrine of unlimited atonement makes God
unjust by saying that God punishes the same sin twice (double jeopardy).
Some answer that men do not
go to hell for sin, but only unbelief. But that view is false for many reasons[7]: 1) The Bible teaches that
men go to hell for more than just unbelief (Matthew 16:27; Romans 2:5-16; Revelation
20:12; 21:8). 2) This view implies that those who have not heard the gospel
and, thus, not been guilty of unbelief will be saved. 3) This view implies
Christ did not die for the sin of unbelief. If true, no one who has heard the
gospel can be saved. Why? Because all are guilty of unbelief.
8. High Priest and Atonement
John 17:9,
10, 20: “I am praying for
them. I am not praying for the world
but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. All mine are
yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them.” 10“And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be
sanctified in truth.” 20““I do not ask for these only, but also for
those who will believe in me through their word”
Christ
limits the sphere of His intercession to those given to Him by the Father, a
reference to the elect. But He limits it to the elect on the eve of His atoning death. If He does not even intercede for
those not given to Him by the Father, is it conceivable that He will die for
them? John 17:19: “And for their sake I consecrate myself,
that they also may be sanctified in truth.” The consecration in view here is the death of Jesus which he is about to
undergo. Therefore he is saying that his death is designed for those for whom he
is praying. “I am not praying for
the world but for those whom you have given me” (John 17:9). And for these he is consecrating himself. For
these he is laying down his life.
9. Saving Work of God is Indivisible
Ephesians 1:3-14: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the
heavenly places, 4even as he
chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy
and blameless before him. In love 5he
predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ,
according to the purpose of his will, 6to the praise of his glorious
grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. 7In him we have redemption through his blood,
the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,
8which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight 9making
known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set
forth in Christ 10as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all
things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. 11In him we have obtained an inheritance, having
been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according
to the counsel of his will, 12so that we who were the first to hope
in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. 13In him you also,
when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in
him, were sealed with the promised Holy
Spirit, 14who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire
possession of it, to the praise of his glory.” [[8]Paul presents four key
moments of God’s saving work in Christ: redemption predestined, accomplished,
applied, and consummated. There is moment
one: redemption predestined (pre-temporal), when the Father elected us in
Christ before the foundation of the world and predestined us for adoption as
sons (vv. 4–5); moment two: redemption
accomplished, conveyed by the phrase “through his blood” (v. 7), a reference to
Christ’s death on the cross; moment three:
redemption applied, the moment when redemption and forgiveness of sins became
personally realized in our lives (v. 7), and we were sealed with the Holy
Spirit (v. 13); and moment four:
redemption consummated, our future inheritance that we will acquire one day (v.
14). This fourth moment of redemption is the consummation of moments two and
three. These four moments of salvation
do not belong to separate theological “tracks” as if Christ’s redemptive work
were somehow disconnected from God’s electing work; rather, Paul presents
one theological “chain” whose “links” join together to present God’s redemptive
purposes in Christ as one whole, integrated salvation. The saving work of God
is indivisible.]
10.
Harmony in the Triune God[9]
God’s
purposes in redemption are agreed upon within the Trinity and they are
certainly accomplished. Those whom God planned to save (and elected
unconditionally) are the same people for whom Christ also came to die (John
6:38, 39), and to those same people the Holy Spirit will certainly apply the
benefits of Christ’s redemptive work. There is a divine design in
the death of Christ to accomplish the promises of the new covenant for
the chosen bride of Christ.
One of the main problems with unlimited
atonement is that they introduce dissonance into the Trinity, such that the Son
intends to die for all, but the Father elects only some and the Spirit draws only
some. When this is done, not only is the atonement severed from election
(pitting the Father against the Son), but a disjunction is forced between redemption
accomplished and redemption applied (pitting the Son against the Spirit). To
opt for this position is to “separate the Father and the Holy Spirit from the
Son, when the very essence of God is that there is one purpose in which they
are united.”
11. The Blood of Christ: the Blood of the New Covenant[10]
The New Covenant is the
redemptive context of Christ's work. His blood is covenant blood. This is often
reiterated in the NT (Matthew 26:28; Mark 14:24; Luke 22:20; 1 Corinthians
11:25; Ephesians 2:12, 13; Hebrews 10:29; 13:20). Jesus’ blood redeems only in
connection with the New Covenant. It is by ratifying the New Covenant and securing
its saving benefits that Christ’s death saves. Hebrews 7:22: “This makes Jesus the guarantor of a better
covenant.” Hebrews 8:6: “But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much
more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is
enacted on better promises.” What is the significance? The Bible is explicit that the non-elect are not included in the
New Covenant. This covenant is made only with those in whose hearts the law
is written, whose sins are remembered no more, and who come to know the Lord. It
secures their salvation (Jeremiah 31:31-34). If the context of the atonement is
covenantal, then its extent must also be covenantal. The New Covenant is
limited (particularly made with only certain people). Therefore, the redemption
which ratifies and enacts it must also be particular.
12. Blood Bought Gifts[11]
Since Jesus Christ is the Mediator of
this new covenant and that he secured it by his own death, the blood of Jesus obtains
the promises of the New Covenant. This is the connection between the atonement and
the new covenant: Jesus’ blood is the blood of the covenant (Luke 22:20; 1
Corinthians 11:25; Hebrews 9:15).
Therefore
all the promises of the new covenant (including a new heart, faith and
repentance) are blood bought promises (Jeremiah 31:31-34, 39-41; Ezekiel 36:26,
27; Deuteronomy 30:6). When they come true for us they come true because Jesus
died to make them come true. The point I am making is that not all the promises
of the new covenant depend on the condition of faith. Rather, one of the promises made in the new
covenant is that the condition of faith itself will be given by God (Jeremiah
32:40: “I will make with them an everlasting
covenant, that I will not turn away from doing good to them. And I will put the fear of me in their hearts,
that they may not turn from me”).
The upshot of this understanding of the
new covenant is that there is a definite atonement for the new covenant people.
In the death of Christ, God secures a definite group of unworthy sinners as his
own people by purchasing and guaranteeing the conditions they must meet to be
part of his people. The blood of the covenant—Christ’s blood—purchases and
guarantees the new heart of faith and repentance. (Read more: Gift of Faith and Repentance)
God did not do this for everyone. He did it for a “definite” or a “particular”
group, owing to nothing in themselves. And since he did it through Jesus Christ,
the Great Shepherd, who laid down his life for the sheep, we say, “to [him] be
glory forever and ever” (Heb. 13:21). This achievement is a great part of the
glory of the cross of Christ.
13. Who Really Limits the Atonement[12]
Therefore, it becomes
evident that it is not the Calvinist who limits the atonement. It is those who
deny that the atoning death of Christ accomplishes what we most desperately
need –namely, salvation from the condition of deadness and hardness and
blindness under the wrath of God. They (Arminians) limit the power and
effectiveness of the atonement so that they can say that it was accomplished
even for those who die in unbelief and are condemned. In order to say that
Christ died for all men in the same way, they must limit the atonement to a
possibility or an opportunity for salvation if fallen humans can escape from
their deadness and rebellion and obtain faith by an effectual means not
provided by the cross. On the other hand, we do not limit the power and
effectiveness of the atonement. Rather we say that in the cross, God had in view
the actual, effective redemption of his children from all that would destroy
them, including their own unbelief. And we affirm that when Christ died
particularly for his bride, he did not simply create a possibility or an
opportunity for salvation, but really purchased and infallibly secured for them
all that is necessary to get them saved, including the grace of regeneration and
the gift of faith.
v
Definite Atonement
Defended
The doctrine of limited atonement is clearly
the most controversial and maybe even the most misunderstood of all the
doctrines of grace. Therefore, it is necessary to respond to the objections
raised against this Biblical doctrine. Since responses to some objections are given
in more detail in the blogs “Unconditional Election” and “Total Depravity”, it
will not be repeated here. (Read Unconditional
Election and Total
Depravity).
Objection 1: Many passages in the Bible speak
of Christ’s atonement in a more general or unlimited sense.
Response: Let us discuss some select passages:
1.
John 1:29:
“The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of
God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 4:42; John 3:16; John 6:33, 51; 1 John
4:14; 2 Corinthians 5:19)
The word “world” is not used always to refer to
every single individual who ever lived (or will live) on earth. For example, in
John 17:9 the “world” refers to “everyone who is not given to Christ by the
Father.” It (the non-elects) constitutes a world of its own. John 17:9: “I am praying for them. I
am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are
yours”
Therefore, it is perfectly in harmony with the Scriptures to
take the world in John 1:29 as not referring to “every individuals on the
earth.” Rather, it refers to “the elect” (those whom the Father has given to
the Son). They also constitute a world of its own. This understanding is
validated by the phrase “takes away the sin of the world.” He didn’t “take
away” the sins of those who would be, just for their sins, spending eternity in
hell (Matthew 16:27; Romans 2:5-16;
Revelation 20:12; 21:8).
2.
1 John 2:1,
2: “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.”
It is simply assumed by many that, by the word
“ours”, John is referring to all the believers. Then they will say that Jesus’
atoning death propitiated for the unbelievers also. But that interpretation
does not do justice to immediate and broad context. Let me tell why.
· By the word “ours”, John is not pointing to all
the believers of all ages. He is referring, along with him, to the primary
audience of his letter. This can be seen from 1 John 1:4: “And we are writing
these things so that our joy may be
complete.”
· Then, the phrase “not for ours only but also for the sins of
the whole world” can be taken as “not only for the sins of the primary
audiences but also for all the elects”. We have already seen in John 1:29 that
“world” can be used to denote the community of the elect.
· This understanding also does justice to another important
term in that verse: propitiation. The word propitiation carries the basic idea
of appeasement or satisfaction, specifically toward God. If Jesus actually
stood in my place, bore my sin and satisfied (propitiated) the wrath of God on
behalf of me, then I can never be punished for that sin. That is the biblical
idea of propitiation. It is written “he is the propitiation”, not that “he is
the potential propitiation.” It is impossible to give the words ransom,
substitute, reconcile, and propitiate their biblical meaning and still hold to
universal atonement without also accepting universal salvation. If these terms
hold to their rightful meanings, then Christ died only for the elect.
· 1 John 2:1 speaks of Christ as an advocate. This refers to
the priestly office of Jesus Christ. But Jesus himself said that he is not the
advocate of those who would be spending eternity in hell. On the eve of his
propitiatory atonement Jesus said: “I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world
but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours” (John
17:9).
· If I am right in assuming that John’s primary audience was Jewish Christians, then there is another reason why this interpretation is correct. This can be seen by comparing 1 John 2:1, 2 with John 11:51, 52. [13]
|
1 John 2:1, 2 |
John 11:51, 52 |
|
these things write I unto you |
he prophesied |
|
Jesus Christ the righteous |
Jesus |
|
he is the propitiation for |
would die for |
|
our sins |
the nation |
|
and not for ours only |
and not for the nation only |
|
but also |
but also |
|
for the whole world |
the children of God who are scattered abroad |
So,
John is simply saying in 1 John 2:2, that Jesus Christ is the "the
propitiation for our [the Jews] sins; and not for ours [the Jews] only, but
also for the whole world [Gentiles]. This is consistent with what John wrote in
his gospel in John 11:51-52.
"The whole
world" (1 John 2:2) refers to only the children of God scattered
throughout the whole world (John 11:52; 17:6, 9, 19; Revelation 5:9; 7:9), the
"many" of Hebrews 9:28, but not each person in the human race.
So, 1 John 2:2 does not disprove limited atonement, rather it
affirms it.
3.
Titus
2:11: “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people”
[14]The context makes the meaning very clear;
"older men" (Titus 2:2), "older women" (Titus 2:3),
"young women," (Titus 2:4) "husbands," (Titus 2:4, 5),
"children" (Titus 2:4), "younger men" (Titus 2:6),
"bondservants" (Titus 2:9) and "masters"(Titus 2:9) alike
are all guilty before God, but from them all God gathers his people (Revelation
5:9; 7:9). Therefore they should live consecrated lives (Titus 2:12-13). Titus
2:14 confirms this meaning as Paul writes, "who gave himself for us to
redeem us [a specific group] from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a
people ["a people," not all people] for his own possession who are
zealous for good works."
So, Titus 2:11 does not conflict with limited
atonement, rather it affirms it.
If someone argues that “all men” should
necessarily mean “all the individuals who ever lived on the earth”, then how
are they going to interpret 1 Thessalonians 2:15: “who both killed the Lord Jesus and the
prophets, and drove us out. They are not pleasing to God, but hostile to all people”? Will they say that the Jews were hostile to
“all the individuals who ever lived on the earth”!? If they do, that would be
nonsense as well as an absurd reading of the text. It requires only a simple
study of the passages that uses the word “all” to understand this.
Don’t misunderstand me at this point. I am not
saying that the word “all” is always limited in its sense. No. That is not my point.
Rather, we have to make sure what it means in its context where it is used. The
meaning of all in Scripture is always determined by the context.[15]
4.
Hebrews
2:9: “But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels,
namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death,
so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.”
[16]Who is the "everyone" in Hebrews 2:9?
Is there anything in the other passages around Hebrews 2:9 that may assist us
in identifying this group? Hebrews 2:10 states, "For it was fitting that he, for whom and by
whom all things exist, in bringing many
sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering" followed by, "And again “I will put my trust in him."
And again, "Behold, I and the
children God has given me”
(Hebrews 2:13). This is reminiscent of John 6:37; 10:29 speaking of a special
group of people - "the many" of Isaiah 53:11, 12 for whom Christ
died. Hebrews 2:14 states, "Since therefore the
children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same
things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death,
that is, the devil”. Notice
that is only for "the children" (Hebrew 2:13, 14) - a restricted
specific group, the elect - that Jesus partook of death.
So, the text is very clear, Christ gave himself
for everyone of "his children" that God gave to Christ (Hebrews 2:13;
John 6:37). It is those who "trust in him" (Hebrews 2:13), the
"my brothers" of Hebrews 2:12 and "his brothers" of Hebrews
2:17.
5.
1 Timothy
4:10: “For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the
living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.”
[17]The phrase, "who is the Savior of all people, especially
of those who believe" (1
Tim 4:10) has caused some confusion for
those who do not look at the full context of Paul's thought, the definition of
words, etc. Some assume that Jesus as Savior has atoned for the sins of all
humanity. But it is important to realize that the Greek
word soter (Savior) more than likely is not even
speaking of the atonement at all. While in numerous texts soter can
mean Savior (John 4:42; Acts 5:31; Titus 2:13), in other
texts it can refer to God as preserver or deliverer (Judges 3:9; 1
Samuel 2:6-8; Nehemiah 9:27; Psalms 106:21). We remember that God
delivered Israel from the oppression of Pharaoh in Egypt. God had been “the
savior of all, but specially those who believed” because only with the later
was God "well pleased" (1 Corinthians 10:5). All Israel was delivered
from Egypt, but not all entered Canaan. So, in the first part of the verse
common grace is the topic and in the second half special or saving grace.
So, the term soter can
refer to God's providential preservation! This is consistent with the fact that
the gospel is to be shared with all without distinction (Matthew 28:18-20). So,
to paraphrase Paul, we could say, "For to this end we toil and strive,
because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior (preserver in
a general or providential sense) of all people, especially [in a special sense, i.e.,
soteriological sense] of those
who believe”.
6.
2 Peter
2:1: “But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be
false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even
denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves
swift destruction.”
The explanation is found in the two words and their respective contexts[18]:
(1) "bought" (agorazo) and (2) "Master" or
"Lord" (despotes).
Agorazo (to buy; redeem, acquire, by a ransom or price paid)
is used 30 times in the New Testament. It can be used to refer to being bought
in the sense of redemption (1 Cor. 6:20; 1 Cor. 7:23; Rev. 5:9; 14:3, 4).
However, in the other 25 uses, it is as non-redemptive in scope. In addition,
in conjunction with each redemptive use 'above' (1 Cor. 6:20; 1 Cor. 7:23; Rev.
5:9; 14:3, 4) a descriptor - "price" or "blood" -
is used. 2 Peter 2:1 does not use such a descriptor!
While this is significant, the use of the term "Master" or
"Lord" is as well. Peter intentionally alludes to Deuteronomy 32:6 when
he refers to the false teachers as “denying the Master who bought them.” Deuteronomy 32:6 states:
“Do ye thus requite the LORD, O foolish people and
unwise? is not he thy father that hath bought
thee? hath he not made thee, and established thee?” God
"bought" Israel not by the death of Christ but, as this text says, by
forming the nation. This is evident from Exodus 15:16 as well. (Note that Peter
also alludes to Deuteronomy 32:5 in 2 Peter 2:13 making this connection even
clearer).
The use of "Master" as the one who “bought” is significant. As
seen from its context, this word emphasizes God (or Christ) as sovereign ruler
over the earth and the one who creates and establishes all things. This
connection also seems to be consistent with the fact that Peter refers to the
one denied as “Master” (Greek: despotes meaning Lord, or
Master), not "kurios" (Greek: Lord) as we might expect if
spiritual redemption by the blood of Christ were in view.
Thus, the term is referring to God who owns all people in general, but
not that he has redeemed all people. At issue then is not election,
regeneration, calling, perseverance, etc., but sovereign God who is owner of
all. Peter is not addressing the extent of the atonement, but is providing an
illustration (Deuteronomy 32:5-6) of a sovereign Master (despotes)
who had purchased slaves and hence commanded their allegiance.[19]
7.
2 Peter
3:9: “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count
slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any
should perish, but that all should
come to repentance.”
When we use words like “any” or “all”, we use it
with reference to something. Peter does not say “any persons” or “all persons.”
Therefore, “any of what?” and “all of which group?” is the right question that
has to be asked. We have to find the answer from the context. In the same verse
it is stated that God is longsuffering towards us. The immediate antecedent of the word “any” is the word
“us”. So it is perfectly clear that what Peter is saying is God is not willing
that “any of us” should perish, but “all of us” should come to repentance.
Who is the “us”? Peter is writing this letter
specifically to believers (2 Peter 1:1; 3:1), and it is the group of believers
that he is referring. He is not referring to every single person in the world,
but rather to God’s church, or, all who will end up believing in Christ (i.e.
the elect). Jesus will return when every single one of His sheep have been
returned to the fold.
Objection 2[20]:
The doctrine of limited atonement lessens or limits the value of the atonement
of Christ.
Response: Limited atonement correctly recognizes that Christ’s death was of infinite value and lacking in nothing. In fact, it is of such value that, had God so willed, Christ’s death could have saved every member of the human race. Christ would not have had to suffer any more or do anything different to save every human who ever lived than He did in securing the salvation of the elect. But that was not God’s purpose in sending Christ to the cross. God’s purpose in the atonement was that Jesus would secure forever the salvation of those the Father had given to Him (Hebrews 7:25). Therefore, while Christ’s atonement was limited in its intent or purpose, it was unlimited in its power.
Objection 3: The doctrine of limited atonement
diminishes the love of God for humanity.
Response: Exactly the opposite is true. Of all of the
doctrines of grace, the doctrine of limited atonement, when correctly
understood, magnifies the love of God; it does not diminish it. Limited
atonement reinforces the intensive love of God that is revealed in the Bible.
God loves His people with a love that saves them from their sin, as opposed to
the love of the unlimited atonement view that sees God’s love as being more
general in nature. In the unlimited atonement view, He loves everyone in
general but saves no one in particular and, in fact, leaves the matter of their
salvation up to them. Which is more
loving, a love that actually saves people or a love that makes salvation
“possible” to those who are dead in trespasses and sins and unable to choose
God?
Objection 4: If Christ did not atone for the
sins of everybody in the world and if God only intended to save the elect, how
do you explain the numerous biblical passages that indicate the free offer of
the gospel to “whosoever will come?” How can God offer salvation to all,
including those whom He has not elected or foreordained to be saved?
Response: How can we understand the paradox that occurs
because the Bible teaches God intends that only the elect will be saved, yet,
on the other hand, the Bible also unequivocally declares that God freely and
sincerely offers salvation to everyone who will believe? (Ezekiel 33:11; Isaiah
45:22; 55:1; Matthew
11:28; 23:37; Revelation
22:17) The solution to this paradox is simply an
acknowledgment of all that the Bible teaches. 1) The call of the gospel is
universal in the sense that anybody that hears it and believes in it will be
saved. 2) Because everyone is dead in trespasses and sin, no one will believe
the gospel and respond in faith unless God grants them repentance and faith. The
Bible teaches that “whosoever believes” will have eternal life and then
explains why some believe and some don’t.
[Read John Piper’s God’s Revealed Will and His Secret Will
(Divine Election and God’s Desire for All to be Saved)]
Objection 5: Limited atonement is a hindrance
to the preaching of the gospel and to evangelism. If only the elect will be
saved, why should the gospel be preached at all!?
Response: Once
again, these objections are easily dealt with. The gospel is to be preached to
everyone because it is the power of God to salvation for all who believe (Romans 1:16), and it is the means
that God has ordained by which the elect will be saved (Romans 10:14-17). This fact motivated Apostle Paul to endure sufferings
for the gospel: “For this reason I endure
all things for the sake of the elect,
so that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ
Jesus, with eternal glory” (2 Timothy 2:10).
The doctrines of grace, and specifically the
doctrine of limited atonement, empower evangelism rather than hinder it.
Embracing these wonderful biblical truths allows one to boldly and clearly
declare the good news of the gospel, knowing that the power is not in our
presentation of it or in the audience’s ability to understand it or desire to
believe it, but, instead, rests solely upon an all-powerful God who has
determined to save people from every tribe, tongue and nation.
References:
(Many sentences
and paragraphs are compiled from the following works)
1. David and Jonathan Gibson, eds., From Heaven He Came and Sought Her: Definite
Atonement in Historical, Biblical, Theological, and Pastoral Perspective [Highly
Recommended]
2. John Piper, Five
Points: Towards a Deeper Experience of God’s Grace (available for free in
desiringgod.org)
3. R. C. Sproul, Chosen
by God
4. Wayne Grudem, Systematic
Theology
5.
John
Owen, The Death of Death in the Death of
Christ
6. Limited Atonement:
https://www.gotquestions.org/limited-atonement.html
7. What we Believe about the Five Points of
Calvinism:
https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/what-we-believe-about-the-five-points-of-calvinism#Atonement
8. God’s
Revealed Will and His Secret Will (Divine Election and God’s Desire for All to
be Saved): https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/are-there-two-wills-in-god
[Highly Recommended]
9. Should I
Say "Christ Died for You" When Sharing the Gospel? :
https://www.monergism.com/thethreshold/articles/questions/definiteatonement.html
[Highly Recommended]
[1] Substitutionary
Atonement: https://www.gotquestions.org/substitutionary-atonement.html,
https://www.gotquestions.org/penal-substitution.html
[2] Taken
from gotquestions:
https://www.gotquestions.org/limited-atonement.html
[3] Taken
from John Piper’s Five Points
[4] Five Points
by John Piper
[5] Taken from Lasserre Bradley Jr.: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kydd3xvLcdE
[6] Ibid.
[7] Taken from Samuel E. Waldron
[8] David and Jonathan Gibson, eds., From Heaven He Came and Sought Her: Definite Atonement in Historical,
Biblical, Theological, and Pastoral Perspective (Wheaton, Illinois:
Crossway, 2013)
[9] Ibid.
[10] This paragraph is based on a
personal communication from Samuel E. Waldron. He shared with me a presentation
which he has prepared. I have also used that in compiling this article.
[11] Taken
from Five Points (John Piper)
[12] Taken from John Piper’s Five Points
[15] https://www.biblestudytools.com/blogs/founders-ministries-blog/does-all-ever-mean-all-in-scripture.html
[20] Taken
from www.gotquestions.org
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