5 Points of Calvinism

Limited Atonement

The Arminian position is that Christ died for everyone in the world – past, present, and future, and that his atonement for the sins of the world is unlimited.  However, although it is unlimited, it is not guaranteed to anyone, it is up to fallen man to reach out in faith and accept Christ’s atonement.

The Reformed position is that Christ died for the elect.  For those predestined for salvation from before the foundation of the world, Christ’s atonement has guaranteed and secured salvation for them.

So, for whom did Christ die?  Everyone, or only God’s elect?  

The first block in building this case is to look at how Christ refers to those for whom he has died.  They are referred to as “The Sheep”, “Many”, and “The Church”.  Let’s search the scriptures to see where these references are.

The Sheep - John 10:11, 14-18, and 24-27 – “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”  -  “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.  And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.  For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again.  No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father." – “So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly."  Jesus answered them, "I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name bear witness about me, but you do not believe because you are not part of my flock. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.”

Many – Isaiah 53:12 – “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 20:28 – “even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."  Matthew 26:28 – ”for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”

The Church – Ephesians 5:25 “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,”

At a cursory look, we see three distinct groups, set apart and defined.  One begins to understand the selective language at use here.  God, though the prophets and the Apostles, and Christ himself are found in Scripture using language that shows us groups of people whose sins are to be atoned for.

So let’s look now at what this atonement means, and some Scripture that shows us how it is applied to those selective groups.  In the Old Testament, the word for atonement is “kaphar” – and it means ‘to cover over’, ‘to pacify’ and ‘to make propitiation for’.  Now, looking at the New Testament, the word for ‘propitiation’ is hilasmos – which means ‘to appease’, and ‘atonement’ is katallage (kat-al-lag-ay) – which means a reconciliation or return to favor.  By Scriptural definitions; atonement is an appeasing act that restores a relationship.  Christ’s atonement appeased God’s wrath, and through it, believers are now able to stand before God in righteousness.  Once we’ve define what atonement is, the next logical question before us is, “is that atonement limited or unlimited?”

Consider this – If the Arminian position were correct, and if Christ’s work on the cross was a true appeasement for the sins of everyone in the world, past, present, and future, then everyone’s sins would be covered and no one would be in hell.  If you made that point, the Arminian would argue that the ones in hell were the ones who rejected Christ’s offer for salvation.  They simply disbelieve, and that’s what keeps them from attaining salvation.  However, since disbelief is a sin, that would either mean that Christ died for some of the sins of all people everywhere, or that the sin of disbelief is somehow more of a hindrance than other sins.  We begin to see the problems with the Arminian position.  If either of those positions were the case, then Christ died for some people needlessly.  Likewise, if Christ’s work on the cross was substitutionary, and he bore the sins of all people from all time, then whose sins are those in hell paying for, if Christ already paid for them as their substitute?  Was a portion of Christ’s work on the cross done in vain?  

Romans 5:8-10 shows us that Christ’s work accomplished salvation, and that there is no guesswork or randomness to it, nor is it incomplete:

“but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.  For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life”

Note – “shall be saved” – and not “may be”.  It’s definitive.  It’s an accomplished work that has guaranteed salvation.

Turn to Luke 19:10 - “For the son of Man came to seek and save the lost”.  This shows us that Christ’s ministry was to save the lost, not merely make salvation possible:  His was a pointed, certain mission, with specific targets, not random ones.

To suggest otherwise would indicate that some of Christ’s shed blood would be used as atonement, and some would not be used at all.  How could the work of Christ be wasted?  Was there a miscommunication in the Trinity, wherein Christ died for those whom the Father did not predestine for election, nor for whom the Holy Spirit was sent to indwell?  Since God is perfect, and Christ perfectly obedient to the Father, how could this be?  Let’s take a look at Christ’s High Priestly prayer from John 17 to see the relationship between Father and Son, and see if there’s any miscommunication:

John 17:1-2, 6-11, 20, and 24-26 describe Christ’s unity with the Father, and the certainty of Christ’s mission to save only those whom the Father had given him:

“When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, "Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him.”

“I 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.  Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you.  For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you send me.  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.  And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world and I am coming to you.  Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one.”

“I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word.”

“ Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.  O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me.  I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them."

This is clear - there is no miscommunication between the Father and the Son.

Christ’s unity with the Holy Spirit is found in:

John 14:26 “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.”

15:26, "But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me.”

and Acts 1:8 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."

This unity is definitive, direct, and purposed.  There is no miscommunication or assumption, there is no margin of error or guesswork; nor is there any frivolity or randomness.  Christ’s atonement is in-line with God’s predestination, and both are in-line with the indwelling work of the Holy Spirit.  This is God’s flawless plan, executed perfectly by the blessed Trinity.

We need to remember that in order to properly view the doctrine of Limited Atonement, we have to be certain that we look at it through the lens of Unconditional Election.  The two go hand in hand, and cannot be separated.  If God set aside a number of people and predestined them for election, then it stands to reason that Christ’s sacrificial atonement, as well as the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit was only for those people, and not for “the world”.  Without it, nothing lines up.

Now we need to take a look a common misconception over the use of “the world”, since it is so important to the Arminian’s case of universal atonement.  They would automatically refer to John 3:16 and state, “God so loved the world that he gave his only son”.  They would also use John 1:29, wherein John the Baptist exclaims, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world”, as well as 1 John 2:2 which states, “He is the propitiation of our sins, and not only for ours, but for the sins of the world”.  Now, if we view the use of the words “the world” through the lens of Unconditional Election, then ‘the world’ does not mean ‘everyone who has ever lived, is currently living, or will ever live’, but rather it takes on a more narrow, selective view.  Let’s look at Revelation 5:9 and see what else ‘the world’ can mean:  “And they sang a new song, saying ‘Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.”  Here we see that the phrase ‘the world’ can be applied in a more generalized way to mean ‘people from every tribe and language and people and nation’, and not mean every person from all time.  Again, it reads “you ransomed people for God from every…” not “you ransomed everyone for God from every…” We’re looking at percentages of people from all over the world, versus the total numbers of people the world over.

So, by application, we can re-read the aforementioned John and 1 John verses through the lens of Unconditional Election, and see what it looks like.  “For God so loved people from every tribe and language and people and nation”, and “who takes away the sin of people from every tribe and language and people and nation”, and “…but for the sins of people from every tribe and language and people and nation”.

To conclude - Christ’s work on the cross – His atoning sacrifice which ended the enmity between us and the Father, is meant for those who are His Sheep, or The Many, or The Church – and not for ‘the world’ at large.  When viewed through the lens of Unconditional Election, we see that Limited Atonement is specific and certain, not a random act that ends up being wasted because so many reject the gospel.

However, let us not forget our own commission.  We are commanded to preach the gospel and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  There exists a temptation within these doctrines that can sometimes impact how we witness to others if we’re not careful to balance ourselves in the Word.  Some would take these doctrines to an extreme, and say, “Why would I witness to people at all?  If God means for them to be saved, He’ll save them regardless of what I do.”  Or, taking things to an even further extreme, “I don’t want to hinder God’s plan for salvation with my own fleshly works.”  This is an incorrect way of thinking, since we are commanded by God to proclaim salvation of the lost, through Christ, for the atonement of our sin.  Sin that separates us from God, and which only the blood of Christ can atone.

So, how can we apply this to our witnessing?  We ought to ask ourselves the following question; Since we don’t know whom God has set apart for salvation, would we be incorrect in saying, “Christ died for you”, to people we are witnessing to?  What should we say instead?  Christ died for us?  Or is that too general and presumptuous?  Should we use generalities as a sort of blanket statement?  Should we say, “Christ died for the Elect?”  This is theologically correct, but deeper theology is spiritual meat, and would get lost on The Lost (for lack of a better phrase).  Or, would it be more appropriate to simply state, “Christ died for sin”, and speak to them about how we are to put our faith in Christ’s work on the cross to atone for our sin?

These are important things to think about, and we’ll be able to address them better after the next lesson – the 4th point of Calvinism – Irresistible Grace.

God be praised.