In the first two parts of this series (see below) our focus was on; 1 Timothy 2:4 and the belief that Calvinist or Reformed theologians do not believe the phrase, Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. I hope we did a sufficient job of disproving that belief.
The next B I G knock against Reformed theology still dealing with (v.4) comes from the “L” and “I” of T.U.L.I.P. Anti-Calvinists, those who believe they have a say in their own salvation, look at Limited Atonement and Irresistible Grace with near disdain, but should they? Today we will focus on Limited Atonement.
limited atonement — The view that Jesus’ death accomplished atonement for the sins of the elect, not of all humanity equally. This is one of the more controversial points of Calvinist doctrine because it is often misunderstood as teaching that the gospel should not be freely offered to everyone. Rather, the doctrine speaks to the actual efficacy of the atonement for those who are saved. While proponents of this doctrine affirm that the value of Christ’s atoning sacrifice is sufficient to cover the sins of all humankind, they say the intended effectiveness of this atonement is specific to the elect. Otherwise—because the ultimate purpose of God cannot be thwarted—all people would in fact be saved regardless of whether they had faith in Christ. For these reasons, this doctrine is often termed “definite” or “particular” atonement.
Douglas Mangum, The Lexham Glossary of Theology (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2014).
Limited atonement. Of the five doctrines summarized by the TULIP acrostic, the most difficult for most people to understand and accept is limited atonement. Part of the problem is the terminology itself, because here the words really are misleading. “Limited” atonement suggests that somehow the death of Christ did not do all that it could do or ought to do, that it was ineffective in some way. That is not what the doctrine of limited atonement is meant to affirm, however. What Reformed people want to say by these words is that the atonement had a specific object in view, namely, the salvation of those whom the Father had given the Son before the foundation of the world, and that it was effective in saving those persons. Thus it would be better to call this doctrine definite atonement, or particular redemption.
Particular redemption signifies that the death of Christ has saving efficacy for the elect, and for the elect only. Christ made satisfaction for sin when he died on the Cross, offering himself as the perfect substitute for God’s chosen people. Therefore, according to the plan of salvation, Christ’s death atoned for the sins of the elect but not for the sins of those who never come to him in faith.
James Montgomery Boice, Philip Graham Ryken, and R. C. Sproul, The Doctrines of Grace: Rediscovering the Evangelical Gospel (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2002).
The rub as it were against Limited Atonement revolves mainly around two points. First, if God’s plan is to only save some (His Elect) why is there a Biblical command to evangelize (Matthew 28:18-20). The Second is that reformed theologians do not believe God’s Grace is sufficient for all. Once again these come from a Limited Understanding and a wrong view of scripture.
LIMITED ATONEMENT
The Reformed View of Evangelism
Telling People the Truth in Love: A Reformed Approach to Evangelism
Outside of Universalism, which falsely teaches that all will be saved, there are two options for understanding the extent of the atonement. Either Christ’s sacrifice on the cross was absolutely effective for those it was intended for (God’s elect) or it was intended for all but somehow limited in its effectiveness.
Spurgeon unequivocally rejected the theological consequences of the latter:
We do not believe that Christ made any effectual atonement for those who are forever damned; we dare not think that the blood of Christ was ever shed with the intention of saving those whom God foreknew never could be saved, and some of whom were even in Hell when Christ, according to some men’s account, died to save them. [1]
C.H. Spurgeon on Limited Atonement
God has placed no limit upon how many sinners are able to believe and accept this truth for themselves, just as you and I accept it for ourselves, and Paul for himself: “He loved me, and gave himself for me!” (Galatians 2:20).
This statement is partially true, there is no magic number of Saints found in the Bible. Also Christ did in fact die for the sins of man, Gods elect.
Each one of us truly says, “Christ died for me”. That is particular atonement. But it is not limited atonement, because each one of us can just as truly say, “Christ died for everyone”. “He Himself is the atonement for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world” (1John 2:1-2).
Limited Atonement —The L in TULIP
Next time we will further at Irresistible Grace.
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