Limited vs. Unlimited Atonement
The first thing we need to do is
define the word atonement in relation to the Bible. It comes from the Greek
work katallagē
which means to reconcile.
Related terms are propitiation and expiate. The Hebrew term is kapar.
This word means to cover, to
pacify.
When the Lord Jesus Christ died
and shed his blood on the cross, He was atoning for mankind’s sins. Meaning
that whosoever believed in what He accomplished would have their sins removed
forever, and be guiltless before the Lord. God the Father has to punish sin for
His holiness sake, and since He loved the world so much, sent His only Son to
die in our place; to become a substitute and pay the penalty for our sins which
is death. Jesus the Bible says He became
sin so that we could become the righteousness of God in Him [(Christ, II Cor
5:17-21)].
Jesus
had to die in order for man to live.
There was a divine exchange,
Jesus took on our sin so that He could grant us His righteousness. Let me be
clear, Jesus was/is not a sinner, He symbolically regarded Himself as sinful
representing us so that the Father could unleash His holy wrath on Him, and
punish Him as if He had sinned. He lovingly took our place. This vicarious act
satisfied God’s justice and wrath so that now
He could be gracious and merciful to Man, opening the door (which Jesus is
that door, John 10: 8,9) to salvation. Jesus bridged the gap between the Father
and sinful man by this substitutionary act.
By Jesus’ shed blood, sins can
now be remitted when one believes (Heb 9:22). As a result, God can now grant us
His righteousness. We are not
righteous in and of ourselves, righteousness is placed into our account as a
result of our sins being forgiven and washed away.
That is what the Bible describes as the atonement of Christ. It is a full, complete, and satisfying atonement never to happen again (Heb 9:28). It’s an infinite provision for those that believe.
Now, that the atonement has been defined and explained, we must ask the question, is the atonement of Christ limited or unlimited?
When this question is asked, we
are dealing with two popular schools of thought here. We are dealing with those
regarded as Calvinists (John Calvin 1509-1564) and those regarded as Arminians
(Jacob Arminius 1560-1609).
Modern reformed thinkers say that
those that teach that Jesus’ atonement was for everyone that has ever lived are
in the Arminian camp. The mindset of the Arminian is that Jesus died for all of
mankind without exception regardless whether they believe or not. For them the
atonement is unlimited in it’s extent.
The Calvinist however say the atonement was only for the elect; those chosen by God before the foundation of the world to be saved. In other words, Jesus death was only for the elect, his sheep (John 10:16, 27-28). For this camp the atonement is limited only to the elect.
Which
view is correct?
Calvinist have a 5 point system
that consists of the following doctrines. These doctrines are an acronym that
spell out the word TULIP. They are:
Total Depravity – Man is utterly unable and unwilling to come to
God on his own. He is as hopeless as he can be due to his sinfulness. As a
matter of fact Ephesians 2:1 says man is dead in trespasses and sins.
Unconditional Election – Since man can not choose God on his own,
God sovereignly chooses who He wants to
save before they are even born. God does this totally independent of man’s
influence. It’s God sovereign will being demonstrated in electing freely those who will be recipients of His saving grace (John 15:6; Rom 8:28-30; Eph 1:4-6).
Limited Atonement – This doctrine teaches that those whom God
elected in eternity past are the only ones Jesus came to die for and save. All
those whom God elected will at some point in time be saved. The reason for the actual salvation
is because God the Father determined before the world was created that He would
do this for the glory of His grace (Matt 1:21: John 10:11; 17:9; Acts 20:28;
Rom 8:32; Eph 5:25).[i]
Irresistible Grace – God makes the unwilling sinner willing to come
to Him. The Father draws the sinner to the Son (John 6:37, 44; 10:16).
Perseverance of the Saints – This is also called the preservation
of the saints which is preferred because it places the emphasis on God keeping
us as opposed to us remaining faithful. The child of God perseveres because he
is preserved by God’s power. Core meaning is all whom Jesus saved will always
be saved and will never perish. They have eternal life (John 10:27-29; Romans
8:29-30).
Collectively these are known as the Doctrines of Grace.
The Arminian view is different.
Here are their 5 points:
Partial Depravity – Recognizes that man is sinful, but believes
there is enough human virtue in man where he is not totally hopeless, and can
come to God own his own. This view over estimates man’s goodness (of which he
has none), and under appreciates man’s need for God’s divine intervention.
Conditional Election – Teaches that God looked through the annals
of time and saw who would exercise faith and choose Him so God decided to
choose them before they were born. This view teaches that God saw man’s
foreseen faith and chose man based on that premise. In this view, man’s faith
is dictating election rather election dictating faith. This predicates salvation on man and not God –
a salvation of foreseen works. The writer rejects this view, it’s unbiblical. Scripture teaches that man can and will not
choose God on his own (Psalm 14:2; John 15:6; Romans 3:11).
Unlimited Atonement – This doctrine teaches that Jesus’ death was for
every human being regardless whether they believe or if they are non elect.
Passages used to prove this doctrine are: (John 1:29; 3:16; Hebrews 2:9; 1 John
2:2). This is the greatest sticking point between Calvinism and Arminianism.
Scripture appears to support both
views; Jesus dying solely for the sins of the elect (Matt 1:21; John 10:27-28;
Eph 5:25), and for the sins of the whole world (John 1:29; 1 John 2:2).
Resistible Grace – Teaches God’s call on the sinner can be resisted
and rejected. To some, this depreciates God’s power to convert the sinner from
damnation to salvation. Our will is the deterrent in this doctrine.
Conditional Salvation – Man can lose his salvation through habitual
committed sin. Man can fall away from God’s grace. God’s power isn’t enough to
keep them secure. This type of person was never saved to begin with, they just
made a profession of faith that was not genuine (I John 2:19). If salvation is
conditional, then it’s also temporary which is not what the Bible teaches.
Bible teaches that salvation is eternal, and it’s not based on condition.
Final Thoughts on both
views
In closing, I would like to
provide my own analysis on each point. We’ll start the 5 points of Arminianism
and counter that point with Calvinism and see which view is biblical.
1.
Partial depravity makes man the puppet master in that he gets to decide when he will accept God. So God has to wait on sinful man to say yes or no to His offer of salvation. This salvation is solely based on human responsibility and action. God can’t move until man makes the first move. No sovereignty of God is displayed.
Partial depravity makes man the puppet master in that he gets to decide when he will accept God. So God has to wait on sinful man to say yes or no to His offer of salvation. This salvation is solely based on human responsibility and action. God can’t move until man makes the first move. No sovereignty of God is displayed.
a. Total
or Radical depravity is the biblical view. It teaches that man is totally inept
to do anything regarding salvation due to his adamic nature and his inherent
sinfulness. It also teaches man is a corpse that needs to be brought back to
life from the dead in order to hear the gospel message, repent, respond in
faith and be saved (Eph 2:1; Col 2:13). This view tells us that salvation is a
work of God alone. Man does not contribute to it by complicity, or diminishes
it by non compliance.
2. Conditional
election makes God reactive in that He has to respond to the faith of man to
actualize His salvation plan. Simply put, God’s salvation is contingent upon
man’s approval and not on God’s sovereignty alone.
3. Unlimited
atonement says Jesus’ death was for all the world with exception. That means
Jesus actually died and paid for the
sins of everyone, even those who die in unbelief and go to hell to pay the
price for their own sins. As mentioned earlier, the passages used to support
this view are: John 1:29; 3:16, Heb 2:9; I Tim 4:10;
1
John 2:2. The writer sees this as a form of double jeopardy. Jesus exonerates the sinner by pardoning their sins, but due to the sinner’s unbelief, the atonement is rendered null and void. It’s only a potential or virtual atonement and not an actual one for that person. The sins that Jesus allegedly died for was ineffective. The sinner who was never forgiven is shackled with that sin, dies and goes to hell to pay the price for their own sins. What type of atonement is that? Can one honestly say Jesus died for that person?
John 2:2. The writer sees this as a form of double jeopardy. Jesus exonerates the sinner by pardoning their sins, but due to the sinner’s unbelief, the atonement is rendered null and void. It’s only a potential or virtual atonement and not an actual one for that person. The sins that Jesus allegedly died for was ineffective. The sinner who was never forgiven is shackled with that sin, dies and goes to hell to pay the price for their own sins. What type of atonement is that? Can one honestly say Jesus died for that person?
a.
Limited atonement says that all that the Father
gave to the Son will believe and be saved. Not one of them is left out (John 6:37-40;
10:27-30). The Atonement is limited to who it extends to, but it’s unlimited in
it’s power for those to whom it is to affect that is the elect of God (Eph
1:4). The writer admits that Christ’s atonement is sufficient for all men
indiscriminately and has the power to save every human being on the planet, but does not believe that His death was for
all without exception. Christ died for all men without distinction; meaning
neither race, creed, rich-poor, slave-free, male-female are excluded. For we’re
all one in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:28). Everyone believes in a limited
atonement. You either believe the atonement was limited to the saving of the
elect only, or you believe that atonement is limited in it’s power to save
anyone because the choice is left up to the spiritually dead sinner alone to choose. The views are Calvinism and Arminianism respectively.
4. Resistible
grace says God’s command to call the chosen/elect sinner to repentance can be
resisted and rejected. This depreciates the power of God to overcome the
stubborn will of man to compel him to do
what He wants. Those that are for resistible grace would argue that God is ‘strong-arming” man and forcing him to
do something He doesn’t want to do. Proverbs 21:1 says this, “The kings heart
is in the hands of the Lord, and as the rivers of water, He turns it whichever
way He chooses.” We must keep in mind, man’s will is not free, it’s in bondage
due to his sin. Resistible grace for
God’s chosen in the writer’s opinion is an oxy-moron.
a. Irresistible
grace teaches that God’s love is so powerful and efficacious, that man can not
ultimately resist this power once it comes upon his life. God works
miraculously in man’s inner being by performing heart transplant surgery. The
prophet Ezekiel describes this surgical procedure, “ I will give you a new heart, and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your
flesh, and give you a heart of flesh. I will put my Spirit within you and cause
you to walk in my statues, and you will keep my judgments and do them” (Ezekiel
36:26-27).
b. Psalm
110:3 says, “Your people will become willing in the day of your power.” Simply
stated, only when God’s power infuses the spiritually dead, will he come alive and
do what God commands.[ii]
God doesn’t need our permission to transform our lives, He simply gives us the
ability to respond to Him in faith to what He has commanded us to do. This is a
most special grace, for God does not
do this for every human being. God said
to Moses way back in Exodus 33:19, “I will show mercy to whom I will show
mercy, and will show compassion to whom I show compassion.” Irresistible grace
activates or empowers our freedom to be sensitive to the gospel message,
recognize our wickedness, repent, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and be
saved. Only with a new heart can this take place. Irresistible grace is
biblical. Resistible grace is not.
5. Conditional
salvation teaches that a genuine believer can fall from grace to the extent
that they lose their salvation due to habitual, unrepentant sin. This thought
process has massive ramifications. What
this means is that the person who supposedly was chosen before the foundation
of the world has become un chosen. God somehow didn’t know what we would do so God "changed his mind" when He discovered the “believer’s”
unrepentant behavior which of course we know God never does (i.e. changes
His mind). Also the person has to become unsealed by the Holy Spirit which
means God removes the guarantee of our inheritance and salvation. What God
decided to purchase through Jesus Christ’s blood is rendered null and void (Eph
1:13,14). Furthermore, we can longer be foreknown, predestined, called,
justified, and glorified. All that has been reversed by God. The god of
conditional salvation is not the God of the Bible. This god has been humanized and trumped because he does not possess omniscience. How is it that God foresaw faith in
this system, but not sin before time began? It would saved God a whole lot of
time in not choosing them in the first place rather than choosing them and
regretting that choice down the line. It makes God double minded. Somehow those that believe that God will save
and then decide to “unsave” man due to sinful behavior have woefully diminished
the power of the cross and what Jesus accomplished there. The Arminian’s
unlimited atonement has been reduced to dust and ashes. God the Father’s
predetermined plan failed, and He wasted His time in sending Jesus to the earth
to save sinners when in the final analysis, they are doomed to hell after all.
As with partial
depravity, man is the puppet master in conditional election and God is the
puppet. God only moves when man moves first. Salvation is valid or invalid
based on what man does and not on what God has already done.
a. Perseverance
of the saints teaches that God will keep his children from falling and they
will never perish (John 3:16, 17; 6:37-40; 10:27-30; 11: 25; Phil 1:6; Jude 24).
God does not foresee faith, and repentance. He grants those gifts to man in
real time when they are needed. When the gospel is preached, the elect of God
is first granted repentance. What this does is make the sinner aware of his
wickedness, unrighteousness, guilt and shame, and his desperate need for a redeemer.
Secondly, God grants the chosen sinner faith to believe the gospel message.
Once he does that, he is granted salvation (Eph 2.8,9), and brought into the
body of Christ. Once a child of God, always a child of God. Our sonship can
never be revoked.
b. Those
that claim salvation can be lost are horribly mistaken. That person was never
saved to begin with (I John 2:19). Another thought to consider with conditional
salvation, at what point or how many sins does one have to commit before God
revokes His promise of salvation? How can anyone even know for sure that he
hasn’t already reached the “sin point of
no return?” There is absolutely no
assurance in the Arminian’s doctrine of conditional election. You can never
know if your good is good enough. Proponents of conditional salvation are
forever on a slippery slope. Conditional
salvation is a work’s salvation which is a violation of scripture.
Calvinism is the undisputed
winner in this theological battle. It follows what the Bible teaches.[iii]
NOTES
[i]
Limited atonement is rejected by 4 point Calvinists. They like the Arminian
believe in a Unlimited atonement; that Christ died for the sins of the whole
world indiscriminately. No human being is left out. The 4 pointers agree on the
others Doctrines of Grace hence the description 4 point Calvinists.
[ii]
Without God’s power working within us we will never believe. By ourselves it’s impossible for us to seek
God. That’s why He has to seek us first (John 15:6).
[iii] The writer leans toward the views of
Calvinism for it projects more of what the Bible teaches however, there are
arguments against both sides. For instance, Armininians will say that Calvinism
over emphasize God’s grace, and under emphasize human responsibility for the
sinner to respond to the gospel. Armininians will also say that Calvinism also
resists evangelism since God has already chosen who will be saved. While it is
true God has chosen in eternity past who He will save, it by no means absolves
us from preaching the gospel to the lost. For the only way anyone is saved is by
the preaching of the gospel message. No one comes to saving faith without it.
For it is an act of the human will to believe. Another potential trap for those
who believe in eternal security (i.e. perseverance of the saints) is that it
breeds complacency/apathy from the believer. The opposite should be the case. Because
we are eternally secure, we should be grateful, and fervent in our service to
the Lord with thanksgiving. The knock on Arminianism is that it over emphasizes
human free will and depreciates God’s sovereignty in salvation making God
reactive in salvation instead of proactive. The definite blow to Arminianism
that causes the writer to view it’s last point as heretical is that it teaches
man can lose salvation which the Bible never teaches. Salvation by it’s very
nature is eternal.
Comments