Limited Atonement
Limited Atonement
By
Daron Alleman
If God is so loving why does He not save everybody? We know from Scripture that God does not save everybody. Certainly few would argue that Judas Iscariot was saved. In my previous article on Unconditional Election we discussed how God “calls out” the church, and “picks out” those whom He chooses to save. In the article prior to that on Total Depravity we got a glimpse of what God is choosing from. Romans 3:10 – 18 gives a fuller description of man’s condition.
10as it is written,
"THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE;
11THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS,
THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD;
12ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS;
THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD,
THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE."
13"THEIR THROAT IS AN OPEN GRAVE,
WITH THEIR TONGUES THEY KEEP DECEIVING,"
"THE POISON OF ASPS IS UNDER THEIR LIPS";
14"WHOSE MOUTH IS FULL OF CURSING AND BITTERNESS";
15"THEIR FEET ARE SWIFT TO SHED BLOOD,
16DESTRUCTION AND MISERY ARE IN THEIR PATHS,
17AND THE PATH OF PEACE THEY HAVE NOT KNOWN."
18"THERE IS NO FEAR OF GOD BEFORE THEIR EYES."
In the light of such texts as these the real question is not, “why doesn’t God save everybody?” The real question is, “why does God save anybody?” The answer is that God picks out certain individuals for salvation for His own Glory and purposes (Eph 1:5 – 6). Here is a better question from Genesis 18:25, “Shall not the Judge of all the earth deal justly?”
So as Forest Gump would say, “that is all I got to say about that”, for that is all God has said about that. “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this law (Deuteronomy 29:29).”
Next question, so who believes in a limited atonement? The answer is everybody. It must be pointed out that Arminians and Calvinists believe in a limited atonement. In their book The Five Points of Calvinism Steele, Thomas, and Quinn point this out saying;
The Arminians also place a limitation on the atoning work of Christ, but one of a much different nature. They hold that Christ’s saving work was designed to make possible the salvation of all men on the condition that they believe, but that Christ’s death in itself did not actually secure or guarantee salvation for anyone. Since not all men will be saved as the result of Christ’s redeeming work, a limitation must be admitted. Either the atonement was limited in that it was designed to secure salvation for certain sinners, but not for others, or it was limited in that it was not intended to secure salvation for any, but was designed only to make it possible for God to pardon sinners on the condition that they believe. In other words, one must limit its design either in extent (it was not intended for all) or in effectiveness (it did not secure salvation for any). As Loraine Boettner so aptly observes, for the Calvinist, the atonement “is like a narrow bridge which goes all the way across the stream; for the Arminian it is like a great wide bridge that goes only half-way across”. Here is a comparison of each view.
Arminianism
3. Universal Redemption or General Atonement
Christ’s redeeming work made it possible for everyone to be saved, but did not actually secure the salvation of anyone. Although Christ died for all men and for every man, only those who believe in Him are saved. His death enabled God to pardon sinners on the condition that they believe, but it did not actually put away anyone’s sins. Christ’s redemption becomes effective only if man chooses to accept it.
Calvinism
3. Particular Redemption or Limited Atonement
Christ’s redeeming work was intended to save the elect only and actually secured salvation for them. His death was a substitutionary endurance of the penalty of sin in the place of certain specified sinners. In addition to putting away the sins of His people, Christ’s redemption secured everything necessary for their salvation, including faith, which unites them to Him. The gift of faith is infallibly applied by the Spirit to all for whom Christ died, thereby guaranteeing their salvation.
According to John 6:59 Jesus said these things as He taught in the synagogue in Capernaum saying words like this;
“All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out (John 6:37).”
“This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day (John 6:39).”
I will leave you to exegete those words and discern God’s meaning. Will any for whom Christ died perish? I think not.