Introduction
Limited Atonement, a contentious yet crucial concept within Christian theology, addresses the scope and intent of Christ’s atonement. This doctrine posits that Christ’s sacrificial death was specifically intended for the elect, providing full and effective atonement for their sins. We will delve into scriptural references that proponents of Limited Atonement often cite, exploring how these passages contribute to our understanding of the nature and purpose of Christ’s sacrificial work.
Christ’s Atonement for the Elect
Certain scriptures suggest that Christ’s atoning work was particularly for those elected to salvation.
• The Good Shepherd Lays Down His Life for the Sheep: John 10:11, 15 (ESV): “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. … just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.”
Jesus’ metaphor of the Good Shepherd indicates a particular care and sacrifice for His ‘sheep’ (the elect). His willingness to lay down His life specifically for them suggests a directed intent in His atoning work, aligning with the Limited Atonement viewpoint.
• Christ Loved the Church: Ephesians 5:25 (ESV): “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,”
This verse shows Christ’s sacrificial love for the church, His chosen people. The specificity of ‘the church’ as the object of Christ’s sacrificial love is seen as indicating a particular intent and focus of the atonement.
• Purchased the Church with His Own Blood: Acts 20:28 (ESV): “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.”
Paul speaks to the elders about the church being obtained or purchased by Christ’s blood, suggesting a specific redemption plan. This verse is often interpreted as indicating that Christ’s atonement was intentionally directed at the church – the body of believers.
• I Am Praying for Them: John 17:9 (ESV): “I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours.”
In His high priestly prayer, Jesus explicitly mentions praying for those given to Him by the Father, not for the world in general. This distinction is seen as reflective of the particular scope of His atoning work and intercession.
The Intention of the Atonement
Scriptures that speak to the purpose and intention behind Christ’s atonement often support the concept of Limited Atonement.
• Save His People from Their Sins: Matthew 1:21 (ESV): “She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”
This prophecy about Jesus’ birth explicitly states that He would save ‘His people’ from their sins. The phrase ‘His people’ is interpreted by some as indicating a specific group – the elect – whom Christ intended to save.
• All That the Father Gives Me Will Come: John 6:37-40 (ESV): “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. … For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life…”
Jesus speaks of those given to Him by the Father, promising eternal life to them. This passage is often viewed as indicating a specific group of people predestined to believe and be saved, in line with Limited Atonement.
• Mediator of a New Covenant: Hebrews 9:15 (ESV): “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 under the first covenant.”
This verse describes Jesus as the mediator of a new covenant, redeeming those who are ‘called.’ The specific mention of ‘those who are called’ receiving the inheritance aligns with the idea that Christ’s atonement was intended for a particular group.
• Chosen Us in Him Before the Foundation of the World: Ephesians 1:4-5 (ESV): “even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,”
Paul’s words to the Ephesians about being chosen and predestined in Christ suggest a predetermined plan of salvation. The specificity of this choosing is seen as indicative of the targeted nature of atonement.
In the next part, we will discuss the covenantal aspect of atonement, the effectiveness of Christ’s sacrifice, and the assurance provided by Limited Atonement.
Atonement and the Covenant of Redemption
The concept of a covenant of redemption highlights the specific, covenantal nature of Christ’s atoning work.
• Eternal Covenant: Hebrews 13:20-21 (ESV): “Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant,…”
This passage references an ‘eternal covenant,’ possibly alluding to a covenantal agreement within the Trinity regarding redemption. The atonement is presented not as a general offer but as a fulfillment of a specific, eternal plan, aligning with Limited Atonement.
• A New Covenant for God’s People: Jeremiah 31:31-34 (ESV): “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah,… I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”
The prophecy about a new covenant specifically with Israel and Judah can be interpreted as a metaphor for God’s chosen people. This covenant includes the promise of forgiveness, implying a particular scope for atonement.
• Covenant in Christ’s Blood: Luke 22:20 (ESV): “And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, ‘This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.'”
Jesus declares the new covenant in His blood during the Last Supper, indicating that His sacrificial death is foundational to this covenant. This new covenant is understood as being established specifically for those who are in Christ.
• Called Us to a Holy Calling: 2 Timothy 1:9 (ESV): “who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the ages began,”
Paul speaks of salvation and calling as part of God’s purpose and grace given in Christ before time began. This pre-temporal grace suggests a specific, covenantal intention in Christ’s redemptive work.
Effectiveness of Christ’s Sacrifice
Scriptures emphasize that Christ’s sacrificial death effectively accomplishes salvation for those it was intended.
• Secured Eternal Redemption: Hebrews 9:12 (ESV): “he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.”
Christ’s once-for-all entry into the holy places with His own blood is portrayed as effectively securing eternal redemption. This effectiveness is seen as limited to those for whom the atonement was intended.
• Losing None Given by the Father: John 6:39 (ESV): “And this is the will of the Father who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day.”
Jesus emphasizes the effectiveness of His mission in terms of preserving all that the Father has given Him. This preservation suggests an effective atonement specifically for those given to Christ by the Father.
• Will Justify Many: Isaiah 53:11 (ESV): “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.”
This prophecy in Isaiah speaks of the Servant (Christ) making many righteous and bearing their iniquities. The term ‘many’ is seen as indicating a definite, though large, number, implying specificity in the atonement.
• It Is Finished: John 19:30 (ESV): “When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, ‘It is finished,’ and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.”
Jesus’ declaration at His crucifixion, ‘It is finished,’ signifies the completion of His redemptive work. This completion is interpreted as the successful accomplishment of atonement for those He intended to save.
Assurance Provided by Limited Atonement
Limited Atonement offers a robust assurance of salvation to those for whom Christ died.
• No One Can Come Unless Drawn: John 6:44 (ESV): “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.”
The drawing by the Father to Christ implies a specific, effectual calling in line with Limited Atonement. This drawing ensures not only coming to Christ but also the assurance of being raised up, guaranteeing salvation for those drawn.
• Saved from Wrath Through Him: Romans 5:9-10 (ESV): “Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.”
Paul speaks of justification and salvation from wrath as accomplished realities for believers through Christ’s blood. This assurance of salvation aligns with the belief that Christ’s atonement effectively secures the believer’s redemption.
• Love Manifested Through Atonement: 1 John 4:9-10 (ESV): “In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”
The apostle John points to Christ’s atonement as the ultimate manifestation of God’s love. This specific act of propitiation, serving as a sacrifice for sins, provides a foundation for the believer’s assurance of God’s love and salvation.
• My Sheep Hear My Voice: John 10:27-28 (ESV): “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.”
Jesus assures that His sheep, those belonging to Him, have eternal life and security in Him. This promise of eternal life and imperishability is often seen as evidence of the effectiveness and specificity of His atonement.
In the next part, we will explore the relationship between Limited Atonement and evangelism, summarizing the insights on this doctrine and its impact on the believer’s faith and life.
Limited Atonement and the Call to Evangelism
The doctrine of Limited Atonement raises important considerations regarding the Christian’s responsibility to evangelize.
• Ambassadors for Christ: 2 Corinthians 5:20 (ESV): “Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.”
Despite the belief in Limited Atonement, Paul’s exhortation as an ambassador for Christ emphasizes the importance of evangelism. This verse suggests that God uses the proclamation of the gospel by believers as the means to call His elect to reconciliation, aligning evangelistic efforts with divine sovereignty.
• The Great Commission: Matthew 28:19-20 (ESV): “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,”
The Great Commission, given by Christ, mandates the preaching of the gospel to all nations. This universal call to evangelize does not negate the doctrine of Limited Atonement but rather supports the understanding that the elect are among all peoples and reached through gospel proclamation.
• How Will They Hear Without a Preacher?: Romans 10:14-15 (ESV): “How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?”
Paul highlights the necessity of preaching for people to hear and believe in Christ. This underscores the role of human messengers in God’s plan of salvation, working within the framework of Limited Atonement to reach the elect.
• Appointed to Eternal Life Believed: Acts 13:48 (ESV): “And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed.”
This passage indicates that those appointed to eternal life believed upon hearing the gospel. It illustrates the connection between divine election, Limited Atonement, and the effectiveness of evangelistic outreach.
Conclusion
The biblical doctrine of Limited Atonement, though complex and often debated, provides a profound understanding of Christ’s atoning work. It asserts that Christ’s death effectively secured salvation for the elect, offering them a sure and certain assurance of redemption. This doctrine highlights the depth of God’s love and the perfect accomplishment of Christ’s sacrificial mission. While affirming God’s sovereignty in salvation, it also underscores the importance of evangelism, as the means through which God calls His elect to faith. For believers, understanding Limited Atonement enriches the appreciation of Christ’s sacrifice, deepens trust in God’s salvation plan, and motivates faithful witness to the transforming power of the gospel.