Limited atonement is an odious doctrine to many.
So, it might be helpful to look at what is meant by the doctrine,
to facilitate a correct understanding of what is so odious.
This is not to defend limited atonement, nor to address objections to it.
It is simply for the correct understanding of it.
So the beginning point would be the two opposing interpretations of the Biblical gospel.
1) one is of a God who saves,
2) the other is of a God who enables man to save himself, by choosing to believe.
One makes salvation depend on the work of God, the other on the work/choice of man.
One regards faith as part of God's gift of salvation, the other as man's own contribution to salvation by his choice.
One gives all the glory of saving believers to God, the other divides the praise between (as the theologian put it) God who built the machinery of salvation, and man, who by believing operates it.
However, the Bible presents God as the whole world's Maker and King, the Creator who is Lord, working all things after the counsel of his own will. The Biblical perspective is a God-centered outlook, which sees the Creator as the source, and means, and end, of everything that is, both in nature and in grace. The whole range of processes and events that take place in the history of God's world are simply the outworking of God's great pre-ordained plan for his creatures and his church. The Bible presents God as sovereign everywhere, including salvation.
GOD - Father, Son and Holy Spirit working together to achieve the salvation of a chosen people: the Father electing, the Son fufilling the Father's will by redeeming, and the Spirit completing by renewing.
SAVES - does everything from first to last that is involved in bringing man from death in sin to life in glory: plans, achieves and communicates redemption, calls and keeps, justifies, sanctifies, glorifies.
SINNERS - as God finds them: guilty, helpless, powerless, blind, unable to do anything regarding God's will or better their spiritual condition.
God saves sinners is the Biblical testimony. Sinners do nothing to save themselves.
Biblically, the achievement of salvation is not partly by God, and the decisive part (to believe) is by man.
The sinner's inability is total, and he does not share with his Savior the praise of his salvation.
The Bible presents salvation, from first to last, whole and entire, past, present and future, as of the Lord.
The issue regarding atonement is its extent as presented in Scripture.
Scripture presents atonement as a transaction securing the salvation for all for whom it was designed.
According to Scripture the Redeemer's death actually saves his people, as it was meant to do.
Scripture presents Christ's redeeming work as effective, therefore, it was not intended for any where it is not effective.
If it were intended where it is not effective, the Father and Son have failed in what they set out to do.
Regarding "the world," "all" and "the perishing," sound exegesis shows they do not teach any such thing regarding the extent of Christ's atonement.
An atonement for all actually has no saving power. It leaves us to save ourselves by making the right choice.
But Christ did not die in vain for anyone.
That makes both God and Christ too small.
The cross is not a redemption which does less than redeem.
Christ is not a Savior who does less than save those for whom he died.
God's love is not an affection too weak to keep anyone from hell without help.
Faith is not the human help which God needs for this purpose.
So the odious doctrine is simply that Christ's atonement is ineffective for no one, and actually saves all for whom he died.
The particularity of atonement is the uniform Biblical presentation of redemption.
Which raises the question: If Christ did not die for everyone, then why are we held personally responsible for not obeying God's command to "Repent and believe." (Mk 1:15)
That's for another thread. . .on God's Sovereignty and Man's Responsibility.
So, it might be helpful to look at what is meant by the doctrine,
to facilitate a correct understanding of what is so odious.
This is not to defend limited atonement, nor to address objections to it.
It is simply for the correct understanding of it.
So the beginning point would be the two opposing interpretations of the Biblical gospel.
1) one is of a God who saves,
2) the other is of a God who enables man to save himself, by choosing to believe.
One makes salvation depend on the work of God, the other on the work/choice of man.
One regards faith as part of God's gift of salvation, the other as man's own contribution to salvation by his choice.
One gives all the glory of saving believers to God, the other divides the praise between (as the theologian put it) God who built the machinery of salvation, and man, who by believing operates it.
However, the Bible presents God as the whole world's Maker and King, the Creator who is Lord, working all things after the counsel of his own will. The Biblical perspective is a God-centered outlook, which sees the Creator as the source, and means, and end, of everything that is, both in nature and in grace. The whole range of processes and events that take place in the history of God's world are simply the outworking of God's great pre-ordained plan for his creatures and his church. The Bible presents God as sovereign everywhere, including salvation.
GOD - Father, Son and Holy Spirit working together to achieve the salvation of a chosen people: the Father electing, the Son fufilling the Father's will by redeeming, and the Spirit completing by renewing.
SAVES - does everything from first to last that is involved in bringing man from death in sin to life in glory: plans, achieves and communicates redemption, calls and keeps, justifies, sanctifies, glorifies.
SINNERS - as God finds them: guilty, helpless, powerless, blind, unable to do anything regarding God's will or better their spiritual condition.
God saves sinners is the Biblical testimony. Sinners do nothing to save themselves.
Biblically, the achievement of salvation is not partly by God, and the decisive part (to believe) is by man.
The sinner's inability is total, and he does not share with his Savior the praise of his salvation.
The Bible presents salvation, from first to last, whole and entire, past, present and future, as of the Lord.
The issue regarding atonement is its extent as presented in Scripture.
Scripture presents atonement as a transaction securing the salvation for all for whom it was designed.
According to Scripture the Redeemer's death actually saves his people, as it was meant to do.
Scripture presents Christ's redeeming work as effective, therefore, it was not intended for any where it is not effective.
If it were intended where it is not effective, the Father and Son have failed in what they set out to do.
Regarding "the world," "all" and "the perishing," sound exegesis shows they do not teach any such thing regarding the extent of Christ's atonement.
An atonement for all actually has no saving power. It leaves us to save ourselves by making the right choice.
But Christ did not die in vain for anyone.
That makes both God and Christ too small.
The cross is not a redemption which does less than redeem.
Christ is not a Savior who does less than save those for whom he died.
God's love is not an affection too weak to keep anyone from hell without help.
Faith is not the human help which God needs for this purpose.
So the odious doctrine is simply that Christ's atonement is ineffective for no one, and actually saves all for whom he died.
The particularity of atonement is the uniform Biblical presentation of redemption.
Which raises the question: If Christ did not die for everyone, then why are we held personally responsible for not obeying God's command to "Repent and believe." (Mk 1:15)
That's for another thread. . .on God's Sovereignty and Man's Responsibility.
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