The Doctrine of Limited Atonement

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Biblical Interpretation and Our Preconceived Frameworks

When we're talking about theology, one concept is that you don't want to come with pre-existing frameworks and read that into the text.

For instance, I know that I mentioned everyone's sin. That was the exercise in the beginning. But I want you to think about: Does the Bible actually say that, or am I just thinking that because that's what I think I know?

And so I think a lot of you guys did that, and I know it was a little bit unfair because we did the exercise at the beginning. But that's just sort of like a rule of interpretation: You don't come with pre-existing mindsets.

So when we look at the doctrines of grace, I do want you to think, "Okay, yes, you know a little bit, but don't come thinking that you know everything." Don't bring your framework into the Bible. Come with an open mind. That's part of biblical interpretation.

That's just a side note. But I want you to sit in this, and I want you to kind of go home with that. Today, I will talk more about what each point is, but I'm not going to do it thoroughly. I want you to go home and really wrestle with this a little bit. This is sort of foundational to what we are as Christians, and so, yeah, I want you to do that on your own.

Ground Rules for Studying Calvinism

Ground rules, again, when we talk about Calvinism: I'm not concerned about converting you to become a Calvinist, although I do want you to wrestle with it.

I'm going to teach it to you because I think it's most biblical. I think it's most God-glorifying. I think it's the best type of theology for your life, and so that's why I'm going to teach it to you.

I'm not trying to teach a balanced view. I do want you to be that way, but I'm not trying to force you to be that way.

The theme that I want you to think about as we go through all these doctrines is that God is King, meaning God is sovereign over everything. His kingship, His sovereignty, entails power, control, and authority—not only over the world, but also over your life.

God gave us His Word, the Bible, and so when we look at the Bible, will you submit to it and say, "Okay, that's what it says"?

For instance, when I mention to you that I believe the Bible does say that people go to hell, just to put it bluntly, in your mind I want you to think, "Okay, the Bible says that. Am I actually going to believe that and say, 'You're right, it does say that,' or are you just going to be like, 'Actually, I don't know about that. I'm not sure'?"

And that's a decision that you need to make. Not just for that, but for every single thing we preach and teach as Christians or at this church.

Yeah, that is a personal decision that you will make. Are you going to look at the Bible and say, "Yes, I'm going to believe that"? No, I'm not going to believe that.

Total Depravity

I'm going to go over the previous slides really quick, just so we're on the same page.

Total Depravity means that we have this pervasive corruption in our human nature. And it means that we will not choose God. It means that our sinful nature has corrupted our ability to make the choice for God.

And so, when we're presented with the Gospel, Total Depravity says that, "Oh, actually, your sinful heart prevents you from choosing God."

What God needs to do is that God needs to change your heart. He needs to open the eyes of your heart. God needs to put His Spirit inside of you so that you will change.

That's Total Depravity.

Propensity to sin. That's a good way to put it. We have this propensity to sin.

It doesn't mean that every person does the most sinful thing possible in this world. No. But it means that in our hearts, we're all equally sinful, and we deserve to be punished for our sin.

Unconditional Election

Unconditional Election means that before the foundation of the world, God chose people to save.

He said that mankind is going to be sinners. They're all destined for hell because of their sin. They need to be punished because I'm a holy God. I cannot tolerate sin. There is punishment for that.

But I'm going to choose to save some. And it's not because of anything that they did that is going to merit, or earn, or deserve me choosing them.

I'm going to choose them because I'm God. I, as God, have free will on my own. I do whatever I want. I do as I please. I am the King over the entire universe. I am the King over my creation, and I will choose whom I'm going to save.

That's what Unconditional Election means.

It also means that I don't do it randomly. I don't just close my eyes and say, "Okay, this person, this person." No, I'm going to choose the people that I love.

"In love, I'm going to predestine people for adoption as sons." That's Ephesians.

It also means that I am not anticipating. I'm not basing my choice off of their decision. So it's not as if I'm looking down the corridor of time and I'm thinking, "Okay, Aaron, he's going to choose me. Therefore, he's predestined."

That's not what it means. No, rather, the opposite. I'm going to predestine him, and I'm going to change his heart so that he, in his sin, will actually change because I'm going to transform him through the work of my Holy Spirit.

God's sovereign decision to save whomever He is pleased to save.

And there's the verse: "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."

Is God Fair?

Do you remember one of the questions that I asked you during our speed dating or during our redisagree was, "Is God fair?" Is God fair?

And I think we had some problems with that.

So the issue would be, okay, and you're telling me that God predestines people. Well, how is that fair, that God would choose to love some people, right? They get to go to heaven, but other people have to go to hell. Why is that fair?

And the answer to that is that you don't get to decide what makes God fair and what makes God unfair.

As the creature, as a creation, we are in no position to say, "God, you are unfair."

You know what God does to people like that? Oh, He's kind to us, is what He does. He's patient with us. He says, "Oh, I should destroy you, but I will not."

That's what God does to people like that. He's kind. He's kind.

And so, the answer to "Is God fair?" is that, well, actually, fairness would be that God doesn't save anybody, and everybody gets what they deserve, which would be death. Hell.

But God, our God, is gracious. He's kind and compassionate. He's merciful and chooses to save those whom He loves. That's our God. That is our God. He's kind.

And so, this question of "How is that fair?"—well, actually, you shouldn't ask about, "Is God fair?" God is.

God would be fair if He gives everybody what they deserve. But He's not. He's gracious and kind to us.

How does God choose who to save? Because He loves those whom He chooses to save. It's not something that they did to earn His love, but it's just because God chooses to love whom He loves.

This is Deuteronomy 7:7–8. Remember, I did mention this before. I showed you that this passage was from the Old Testament. So it's not as if in the New Testament, like, God changed. No, God was always this way.

And this is talking to Israel: "It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the Lord set his love on you and chose you."

Okay, it's not as if Israel was some sort of strong, mighty nation or they were so good of a nation. But it is because the Lord loves you.

In children's worship, like two weeks ago, I taught about Pharaoh going against the Israelites, like Moses and Aaron, right? "Let my people go!"

And it's like, hey, wait a minute. Why was God the God of Israel and not the God of Egypt? God could have been the God of any nation He chose to.

In some kind of weird alternate universe, God could have been the God of Pharaoh. And then He could have been like, "No," and Israel would have been destroyed.

But God chooses to align Himself with Israel in particular, choosing those people to save. And God, in His sovereignty, demonstrates His power to Pharaoh by saying, "Hey, Pharaoh, you think you're so strong? I am the God of Israel. I'm going to save them."

And in the same way, God can choose anybody that He wants. But He chooses to align Himself with people whom He loves, the church.

And though we get oppressed by the world, God says, "Hey, this church is going to get beaten up by the Pharaohs of this world. But in the end, they will be victorious."

That's some eschatology for you.

Limited Atonement

Now, with all that framework in mind, especially the part of God choosing whom He's going to save—the elect, the people whom God predestined to save—we have a problem, right?

Because it's like, okay, if God predestined these people to save, but there are some people who go to hell, what does that even mean for what Jesus actually does?

Because if Jesus really did die on the cross for everyone, and as Christians, the cross is the most important, the defining factor of our faith here, what does that cross actually do?

If it's up to people to believe in the cross, then it's like, oh, then the power is actually in me as a person to believe in what Jesus did.

Does that just mean that when Jesus died on the cross, it's up to whoever, whatever they want? What does Jesus' blood actually do?

And that's the doctrine that we're talking about today: Limited Atonement.

Limited. Okay, that's a key for you. That's a key for you.

And then atonement.

Now, we need to define our terms. This goes for everything. We always need to define our terms.

And let me show you this. This is the doctrine. This is the meat of the lesson right here.

A doctrine in Reformed theology teaching that Christ's atonement was intended only for the elect and not for all of humanity.

So that is the answer. That's the answer for what is Limited Atonement: Christ's atonement was intended only for the elect and not for humanity.

What Is Atonement?

Now, let's define atonement. That's the key word there, right? Atonement.

Atonement is the reconciliation and reparation of the relationship between God and humanity by means of a sacrifice.

In Christianity, the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ reconciles believers to God, cleanses them, and makes them righteous before Him.

Okay, so what does Jesus' blood actually do?

Jesus' blood has the power to forgive you of your sins, wash you, make you clean, and make you acceptable before God.

You guys sort of already know this. This is not new information.

On your papers, you wrote that He paid for our sin. Yes, a payment was made. For who? For the elect. That's who the payment was made for.

If Jesus paid for the sins of everybody, does that not mean that everybody would be able to say, "You paid for my sins, Jesus!" And then Jesus would have to say, "Yes, I did. I paid for everyone's sins."

But we know that's not the case.

His payment, His blood—is only for those whom He chooses to save.

You guys wrote things like "sacrificial lamb." I see, okay, sacrificial lamb. An offering. We don't have to burn offerings, right? That's a sacrifice.

Yes, Jesus' sacrifice, His death, is only for the people whom He chooses to save.

If His death is to save everyone, then everybody gets to be saved. But we know that's not the case.

One easy way to think of the word atonement is that it makes you at one.

So, we have this thought, this concept, this theme, that we are separated from God. Our sin separates us from God. We need to be reconciled, repaired, at one with God.

And so, what Jesus does is He's the bridge, right? You guys know that illustration of Jesus' cross being the bridge.

And so, the bridge is for those whom He loves. It makes the elect at one again with God. Those who are not at one with God are not saved.

The Importance of Jesus' Perfect Life

I'm going to give you a hint about what Jesus' life does. Jesus' life is not just an example.

Remember, one point of the Gospel is that Jesus lived a perfect, sinless life. That's actually what sets Him apart from everyone else in this world. He's holy God.

Jesus is the Son of God. His life needed to be perfect. If His life was not perfect, then the sacrifice on the cross is actually not effective.

Because God needs a spotless, sinless, holy sacrifice in order to be appeased. His righteous life is important for that.

This doctrine is also known as definite atonement or particular redemption, meaning the atonement of Christ was definite for the elect. And it's particular, meaning that there are particular people that He saves.

Now, to put it in a negative sense, Jesus did not atone for the sins of everybody in the world.

That's what I was hinting at when I was doing the agree or disagree activity.

Yes, Jesus died for Christians, for the elect, for the believers. But that means that His death did not atone for everybody in the world, or else the entire world would get to go to heaven. And we know that's not true. That's not the case.

The implication of the non-Reformed view is that God doesn't know in advance who's going to be saved.

So, this doctrine of Limited Atonement is very much tied to election. And so, that's why I had to show you all that stuff from the Bible: Election is very much in the Bible. Predestination is very much in the Bible. Same thing with Limited Atonement, pretty much here in the Bible.

Biblical Support for Limited Atonement

Let me show you this. A famous verse from Romans.

And what I'm trying to do here is I'm trying to do a couple of things.

Okay, I'm going to show you that. Remember I told you, don't bring your preconceived theology into the Bible. You need to actually read the Bible and see what it says.

This verse is tricky:

"He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?"

Now, you're reading that and you're like, "Oh, 'for us all'? Paul, do you mean, like, all people in the entire world? God gave His Son up for everybody, all in the world?"

You got to keep reading.

"Who shall bring any charge against God's elect?"

That's the "all" who he's talking about: God's elect.

"It is God who justifies."

Who does God justify? The elect.

That's the "us" in this passage.

Who's Paul's audience when he's writing Romans? Well, he's writing to Christians. He's not writing to everyone in the entire world. This is not an open letter to the entire world. No, it's a letter to the church in Rome.

And so, that's how you need to look at these verses.

You think, like, "Oh, how will He graciously give us all things? Do you mean, like, us as in the entire world?"

No, no. It's the elect. God justifies the elect.

Jesus and Those Given to Him by the Father

Let me give you another verse that's kind of like—you read it and you think it's tricky, but it's not.

This is Jesus talking to John:

"All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me, I will never cast out."

Okay, so Jesus is saying, "All that the Father gives to me."

Who are the people that God gives to Jesus? Oh, God gives to Jesus the elect, right?

"Anyone that the Father gives me, I will not let them get snatched out of my hand."

"For I have come down from heaven not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day."

Is it true to say that anyone who believes in Jesus will be saved? Yes, it is. Jesus says it Himself. Everyone who looks on the Son and believes should have eternal life.

But does that mean that everyone in the world will be saved? That is not what Jesus is saying.

Jesus is saying that everyone who looks on Him are the people that God has given Him, the elect.

Okay, you need to look at this entire text, and you need to see, "Oh, Jesus is not talking about the entire world."

He's talking about those whom the Father has given Him who will be saved, and that is the elect, those who are predestined to be saved.

Questions and Answers About Christ's Atonement

Now, I have some really quick Q&A stuff here.

Was It Necessary for Christ the Redeemer to Die?

It's absolutely necessary for Jesus to die because without Jesus' life, death, and resurrection, you don't get to be saved.

That's all this is saying, okay? So you can't deny that Jesus' death, His atonement on the cross, is important.

It is. That's the factor that saves.

Does Christ's Death Mean All Our Sins Can Be Forgiven?

Yes, it does.

Christ's death on the cross means that all of your sins are forgiven. Not the sins of everyone, but everyone who believes.

And this is a question that kind of hits on it:

"Are all people, just as they were lost through Adam, saved through Christ?"

And the answer is no. Not everyone gets to be saved.

Only those who are elected by God and united to Christ by faith.

Nevertheless, God, in His mercy, demonstrates common grace even to those who are not elect by restraining the effects of sin and enabling worship culture for human well-being.

So, look, I'm really hitting upon the fact that God loves the elect, right? He has a very particular, special love for those whom He predestined to save.

Does that mean that God doesn't love the entire world?

Okay, when you say that God does love people, even His enemies, that is true, right? Yes.

But you got to admit that if God chooses some people to save and some people He doesn't, He loves some people in a special way.

Does God Love Everyone Equally?

Let me give you an incomplete analogy, or a not-perfect analogy—an imperfect analogy.

I love everybody. I love you guys. I love Tiff. I love people, you know?

But I don't love you in the same way that I love my wife, Jess. I love her in a special way. My bride, the woman whom I love, whom I'm affectionate toward, whom I care for—that's who I really love.

Even though, if someone were to ask me, "Do you love people? Do you love your senior school students? Do you love your co-teachers?" Yeah, I do. I do.

But not in the same way that I love Jess.

And in the same kind of imperfect way, does God love everyone? Yeah, I mean, He says He does. He loves His creation.

Does He love everyone in the same way that everybody gets to be saved? No, He doesn't.

He has a special chosen people, the church, the bride of Christ, whom He loves in a special way.

Understanding John 3:16

Look at this. John 3:16. We know this verse. Keep reading it:

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life."

That's true. Whoever wants to believe can believe. That's true.

"For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned. But whoever does not believe is condemned already."

Wait a minute. What?

"Because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God."

"Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life. Whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him."

Kind of a dark twist to that John 3:16 verse.

You got to admit that God does love the world, but you also have to admit that God loves some people differently, namely His elect, those whom He's going to save.

They're the ones that get eternal life.

Does that mean that anybody can come to Christ if they want to? Yeah, but you need God to change your heart in order to come to Him.

I'm going to pray for the people whom I want to be saved. I'm going to pray for my family. I'm going to pray for my friends, that God would change their hearts so they will believe.

Faith Is a Gift of God

A lot of times, we think that that decision to believe is up to you, right? You guys really emphasize that a lot. "Well, it's your choice. It's your choice."

It is sort of, but you need to also emphasize that that choice is like God changing your heart to believe.

"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not as a result of works, that no one may boast."

So, not only is the fact that Jesus died on the cross grace, but also the faith is the gift of God.

God needs to grant you that gift of faith in order to be saved.

How Limited Atonement Impacts Real Life

Okay, I want to share personally how this doctrine impacts real life.

I thought about this last night. I was like, "Okay, Limited Atonement—is this actually really a good thing? Does this actually give God glory? Is my life actually better if I believe that Jesus' death on the cross is only for the elect?"

I think yes. I think it is.

Three reasons. This is me, Aaron.

1. Jesus' Sacrifice Gives Me a Reason to Thank and Worship God

I thank God for Jesus, for all of my life is owed to Him.

The life I live right now, I can live under grace, and the life I have in the future, in heaven, eternity.

So, Jesus' death on the cross—I understand that His perfect life is my perfect life, right? He's my substitute.

His sacrifice, what He did on the cross, that's as if I did it.

That's as if God looks at me and God says, "Aaron, your sins are covered by Jesus. You are like My Son, whom I love."

And for me, that gives me thanks to God. That makes me worship God.

2. I Can Evangelize with Confidence Because God Is the One Who Saves

Number two, I know that God has definitely saved some. I just don't know who.

So, I teach and preach and evangelize confidently.

If I had no idea who was going to be saved—and I don't, right?—then I need to ask God and say, "God, I don't know who You want to save. It's not up to me. It's up to You."

I'm going to preach and teach as much as I can, and I'm going to be confident that it's not in me, but it's You who's going to save people.

"God, You are going to be the one who's going to change people's hearts. I'm going to speak what You said in Your Word, and now it's up to You, God, to effect the change."

If it were up to me, if it's up to my eloquence or my ability to communicate the Gospel effectively, I have no confidence in myself.

I don't think I have the ability to change people's lives and hearts, let alone let them stay changed.

As a matter of fact, I would probably lead people the opposite way.

If you look at my life, it's like, "Man, this guy's a Christian? Really?"

No. It's not me as a teacher, and in the same way, it's not you and how strong you are as a Christian, but it's God.

Does that not give God more glory when it's like, "God, I'm going to do what You say, but it's up to You, God. You do the saving"?

And God's like, "Yes, it is up to Me to save. That's what I do. I save people."

That confidence, without this Limited Atonement, it goes away.

3. I Can Have Confidence That My Salvation Is Secure

Finally, I know that my life is secure, already definitely bought by Christ's blood.

I live under His grace freely, knowing that my sins have been forgiven.

Okay, this is really important to me.

Jesus' death on the cross, right? If His blood truly washes me and makes me clean, all my sins are forgiven?

Does that mean that, oh, well, you know what? If I mess up, then God's blood is no longer effective, right?

But if I mess up and God's blood is still effective, then I don't need to be worried about that anymore.

I can just be like, "Oh, I'm sorry, God," you know, and He still accepts me. I'm still within His blood.

Definite, meaning I'm definitely saved. That's it. Done deal. Done deal.

I cannot out-sin my salvation.

And I want to give that to you, too, right? If you don't believe that, you're going to live in fear for the rest of your life.

Like, "Oh, did I sin too much today? Am I out of God's grace?"

I don't want you to have that. I want you to be confident.

Is the Blood of Jesus Precious to You?
Jesus' death on the cross—if you are a Christian, if you are a Christian, that's everything to us, right? That's everything to us.

So, I want you to think about this:

Do you cheapen the blood of Jesus? Do you make it cheap? Do you make it not as special, not as important when you say, "Oh, Jesus, Your blood is actually for everyone, right? It's for everybody"?

Or does it make it more valuable, more precious, more worthy of worship if you say, "Jesus, Your blood is 100% effective for those whom You've saved"?

Okay, think about that, because I think that that's important to God, you know, if He's going to be worshipped 100% fully, and it's important for us as Christians.

How much worship do we really want to give God, you know?

Do we want to give Him just a little bit and say, "Yeah, God, I'd like Your blood, but it could be for everyone, maybe, if they want it," right?

Or is it better to say, "God, You are worthy, infinitely precious and infinitely valuable. You would not waste Your blood on anybody. You give Your blood, You shed Your blood for those whom You love."