Unlimited Limited Atonement Part 2

First, I will start off by briefly explaining the view called unlimited atonement and give some of the scripture passages that are used to support it (it will not be an extensive list; only the verses that present the strongest argument). Now, before I begin, it must be noted that I am coming at the argument from the view point that the atonement was one of penal substitution. There are those Arminians who hold to what is called a governmental theory of the atonement. Recognizing the problem of a universal atonement that teaches a penal substitution theory, this scheme was birthed by Hugo Grotius (1583-1645) who sought an intermediate theory between the moral-example view of the Socianians and the penal substitution view of the Calvinist. I will not diverge in a full explanation of this theory because of time and space. However, if anyone wants to hear more about it, just let me know and I will write on it later. For the time being, it will do to say that I reject that theory, and so do most of the people who are involved in the unlimited/limited atonement debate.

Unlimited Atonement: Unlimited atonement argues that Christ died for the sins of every individual person who would ever live. Thus, the atonement only made salvation possible, not certain, for those to whom it is offered. The design and purpose of the atonement was to save all men.

John 1:29- The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.”
It is argued that in light of the context and other usage of the word “world” in John’s gospel, it is evident that the text does not mean the elect only, but all human beings.

John 3:16-17- For God so loved the world, that he gave is only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved.
Those who hold to unlimited atonement emphatically state that it is plain as day that God loves the world and gave his Son to die for the world. These verses also make it clear that the “world” here means the “whole fallen world”- the same world that is under God’s condemnation.

2 Corinthians 5:14-19- Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died…..God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them….And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. (vv. 14, 19, 15).
The reconciliation of all, argues the unlimited atonement advocates, did not guarantee the salvation of all, but the savability of all. On the basis of what Christ accomplished on the cross, believers are to plead with the world to be reconciled to God (vs. 20). Thus, the reconciliation mentioned here makes salvation possible. The “world” here refers to all men, not just the elect. Furthermore, it says he “died for all”- every individual person, not just the elect.

1 Timothy 2:3-4- God our Savior….wants all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth.
Those who hold to unlimited atonement assert that there is not much to be argued with here. “All men” refers to “all men”, thus expressing God’s saving intent for every person.

1 Timothy 2:6- Christ….gave himself as a ransom for all men.
This scripture, they argue, affirms that Christ paid the price for the sins of everyone.

1 Timothy 4:10- For this we labor and strive, that we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe.
This passage refers to two groups, and the fact that the word “believe” is used here indicates that this passage is used in a soteriological manner. The narrow group are the ones “who believe”- the ones who are actually saved. The broader group- “all men”, is an indication that Christ is in a sense the Savior of every single person. This is because God “desires all men to be saved” (vs. 4).
As stated earlier, this is not an extensive list of verses, but merely some of the main ones that are used by the proponents of unlimited atonement to defend their view. The next post will be the explanation and scriptural defense of limited atonement. If anyone wants to read further on the position of unlimited atonement, I would recommend reading the works of James Arminius himself, and Norman Geisler’s Systematic Theology: Vol. 3- Sin and Salvation.

Unlimited Limited Atonement part 1

Before I dive into an explanation of this somewhat paradoxical title, I first want to affirm a few things, and then state why I am writing on this subject. First, I am steeped in the Reformed faith. I believe that the doctrines that are expressed in the five points of Calvinism are a correct interpretation of scripture. This means that I strongly hold to the view traditionally called limited atonement, but now is being referred to as particular redemption. One of the concerns that leads me to write this article is the fact that so many modern Calvinist are doing away with the doctrine of limited atonement. I have taken the burden upon myself to defend this doctrine as taught in scripture, while urging Calvinist not to throw it away. The criticism of the doctrine by modern Calvinists is twofold: First, they argue that Calvin himself did not teach it. Second, they have trouble with certain scriptures that speak in relation to the atonement of God’s love for the world, all men, and his making a propitiation for them all.

I must say that I understand their concern, but I think tossing the doctrine of limited atonement is a bit extreme. Though I am a Calvinist, I am not committed more to a theological system than I am scripture. Therefore, when I discover something that might mess with my theology, I am open to refining things. One of the problems with the doctrine of limited atonement is that it has failed to do justice with how God’s relationship with the entire world has changed due to the death of Christ. Therefore, I think that the doctrine needs to be refined, not tossed. In this article, I will construct a theology called unlimited limited atonement. This doctrine holds to all of the traditional points of limited atonement, while providing a better explanation of the “world” and “all men” passages that so many Calvinist have had trouble with as it relates to limited atonement.

First, I will briefly explain the doctrines of unlimited and limited atonement as they have been traditionally understood. Secondly, I will provide the list of verses that each side uses to support their position. Third, I will show how these verses can be reconciled in the view of unlimited limited atonement.

Sitting in Silence

One of the most difficult times for a Christian can be the silence of God. Those seasons of life when there is no revelation, no inspiration, and no manifest presence of God. How we respond to these times will show the measure of both our understanding of God and the measure of our faith. Sometimes, the silence of God is because of sin in our lives, and the relationship must be restored by active repentance. However, the most troubling times are when there is no unconfessed sin, and yet God seems to have dropped us in a predicament and seems to be unaware or unconcerned about our present state of affairs. It is during these times that we are tempted to see Him as an unconcerned or uncaring Father. Yet we must understand something about the ways of God. One thing is that God's silence is one of His greatest forms of intimacy. It is a sign of His trust. He is saying "Just be still and trust." He trust us with His silence to see how we will react. We get into fits when we cannot discern God or understand what He is doing in a particular situation. So what do we do when God is silent or when we are waiting for Him to act? Psalm 37 gives us direction in this area. We must "Trust in the LORD and do good." (vs3). "Delight yourself in the LORD and He will give you the desires of your heart." (vs4). "Commit your way to the LORD (the Hebrew literally says "to roll" something onto the LORD- in other words, we must roll all of our anxieties, desires, and frustrations onto Him) . Trust also in Him and He will do it (He will take care of the situation) (vs5). "Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him." (vs 6). To sum it up, we must trust, do good, delight, commit, and rest. It is a call to throw ourselves onto the providence and sovereignty of God. Therefore, when God is silent or when you cannot discern His way or what He is up to, follow the advice of David- trust, do good, delight, commit, and rest.

The Absolute Must

Rise up soldier; shake off the dust!
You’ve spent too long indulging your lust.
The night is far spent, the day is at hand!
Tighten up your bootstraps and take a stand!
Rise up warrior and grab your sword
Prepare to do battle with the evil horde!
Arise from your slumber and sober up!
The enemy advances, so straighten up!
Rise up fighter; lift up your hands!
Prepare for the blow that is about to land!
Your opponent is a beast, seeking your end!
So man up or shut up and make the punk bend!
The devil never slumbers, sleeps or is slack.
Take your eyes off of Jesus and you’ll be flat on your back.
So grit your teeth, clench your fist and get ready to fight.
Don’t be caught living as a child of the night.
Keep in prayer, the Word, and be Spirit filled.
These will all protect you from being killed.
So Rise up disciple; shake off the dust.
For being a warrior is an absolute must.

The Outside Pull

We as Christians must be ever on gaurd against those things that would try to pull us out of our abiding in Christ. Circumstances can pull and tug on us and bring us to a point of introspection that we never thought existed. As saints, we must be careful of too deep an introspection lest we, in our introspection, consider ourselves and our circumstances without Christ. The moment we start to calculate things without the promises or presence of God, we move out of Christ consciousness and into self consciousness. We must keep in mind that the high aim of God is to make us one with His Son- to have every aspect of our conscious life brought into union with Him. This is the goal of sanctification and the true sense of reality for the saint. God will bring about circumstances in our lives to show us where we are not living in spiritual reality. Instead, what we will find is that circumstances will show us how self conscious we really are in places that we though we were spiritual. God does this so that we can bring these things into the reality of abiding with Him so that the consciousness of self will dissipate and the only thing we know is abiding in Christ. If you are in circumstances where you find yourself restless, it may be because you are considering your circumstances outside Christ. Let yourself find rest in the promises and presence of God- then the peace will come- the peace that can only come by abiding in Christ. This is God's goal for you in the crisis- oneness. Oneness with Christ and abiding with Him.

I found my pen

It has been a while sense I have last been on the blogosphere; but I am back. I will be writing all that is on my heart or in my head. I hope you find it interesting, intriguing, and insightful.

The Fear of the LORD

Psalm 25:14 14 The secret of the LORD is for those who fear Him, And He will make them know His covenant.


What does it mean to fear God? The answer to this question is necessary for two reasons: it's understanding is essential for the steady growth of a new convert; and it is hardly mentioned in today's Christian culture that the average Christian knows it like he or she knows a foreign language. Such speech makes no sense. Given the seemingly broad ignorance on the subject, it will do us good to investigate it. What we will see is that because modern preachers have neglected such an essential teaching of scripture, modern Christianity has become void of the idea and the benefits that come in one's relationship with God. Therefore, I wish to bring this teaching back into the spotlight. Right were it needs to be. I wish to challenge all those preachers and teachers in the ministry to dust it off again. Away with your smooth tongue and flattering speech! Put down the feather and pick up the sword! Stop tickling people's ear and start cutting into their conscience! Do you think that you are doing the kingdom of God a favor by not heralding a message that is hard to hear? You are doing more harm than good. Every time a person softens a hard truth or holds back the full council of God; every time a preacher aims for applause; they are robbing their hearers of truth and contributing to their spiritual downfall. Also, not to mention, they are usurping the authority of the one who called them into the ministry and gave them a commission to preach the word!

The apostle Paul tells the Philippian believers to "work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you both to will and to do according to His good pleasure." (2:12). Thus, the way in which we are to carry out our Christian lives is with this attitude of fear and trembling. If not, we are making no strides in our sanctification. The lack of this attitude is why many in the modern church are in such a spiritually impotent and unholy state. Our salvation is to be worked out with an attitude which recoils at the thought of offending a holy and gracious God. An attitude that stands in reverential awe of who He is; a disposition of humility and trust the cast itself on the promises of a God who is faithful to the utmost and free from any corruption. Proverbs 8:13 sums up best what the fear of the LORD is, "The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverted mouth, I hate."

We must also note that this fear does not include torment. It is not a debilitating fear- Psalm 19:9 The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever. The word translated "clean" denotes a purity of refined silver that is free from any type of imperfection. It is also used in reference to a "pure heart", one that is free from moral evil and wicked motives. It can also be used in a ritualistic sense of being made clean in order to come into the courts of the LORD. In the context, it means that the fear of the LORD is a pure fear; fear that has no imperfections or evil in it. It is clean, lovely, and beautiful.

Certain things can only be attained by the fear of the LORD. It is the very beginning of knowledge and wisdom. Thus, if you never have it, you cannot even begin to obtain genuine knowledge or wisdom: Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge Proverbs 9:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom. True intimacy with God cannot be obtained without it: Psalm 25:14The secret of the LORD is for those who fear Him, And He will make them know His covenant. The Hebrew word translated "secret" gives the idea of intimacy with the LORD. God will only reveal the depth of Himself and His covenant to those who fear Him. Sure, a person can have knowledge of facts about God and about his covenant. But that is all it will ever be. It will never be knowledge of experience with God. We live in a day and age where there is so much theological knowledge and information, yet we are as spiritually impotent in our knowledge of God as the Catholic Church was in the years before the Magisterial Reformation. The LORD will also fulfill the desires of those who fear Him: Psalm 145:19 He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him. The reason He does so is that the person who fears the LORD loves what He loves and hates what He hates. Thus, their petitions and desires are Spirit born and are a request of the will and desire of God. Finally, God favors those who fear Him: Psalm 147:11 11 The LORD favors those who fear Him, Those who wait for His lovingkindness. God takes delight in and shows His divine favor towards those who fear Him.

We have only begun to scratch the surface. In other places the Bible also says that the angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him; He shows His compassion to those who fear Him, and His covenant loyalties are towards those who fear Him. In light of this very brief and incomplete overview, we see that the fear of the LORD is not something we should neglect nor take lightly. Back to the reference in Philippians 2:12. Our salvation is to be worked out not half heartedly; not flippantly; not in a manner of selfishness, pride, or luke warmness, but in awe and reverence of a Holy God. For it is this Holy, Jealous God that is working with in us giving us both the will and the ability to do according to His good pleasure.

What will the life of those who fear the LORD look like? One word-obedience. A conformity to the will of God in passion, motive, action, and speech. There will be an ever-increasing likeness of the Son of God in their life. They are enthralled with the Holiness of God, humbled by the Grace of God, and passionate about the Glory of God. They are people of prayer, boldness, love, compassion, and sincerity. They are truthful in their speech and show integrity in their teaching. They know that one day the quality of their work will be measured-all the way down to the motive in which they carried it out. Knowing the omniscient eye of God, they bow in poorness of spirit to the Eternal King of the Ages and throw themselves upon the power of Christ to carry out His life through them. This is the man who fears the LORD and delight in His way. All others are pretenders.

I'll close with the words of Moses: Deuteronomy 10:12-13 "Now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require from you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways and love Him, and to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, 13 and to keep the LORD'S commandments and His statutes which I am commanding you today for your good?