The Heart of the Gospel - Pt 14

Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. (John 6:35-37; 44 ESV).

Well, now we come to the most difficult of the foundational truths necessary to understand the principle truth of the Gospel. It has been called “limited atonement” since the Reformation. It addresses questions like “For whom did Christ do all this?”, or “For whom did he die?”, or “Whose sin did he atone for?”, and “For whom did he purchase all the benefits of salvation?” Each of these is vital to us; however, we must understand that behind these questions of the extent of the atonement lies the equally important question about the nature of the atonement. What did Christ actually achieve on the cross for those for whom he died? That question will lead to a more accurate answer to the others. If you say that he died for every human being in the same way, then you have to define the nature of the atonement very differently than you would if you believed that Christ, in some particular way, died for those who actually do believe. In the first case, you would believe that the death of Christ did not decisively secure the salvation of anyone; it only made all men savable so that something else would be decisive in saving them, namely their choice. In that case, the death of Christ did not actually remove the sentence of death and did not actually guarantee new life for anyone. Rather it only created possibilities of salvation which could be actualized by people who provide the decisive cause, namely, their faith. In this understanding of the atonement, faith and repentance are not blood-bought gifts of God for particular sinners, but are rather the acts of some sinners that make the blood work for them. This is not what Paul teaches (cf. Ephesians 2:8-10). This leaves the danger of misunderstanding the work of Christ which leads to a belief that all are saved. If we believe that Christ died for all men in the same way, then the benefits of the cross cannot include the mercy by which we are brought to faith, because then all men would be brought to faith, but they aren’t. But if the mercy by which we are brought to faith is not part of what Christ purchased on the cross, then we are left to obtain our deliverance from death and sin another way. That leads us to the errors of universalism or legalism. Neither of these can be a part of the Gospel. There is no grace in either. And, further, there is nothing “amazing” about those beliefs. We are amazed because God showed his unfailing mercy to those whom he has chosen when there was absolutely no reason to chose beyond his incredible mercy (cf. Romans 5:1-8). And, that cause me to simply stand stricken with the majestic goodness of God. It drives me to a love and acceptance that is so great I cannot fully comprehend it all! For that, I cannot help but praise and serve Him! There’s you peace and joy. Rest in that belief completely!