Limited Atonement: God's Power to Save

Limited atonement is the hardest doctrine of Calvinism to accept. For this reason, there are four-point Calvinists:
What is Amyraldism / Four-Point Calvinism? | GotQuestions.org

Everyone limits the atonement in some way. Those who believe in unlimited atonement limit the atonement’s power, that Jesus died for people who end up in hell.

Those who believe in limited atonement limit its extent, that Jesus died only for His elect, who will without fail be saved, so not a drop of Jesus’ blood was wasted.

In His torture and death, Jesus suffered the full measure of God’s wrath for sin. Limited atonement means that not an iota of Jesus’ suffering was endured in vain.

If you truly care about the salvation of the lost, you should support evangelism, since the preaching of the Gospel is the means God has ordained to awaken faith in His elect. Some of the greatest missionaries have been Calvinists.



Until they repent and believe, it's impossible to tell who God's elect might be, so the Gospel must be preached indiscriminately. Matthew 28:19, Mark 16:15, Luke 14:23

 

That's why limited atonement cannot be accepted without also accepting total depravity and irresistible grace. If you believe that which is required for salvation, and if there's evidence of regeneration in your life, that's because God's grace has given you saving faith as one His elect.

2 Peter 1:10
Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble;

There is nothing unfair about God’s sovereignty in election. (Romans 9:21) No one who desires to be saved will be turned away. (John 6:37) If you sincerely care about your salvation, that’s a sign you are among God’s elect.

 

Why do I post things in favor of Calvinism? Because of things like this:





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If there weren't so many anti-Calvinists mislabeling us as heretics, there wouldn't be such a need to clarify what Calvinism actually teaches.

 

No one who desires to be saved will be turned away.

John 6:37
All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.

If you've already repented and believed, that's a sign you are among God's elect.

John 6:44
No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw (Greek "helko," to drag) him: and I will raise him up at the last day.

God promised Abraham that his descendants would be as innumerable as the stars:

Christians, by faith, are children of Abraham:

While the atonement is limited in extent, it covers innumerable children of Abraham.

 

No, I am not. God did not promise Abraham that every person who ever lives would be his children, and yet His children, in sovereign election, are as innumerable as the stars.

Of the "many" who hear the outward call of the Gospel, "few" are chosen to receive the inward call of faith.

When you look at the trajectory of all human history, from beginning to end, the number of God's elect will be as innumerable as the stars, as God promised Abraham.

That number, however, will not include everyone who ever lived, because that would be universalism, which the Bible teaches against.

Revelation 5:9
And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation

 

There is a difference between the general call and the inward call. The general call is the indiscriminate preaching of the Gospel to all people, because we don't know who is elect and who isn't.

The inward call is the calling of the Holy Spirit, upon hearing the Gospel, that unfailingly leads the elect to ultimate salvation.

Romans 8:30
And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

If there is a call, of those predestined, that unfailingly leads to justification and glorification, then it's different from the general call of indiscriminately preaching the Gospel.

When you look at the trajectory of all human history, from beginning to end, the number of God's elect will be as innumerable as the stars, as God promised Abraham.

That number, however, will not include everyone who ever lived, because that would be universalism, which the Bible teaches against.

Augustine, Luther and Calvin, on their teaching about predestination, weren't like the Jehovah's Witnesses, limiting the number of those who enter heaven to 144,000.

Unless you are a universalist, you believe that only Christians will be saved. That's what Calvinists believe as well, and the number of saved Christians will be many, as Jesus promised.
Matthew 20:28, Mark 10:45

Limited atonement is just the teaching that Jesus didn't die for non-Christians who never accept the Gospel. It's not some scary or esoteric teaching. Jesus died as a "ransom for many," those who accept the Gospel, not for those who reject it.

 

The only reason why I post things about Calvinism is the amount of anti-Calvinist prejudice that exists today. If people just stopped calling Calvinists heretics, there wouldn't be need to clarify what Calvinism actually teaches.

 

Limited atonement is simply the teaching that Jesus didn't die for those who live their entire lives rejecting the Gospel, so that not a drop of Jesus' blood was wasted. The more we sympathize with the sufferings of Jesus, the more likely we might be to accept limited atonement.

The Passion of the Christ (2004)

Tubi is a legal source to watch free movies online.

 

Since it would be utterly tragic if even a drop of Jesus' blood was shed in vain, the only acceptable alternative to limited atonement would be universalism, which the Bible clearly teaches against.

If you are among God's elect, His people, Jesus purchased you with the shedding of his blood.

Luke 1:68
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed His people

The only proper response is your love and obedience. If Jesus died for the full weight of your sin, then the more you sin, the more you add to His sufferings.

Ephesians 4:30
And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

Isaiah 53:5
But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed.

If your apartment building was burning down, and a firefighter died while saving you but not your neighbor, what would your proper response be?

Should you gripe and grumble about how unfair it was that the firefighter gave up his life for you, but not your neighbor? Or should you be thankful for his sacrifice?

There is nothing unfair about God’s sovereignty in election. (Romans 9:21) No one who desires to be saved will be turned away. (John 6:37) If you sincerely care about your salvation, that’s a sign you are among God’s elect.

 

It's because I love Jesus that I believe in limited atonement, that not a drop of His blood was shed in vain.



John 10
15 As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.
16 And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd.
26 But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep