For whom did Christ die? There have been two completely different schools of thought on that issue. One view is that Christ died for every person who has ever lived. The other view is that Christ died for the elect alone. In this message Pastor Brian seeks to harmonize all of the Biblical data on the death of Christ into a view with this motto: “Christ died for all men, especially for the elect.”
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Particular Atonement
1 Timothy 4:10
As we continue our series on the Doctrines of Grace, we come this morning to arguably the most difficult of them all – the doctrine of Particular Redemption.
When we come to the doctrine of Total Inability, the question is, “What is the spiritual condition of the unregenerate man?” When we come to the doctrine of Unconditional Election, the question is, “Why is one person converted, while another who hears the same gospel is lost?” Well, when we come to the doctrine of Particular Redemption, the question is, “For whom did Christ die?”
Now, at first, you may think I’ve lost my mind! For whom did Christ die?! There have been two opposite opinions about that question. The majority of evangelical believers believe that Christ for everyone. They say that Christ died in exactly the same way for every human being who has ever lived or will ever live. Then there are other evangelical Christians who say, “No, Christ died for the elect alone. Christ did not die for that man who is now perishing in hell. If He did die for Him, His death was a failure, because it couldn’t keep millions out of hell.” Now, there is truth in both of those views. However, neither one embraces all that the Bible teaches on this subject.
I started out in my Christian life believing the first option – that Christ died for everyone in exactly the same way. Then, in 1991, I shifted to the other position, that Christ died for the elect alone. Then, about 7 years later, I realized that I had shifted too far, and that the Biblical answer was somewhere in between. I now believe that there is a sense in which Christ died for every person who has ever lived. However, there is another sense in which He died for His chosen people alone. I do not believe that Christ died for everyone in exactly the same way. But I also do not believe that Christ died only for His elect. Now, that may totally confuse you, but I hope in this message to make clear what I mean.
When we speak of the love of God, there is a universal love that He has for all His creatures. It is a love of pity, and compassion. But there is also a particular love that He has for His elect. This is a saving, covenant love that breaks through every barrier and lays hold of the elect sinner, and brings him to Christ.
When we speak of the call of God, there is a universal call, and a particular call. The universal call is that call that goes out to every person who hears the gospel. It is a call to repent and believe. But there is also a particular, effectual call that the Holy Spirit issues to the elect, that actually draws them to the Savior.
So, if there is a universal and a particular love of God, and call of God, why should we find it difficult to believe that there would also be a universal aspect of the death of Christ, and a particular aspect of the death of Christ?
I believe that the death of Christ is neither strictly universal, or strictly limited to the elect, but that there is a dual nature to the atonement. And I believe that only when you embrace this dual nature of the atonement, can you take all of the Scriptures at face value, without making them say something they were never intended to say.
So, in this message, we will look first at the Sufficiency of the Atonement, and then we will look at the Design of the Atonement.
1. The Sufficiency of the Atonement
If we ask the question, “How many people is the atonement sufficient for?” the answer is everyone! Believers have long held to the old motto, “The death of Christ is sufficient for all but efficient for the elect alone.” Let’s see if that holds up. Is the death of Christ sufficient for all? Let’s look at several different passages.
A. Christ Died For The World
John 1:29, “Behold the lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.”
John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” Now, I realize that there are many Reformed scholars who believe that “world” here means “the world of the elect.” They believe this verse means that God so loved the elect that He gave His only begotten Son, that the elect shall not perish, but have eternal life. However, there are problems with this interpretation. The first problem is that if you consult any Greek Lexicon you will not find that it will give “the elect” as one of the definitions of the world. It will say that kosmos can mean all the inhabitants of the world, or all the ungodly inhabitants of the world, but not the elect. Further, John 3:16 seems to make a distinction between “the world” and “whoever believes”. The clear sense of John 3:16 is that God so loved the human race that He gave His only begotten Son to die for them, that whoever believes from that race of men should not perish but have eternal life.
1 John 2:2, “and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.” John in this passage is referring to Jesus Christ the righteous and assures believers that Christ is their propitiation who averts God’s wrath from them. However, at the same time, he informs them that Christ is also the propitiation for those of the whole world. Now, some commentators say that “the whole world” simply means God’s elect scattered throughout the whole world, not just among the Jews. However, how does John use that phrase “whole world” in his letter. Look at 1 John 5:19, “the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.” Here “whole world” refers to all of humanity who are not saved. Thus, John probably has the same meaning in mind in 1 John 2:2. Understood in that light the passage would read, “He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world of unregenerate men.” John must mean that Christ’s propitiation is available to and sufficient for any man in the entire world, elect or not.
B. Christ Died For All Men
1 Timothy 2:3-6, “This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time.” Paul expressly states not only that God desires all men to be saved, but that Christ as Mediator gave Himself as a ransom for all. Some commentators argue that the all in verse 4 and 6 is simply all without distinction, or all kinds of men. However, this seems to be a straining of the natural interpretation of the passage and I’m doubtful that someone would come up with that interpretation if they were not already committed to the idea that Christ died for the elect alone. It seems to me that the natural and plain interpretation of 1 Timothy 2:6 is that Christ’s death was offered on behalf of and made available to all men. Because God desires the salvation of all, He has sent His Son to make a sufficient atonement for all. Of course, this desire on the part of God for the salvation of all men is not the same t hing as His sovereign purpose to save those He has chosen from before the foundation of the world. Yet it does express His sincere desire for their salvation. Christ laid the groundwork for their reconciliation in His death, so that any person who comes to Christ by faith, will be saved. This passage seems to indicate that the death of Christ is sufficient for all.
1 Timothy 4:10, “For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers.” Paul points out that the living God is the Savior of all men in one sense, but especially the Savior of believers in another sense. The title “Savior” should be understood in the sense of one who reconciles us to God and redeems us from sin as it is used earlier in 1 Timothy 2:3-6. How can it be said God is both the Savior of all men but especially of those who believe? The answer must lie in the fact that Christ provided a sufficient salvation for all men, but also actually secured salvation for His elect.
Titus 2:11, “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men.”
C. Christ Died For Those That Perish
2 Peter 2:1, “But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves.” In this passage we find false teachers who will be destroyed were bought by Christ. It appears then, that a general provision was made for all men in Christ’s death.
It seems clear to me that there is a Universal aspect to the death of Christ. Christ did something on the cross that is available to and sufficient for all men. However, that is not everything the Bible says about this subject. The Bible also indicates that Christ’s death was designed for the salvation of His elect. Let’s look at some other passages that teach this truth.
2. The Design of the Atonement
Although we have seen many passages where the Bible speaks of Christ dying for the world, all men, and even those who will perish, there are other Bible passages that speak of Him dying for a specific group of people. Sometimes this group is called “the many” or “the church” or “His people or or “the sheep”.”
A. Christ Died for The Many.
Isaiah 53:11, “By His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, as He will bear their iniquities.”
Matthew 20:28, “just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
Hebrews 9:28, “so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, shall appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him.”
B. Christ Died For The Church
Acts 20:28, “Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.”
Ephesians 5:25, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her.”
C. Christ Died For His People
Matthew 1:21, “She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”
D. Christ Died For His Sheep
John 10:11, “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.”
John 10:26, “But you do not believe because you are not of My sheep.” Notice that it doesn’t say they are not His sheep because they do not believe. No, they don’t believe because they are not His sheep. In Matthew 25:31-46, Jesus describes His second coming into which all mankind will be divided, either as sheep or goats. Jesus died for His sheep, not the goats.
John 10:27-28, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.”
In these passages, we are told that Jesus died for a very specific group of people that did not include all of humanity. He died for the many, the church, His people, the sheep. In other words, He died for the elect.
3. The Mechanics of the Atonement
So, how can it be true that on the one hand Jesus died for all men, and on the other hand He died for the elect? The answer must be that He did not die for all people in exactly the same way. Jesus died for all men in one way, but for the elect in another way. Or to put it another way, “Jesus died for all men, but especially for the elect.”
Did Jesus die to make salvation possible for all men? Or did Jesus die to secure the salvation of His elect? Yes! I do not believe the answer is an either/or, but a both/and. Jesus did both in His death. He died to make salvation possible for all men, and to make salvation certain for His elect.
Perhaps this saying will help, “Jesus in His death did some things for all men, but did all things for some men.” Jesus Jesus didn’t do exactly the same thing for every person in His death. There are things He did for all men. He made it possible for all men to be reconciled, redeemed, and have God’s wrath averted. But remember that sinners are dead in trespasses and sins and must be regenerated to be saved. Christ in His death did not purchase for every person the regenerating influences of the Holy Spirit. However, He did purchase regeneration for His elect.
Romans 8:32, “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?” In this verse, Paul uses the argument of the greater to the lesser. Since God has already done the greatest thing by delivering His own Son over to death, surely He will follow through by giving us everything else we need to get to glory. However, one of the things that every sinner needs to get to glory is the new birth. He needs to be regenerated. Verse 32 says that the same group of people that God delivered Christ over for will also freely receive all things, including regeneration. But, to whom is this promise given? Verse 32 says that Christ was delivered over for us all. Does that mean that God delivered Christ over for every individual in the world and will freely give all things to every person in the world? If it does mean that, then no one will end up in hell. If this text is teaching that God is going to regenerate every person in the world, then all will end up in heaven. However, the Bible teaches that there is a hell, and many will end up there. Well then, who is included in the “us all” of verse 32. Well, let’s look at the surrounding context.
Verse 29-30 speak of a group of people who were foreknown, predestined, called, justified and glorified. Verse 31 says, “If God is for us, who is against us?” What us does Paul have in mind? The entire human race or another group? Well we know the us of verse 31 is the same group of verses 29-30 – those who are predestined, called, justified, and glorified. Further, verse 33 pinpoints this group by saying, “Who will bring a charge against God’s elect?” The us all of verse 32, is the elect. They are the ones who are foreknown, predestined, called, justified, and glorified. So, when Paul says that God delivered Jesus over for us all, He is saying that God delivered Jesus over for the elect, and He will also give the elect all things. That is, God will give them everything they need to make it to glory, including regeneration. Every blessing that comes to us, must come through the death of Christ. The elect will receive the blessing of regeneration, because Jesus purchased it for them in His death! If Jesus purchased regeneration for His elect, then every elect person must be saved. His salvation is certain. It is guaranteed. Christ secured it at the cross for him!
This truth also comes out in Titus 3:5-6, “He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior.” What did Jesus do for the elect in His death that He did not do for the non-elect? He purchased the regenerating influences of the Spirit for them. Notice in this text that we are saved by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit. But how is this regeneration and renewing given to us? It is poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ, our Savior. Herein lies the particularity of the atoning work of Christ. The Holy Spirit’s regenerating work is given only to the elect. Though Christ died for all men, He did not die equally for all. He purchased some things for all men, but all things for some men.
In 1618 some Dutch Theologians gathered to write a confession of orthodox reformed theology. They were reacting against the teachings of the students of Jacobus Arminius. In their confession called The Canons of the Synod of Dort they wrote this: “For this was the sovereign counsel and most gracious will and purpose of God the Father that the quickening and saving efficacy of the most precious death of His Son should extend to all the elect, for bestowing upon them alone the gift of justifying faith, thereby to bring them infallibly to salvation; that is, it was the will of God that Christ by the blood of the cross, whereby He confirmed the new covenant, should effectually redeem out of every people, tribe, nation, and language, all those, and those only, who were from eternity chosen to salvation and given to Him by the Father; that He should confer upon them faith, which, together with all the other saving gifts of the Holy Spirit, He purchased for them by His death; should purge them from all sin, both original and actual, whether committed before or after believing; and having faithfully preserved them even to the end, should at last bring them, free from every spot and blemish, to the enjoyment of glory in His own presence forever.”
How does the cross work? In 1 Peter 2:24 the Bible says, “Christ bore our sin on the cross.” By that we understand that Jesus became liable to divine justice to satisfy the demands of the Law against sin. Well, what is the demand of the Law against sin? “The wages of sin is death” (Rom.6:23). The penalty for breaking God’s Law is death. Therefore, in order to redeem a single sinner, Jesus had to die, for that was the penalty that this solitary sinner deserved. However, if there were 10 billion sinners needing salvation, the death of Christ would be enough to save all of them. Jesus could only die once. In His one death, He paid the penalty for all sins. The sins that the elect commit are exactly the same as the sins that the non-elect commit. Christ died for sin, period! Christ has once and for all satisfied the demands of God’s Law against sin. There is no barrier to any sinner’s salvation other than his own wicked heart that keeps him from repenting of sin and believing in Christ. Since He was God, His death had infinite value, and could save a million worlds of people if all of them came to Him in faith.
Nothing less than the light of the sun is able to sustain the life of a single blade of grass. But, nothing more than the sun is needed to sustain the life of the millions of different plants on this planet. Likewise, Christ in His death could do no less to save any, but He need do no more to save all.
Imagine your family has been captured by a bloodthirsty king and locked up in prison. In order to free your family, you blow a hole through the prison wall, so that they can escape. Your purpose in blowing a hole through the wall is to rescue your family. Yet, at the same time, the hole now makes it possible for all the other prisoners to escape. What was needed to save your family was exactly the same as that which provides for the salvation of all, should they avail themselves of it. Blowing a hole in the prison wall was necessary to save any, and nothing more needed to be done to save all. Christ’s intention in His death was to save His elect, but that same death has thrown upon the doors of mercy to all, so that any man who wishes can come and take the water of life without cost (Rev.22:17). That is why we God can genuinely offer salvation to any man, elect or not.
So, is Jesus’ death limited or unlimited? The answer depends on how you look at it. If we ask how many people could be saved by His death, the answer is “all.” From this perspective it is unlimited. But if we ask how many people God intended to save by Christ’s death, the answer is “the elect.” From this perspective it is limited. The only thing that limits the death of Christ is God’s design, not its applicability or sufficiency.
Conclusion
3 Lifeboats.
A Big Boat. The belief that Jesus died in exactly the same way for every person in the world can be illustrated by imagining that a ship with hundreds of passengers goes down at sea. Before the ship sinks, an officer wires for help. An hour later, a rescue ship arrives big enough to take in all the ship-wrecked passengers. The captain of the rescue ship notices hundreds of bodies bobbing up and down in the ocean, clutching planks and debris in order to stay afloat. The captain calls out from his megaphone, “Anyone who would like to be rescued, raise your hand, and I will take you to safety!” Many hands go up all over the water, and the captain responds by hauling them into his ship and taking them safely to shore.
A Small Boat. The belief that Christ died only for the elect can be illustrated a little differently. Again, a passenger ship goes down at sea. But this time a man offshore finds out that his wife and four children were on the ship that has sunk. In order to save his family, he takes a six passenger motorboat, and speeds out to the site where the ship went down. There, as he observes hundreds of people bobbing up and down in the water, he spies his own family. Passing by the drowning multitudes, he directs his small craft to his family, hauls them in, and takes them to safety, while the rest perish at sea.
There are problems with both of these illustrations. In the first illustration, there is a man with a ship big enough to save all, but its captain goes out to save no one in particular. There is no definite design in his rescue mission. However, the Scriptures teach that Christ had a definite people in mind when He went to the cross. On the other hand, in the second illustration, the man went out in a motorboat big enough only to save his wife and four children. But this fails to do justice with those many texts which ascribe an infinite and inexhaustible sufficiency to the cross of Christ. Also, the man who goes out to rescue his family is unable to give a sincere offer of salvation to all the people perishing in the sea, for even if they did desire to be saved, he has no room in his little boat for them.
A Big Boat With A Specific Design. Imagine a third illustration. In this one, the U.S. Is at war with Cuba. A man’s family is taken captive as prisoners of war by a Cuban Warship, and are being taken back to Cuba across the Gulf of Mexico. All of a sudden, a violent storm capsizes the ship and causes it to sink. A man in Texas receives word that his family was taken captive and the ship has gone down at sea. Being a captive in the U.S. Navy, he goes out to rescue them in a massive naval ship. When he arrives, he quickly locates his family, and hauls them into the ship. Having rescued them, he then calls out into his megaphone to the hundreds of drowning enemies, “If you would like me to take you to safety, just raise your hand!” Because of their bitter hostility to their enemies, these Cuban sailors would rather die than be saved by the U.S. Navy, and so all alike refuse the invitation. After sincerely offering again and again to save anyone who wishes, the man sadly turns around and heads back to shore. In this illustration the captain had a definite people in mind he was going to save. His intention was to save His family, and He would not be going out in the ship if they were not in danger. At the same time, his boat was sufficient to save all those who were drowning at sea, and his invitations and pleadings were sincere. The same ship that rescues his family is able to rescue all.
Do you see now what Christ has done in His death? He has made the salvation of all possible, but the salvation of the elect certain.
If you are a true Christian, this means that when Jesus went to that cross, He went to purchase you! He had you in mind. He loved you, and gave Himself for you! It was not just for a nameless, blob of humanity. He didn’t die, hoping against hope that someone of their own free will would take Him up on His offer of salvation. No, He went to get His sheep, His church, His bride, His people, the many. And in dying for them, He has thrown open the doors of salvation for anyone else who will take Him up on the offer.
Oh, my friends, the doctrine of Particular Atonement, ought to reveal to you just how much God loved you! He chose you before time, then sent His Son to get you at the infinite cost of laying down His life to atone for sins. Oh love Him in return! Give Him your life! Follow Him at any cost!
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