Subject: Is Limited Atonement Bibical? |
Bible Note: Dear Tim, I finaly have time to address the Scripture proofs you use as an arguement against Limited Atonement. I now have a clearer understanding of the doctrine than before so, thanks to you and my other brethren. 1) 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!". John could not mean by the term "world" everyone, for then everyone would be saved by the virtue of the the fact, that Christ took away sin by bearing it in His own body on the tree. Knowing that there are people who will be damned in the end, I can only conclude that John's use of "world" in this verse,must refer to a particular group of people, namely the Elect, who through grace recieve the gift of faith. "Eph 2:8,9 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast". John 3:16-17 - "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him". If we deduce from John that God sent His Son to save the entire world, but not all responded, leads inexorably to the conclusion that Jesus had failed in the work which The Father had sent Him to perform. Now, none of us believe that Christ is capable of failure. We believe His work was perfect. Was His mission to save the world or to save His People? John 5:36 "But the testimony which I have is greater than the testimony of John; for the works which the Father has given Me to accomplish--the very works that I do--testify about Me, that the Father has sent Me",and John 10:37 "If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me". Jesus Claims to have accomplished all that the Father sent Him to do! It is plain that John 3:16,17 is the closest thing to a mission statement thay we have. Nowhere is it implied that God sent His only begotten Son to make people salvable, on the contrary, Jesus saves. Matt 1:21 "She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins". Notice the verb is "will save", not try to save, not offer to save, not attempt to woo. It clearly states Christ's intention to save HIS PEOPLE! Who are His people if not those who are called? 8:29 "For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren" and Rom 8:30 "and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified". It seems to me that God is the initiator and the finisher of our salvation. Can it be possible that God Almighty lacks the power to bring a sinner to salvation? Can the fallen will of a man triumph over his Creator? No, No, No. Ps 18:46 "The LORD lives, and blessed be my rock; And exalted be the God of my salvation,". Eph 1:4 " just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love". He chose us! Before we were born. Eph 1:5 " He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will". Thats according to the kind intention of HIS will, not man's will. To God be the Glory! I believe I have begun to lay down a Scriptual foundation for Limited Atonement. For those who who are interested in a scholarly work, let me know, I would gladly provide you with the resouces I have leaned on. I'll continue on my next post. God Bless Tim, John |