Welcome back. Today we're going to talk about the contentious debate over limited atonement by asking the question, "For whom did Christ die for? What is the extent of his atoning work? Did he die for the elect only or did he die for every human who would ever live? In other words, was the atoning death of Christ limited or was it unlimited?" So we have this question from Vincent in Japan.

Hello Pastor John. As you know, Calvinists/Reformed theologians major on the theme of God's glory. So my question is, "How does limited atonement make much of the majesty of Jesus when it is called limited? I understand that we sinned against an infinitely holy God and therefore need an infinite atoning sacrifice.

How is this reconciled with the doctrine of limited atonement? Isn't an unlimited atonement more profoundly glorious?" Well let's start with a celebration of an amazing book published three years ago called "From Heaven He Came and Sought Her, Definite Atonement in Historical, Biblical, Theological, and Pastoral Perspective." 23 essays all answering that question.

So I would hope that our questioner would go and find the book. So Vincent, look it up. It is really worth the effort. So you can see what the editors of that book did. They did not use the word "limited atonement." They used the word, the phrase, "definite atonement," not "limited," because Vincent is right that on the face of it, limited atonement sounds like God is held back, limited in some way from doing the really great thing.

But in fact, both sides in this debate limit the atonement only in different ways. And the question is, when they're both said and done, is the definite atonement a more glorious act than the one supported by unlimited atonement? So let's start with a definition of atonement. I don't assume that everybody knows even that word.

The atonement is the work of God in Christ through Christ's obedience and death and resurrection by which he canceled the debt of our sin, removed or absorbed the holy wrath of God against us, and secured for us all the benefits of salvation, even eternal life. That's the atonement, the work of God in Christ to achieve all of that.

So the atonement is the work of God to deal with our sin, to deal with his wrath through the work of Christ so that we could have eternal life. Now, both sides limit this action. Let me see if I can explain. Those who espouse definite atonement affirm all of this, namely that the death of Christ did effectively secure the complete eternal salvation of God's elect, the bride of Christ, including the fulfillment of the promises of the new covenant to take out of his chosen people, each one of them, the heart of stone, and put in a new believing heart and cause us to walk in his statutes.

The blood of Jesus, the atonement, secured that absolutely, effectively, perfectly for all of God's elect. Now let me try to explain this with some texts. Luke 22 20, it says that Christ took the cup, this is at the Lord's Supper, after they had eaten, saying, "This cup poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood." Matthew 26 28 says, "This is my blood of the covenant which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins." In other words, right at the heart of the atonement, the shedding of the blood of Jesus, is God's design to purchase, secure, obtain what was promised in the new covenant.

That's what it means when it says, "This blood of mine is the new covenant." Jeremiah 31 and 32, Ezekiel 19, Ezekiel 36, Deuteronomy 6, he's purchasing and obtaining and securing absolutely, infallibly, the promises of the new covenant for his people. Well, what was promised in the new covenant? It was not just an offer of salvation for those who would produce faith on their own, but rather, the very gift of faith was purchased.

The transformation that made faith a reality was secured in the atonement for the beneficiaries of the new covenant. In other words, a new heart was purchased for God's people in the atonement. This is more than the purchase of a possibility. This is more than the purchase of an offer of salvation.

This is the real purchase for God's people of God's sovereign work to take out the heart of stone and put in the new believing heart of flesh. Nobody would believe if that hadn't been bought for them. Here's the way it's said in Ezekiel 36, 26, "I will give you a new heart, a new spirit I will put within you.

I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and you will be careful to observe my ordinances." This is one of the ways that the new covenant is greater than the old covenant.

God works decisively and sovereignly to fulfill the promises of the new heart, new obedience in the lives of his people. He doesn't leave it to so-called free will. He overcomes the bondage of the will to sin, gives us the gift of faith, puts in a new heart, grants repentance, causes us to walk in his ways.

This is therefore a definite, decisive, particular achievement of the cross for the people of God, the elect, the bride of Christ. If this were done for everybody, everybody would be saved because it's effectual. But we know from Scripture everyone is not saved. So if you ask me, "Well, did Christ die for everyone?" The answer is Christ died for everyone but not everyone in the same way.

He died for everyone without distinction in John 3.16. In that sense, "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son." Well, in what sense? "For the world so that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." It's because of the atonement that that's possible.

You can say that to everybody. In other words, God gave his Son for the world in such a way that whoever believes in him would have eternal life. That is, in such a way that the offer can be made to everybody in every people group, in every family, in every neighborhood can be made without any distinction or without any hesitation.

If you believe on Jesus you will have eternal life. And the reason this is so is that Christ purchased a full and complete and effective and eternal infallible salvation for the Bride of Christ and everyone who believes is part of that Bride. This is what we offer people when we do evangelism, which we should do every day.

We say, "There is a complete and full and effective redemption for the people of God. It is already secured, already full, already complete. We invite you to receive Christ and with him you receive everything that he bought for his people." So we're offering Christ to people and the full complete salvation that he bought for his people, for those who are in him.

But this means that Christ died for his Bride and he loves his people in a particular and definite way that's different from all the world, just like I love my wife different from all the women that I love in another way. So in answer to Vincent's question, "Isn't an unlimited atonement more profoundly glorious?" The answer is no, because that so-called unlimited atonement, if it existed, which it doesn't, would leave everybody in bondage to sin because no triumphant grace that takes out the heart of sin and stone and purchases redemption and a new heart, none of that would be provided.

And the decisive act of faith that saves us wouldn't be a gift bought by the blood of Jesus. Nobody would be grafted into the vine because that only happens because they were purchased by the blood according to the new covenant. On the other hand, definite atonement is glorious because it accomplishes more, not less, which is why the claim that unlimited is more than limited.

No, definite atonement is more glorious because it accomplishes more, not less, than the so-called unlimited atonement. It not only purchases a genuine offer to the whole world in terms of John 3:16, but goes beyond the offer and actually accomplishes the triumph over unbelief and hardness of heart and brings to pass salvation and all the purposes of God that depend on it.

Yeah, these are huge realities at stake here, it's such an important conversation and it takes time to sink in. Pastor John, thank you for addressing it here. If this is the first time you've ever heard the phrases "definite atonement" or "unlimited atonement" and your head is swimming, most of this probably doesn't make a lot of sense yet.

If that's you, I want to encourage you to stay with it. It's worth thinking through these things because it's not just some pointless debate between theological eggheads. We believe it is a means of seeing the magnificent glory of Jesus Christ with greater clarity. So re-listen to this episode two or three times and then consider getting the book.

Again, it's called "From Heaven He Came and Sought Her." It's a thick, serious book, but go there and at least read Pastor John's chapter first, it's near the end of the book. You can get it from Amazon and from wherever quality books on the atonement are sold. I'm your host Tony Ranke, thanks for listening.

We'll see you on Wednesday.