The Design Of The Atonement (pt-1)

To look at a very controversial subject and I want to treat it with kit gloves in a sense. And I want to make sure at the end of the night That we are not having two kind of camps in this church those that believe a certain kind of doctrine about this and those that Don't and so we're just going to study and I'm going to try to Push your conscience to find out what you really believe and I'm going to do it in two forms.

Number one a quiz and then number two a handout so I have a ten Question quiz for those of you that are visiting you don't have to hand these quizzes in or anything like that. Thank you, Carl. They're true or false.

Remember if anything's false the whole thing's false and just write true or false. My goal is not to embarrass you my goal is not to make fun of you. My goal is to have you learn more about this issue.

The atonement. I mean could there be a better topic or a more important topic to study? The Substitutionary death of Christ and so let's Pass this out. Go ahead and just go through it quickly. We don't have a Lot of time, but the real question is did Jesus die for the elect only did he die for every person on the earth?

Or is it a mixture and this is just a subject we need to make sure that we know. It's okay. If we differ here at the church and nobody's going to get kicked out and we're not going to ostracize each other.

But you need to have some views of this Doctrine and what I love to do is in my discipleship classes with the young men at the church is to make them deal with This issue because it will force you to become biblical.

Whatever side you pick the master seminary from which I come and I love the school some men are four-point Calvinist. They don't believe in limited atonement. Some are five and so I'm not trying to cause any fights.

My goal tonight is so you know the issues and if somebody says I'm a five-point Calvinist I believe Jesus only died for the elect. You don't say to yourself that person's a heretic that person's unbiblical that person's not.

You know, he's wacky on the flip side for those that believe that Christ only died for the elect. I don't want you to raise your nose to those who don't have those same convictions. There are other things that we can fight about but this is good to hone your theological skills.

Why do you believe what you believe and it's if it's as simple as. For God so loved the world. He gave his only begotten Son. Therefore. I believe that he died for everyone. May I say you're naive and so tonight?

I want to help you with your naivete and just try to study the scriptures. So I believe both over my life. I believe a certain one tonight and you'll hear about that, but we aren't going to cause trouble.

I don't want trouble to happen, but it's just good. It's an issue bantered around in Christianity today, and that's why I picked it for God's issues in the church. Okay, so why don't you just take a minute or two and Write down true or false for each of these.

And if you really want to go the extra mile you can write next to each true or false. What the real answer would be and where you could prove it from Scripture that might even be better. Open Bible, by the way.

Everything here is open Bible. Preached in India and Bombay at the open Bible Church. I thought that is an excellent name for a Bible Church much better than closed Bible. Oh. We open our Bibles. It's like the Nelsons you know you Travel to another city and you're out of town and you see if people bring in their Bibles to the church.

And if they don't that's probably not a good one to pick. By the way when you see the word limit atonement that means the atonement would be limited. Christ death would be efficient for just the elect people so we see that unlimited means his death is efficient for Everyone so those are kind of the terms.

I'm kind of surprised we have. We don't have more people since this is such a hot topic. I'm trying to pick some controversial subjects for a variety of reasons and one since I have to speak the truth and put aside all falsehood.

Because we're members of one another one of the reasons is I'd like to pick some topics where more people will come out and just realize the sweet fellowship and benefit of Sunday night services just great together with together with the Saints and afterwards just Tonight don't forget.

We have some extra cake and so we can go down there. It's just good to be in the Lord's house with other Christians. And if I'm preaching through Hosea, it's probably harder if I'm preaching through women's roles people want to come out to hear what the scoop is and so.

Mm-hmm. I did by the way put Hosea to the side and I thought in 20 years when I'm more mature I'll try to preach through. So I confess Pardon me. It is a great book. All right about done even if you're not that's all right.

I'm sure we're gonna have to do this over a couple weeks. And again, I don't want anybody's dander to get up. I have not changed my view since I've come here. Frankly, I didn't know if I could ever get a job because the view that Christ only died for the elect is so looked down upon These days in a negative fashion that is hard to get a job if you believe that but I remember writing that on my resume.

If you think I'm kind of strange or wild for believing these views. These were the views of Spurgeon. These are the views of the early missionaries like William Carey. People like John Knox is debatable about Calvin and we won't answer that tonight.

John MacArthur, I mean there are others RC Sproul. This is not some kind of weird cultic thing. So only just a few people believe but evangelicalism is divided and we want to talk about what did Christ accomplish on the cross.

Here's what we'll do. I'm gonna just ask you the question you say true or false and tell me why and then we'll get more into the bull. This is almost going to be like an overview of what we're going to do and then we'll work through it.

Now we'll have some Q &A probably next time at the end. If you disagree with me, it's fine just hold your questions and we'll get them at the end and That's gonna be fine. Number one everyone limits the Atonement true or false.

Okay, what do you mean Bruce by false? Okay in that sense and I didn't that was not my intention behind it. But in terms of just a straight reading Bruce said that you if you're a human you can't limit the death of Christ on the cross.

How could you limit the Atonement and in that sense? You're right. But what I meant is this you either limit it by person and Christ died for the elect. Are you limited it's either quantity or quality the quality of Christ's death?

He died for everyone, but not everyone's going to heaven that could limit the quality. Are you could limit to the quantity that Christ didn't die for everyone? He just died for the elect. I'm just saying on both sides.

There's a limit to it. Yes, okay good. Number two and you've heard me express this number two. This Atonement issue is an in-house debate. True or false true. You've got Martin Luther who believed in unlimited Christ died for each and every one.

You've got John Bunyan. He believed Christ died for each and every one. There's some heavy hitters. Got chalk. He was an unlimited. He was limited Atonement. Zwingli, what do you think he believed that Christ died for the elect are for everyone any guesses?

Zwingli believed in unlimited where Christ died for each and every one. It's it's an in-house debate and again tonight my main purpose is not. I don't even if I convince you fine. But if I make you study, that's what I really want to do.

Number three limited Atonement. Christ dying only for the elect is a sign of hyper Calvinism. True or false and why? It's false, but these days if you say I'm a Calvinist and I'm a five-point Calvinist I believe in total depravity unconditional election limited Atonement irresistible grace perseverance of the Saints.

Then you're labeled a hyper Calvinist and I would just say to you that historically speaking. You're not speaking correctly. Historically hyper Calvinism is no evangelism. No prayer for the lost and no love.

No, no love from God towards the non elect. That is hyper Calvinism. Yes. Well, we'll have to get to that another time. But the doctrine of reprobation if I could just make it a little clearer is Never does never do the non elect.

Come with terminology like predestined predestined is only used of the elect. The non elect according to most of the scholars are their passed over and they don't go to hell because they're not elect.

They go to hell because they didn't trust the Savior. So it's different language. It's not the same kind of language. Predestination is only used for election. God's loving election to salvation. So we won't get to reprobation on that one, but some reprobation you can be hyper Calvinistic no evangelism.

It's fatalism that kind of stuff. Okay, number four the word world Cosmos and the Greek always means each and every person on the planet. False and we'll get to some of those when you see a word just like with love in the English.

You need to ask yourself the question. What does that mean? Same thing next the word where the word all is always inclusive of each and every person. The answer is false. There are some limited all's there's exclusive all's and limited all's and by the way the last two statements.

Both the limited Atonement Christ died for the elect only and the unlimited Atonement Christ died for each and every person would believe those two things. So far if you're on either side of the debate you would agree with number one two three four five if you're Historically Orthodox number six.

Difficult passages should be interpreted in light of planar passages. Would you agree with that most the time? Yeah, that's exactly true. And so we're that's gonna be something that we're gonna look at because there are some passages that don't fit in anyone system.

So what are you going to do with those? Number seven. Limited Atonement can be an encouragement in evangelism. Okay, why is that anyone Dave. Okay. So in in this sense and I would agree with what you said, it's an encouragement.

It's not a discouragement. Same thing with election. Some people say well if you believe in election, why would you go around and evangelize because I know That there's an E on somebody's head that I can't see but God can I mean figuratively speaking?

And I know when I when I knock on the door I have hope that maybe one of these people will be elect and so I think it's a real Encouragement to know there are still people out there that Christ has died for who are not Regenerate and we just need to preach the gospel to everyone.

Number eight the Bible says the Bible tells us to say Jesus died for you when we evangelize. Boy, this is getting hot in here already. Can you think of a verse who could give me a verse where they say Jesus died for you?

Okay, let's just go there. Acts 13 48 by the way is a great verse for the chicken and the egg theologically. This verse, of course, it's in Acts and people may say well. It's a transition book and it's not normative and we can't get a lot of theology we better beware of getting our theology out of Acts versus the Epistles and that's true.

Well, let's see what Acts chapter 13 verse 48 says. I don't think we'll see much about the atonement, but that's okay. It's a good verse. Anyway when the Gentiles heard this I Heard what that Gentiles get to be saved earlier in the verse 47 they began rejoicing can you imagine with there is salvation for non-jews and Glorifying the word of the Lord and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.

It's not the other way around you believe and then God appoints you if you're appointed to eternal life, you will believe. So in terms of this Bible tell us to say Jesus died for you when you evangelize.

It doesn't help us there. But it does help us to realize the doctrine of kind of which comes first any other verses Jesus died for you. Paul's preaching Peter's preaching Jonah will hold on to that because when we get to the all real we'll discuss it.

It was there a question in the back comment. Okay, good. Let's go there first Corinthians chapter 15 3. I'll go ahead and read that just so we can have it on the tape. This is a great Encapsulation of the gospel.

For I delivered to you as a first importance what I also received that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures. You see those personal discussions there our and that he was buried and he was raised on the third day according to the scriptures and that he appeared to Seep us into the twelve.

So it is certainly true that Jesus died for our sins, isn't it? God Demonstrates his love towards us that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us and I say yes and amen and yes and amen. But that really is not my question in terms of can you see some place where the Bible is talking to unbelievers?

Peter's preaching Paul's preaching he's talking to unbelievers and saying Jesus died for you. Now certainly when he's writing to the Church of Galatia or Corinth. He's writing to Christians and it's fine certainly to tell you tell Christians.

Aren't you glad Jesus died for you? I mean that is the message. I mean Jesus died for my sins. It is true and I affirm that and so does everybody here no matter what you're where you come from. But here's what I'm getting at.

You will have a hard time finding in an evangelistic setting in the Bible. Someone saying Jesus died for your sins you're gonna have a hard time. You'll see them talk about Jesus died for sinners and there is free mercy for sinners.

But you will have a hard time having Nathan's kind of finger out there saying Jesus died for you. So if you find one, of course, you can let me know and I'll go ahead and read those. But I can't think of one in Scripture where it says Jesus died for you.

Now, let me say this if I'm right about Jesus dying only for the elect then it would go along with that theology that how could I tell someone Jesus died for you when I don't know if he did or not on the flip side if Master seminary professor Robert Thomas who I esteem more than any other scholar that I've ever met He believes that Jesus died for everyone's sins including the non-elect.

He can say with this theology Jesus died for you true. So your theology determines even how you evangelize. That's my point. My point is what you believe will determine what you do and it affects this issue here on how do you evangelize and the summary?

You're saying man can't believe. I can't say Jesus. I didn't die for you. You don't need to you can say Jesus died for sinners. Here's what I would do if I were you if you're very concerned. Read Acts chapter 2 and 4 and 5 and you watch Peter preach and he can still preach the gospel without saying He died for your sins, and I know it.

Okay that that was basically thrown in there verse number eight is to kind of get your dander up a little bit to make you think Number nine a forgotten issue with the Atonement is that Christ died for God?

That is the big one. Let's turn to Romans chapter 3 for a minute. This is forgotten. I Really have a hard time with people on both sides of the spectrum. When they show no Christian love towards one another and they forget that Christ died to satisfy the wrath of God before he died for individual sinners.

I Think he was dying with the father in mind. Now maybe it's all together. And of course, I don't know the mind of Christ in terms of you know. One thought after another and he doesn't think in progression and he knows everything and it's one decree.

It's not many decrees, but this is an issue we forget about the Atonement is for. Not necessarily for the elect are for everyone in the world. It's for God. That's the main part of the Atonement. We could all agree on that too.

So there's many things we can't agree on. So Romans chapter 3 we have this great Treatise on salvation and Paul says what? Talks about Can't get saved by the law verse 21. Anybody can get saved all those who believe verse 22.

Why can everybody anyone get saved because all have sinned we're all in the same boat Jews and Gentiles. We're declared righteous justified as a gift from grace through the redemption, which is in Christ verse 25 whom God displayed Publicly, this is not some kind of little in-club.

This is not some kind of us for shut the door. No more God in a point of time said I'm going to this to show to the entire universe. In the most historic city in the center of the world in Jerusalem. He displayed him as a what?

Propitiation in his blood through faith. So God displayed his son not just in an X. What's I'm losing the word there's propitiation and expiation. So expiation means removal of sin. He did that but he not only did that he not only removed sin.

He also was satisfied as he poured out his wrath on his son, right? He poured out his wrath on the Sun. God's wrath was propitiated are satisfied and we now get our sins forgiven. And so that's what the passage says.

This was to demonstrate verse 25 his righteousness. So certainly God was righteous when you talk about the Atonement, would you please especially those who love to kind of debate? Include this not just Christ died for the elect or Christ died for the non elect or Christ died for both.

But Christ died for God. It's a great Steve Kemp song called and it has in there Christ died for God. He was the one that really that he really died for. Yes in terms of satisfaction. Yes, that's right for the father and we're glad that we're included in that.

But he was really it was the Trinitarian love of the son doing that for the father. Yes, good. Good. All right. Number ten if your position on the Atonement is correct. It was only grace that lets you see it true or false.

True, isn't that right? We have to be very careful and you know, I like to debate and have doctrine and you know all that stuff. But if I'm right on anything, it's only got by God's grace if you're right in your position.

It's only by God's grace and we are to act humble. Can you talk about it? Yes. Can you defend it? Can you can you sharpen one another? You know what happens when iron sharpens iron, don't you? Sparks fly.

That's good but at the end of the day when you say all those guys are four pointers and we're five pointers and I can't believe that. And kind of start creating the clubs that is wrong. We should be the most humble people if we say I've studied the issue I've come to some conclusions and I think Christ died for the fill-in-the-blank.

You should say I'm just humble. God gave me my mind. God gave me wisdom. God gave me professors. God gave me pastors and teachers and and I couldn't figure out any of this if it wasn't for God and his illuminating spirit, right?

So we want to. You know get along is basically want to do. Okay. How'd you do? You don't have to tell me the exact. You got right. I think usually when I do these everyone's true. Was that the case here almost?

All right. All right. Let's keep going. Next thing I want to talk about I have a handout. But if I hand this out to you, you're just gonna read it. It's kind of like the directories this morning. What those great directories by the way, they are great.

Thank you Carol. I saw some people reading the directories and I thought I hope they don't read those directories while I'm preaching. Because then I'm gonna ask him afterwards. Did you read the directories while directly while he's preaching and they're gonna have to say I can't tell a lie.

Yes. When the whole sermons on telling the truth. But great directories and you know. That's I kind of think that's the bar has been set think about the ministries that the Lord has given you at the church.

I say we do them with excellence or we ask ourselves. Should we even do them at all some things have to be done even if it's kind of schlocky. But that is just a great thing where we want to excel for the Lord.

Excellence are let's do it next year kind of thing. All right. Let me just keep asking questions. You know, I better turn it from question mode, I Believe that Jesus Christ and I'm going to try to prove it to you next Tonight and in a few weeks that Jesus died for the sins of his people or the elect and for the elect alone now.

You don't hear that talked about very much. And when I first got here I don't really have an agenda to try to Split the church and cause big trouble or anything else and the Bible doesn't talk about it that much in terms of the argument.

But it's just good to talk about it Tonight and so I want to make sure that we all understand that there are blessings short of salvation. That the non-elect receive from Christ's death. There are blessings short of salvation that the non-elect receive.

So in a sense Jesus dies only for the for the elect under salvation. But when he dies for the elect there are spillover benefits that everyone receives. Can you name me some? What are some spillover benefits of the atonement?

Delayed judgment. Excellent good. Yes. Okay. Well to have anyone be godly in a society. They have to have the atoning work of Christ upon them and then there's a spillover because you've got a remnant.

Okay, that's good. How about something else? It's happening last night in this morning. And it fell on people who were Christians and who are not Christians. Rain. How about children, how about anything else how about taste buds.

There are things that Christ's death certainly Spilled over with benefits. Let me read you a few scholars Jonathan Edwards from these things it will inevitably follow that however Christ in some sense may Be said to die for all to redeem all visible Christians.

Yes. The whole world by his death yet there must be something particular in the design of his death with respect to such as he intended Should actually be saved thereby. Hard to read Jonathan Edwards, but basically he says there are Effects for the elect and then there's spillover as well.

The Scottish Historian Cunningham said it is not denied by the advocates of particular redemption limited atonement that mankind in general. Even those who ultimately perish do derive some advantages are benefits from Christ's death.

John Murray. He said there are universal benefits which accrue to the non-elect from the redemptive work of Christ. Hardly anyone Denies that Jesus in some sense denied have died for all in terms of these common grace spillover.

Benefits, let me ask you another question is Jesus death Sufficient to save a million billion people on planets here and beyond. No one is arguing that Christ's death was somehow Not very good, and that's why I hate the word limited and unlimited atonement because if someone says oh you're you're limiting the atonement.

I don't want to limit the atonement because I think Jesus death could provide salvation for a million billion people. I don't think there are people on any other planet by the way. I think this is it.

I think this is the center of the universe by God's design. Someone once told me when I first got to this church. They said Jesus said something about I come to take care of my sheep and for those who aren't in my flock and that means people like in Mars and other.

I think I'm from Mars moving to Massachusetts with the congregation. And I tried to explain the person said no. I really think that can mean people on other planets. If there are people on other planets, they are tainted by sin right.

All creation groans and has been affected by sin. Dogs die why. Because they've been affected by sin and anything else out there dies. The universe is dying. Why. Because it's been corrupted by sin and creation personified is screaming out.

We want redemption as it were. And so I do know that if there are people on Planetoid X way out there that they have sin and for them to be redeemed. It'll take the God-man on earth Jesus Christ death to pay for their sins.

Right, yeah. Okay, that's a good question. Thank you. Give you one dollar afterwards a limited atonement. What would be a better term? There are two other ones that are used very historically and those are particular redemption.

He died for a particular group of people just like he died. That he rescued or ransomed a particular group of people out of Egypt called the Israelites. Particular redemption is better and there's another one is called definite atonement.

Very long writes a good book on definite atonement that he atoned for the sins of a definite group of people. But I believe Jesus's death would be sufficient for you know Angels if he intended it. Creatures anyone.

We're not limiting how great his death is. Neither campus. Tell me about this statement. Christ death was sufficient for all. And both camps will believe that maybe next week we could have the camp set up by by row.

Christ death was sufficient for all wasn't it? Sufficient for a billion million planets and more. Christ's death was efficient only for the elect. Only for those who would believe and both camps believe that his death was sufficient for all but efficient for only those who would believe.

And both camps believe that what we're arguing about is and I use argue in the sense of not Fighting but argue in logic and persuasion and an oratory kind of that kind of arguing. What we're arguing about is.

What was the intention of the atonement? What was the design of the atonement? What did God purpose in eternity past that's the real issue that we're talking about now. You've got three options. You know what Carl?

I think we're just gonna have to do this. Let me give you those notes. When you get the notes turn to the very last page and let me give you the three different options and of course, we're. You know, the bad news is we're half an hour into it and we've hardly opened our Bibles, but that's okay.

You can listen this morning's message again if you want on tape. It's just an important issue and so we'll get there and you can read this on your own. These are some notes I put together about eight years ago.

I was going to revise them. I File if anyone could scan these notes in and send me the that I would really appreciate it. Maybe you're a super fast typer and you can type them in ten minutes. I need this on hardcopy and I'd like to Do that, but these are my notes from about eight years ago.

And if you why don't you just turn to the very end and then we'll jump right in but the very end Gives us the three options and I I'm almost positive and Carl I better have one more too. I'm almost positive that no one in this room believes that Jesus died for everyone.

Therefore everyone's going to heaven and you believe in universalism. I'm almost positive. Thank you that there aren't universalist here. But if you turn to the very last page, it's got John Owens little snippet there.

It's very famous in the annals of church history. The father imposed his wrath do unto the son underwent punishment for these are your three options. Orthodox not all. Orthodox all the sins of all men.

All the sins of some men are some of the sins of all men. In which case it may be said that if the last be true all men have sons some sins to answer for and so none are saved. Be that if the second be true.

Then Christ and their stead suffered for all the sins of all the elect in the whole world and this is the truth. See, but if the first were the case, why are not all men free from the punishment due to their sins?

Now I'm jumping ahead, but I wanted you to just read this because it's very provocative. You answer because of unbelief if Jesus died for each and every person why is anyone in hell today the answer unbelief?

Owen asks by the way, he was the chaplain to Oliver Cromwell. Pretty neat. Huh? Is this unbelief a sin or is it not? If it be then Christ suffered the punishment do undo it or he did not. If he did not why must that hinder them more than their other sins for which he died?

If he did not he did not die for the all their sins. So what I'm trying to get at is the three views the three main views that aren't necessarily Reflected here you none of us are saying that Jesus died for everyone's sins therefore everyone's going to heaven even people like Judas and Hitler.

And who's somebody that we know is not in heaven. Judas I know is not in heaven. Who else King Uzziah. Goliath good for you Goliath. Who else died in their sins? Maybe Saul? You know, we're not sure. So those are kind of the issues.

So no one here is saying Jesus has died for everyone. Why evangelize we don't believe in universalism. And if you look at the notes, let's go back to the first page. You look at the notes. Page one and by the way, this is kind of just a compilation of everybody's work.

I mean, it's just like a digest of everybody else. Some have quotes. Given, you know, I pretty much Can't think of anything original in my life. And by the way congregation. You don't want me to. You want me to give you the same old story?

They said to Spurgeon. You know Spurgeon that his critics were saying to him you preach the same message. Ten years twenty years thirty years and we want novel we want new and you just preach the old cross.

Spurgeon said if I preach anything different you throw me in a lunatic bin because you'll know I'm crazy. I preach the text if you look at page one down to the issue. Whose punishment did Christ bear which is Roman numeral.

Two Christ died to save all men without distinction. That's universalism. Be Christ died to save no one in particular. It's Arminian which is four points procure potential or possible salvation. And then people must believe or decide or three Christ died to save a certain number that the father had given him.

So you've got a wide bridge that goes all the way Halfway across which is like be there or you've got a narrow bridge that goes all the way across. That's another way to look at. I'll just read my own notes here.

Number two the purpose of the atonement. This is what we just talked about. Did God intend to save all or did he not? Seton said if he did not intend to save all men without exception. But only elect then the work of Christ on the cross is a glorious success.

While we're right there, let's look up that verse because John chapter 6 is essential in this in-house debate. John chapter 6 verse 37. We need to remember and both camps agree. Certainly. I think it's more Logical for one camp to agree, but we need to remember that Jesus's mission was accomplished mission accomplished.

And that's very crucial that Jesus did exactly what he was supposed to do. John chapter 6 verse 37. All that the father gives me will come to me and the one who comes to me. I will certainly not cast out.

They'll all come right. They'll all make it. All those that he wants to make it will in fact make it. And that makes the cross successful. If I keep reading Seton if on the other hand it was God's intention to save the entire world.

Meaning each and every person world then the atonement of Christ has been a great failure for vast numbers of mankind have been not been saved. While we're on John chapter 6 verse 37, let's read verse 38.

For I have come down from my head will come down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of him who Sent me this is the will of him who sent me that of all that he has given me. I will lose nothing.

Point if Jesus died for someone and he was trying to save them. How could in fact they not make it. You may say belief and we'll get to that again later. Verse 39. I will lose and I lose nothing but raise it up on that last day.

Let's go further skip ahead to John chapter 10 if you will. By the way, there's all kinds of books on this to read. You can read Lightner's book on the atonement. Which he believes Jesus died for everyone.

You can believe. You can read James Montgomery Boyce's doctrine of grace and it's the other view. It's just good to try to sharpen your mind to see what you believe and why it is one thing to believe something.

It is another thing to know why you believe it, right? That's what we want to do. Chapter 10 verse 10. The thief comes only to steal and to kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep and that's what Jesus did. He wasn't laying down his life for the wolves. He wasn't laying down his life for the goats. He laid down his life for the sheep because those are the ones that the father had given him.

Furthermore, let's go to John chapter 17 while we're still in John and we want to make sure Riveted into your mind that Jesus is death. Accomplish what God the Father wanted it to accomplish and I know everyone in this room would believe it again.