John 6:38-39
We have been dwelling on these verses for the past two weeks to consider an important doctrine of the faith from the Reformed perspective which is also biblical. We call it the doctrine of grace or TULIP or Calvinism. So far we have covered the first two letters of TULIP and will consider today the third letter L. I think I have never mentioned this since we started. TULIP is also called The 5 Points of Calvinism.
Today we come to the 3rd letter L which is “Limited Atonement”.
” The verse we read tells us specifically that Jesus was sent on earth for a mission (count sent vv. 38; 44; 57). What was this mission? He tells us it is to do the will of the Father. And the will of the Father is to give eternal life to sinners. That’s the point of verses 39 and 40:
(i) “lose nothing of all that he has given me”…
(ii) “raise it up on the last day”
(iii) “should have eternal life”
How will Jesus do all these for sinners? He died in their place “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:6). He paid the debt he didn’t owe. We owed the debt we couldnt pay.
If you look at the verses 48-56, what is clearly in view is the crucifixion of Christ. He gives his body and blood for sinners. He is according to John the Baptist, the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). Paul and John calls him the propitiation for our sins (Romans 3:25;1John 2:1-2).
That is what Atonement means. To pay for sins. If you have trusted in Christ, count it joy that all your sins have been paid for by him. You have a reason to rejoice and have peace: “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of hthe Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.” (Romans 8:1).
Doctrine of Limited Atonement
Having seen what Atonement is, the doctrine of Limited Atonement asks and answers the question “Who did Christ die for?
There are often issues with the word Limited and some some prefer Particular Atonement or Definite Atonement. That is to say the Atonement was targeted, it was specific in its work. Jesus’ Atonement is not Limited in the sense that it cannot save everyone. It can. It has the power to. But it was not intended to save everyone. It was intended to save the elect. It accomplished a definite purpose
There are two possible answers to this question
(i) He died for the whole world
Error of Universalism because if he died for all, then all must br saved because the text says all will come to him (John 3:16, 2Peter 3:9,1Timothy 2:4;4:10).
(ii) He died for the elect—that is, those whom the Father has given him (vv.37&39). There is only one answer to this question and it is the fact that Jesus died for the elect–All those the Father gave to the Son. Clearly, we have in our view a people who have been given to the Son. We saw last week they are called God’s elect. And this is a biblical teaching. Listen to Jesus praying for his disciples in John 17:
I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you. For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that hI came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. I am praying for them. jI am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and nI am glorified in them.
We see clearly here there are a specific people in view here. Those the Father has given to the Son. And there is a startling thought here: v.9. The saviour of the world is not praying for the Lord. Shouldn’t that be troubling? This gives us a hint, that Jesus died for his elect. And they are the ones he commits to the Father. Of course this includes those who will believe in him in future generations: “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word” (John 17:12). Dear friends, if you have believed in Jesus as Saviour, you can be encouraged he prayed for you. Even before you were born.
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