Salvation in Christ | Definite Atonement
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Salvation in Christ, Fall 2026
Class 5: Definite Atonement
I Meaning of Universal vs Definite Atonement:
A Two main views:
B Take-Away of the Views:
II Terms, Tenses, & Texts Suggesting Definite Atonement:
A Terms:
- Redemption:
- Ransom:
- Propitiation’
- Reconciliation
B Tenses:
- Ro.8:29.
- Eph.5:25-27,
- Heb.9:12
C Texts:
- Suffering Servant - Isa.53:3-5
- Personal Pronouns:
- Effectiveness
- My Sheep - Jn.10:11-15
- The Drawn/Given - Jn.6:37,44, 65:
- The Church - Ac.20:28 & Eph.5:25:
- For Me - Gal.2:20:
- For Us/We: Ro.5:8; Gal.3:13; Eph.1:4; Eph.5:2; 1Thes.5:9-10,
- Union w/Xst: Rev.13:8 & 17:8
III Texts Seemingly Suggesting Universal Atonement – So-called Problem Texts:
A Jn.1:29 & 3:16:
B Col.1:20:
C 1Tim.2:1-7:
D Titus 2:11
E 2Pe.2:1:
F 2Pe.3:9: Summary: 2 Possible Resolutions: 1/ Two Wills of God – Will of Decree & Will of Desire/Command.. Cf. Ezk.18:32 for latter. By one God decrees who will believe; by the other He desires/commands all to believe. 2/ ‘You’ in ‘Patient toward you’, could refer to Christians under the influence of false teachers moving away from sound teaching. Cf. Rev.2:4
G Heb.2:9: ‘On behalf of everyone’ in v.10 is qualified by ‘many sons’ v.10, ‘those who are sanctified v.11, and ‘the children whom God has given Me’ v.13.
IV Shortcomings of the Universalistic View: Summary (not covered)
A Enslavement to Sin: Ro.3:10-18 & 8:7:Atonement is out of reach to unaided human choice or desire
B Impossible Apart From God’s Will: Under God’s sovereignty, in what sense is something possible if He did not decree it? In what sense is salvation of anyone possible if from the foundation of the world God determined who would be saved?
C Denies The Mission of Christ: Shepherd; King; Master; Head; Seal & Pledge; Priest; Reconciler; Propitiator; Bridegroom; New & Last Adam; Firstborn.
D Ineffectual & Graceless: God’s power and grace come to nothing if an available Atonement is not effectual and human-dependent. If Paul said no one seek, all are hostile enemies, how could trusting Atonement to human choice ever succeed?
E Infinite Futility: Giving the Eternal Son as a Sacrifice for sin is an incomprehensible mystery, but it would be an infinitely futile waste to present such a costly gift tied to the uncertainty anyone would receive it.
F Unbelief is Also Sin (John Owen): The Achilles Heel of UA was noted by J. Owen. He asked if the sins of all people are covered by Christ’s sacrifice, why are not all people saved? The usual answer is because of unbelief. To which Owen asked, “is not unbelief sin? If it is, why should they be punished for it if Christ died for all their sins?”
V Glory of the Definite View:
Creators and Guests
