Doctrine Of Atonement

Jesus’ life, burial, and resurrection were meant to accomplish a purpose that was created well before He walked the earth. Many believe that His life was surrounded by a term that summarizes His purpose known as “limited atonement”. It is the letter “L” in the acronym TULIP, which is used to describe the five points that John Calvin wrote into existence, also known as the doctrines of grace. The doctrine of limited atonement is easily the most controversial and perhaps the most misunderstood of all the doctrines of grace. Because the phrase “limited” can seem somewhat compressing to what Jesus did on the cross , some people prefer to use terms like “actual atonement,” or “intentional atonement.” These terms more accurately describe what the

Many theologians use the word “vicarious” to describe Christ’s atonement. This word means “acting on behalf of” or “representing another” and is used to describe “the atonement which states that Christ's death was "legal." It satisfied the legal justice of God” (Slick). The vicarious atonement of Christ means He was acting as a representative for a specific group of people who would receive a direct benefit as the result of His death. This concept is seen in 2 Corinthians 5:21: “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” If Jesus actually stood in the place of His people and bore their sin on the cross as the Bible teaches, then His people can never be punished for that sin. In order for the atonement of Christ to truly be a vicarious or substitutionary atonement, then it must actually secure a real salvation for all of those that in which Christ died. If the salvation is only a possibility through the atonement, then it cannot be a vicarious atonement. If Christ acted as a real substitute for those He died for, then those He died for will be saved. It would be a contradiction to say that Christ died for all sinners but that not all sinners will be

What the Bible teaches is that those in which Christ has redeemed are those that are truly free and their debt has been fully paid. It teaches that the people that are reconciled to God are truly redeemed and that the chasm of separation has been conquered through Christ (ESV, Colossians 2:14). It teaches that Christ’s death on the cross was a sacrifice that fully satisfied the wrath of God. When Jesus died on the cross, He said, “It is finished” (ESV, John 19:30) meaning that the debts of His people were paid and that it truly was finished. “When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross” (ESV, Colossians