Limited Atonement

Limited Atonement - The question always seems to be who did Christ die for? Well if we look at scripture what we will find is that Christ died for those God has predestined to come to faith.

Now there is a sense in which Christ through His death and resurrection has given the world a chance to come to faith on their own and by this gain salvation.

John 3:16 16"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

But in another sense we see that Christ only died for the elect that God has predestined to be saved.

Romans 8:28-30 "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified."

So which is right? Well we know that the word of God is infallible and does not contradict itself, so with that in mind we must believe that this can only fit together by the understanding that the "whoever believes" must be the predestined. We also see this in John 17:2.

John 17:2 "Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him."

In Ephesians 5:25 we see an even more clearer verse showing exactly who Christs atoning death was for.

Ephesians 5:25 "Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her"

The fact is that on our own we have no hope because we do not seek God and righteousness through Christ, we are all undeserving sinners and if we are looking for what is fair then hell is our only option. It is only because of God and His work in us that moves us to Christ and our faith.

Romans 3:10-11 As it is written: "There is no one righteous, not even one; 11there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God."