Limited Atonement

David N. Steele and Curtis C. Thomas, in their book, The Five Points of Calvinism: Defined, Defended, Documented, said, “Christ's redeeming work was intended to save the elect only and actually secured salvation for them. His death was a substitutionary sacrifice of the penalty of sin in the place of certain specified sinners. In addition to putting away the sins of His people, Christ’s redemption secured everything necessary for their salvation, including faith, which united them to Him. The gift of faith is infallibly applied by the Spirit to all for whom Christ died, thereby guaranteeing their salvation.” (p. 17).

Some Texts Used In Support of the Doctrine

John 10:15. The argument made on this passage is that Jesus died only for His sheep which Calvinists take to mean the elect. The answer to that argument is that in verse 16, Jesus taught that there are “other sheep I have which are not of this fold” who would come into the fold. Calvinists deny that one can change from “sheep…not of this fold” into “sheep” of the fold or from “goats” to “sheep” (see Mt.25:31-46). However, there are many examples of those who had changed from “goats” to “sheep.” They include the Corinthians (1 Cor. 6:9-11), and the apostle Paul (1 Tim. 1:13:14).
 
Acts 20:28 and Ephesians 5:25. The argument based on these texts is that Christ died only for those who are saved, the elect. The answer here is that there is no doubt that the church is composed of the saved and that Jesus died to purchase the church. The Scriptural truth that Calvinists overlook, though, is that any person can become a part of that church (Rev. 22:17).

Romans 9:13. The argument Calvinists use in relation to this passage is that the love of God in giving Jesus as a sacrifice was not a general kindness to all creation. John Gill, in Five Points of Calvinism, says, “But it is a special and discriminating love, the favor which he bears to His own people, as distinct from others.” To answer this argument, we say that “special and discriminating love” sounds quite different than the Biblical teaching that “there is no partiality with God” (Rom. 2:11). Romans 9:13 simply shows the righteousness of God -- that God was not unrighteous in His selection of Jacob to be an ancestor of the Messiah. Admittedly, this passage shows that God preferred Jacob over Esau even before their birth, not in reference to their salvation, but in regards to the election of the descendants of Jacob as the people through whom the physical Messiah would.

Scriptural Objections to Limited Atonement

The Gospel is for all (Mt. 28:18-20; Mk. 16:15-16). While Calvinists rationalize that God would not waste Christ’s sacrifice on those whom He had determined not to save, they do not seem to realize the waste that occurs by Calvinist preachers who preach the Gospel to all people, including those so totally depraved that they cannot understand it. Consider also the waste of preaching the Gospel to those God will save whether they hear it or not.

Jesus died for all people. Luke 19:10 says, “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost. And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself” (Jn. 12:32). “Therefore, as through one man's offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man's righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life” (Rom. 5:18).

The blood of Christ can wash away anyone’s sins. “My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world” (1 Jn. 2:1-2).

Conclusion

It would be extremely difficult for us to devise a doctrine which would be more out of harmony with plain Biblical teaching than the doctrine of Limited Atonement. The doctrine of Limited Atonement stands in direct opposition to the death of Jesus for all---“And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself” (Jn. 12:32)---and it stands opposed to the Father’s desire for all to be saved (1 Tim. 2:4). When searching for God’s truth, let us turn to the only source that contains it, the Bible.