“Unlimited Atonement”

Introduction

As always, we begin our introduction with a definition.  ‘Unlimited atonement’ is defined as- ‘the efficacious work of Christ on the Cross on behalf of all mankind.’ The English noun atonement means reconciliation after enmity or controversy, and includes reparation made for wrong or injury.  The verb has several related meanings, such as ‘to be at one, to be in accordance, to make reparation or amends, to make up for errors or deficiencies, to reconcile.’  In the OT, the meaning of atonement is related to the Hebrew verb  kaphar- ‘pass over, cover.’

Body

1.  In the OT times, animal sacrifices were used to cover for sin.

A.  God forgave and restored where sin was covered by the blood of animal sacrifices.

B.   However, animal sacrifices could not truly atone for sins.

C.   Animal sacrifices represented the propitiation of God the Father by the judgment of Christ who took away our sins by His spiritual death on the Cross.

1)   The writer of Psalm 103 in vv. 2-4 said, “Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget none of His benefits: Who pardons all your iniquities; Who heals all your diseases; Who redeems your life from the pit; Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion.”

2)   John 1:29 speaking of John the Baptizer says, “The next day he saw Jesus coming to him, and said, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!’”

3)   Our Lord thereby established reconciliation between man and God: “For it was the {Father’s} good pleasure for all the fulness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His Cross; through Him, {I say}, whether things on earth or things in heaven,” Colossians 1:19-20.

D.  Therefore, atonement in the OT refers to the use of animal sacrifices to picture the saving work of Christ.

E.   The two concepts of atonement {Old and NTs} are brought together in Romans 3:23-26, which says, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus, whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith.  {This was} to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; for the demonstration, {I say,} of His righteousness at the present time, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”

2.  Atonement is unlimited.

A.  When Christ was judged on the Cross for sins, He paid the price for the sins of the entire human race— not just for the elect.

1)   “For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly [unbelievers],” Romans 5:6.

2)   The apostle Paul said, “For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; and He died for all, that they who live should no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf,” 2 Corinthians 5:14-15.  And in v. 19, “that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them.…”

3)   In 1 Timothy 2:6 Christ is the One “who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony {borne} at the proper time.”

4)   Titus 2:11 says, “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men.”

5)   The writer of Hebrews in 2:9 tells us, that the Lord Jesus Christ “…has been made for a little while lower than the angels, …in order that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone [so that you and I don’t have to suffer the penalty of / ‘2^nd death’ in eternity].”

6)   1 John 2:2 says, “and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for {those of} the whole [entire] world.”

B.   ‘Limited atonement,’ the theological concept that Christ died only for believers, contradicts Scripture.

3.  Unlimited atonement eliminates sin from the unbeliever’s indictment at the Last Judgment.

A.  When Christ died on the cross, He was judged for all the sins of the human race.

B.   At the Cross, human good was rejected to be judged later.

C.   Human good will be part of the unbeliever’s indictment at the Last Judgment.  {Cf. Revelation 20:11-15}

D.  Since sins have been judged at the cross, according to the doctrines of redemption, expiation and propitiation they will not be mentioned at the Last Judgment.

E.   Unlimited atonement covers sins only.

4.  The unbeliever is indicted at the Great White Throne because he did not believe in Jesus Christ while on earth.  Jesus said in John 3:18, “He who believes in Him is not judged. He who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”