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UNLIMITED ATONEMENT The doctrine of a limited atonement is a false doctrine and taught by misguided preachers, teachers, and writers who wrest the clear teaching of God's Word. This brief article will clearly and summarily refute the false doctrine that Jesus died only for the elect. As you will clearly see from the Scriptures, Jesus bore the sins and died for everyone, not just the elect (those who will be saved). The main reason for Calvinists and others believing in a limited atonement is that they cannot comprehend the fact that Jesus could pay for the sins of everyone and yet most will spend eternity in the Lake of Fire suffering for their sins. There are, however, many truths in the Scriptures that puny man cannot comprehend, at least not fully. One, for example, is the doctrine of the Trinity. How can one God be manifested in three persons? The truth is that, while the word "trinity" is nowhere found in the Scriptures, like the word "rapture," the concept and truth of a triune God is clearly presented. Likewise, how could it be possible for thousands who were vaporized in a nuclear blast (Hiroshima and Nagasaki) be resurrected on the last day and stand in a resurrected body before Jesus Christ at the Judgment? Another reason that many embrace the doctrine of a limited atonement is that it is not "reasonable" that Jesus would die for one's sins and that person still pay for his sins for all eternity. It may not be reasonable, my friend, but that is what God says in His Word. It is not reasonable that Jesus should command us under the New Covenant to turn the other cheek when one strikes us on one. It is not reasonable for Jesus to command us to go two miles if someone forces us to go one. It is not reasonable for Jesus to command us to give our cloak also, when someone wants to sue us for our tunic. So much for the teaching of Scripture having to be "reasonable." We don't necessarily need to comprehend a particular truth in the Scripture, but it behooves us to believe and accept it. There will be serious consequences on the Day of Judgment for those who teach false doctrine, including the doctrine of a limited atonement. "Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly" (James 3:1). Following are many verses of Scripture that refute the teaching that Jesus died only for the elect: "But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you...denying the sovereign Lord WHO BOUGHT THEM" (2 Peter 2:1). It is clear that the atonement included false prophets and false teachers who deny Jesus! "We ALL, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us ALL" (Isa. 53:6). "He [John the Baptizer] came as a witness to testify concerning that Light [Jesus], so that through Him [Jesus] ALL MEN might believe" (Jn. 1:7). Calvinists say that this verse means "all men of the elect." What utter nonsense! Caiaphas, the high priest, "prophesied that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation" (Jn. 11:51). The Jewish nation, as a whole, rejected Christ, and were not saved. Most Jews are not part of the elect. Jesus came to His own, but His own received Him not. In fact, Jesus told some of the Jews that they were of their father, the devil. "Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that One died for ALL, and therefore ALL died. And He died for ALL, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them and was raised again" (2 Cor. 5:14-15). "Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for ALL MEN" (1 Tim 2:6). The same Greek word for "all" (pas) is used in the following verse to declare that ALL have sinned just as the word "all" is used in the above quotations. "For ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Rom. 3:23). "Jesus...suffered death, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for EVERYONE" (Heb. 2:9). John the Baptizer said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the WORLD! [kosmos]" (Jn. 1:29). Those teaching false doctrine say that this verse is saying that Jesus takes away the sins of "the world of the elect." What utter nonsense! "For God so loved the world [kosmos] that He gave his only begotten Son, that WHOEVER believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the the world [kosmos] to condemn the world [kosmos], but to save the world [kosmos] through Him" (Jn. 3:16-17). "We know that this Man really is the Savior of the world [kosmos]" (Jn. 4:42). "I [Jesus] did not come to judge the world [kosmos], but to save it" (Jn. 12:47). "The world [kosmos] cannot accept Him [the Holy Spirit], because it [the world] neither sees Him nor knows Him" (Jn. 14:47). Here we can see that even though Jesus died for the whole world, generally, the world cannot accept the Holy Spirit. Only a relatively few will be saved. "He [Jesus] is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the WHOLE WORLD [kosmos]" (1 Jn. 2:2). The truth is that Jesus bore all the sins and died for everyone on the cross, and if God did not choose some to be saved, nobody would be saved.
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