The Highway Forums General Discussion Theology Discussion Forum Help me understand particular atonement, please.

Hi there Welcome to the Discussion Board.

Helping you to understand "Limited or Definite Atonement" would be much easier if you could perhaps share what questions and/or problems that you have with the doctrine. And even better, if you could share what YOUR understanding is of the doctrine. Many people have a wrong conception of Calvinism in general which has come from others who are misguided, wrongly taught or who deliberately distort the teachings of the doctrines of grace. So, we could start there.

In a nutshell, "Definite Atonement" or "Particular Redemption" simply teaches that what the Father foreordained the Son and Spirit are in complete agreement and work in harmony with the Father to bring all things to their appointed end. Thus, the Son took on human flesh, was crucified for the punishment of sins of those whom the Father predestinated and was resurrected to life for their redemption. Looking at this from another perspective, the Lord Jesus Christ came to save a particular people, the elect, whom the Father from all eternity determined to save out of Adam's fallen race. To accomplish this, the death of the Son was vicarious and substitutionary, i.e., Christ's death ACTUALLY accomplished that which it was designed to do: Save.

Contrary to this biblical truth are those who would teach that Christ's death didn't actually accomplish anything other than to open the door; to make salvation POSSIBLE.... on the condition and only on the condition that a person accept that death as being true, or as their own, or... numerous other conditions. So, in the end, Christ suffered the penalty for everyone but in vain since not everyone is saved. Even more bizarre is that Christ's sacrifice which was fully accepted by the Father as sufficient to reconcile, to propitiate, to ransom sinners is ineffective to save and it makes God guilty of injustice for He will punish those whom Christ allegedly already atoned for having suffered the punishment due them on the cross.

Okay...... so here are some resources for you to peruse:

- Main Page for The Atonement

- The Old Gospel and the New, by J.I. Packer

In His grace,