Limited Atonement
What flows from the total depravity of man and the unconditional election of God is an atonement that is limited to those whom Christ has chosen. If Christ has come into the world to save every individual without exception, then the Person whom we worship is a defeated Savior. If indeed God has purposed to atone for the sins of all without exception, and not just the many He has elected, He is unsuccessful in His attempt at this endeavor. Spurgeon is just as passionate about this truth then all of the others. He believes that the purpose in Christ’s death and resurrection was to save the Lord’s people from their sins (Matthew 1:21) and accomplished perfection for those who are being sanctified (Hebrews 10:14). Jesus’ crucifixion did not make salvation possible, it actualized salvation, made it a reality for His people. And if it is a reality and will bring about the obedience of faith and not all believe, then the extent of the atonement must be limited to the elect.
Spurgeon interprets Isaiah 53:10 along these same lines. When the Scriptures speak of the Messiah “seeing His seed” and “justifying many,” it is not speaking of general possibilities. “Shalls” and “Wills” actualize it and make it a certainty. The purpose for which Christ came was certain and fixed: to redeem His own and actualize it, not to open the possibility for men to actualize it by their ultimate self-determination. This bold preacher was not afraid of being called a Calvinist for supporting such a truth either: “I may be called Antinomian or Calvinist for preaching limited atonement; but I had rather believe a limited atonement that is efficacious for all men for whom it was intended, than an universal atonement that is not efficacious for anybody, except the will of man be joined with it.”[1]
Key to Spurgeon’s gospel call and evangelical witness was to have this in mind. Confidence in the gospel and in the atonement of Christ in actually saving and not ultimately depending on the determination of man was central to belief in the saving working of God. We do not know who is elect, who is atoned for, or what the precise extent of the atonement is. What we do know is that Christ will save those who call upon His name, and thus going into all the world and teaching those things which have been commanded (Matthew 28:18-20) is necessary. In fact, if the opposite position is held that Christ died for everyone, consistency calls for little, if any comfort.
“The limit of it is just this: He hath died for sinners; whoever in this congregation inwardly and sorrowfully knows himself to be a sinner, Christ died for him; whoever seeks Christ, shall know Christ died for him; for our sense of need of Christ, and our seeking after Christ, are infallible proofs that Christ died for us…The Arminian says Christ died for him; and then, poor man, he has but small consolation therefore, for he says, ‘Ah! Christ died for me; that does not prove much. It only proves I may be saved if I mind what I am after. I may perhaps forget myself; I may run into sin and I may perish…But the man who receives the Bible as it is, he says, ‘Christ died for me, then my eternal life is sure. I know,’ says he, ‘that Christ can not be punished in a man’s stead, and the man be punished afterwards.’”[2]
[1]Charles Haddon Spurgeon., Spurgeon’s Sermons Volume 4—“The Death of Christ” (Baker Books: Grand Rapids, MI), 219.
[2]Ibid, 219.
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