At the time in my spiritual life when I began to embrace the
doctrines of grace, the one that was hardest to swallow was the L in our
beloved TULIP acronym: limited atonement—or perhaps better stated
(though ruining the acronym): particular redemption, or definite
atonement. To make a long story short, I eventually came to see that the
doctrine was biblical. Both the intent and extent of the atonement was
divinely ordained to infallibly secure the salvation of all those whom
the Father had chosen from before the foundation of the world (John 6:39; 10:11, 14–15; Ac 20:28; Eph 5:25).
Jesus’ death didn’t simply make salvation possible, and then leave the
appropriation of the cross’s benefits to the sovereign will of the
sinner. No, it actually purchased the salvation of God’s elect (1Pet 2:24; Rev 5:9).
Interestingly, one of my chief objections
to the doctrine wasn’t so much on textual or exegetical grounds. It was
that it contradicted the way I had always heard the Gospel preached in
evangelism. All around me, I heard the Gospel preached as if it was
merely: “Jesus died for you, so you should believe in Him.” Evangelism
boiled down to telling people that Jesus died specifically for them, and
that, if He loved them so much that He would die for them, the least they could do was live for Him. Continue at Mike Riccardi
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