Theological Term of the Week: Definite Atonement
Thursday, April 21, 2022 at 3:00AM 
The doctrinal teaching that “Christ died with the purpose of making full and effective atonement for all his people, who had been chosen to salvation from before the foundation of the world”;1 also called limited atonement or particular redemption.
- From scripture:
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless (Ephesians 5:22-27 ESV).
Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham. Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. (Hebrews 2:14-17 ESV)
- From the London Baptist Confession, 1689, Chapter 8:
5. The Lord Jesus, by his perfect obedience and sacrifice of himself, which he through the eternal Spirit once offered up unto God, hath fully satisfied the justice of God, procured reconciliation, and purchased an everlasting inheritance in the kingdom of heaven, for all those whom the Father hath given unto Him….
8. To all those for whom Christ hath obtained eternal redemption, he doth certainly and effectually apply and communicate the same, making intercession for them; uniting them to himself by his Spirit, revealing unto them, in and by his Word, the mystery of salvation, persuading them to believe and obey, governing their hearts by his Word and Spirit, and overcoming all their enemies by his almighty power and wisdom, in such manner and ways as are most consonant to his wonderful and unsearchable dispensation; and all of free and absolute grace, without any condition foreseen in them to procure it.
Learn more:
- Kevin DeYoung: Theological Primer: Limited Atonement
- Jonathan Gibson: Limited Atonement
- Jonathan Gibson: 10 Things You Should Know about Definite Atonement
- R. C. Sproul: Limited Atonement
- Simply Put Podcast: Limited Atonement
- Robert Raymond: Ten Lines of Evidence for the Doctrine of Particular Redemption
Related terms:
- penal substitution
- total depravity
- unconditional election
- irresistible grace
- perseverance of the saints
1 Systematic Theology by Robert Letham, page 571.
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