Peter Barnes | Ephesians 5:25-26
SERMON NOTES
LIMITED ATONEMENT
Ephesians 5:25-26
1. The possibilities regarding the atonement.
(a) Universalism. Christ died for everybody and everybody is saved – John 3:36.
(b) Arminianism. Christ died for all but not all are saved.
(c) Amyraldianism. The Father predestines a people to be saved, but Christ dies for everybody.
(d) Five point Calvinism. The Son died specifically for the elect.
2. The Bible’s teaching on limited atonement.
Christ died specifically for a certain number:
(a) John 10:11, 15, 26;
(b) Eph.5:25-26.
(c) Rom.8:29-30, 32. The ‘us all’ of Rom. 8:32 refers to Rom. 8:29-30.
(d) Matt.1:21.
(e) John 6:37, 39; ‘many’ in Isa.53:11-12; Matt.20:28; Heb.9:28.
3. Some universal texts
(a) 1 Tim.2:5-6. Calvin: ‘no nation or order of men is excluded’
(b) 1 John 2:2. Here ‘world’ probably refers to Jews and Gentiles. See John 1:29; 4:42; 12:32; Heb.2:9; Acts 2:17; Mark 1:5, 33.
(c) 2 Peter 2:1. Peter is probably writing of false teachers in terms which they used of themselves.
4. Conclusions.
(a) Amyraldianism teaches that there is dissension in the Godhead. But see Eph.1:3-6, 7-12, 13-14; John 6:38-39; 17:2, 6, 9, 11, 12.
(b) Amyraldianism teaches that Christ does not actually save. Charles Spurgeon: ‘You are welcome to your atonement; you may keep it.’
(c) How to issue the Gospel invitation. The Bible does not evangelise by saying: ‘Christ died for you. You must believe that He died for you personally, and then you are saved.’ Robert Traill wrote: ‘Tell him of Christ’s ability and goodwill to save; that no man was ever rejected by him who cast himself upon him; that desperate cases are the glorious triumphs of his art of saving.’