Jesus said, "I lay down my life for the sheep." It is obvious from John 10 that he was not referring to all mankind when he said this, because he later told some unbelieving Jews that they did not believe because they were not His sheep. Passages which tell us that Christ gave his life as a ransom for "all" and that he was a propitiation for the "whole world" must be interpreted in light of the more specific references in scripture where Christ is said to give Himself up for His sheep and His church. The words "world" and "all" are general references that often refer to the elect (as many examples will show). Furthermore, we must ask a logical question. If no one seeks God, then why would God send Christ to die for everyone in the world in order to give everyone the opportunity to be saved? What good would that opportunity do for a world population of depraved sinners who don't seek God? In addition, since scripture teaches that God is not trying to save everyone in the world, then why would Christ die for people God never intended to save? These and many more logical problems confront the adherent to a universalistic atonment. The atonement is, in fact, limited. It is limited to the elect. Unless you are a universalist, you limited the atonement in some way. Arminians limit the power of the atonement to save those for whom they think it was intended. Calvinists limit the scope of the atonement and say Christ only died for the elect. Everyone except the universalist limits the atonement.
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Curtis Knapp
Limited Atonement The Five Points of Calvinism New Hope Baptist Church
