What exactly is Limited Atonement? Is that a true teaching?
This is a very good question, but the answer may not be as simple as the question. Limited Atonement is defined as the doctrine that states that Christ died only for the elect, those whom the Lord predestined to be saved. First of all…is there an elect of God? Yes, there is. We read in Colossians 3:12-13, “Put on therefore, as THE ELECT OF GOD, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.” We also read in Romans 8:33, “Who shall lay any thing to the charge of GOD’S ELECT? It is God that justifieth.”
So, who or what is the ELECT? Simply stated, to be elected means to be chosen. In common usage, the word elect as a verb denotes the idea of choosing something or someone for a particular purpose. We read in Ephesians 1:3-6, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as HE HATH CHOSEN US IN HIM BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.” It would be too difficult to deny the truth that the Lord has CHOSEN some to salvation. The Bible speaks of it too often to be denied, argued, or ignored. (Read Acts 13:48, 2 Thessalonians 2:13, Romans 8:29, John 6:37a, etc.).
Even though there is a definite ‘elect’ of God, never do we read that Christ died only for the elect. Rather we read in 1 Timothy 1:15, “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that CHRIST JESUS CAME INTO THE WORLD TO SAVE SINNERS; of whom I am chief.” We read in 2 Peter 3:9, “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, NOT WILLING THAT ANY SHOULD PERISH, but that all should come to repentance.”
We do know that the unregenerate man, left to himself, would NEVER believe on the Lord Jesus. It takes the supernatural work of God to draw a man to Himself. The Lord Jesus said in John 6:44, “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him…” However, to say that someone has no opportunity to be saved is foreign to scripture. We read of the Lord in 1 Timothy 2:4, “Who WILL HAVE ALL MEN TO BE SAVED, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.”
Is it your desire to be saved? The Lord assures us in John 6:37, “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and HIM THAT COMETH TO ME I WILL IN NO WISE CAST OUT.” If you go to the Lord seeking to be saved, He WILL save you. He WILL NOT reject you…no matter who you are or what you have done. The invitation to be saved is legitimate and goes out to everyone as we read the words of the Lord in Matthew 11:28, “Come unto me, ALL ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” No one has ever come to the Lord on the basis of being one of the elect. No, we come to the Lord on the basis of being a lost sinner in need of salvation. Did the Lord Jesus die in order for you to be saved? Yes, His did. We are told in 1 Timothy 2:6, “(Christ) gave himself a ransom for all…” (CC) (610.6)