While I was a student at Liberty University I was told by a professor that if I taught limited or definite atonement* from the pulpit I would ruin a church. This sentence by my professor has haunted me over the years. I couldn't imagine how I could see and savor a doctrine in Scripture but if I taught it from the pulpit I would ruin a church. The above sentence has haunted me for years until I read "From Heaven He Came and Sought Her". The book attempts to provide an argument for definite atonement from history, the Bible, theology and the pastorate. Dr. John Piper; Former Pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church wrote the essay on definite atonement in the pastorate. At the close of his essay he explains how definite atonement when taught correctly can strengthen and empower a church. Here is his argument.
Knowing and experiencing the reality of definite atonement affects us with deeper gratitude. We feel more thankfulness for a gift given to us in particular, rather than feeling like it was given to no specific people and we happened to pick it up. The world should be thankful that God so loved the world that he gave his only Son so that whoever believes in him may not perish but have eternal life. But those who belong to Christ should be far more thankful because the very faith that unites us to Christ for all his promises was purchased and secured by the blood of the new covenant.
Knowing and experiencing the reality of definite atonement affects us with greater assurance. We feel more secure in God's hands when we know that before we believed or even existed, God has us in view when he planned to pay with his blood, not only for a free offer of salvation but also for our actual regeneration and calling and faith and justification and sanctification and glorification-that it was secured for us in particular. The rock solid assurance of Romans 8:32-39 is rooted in the unbreakable link between the definite atonement that Christ made and the promises purchased for those for whom he died.
Knowing and experiencing the reality of definite atonement affects us with sweeter fellowship with God. A pastor may love all the women in his church. But his wife feels a sweeter affection for him because he chose her particularly out of all the other women, and made great sacrifices to make sure he would have her-not because he offered himself to all women and she accepted, but because he sought her in particular and sacrificed for her. If we do not know that God chose us as his Son's "wife" and made great sacrifices for us in particular and wooed us and wanted us in a special way, our experience of the personal sweetness of his love will not be the same.
Knowing and experiencing the reality of definite atonement affects us with stronger affections in worship. To be loved with everlasting love, before the creation and into future ages, is to have our affections awakened for God, which will intensify worship and make it more personal than if we thought we were loved only with the same love as God has for those who will never come. To look at the cross and know that this love was not only for the sake of an offer of salvation to all (which it is), but more, was the length to which God would go so that I, in particular, would be drawn into the new covenant-that is the bedrock of joy in worship. When a church is faithfully and regularly taught that they are the definite and particular objects of God's "great love", owing to nothing in them, the intensity of their worship will grow even deeper.
Knowing and experiencing the reality of definite atonement affects us with more love for people and greater courage and sacrifice in witness and service. When a profound sense of undeserved, particular, atoning love from God combines with the unshakable security of being purchased-from eternity, for eternity-then we are more deeply freed from the selfish greed and fear that hinder love. Love is laying down one's conveniences, and even one's life, for the good of others, especially their eternal good. The more undeservingly secure we are, the more we will be humbled to count others more significant than ourselves, and the more fearless we will be to risk our lives for their greatest good. Definite atonement is a massively strengthening truth for the humble security and bold fearlessness of the believer. In that way, it releases and empowers love.
In conclusion, if I preach definite atonement from the pulpit I will not ruin a church in fact just the opposite will happen. Preaching, which aims at world evangelization and serves to strengthen the people of God, should speak of the acheivement of the cross in its fullness. The aim of preaching is to join God in his ultimate purpose in all things-to display the fullness of his glory. The apex of God's glory is the splendor of his grace as it reaches its climax in the glory of the cross. And the glory of the cross is the fullness of its definite achievement. Therefore, we diminish the glory of the cross and the glory of grace and the glory of God when we diminish definite atonement. But when it is preached and embraced in its biblical fullness, the glory of the work of Christ, the glory of the freedom and power of grace, and the glory of the being of God himself are wonderfully magnified.
*Definite or limited atonement is the belief that Christ death on the cross was to fully pay the penalty for those who were chosen by God from the foundation of the world. A popular way to summarize definite atonement is to say that Christ's death was sufficient for the world but efficient for the elect.
*From Heaven He Came and Sought Her. Essay by John Piper.
Knowing and experiencing the reality of definite atonement affects us with deeper gratitude. We feel more thankfulness for a gift given to us in particular, rather than feeling like it was given to no specific people and we happened to pick it up. The world should be thankful that God so loved the world that he gave his only Son so that whoever believes in him may not perish but have eternal life. But those who belong to Christ should be far more thankful because the very faith that unites us to Christ for all his promises was purchased and secured by the blood of the new covenant.
Knowing and experiencing the reality of definite atonement affects us with greater assurance. We feel more secure in God's hands when we know that before we believed or even existed, God has us in view when he planned to pay with his blood, not only for a free offer of salvation but also for our actual regeneration and calling and faith and justification and sanctification and glorification-that it was secured for us in particular. The rock solid assurance of Romans 8:32-39 is rooted in the unbreakable link between the definite atonement that Christ made and the promises purchased for those for whom he died.
Knowing and experiencing the reality of definite atonement affects us with sweeter fellowship with God. A pastor may love all the women in his church. But his wife feels a sweeter affection for him because he chose her particularly out of all the other women, and made great sacrifices to make sure he would have her-not because he offered himself to all women and she accepted, but because he sought her in particular and sacrificed for her. If we do not know that God chose us as his Son's "wife" and made great sacrifices for us in particular and wooed us and wanted us in a special way, our experience of the personal sweetness of his love will not be the same.
Knowing and experiencing the reality of definite atonement affects us with stronger affections in worship. To be loved with everlasting love, before the creation and into future ages, is to have our affections awakened for God, which will intensify worship and make it more personal than if we thought we were loved only with the same love as God has for those who will never come. To look at the cross and know that this love was not only for the sake of an offer of salvation to all (which it is), but more, was the length to which God would go so that I, in particular, would be drawn into the new covenant-that is the bedrock of joy in worship. When a church is faithfully and regularly taught that they are the definite and particular objects of God's "great love", owing to nothing in them, the intensity of their worship will grow even deeper.
Knowing and experiencing the reality of definite atonement affects us with more love for people and greater courage and sacrifice in witness and service. When a profound sense of undeserved, particular, atoning love from God combines with the unshakable security of being purchased-from eternity, for eternity-then we are more deeply freed from the selfish greed and fear that hinder love. Love is laying down one's conveniences, and even one's life, for the good of others, especially their eternal good. The more undeservingly secure we are, the more we will be humbled to count others more significant than ourselves, and the more fearless we will be to risk our lives for their greatest good. Definite atonement is a massively strengthening truth for the humble security and bold fearlessness of the believer. In that way, it releases and empowers love.
In conclusion, if I preach definite atonement from the pulpit I will not ruin a church in fact just the opposite will happen. Preaching, which aims at world evangelization and serves to strengthen the people of God, should speak of the acheivement of the cross in its fullness. The aim of preaching is to join God in his ultimate purpose in all things-to display the fullness of his glory. The apex of God's glory is the splendor of his grace as it reaches its climax in the glory of the cross. And the glory of the cross is the fullness of its definite achievement. Therefore, we diminish the glory of the cross and the glory of grace and the glory of God when we diminish definite atonement. But when it is preached and embraced in its biblical fullness, the glory of the work of Christ, the glory of the freedom and power of grace, and the glory of the being of God himself are wonderfully magnified.
*Definite or limited atonement is the belief that Christ death on the cross was to fully pay the penalty for those who were chosen by God from the foundation of the world. A popular way to summarize definite atonement is to say that Christ's death was sufficient for the world but efficient for the elect.
*From Heaven He Came and Sought Her. Essay by John Piper.
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