God has acted to redeem fallen humanity. He sent his Son to make the ultimate sacrifice on the cross to give his life to pay the price for sins and to reconcile sinners to a holy God. But for whom did Jesus actually die? Did he die on the cross for every human being (universal atonement), or only for those who are specifically chosen to believe (limited atonement)?
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Notes
The Bible's central message is atonement. From the first stories in Genesis to the last visions of Revelation it is everywhere apparent that God seeks to reconcile his people to himself and that he has provided a way to do so.
God’s act of atonement is necessary because all people are sinners. We are universally alienated from and hostile to God. We are dead in our sins. We are subject to God’s hostility toward evil, and to his righteous judgment.
The New Testament presents the person and work of Christ as God's ultimate provision for atonement. The atonement of Christ is the sacrificial work of Jesus for sinners. In his death on the cross, Christ atoned for the sins of humanity such that God is satisfied and reconciliation is accomplished for all who will be redeemed. The obedience and death of Christ on behalf of sinners is the ground of redemption.
The death of God’s Son is the only perfect sacrifice and satisfaction for sins. It is of infinite value, more than enough to cover the sins of the whole world. This death is of such great worth because the person who submitted to it is not only a true and perfectly holy man, but also the only-begotten Son of God. He is of the same eternal and infinite essence with the Father and the Holy Spirit. These qualifications were necessary for him to be our Savior.
The atonement is described in many ways in the New Testament. Here are a few aspects of Christ’s atonement:
With this in mind, the question remains: for whom did Jesus die on the cross to accomplish this atonement?
Arminians believe that when Christ died he took upon himself every sin for every human being throughout time. Since God’s predestined purpose is to save believers in Christ, he sent Christ to die for all, so that whoever believes in him might be saved. The work of Christ is not limited to some particular or predestined
