No doubt we’ve all heard Calvinists make statements like this: “Jesus doesn’t love the world,” “Jesus didn’t die for the world,” “Christ didn’t die for all or all would be saved.” As one man said,

The Bible teaches again and again that God does not love all people with the same love. “Loved by God” is not applied to the world but only to the saints.

Defending limited atonement in Chosen By God, R. C. Sproul says,

The world for whom Christ died cannot mean the entire human family. It must refer to the universality of the elect (people from every tribe and nation) or to the inclusion of Gentiles in addition to the world of the Jews. (Sproul, p. 206-207)

Sproul explains that the word “any” in 2 Peter 3:9 – God is “not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” – doesn’t mean “any” in an absolutely unrestricted sense.

Any time we use the word any, we’re assuming some reference–any what? any of which group? Certainly Peter doesn’t say that God is not willing that any person perish. We had to supply that “person” as if it were tacitly understood.

But is there any other possible reference to the “any” besides any human being? Well, obviously, there are other possibilities, not the least of which is a particular class. You have a class here of people, and that word “people” makes up a distinctive class. And if I said any of that class, I would mean any person. Or I could have another class, a class called Jews, and if I spoke of any of that class, it would refer to anyone who is Jewish, or American, or whatever other group I would incorporate within that circle.

I think, frankly, that what Peter’s talking about here is that group that is mentioned frequently in his epistle by the designation “elect.” Certainly, the Bible speaks frequently of the elect, and the elect make up a distinctive group, and the question is, is Peter here speaking about people? Is he speaking of the body of disciples of which Peter is a member? Or is he speaking of the whole number of the elect? Now, grammatically, the immediate antecedent here of the word any is the word “us,” and I think it’s perfectly clear that what Peter is saying here is that God is not willing that any of “us” should perish, but that all of “us” should come to salvation.

And we’re still not finished with the problem, are we? Because now we have to ask who’s the “us”? Now again in the broader context of his epistle, the “us,” I don’t think he’s speaking of all mankind indiscriminately, but the “us” or the “we” is a reference to the believers, to those people to whom Peter is speaking, which are the believers in Jesus Christ. And so I don’t think that this text gets rid of the idea that God designed the atonement for a purpose which by His design must needs come to pass. I don’t think we want to believe in a God who is a spectator of the drama of redemption, who sends a Christ to die on the cross and then stands there hoping, crossing His finger, hoping that someone will take advantage of it. Our view of God is different from that. Our view is that the plan of redemption was an eternal plan of God, and which plan and which design was perfectly conceived and perfectly executed so that the will of God to save His people, in fact, is accomplished by the atoning work of Christ.

All of this wrangling with words like “world” and “any” comes from an effort to maintain the Calvinist doctrine of “limited atonement.” This doctrine teaches:

Christ’s redeeming work was intended to save the elect only and actually secured salvation for them. His death was a substitutionary endurance of the penalty of sin in the place of certain specified sinners. In addition to putting away the sins of His people, Christ’s redemption secured everything necessary for their salvation, including faith which unites them to Him. The gift of faith is infallibly applied by the Spirit to all for whom Christ died, therefore guaranteeing their salvation.

This description highlights several distinctions of the Calvinist view of Christ’s atonement – what some have described as “definite” atonement. First, it highlights the intention of Christ’s redeeming work.

…the mission and death of Christ was restricted to a limited number – to his people, his sheep. Jesus was called “Jesus” because he would save his people from their sins (Matt. 1:21). The Good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep (John 10:15).

Second, it declares that Christ died to secure the salvation of His people, not just to provide an opportunity for salvation to each and every person. “The debate,” as Douglas Wilson describes it, “is not about the extent of the atonement so much as it is about the nature of the atonement.” (Easy Chairs, Hard Words, p. 75)

So, the question is this: was Christ’s atonement potential or actual? And this is treated as a dichotomy – it must be one or the other. As Douglas Wilson says,

All orthodox Christians believe in a limited atonement. Every Christian who believes that there is an eternal Hell limits the atonement. One group limits its power or effectiveness, and the other limits its extent. But both limit the atonement.

If we set aside our pre-commitment to this doctrinal tradition, the Bible doesn’t make this a dichotomy. We don’t have an “either-or” question but a “both-and” issue. In other words, the Bible teaches that Jesus died for the world, that God is not willing that any should perish, but that “all” should come to repentance even though many do perish. The atonement of Christ is potential.

Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. (Hebrews 7:25)

For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: (I Peter 3:18)

Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate. (Hebrews 13:12)

And yet, the atonement of Christ is actual.

For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. (Romans 5:17-19)

What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. (Romans 8:31-34)

It is clear then that in the death of Jesus, God extended the opportunity for redemption to every person, and it is equally clear that the death of Jesus brings actual redemption to all those who are saved.

Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father’s name, they bear witness of me. But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. (John 10:25-28)

With that in mind, I have three reasons I don’t believe in “Limited Atonement.”

First, the Bible teaches that Jesus died for the world.

There is no reason to make John 3:16 refer exclusively to the elect. As much as I hesitate to charge a man like R.C. Sproul – who I admire and appreciate – with eisegesis, I must say that conflating “the world” with “the elect” comes precariously close. Nothing in John 3:16 would require us to limit “the world” to “the elect.” The broader context and the way John consistently uses the term requires us to believe that God did, in fact, love the world.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. (John 3:16-19)

Throughout his gospel, as well as his epistles, John uses the term “world” to refer to fallen man in rebellion against God. It is true that, in his intercessory prayer, Jesus did not pray for the world (John 17:9). But that only strengthens the case. His intercessory prayer was for the elect, and Jesus distinguishes them from the world of rebellious sinners. God loved the world by calling the world to stop being the world, to stop loving darkness.

But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)

God’s ultimate purpose was to save the elect through the death of Christ. But in the unspeakable gift of His Son, God extended His love to a world of lost sinners.

And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. (I John 2:2)

And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. (I John 4:14)

For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. (Romans 5:17-18)

Exegetically, there cannot be a good reason to change “the whole world” to “the elect” unless you need to maintain that Christ died exclusively for the elect. But I John 2:1-2 emphasizes that Jesus is the propitiation (the sacrifice that satisfies God’s righteous demand for justice) for all sin – the sin of the elect and the sin of rebellious sinners – the “whole world.”  The purpose of the atonement was to satisfy God regarding mankind’s sin and rebellion. I John 2:2 clearly shows that Christ’s atoning sacrifice did precisely that. God is satisfied. Otherwise, no man could be saved.

“The atonement did not procure grace. It flowed from grace” God does not love us because Christ died for us; Christ died for us because God loved us. If it is God’s wrath that needed to be propitiated, it is God’s love that did the propitiating. (John Stott, The Cross of Christ, p. 172 – quoting P.T. Forsyth)

The atoning sacrifice of Jesus on the cross satisfied God’s wrath – “God is propitiated and sin expiated.” Any sinner can be saved. The atonement is the only grounds of possibility. And it secures the salvation of those God has given to His Son.

As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. (John 17:2)

Second, God goes to great lengths to spread the gospel worldwide.

And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. (Mark 16:15)

But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. (Acts 1:8)

We know that God does not save us because of any merit, any quality, any good thing He sees in us. But there is more to the story than this. God doesn’t see merit that moves Him to save us, but God does see value: something worth redeeming in fallen man. This “something” gives every man dignity – regardless of how degraded he might be. It is the reason God calls for the life of a murderer.

Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man. (Genesis 9:6)

By our sin, we have defaced God’s image, so it is hardly recognizable. Yet, God sees His image in His lost creation. It is out of a desire to bring redemption to the race of men, to the entire humanity, that Jesus atoned for the sins of mankind. God has placed value and dignity on every human being, and the Great Commission acknowledges this dignity and value. Thus John Calvin (commenting on John 3:16) said, “the Heavenly Father loves the human race, and wishes that they should not perish.”

Where the gospel comes, this grant is published, and the ministerial offer made, and there is no exception of any of all mankind in the grant.  If there was, no ministerial offer of Christ could be warrantably made to the party excepted, more than to the fallen angels; and without question, the publishing and proclaiming of heaven’s grant unto any, by way of ministerial offer, presupposes the grant, in the first place, to be made to them: otherwise, it would be of no more value than a crier’s offering of the king’s pardon to one who is not comprehended in it.  This is the good old way of discovering to sinners their warrant to believe in Christ; and it does indeed bear the sufficiency of the sacrifice of Christ for all, and that Christ crucified is the ordinance of God for salvation unto all mankind, in the use-making of which only they can be saved; but not an universal atonement or redemption. (Thomas Boston, commenting on John 3:16)

When God sends us to preach the gospel, He isn’t play-acting. The offer is a genuine offer of redemption, made possible by the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Thus, notice the gospel Paul preaches to the unsaved:

For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. (2 Corinthians 5:14-21)

God intends to redeem our race. The offer of redemption can be for all because the death of Christ has set aside God’s wrath against sin. God is concerned for the salvation of all men and thus is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. He can say this because His righteous demand for justice has been satisfied. The gift of His only begotten Son demonstrates His desire to save the world.

Third, the Lord bought apostates.

But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. (2 Peter 2:1-2)

Apostates are not the elect. Yet, Peter declares that the Lord bought them.

I have referred repeatedly to my main objection to Calvinism: first, it attempts to erase the Biblical paradox between God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility. I would be unjust to deny that Calvinism upholds man’s responsibility. But Calvinism isn’t content to acknowledge that we can’t draw the line between the two as precisely as we would like. We see this problem highlighted in the issue of Limited Atonement. It should not shock us that God’s grace extends further than we can explain; indeed, God is mighty to save even where His grace is refused. Christ died for all, but His death will do no good to those who reject Christ. I am content to leave it at that.