While driving home from the fantastic town of McPherson, I was thinking about the wonderful cup of coffee that awaited me at home, and going over my current memory verse, which is 2nd Peter 1.

I was pondering on verses 5-8:

2 Peter 1:5-8

5 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. 8 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

ESV

While dwelling on the qualities mentioned here, I found that none of them aptly describe myself.  But above all, steadfastness is the quality that I lack the most. 

I'm so easily sidetracked and I have difficulty staying on course.  For instance, instead of pointing out my character flaws on my Blog, I should be studying for my history COOP.  

So, I'm going to put a stop to this right now........

My prayer is that God would withhold my fleshly tendencies and grant me grace so that I may be strengthened, through Him, in the area of steadfastness.  Knowing that if these qualities are mind, and are increasing, they shall keep me from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of my Lord Jesus Christ.

For the passed few weeks, some of my friends and I have been discussing the ever popular and controversial topic of Christ's work on the cross.

The modern day sentiment towards the atonement is that Christ has fully atoned for all the sins of all people.

Although the growth of this view shocks reformed/calvinist minded people, it should not be surprising that in today's age of anti-intellectualism that this view is so popular.

Since my interest in this topic has once again been perked, and due to some extra time on my hands, I am going to attempt to write a few posts focusing on the main verses the Arminians use as strongholds for their view of Unlimited Atonement.

The first stronghold is 1 John 2:2:


1 John 2:2
2  He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.
ESV

The Arminian will immediately point out that the verse indicates that Christ has payed for the sins of the "Whole World."  And although at first glance this does seem to be the case, a closer look will reveal the truth.

Firstly, who was John's audience?  From the little research I did, it seems that most scholars agree that 1 John was written to the Church at Ephesus.  Ephesus was a town in Asia Minor (modern day turkey), we can therefore assume that most of the congregation were of Gentile descent, with perhaps a few Jews or Judiazers .
The Jews still believed the promise of salvation belonged to them and them alone, except perhaps for the occasional sojourner.  The reason we find the use of universal terms like "Whole World" and "all" used in the context of salvation is because the apostles were demonstrating to the Gentiles that salvation was for people from every tribe, tongue and nation.  They were also attempting to correct those Jews and Judiazers who still believed the promises were their's alone.

Secondly, it is important to note the use of the word propitiation.

Propitiation as defined by Webster is:  "The act of regaining goodwill or favor."  If a fallen human is to regain God's favor, his sin must first be atoned for/justly payed for in full.  And that is exactly what Christ does.  He payed the full price for the sin of His people.

But if what the Arminians says is true, and Christ has made propitiation for the "Whole World" how can any human justly go to hell?  If their sin has all been payed for, and Christ has suffered the full curse for them, what is left for them to suffer for?  Is it not unjust for God to send someone to hell whose sins have been atoned for?

The Arminian will undoubtedly respond by saying that those who go to hell do so because they rejected Christ.  But isn't rejecting Christ a sin of omission? And if Christ really did make atonement for the sin of the "Whole World" wouldn't He of atoned for the sins of omission?

These are greatly disturbing issues.  For we see that if Unlimited Atonement is true, it makes God to be an unjust Judge and therefore fallen by His own standard.

In the end we see that 1 John 2:2 does not point to an Unlimited Atonement.  On the contrary, 1 John 2:2 is some of the strongest evidence in Scripture for the doctrine of Limited Atonement.  For John clearly teaches an atonement that was perfect, and accomplished Salvation for everyone that it was intended for!

S.D.G